Route Accounting and Proof of Delivery on Mobile Handheld PDAs

I have been programmed, by my work with mobile software solutions for handheld PDAs, to see opportunities everywhere. I drive my wife crazy... One of the reasons is my habit of constantly calling out phone numbers while driving down the street. Why?...I can't stand seeing people delivering packages and cargo while not wearing a handheld computer on their belt. I feel an intense sense of responsibility to make their life and work better. We all have a purpose in life and this is mine.

Here are a few ways that a mobile software application for a handheld PDA can make the life of a delivery man better:

1. Electronic proof of delivery form - sign the screen here, capture the digital signature and synchronize with the office...this enables the company to prove delivery at a designated location and time and show this on a website instantly.
2. Allows the delivery man (or woman) to look up past deliveries at this location, or instantly track the status of other in-process deliveries. This provides better customer service at the point of delivery.
3. Allows the delivery man to take orders on the handheld computer, and up-sell additional products and services to the customer at the time of delivery.
4. Allows the delivery man to inspect and report any damage to the cargo at the time of delivery. Saves time and resolves liability issues immediately without additional investment of time.
5. Vehicle tracking with a GPS enabled handheld computer allows the warehouse or office to see the location of all delivery vehicles. This enables better planning of routes and dispatches which saves time and fuel.
6. Grocery store product delivery folks can have "planograms" on their handheld devices which predict how much of each product each particular store needs. They can load their cart with a predicted amount of products which saves time and money.
7. etc

One of my sales team members once said to me, "our market is anyone driving around with a logo on their door." I must agree. If business is being conducted away from the desk, in a mobile environment, a handheld computer and mobile software solutions have relevance.

Asset Management and Mobile Software for Handheld PDAs

Asset management comes in all different sizes and shapes. Assets are not just property and buildings, desks and computers - the also include things like cows, chickens, human resources, inventory, fences, landscape etc.. My professional services teams often are involved in the development of mobile asset management and inspection software solutions. These projects usually involve ruggedized handheld PDAs, a mobile software platform with wireless synchronization and are designed to monitor and track assets on remote job sites.

We are currently working on a project that includes the delivery of fences and environmental barriers. These barriers are delivered to construction sites to prevent water runoff and erosion issues. Sometimes these barriers are temporary and are rented by the construction company. The company providing these "assets" must deliver them, monitor them, track their location, record how long they have been in place, and inspect them for damage once they are retrieved. Many of these tasks are conducted remotely in the field. This is a perfect environment for a ruggedized handheld PDA and a mobile software application wirelessly synchronized with the main office database system.

Handheld PDAs and RFID in the Hospital

Last week my VP of Product Management, Dave Wasden, was playing a high tech version of an Easter egg hunt in the office. He would distribute RFID tags in various locations around the office and walk through with a Symbol 9000 (industrial grade handheld computer) with an RFID antenna attached. The antenna would pick-up the RFID tags and list them on the screen of the handheld device.

Dave was testing this RFID software solution developed, using the PointSync Mobility Platform, on behalf of a company that monitors hospital equipment. Seems often it is hard to find various high priced pieces of equipment when it is needed in the hospital. This can cause delays in treating or diagnosing patients - this is not a good thing. The solution being tested would allow a technician to monitor and track the locations of a large variety of hospital equipment. We have already been involved in a similar project to track expensive tools on construction sites in a similar manner.

In a blog article last year I expressed the opinion that RFID was not yet ready for prime time, or at least for small to medium sized businesses, however, already this year I have seen numerous inexpensive and practical applications for small to medium sized businesses primarily in the asset management arena that want to deploy RFID on mobile handheld PDAs.

MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform supports a large variety customized RFID solutions.

Inspection Software for Handheld PDAs and the City of Los Angeles

My team has been supporting a mobile inspection software project with the City of Los Angeles' Building Maintenance Division. They had a need to collect conditional assessment data and inspection data from equipment and buildings at over 900 locations using handheld PDAs. These buildings include:

• Police Stations
• Fire Stations
• Libraries
• Waste water operations
• Communication Centers
• Municipal Buildings of all kinds
• etc.

Their 6 inspectors collect data and complete inspections for their CMMS application (computer managed maintenance system). These 6 inspectors are experts in the following areas:

• Carpentry
• HVAC
• Roofing
• Elevators
• Plumbing
• Electrical

The Building Maintenance Division selected MobileDataforce's Mobile Inspection Software for handheld PDAs and Symbol MC 9000k handheld devices.

The inspectors collect the data and complete the inspections and synchronize their devices to a central data repository.

The Building Maintenance Division selected software from MobileDataforce that would enable them to create, customize and configure their own handheld inspection forms and applications. By selecting a software solution that lets them create their own mobile applications, they can edit and customize whenever necessary without the need and expense of paying a third party.

Canyon County Selects MobileDataforce® for Mobile Automated Building Inspection System

Canyon County Selects MobileDataforce® for Mobile Automated Building Inspection System

County seeks to control costs related to building inspections and to improve efficiency of field inspectors

Boise, Idaho—January 25, 2007 – MobileDataforce® a leading provider of business critical mobile software applications today announced they were selected by Canyon County, Idaho to provide a Mobile Automated Building Inspection system. The purpose of this mobile solution is to help control costs related to inspections by improving the efficiency of the County’s building staff and the administrative staff they work with on a daily basis. This will be accomplished by replacing the paper based system for conducting and reporting inspections with an automated and mobilized system. The mobilized system will synchronize and integrate with the existing permitting and inspection request system used today.

The Mobile Automated Building Inspection system, using MobileDataforce’s PointSync Mobility Platform, will dispatch to the inspectors’ mobile devices a list of inspections to be conducted each day. While still on the construction site, inspectors will be able to file their reports and synchronize with the central office database.

Expected cost savings will come from reduced fuel consumption, reduced mobile phone usage, minimized overtime pay and reduced administrative work. Additional benefits will come from improved contractor communications, more accurate and timely reports and near-real time information.

About the PointSync Mobility Platform

PointSync Mobility Platform is an enterprise class solution used to rapidly design, develop and deploy field inspection applications. It is architected to provide database centric mobile inspection applications with bi-directional synchronization, GPS, barcode scanning, connectivity, security and enterprise database integration all within one solution.

About MobileDataforce

MobileDataforce is a global leader in the development of enterprise class and business critical field inspection applications for use on mobile handheld computers including Smart Phones, Tablet PCs and laptops. MobileDataforce has offices in Europe, North America and in Australia to support their expanding customer base and sales channels. Privately held, MobileDataforce has been mobilizing inspection processes since 2000. For more information, please visit our website at www.mobiledataforce.com.