How to Develop a Slow and Unreliable Mobile Software Solution for Mobile Handheld PDAs and Smartphones


Some companies have figured out how to develop slow and unreliable mobile software solutions for use on expensive and fast handheld PDAs and smartphones completely on their own, but for those new to this process please read on:
  1. Make sure you purchase the slowest available processors on your handheld PDAs

  2. Develop your mobile software applications in complete isolation from your real world working environment - chance and fate make life interesting if not entertaining

  3. Make sure you purchase the least amount of memory possible on your chosen PDA

  4. Purchase outdated and end-of-life handheld PDAs (try eBay)

  5. Develop new mobile solutions to run on old operating systems (try pocket pc 2002 or 2003)

  6. Choose a dial-up modem option for synchronizing your PDA (forget wireless broadband)
  7. Develop mobile solutions that assume you will always have good wireless carrier coverage
  8. Make sure if you lose wireless coverage, that your mobile software application is useless

  9. Take your existing desktop server application and force it to run on your PDA

  10. Don't filter the data you want to synchronize from your Oracle or SAP databases, just download the entire corporate database to your handheld PDA
  11. Don't synchronize only "changed" data, download the entire corporate database each time you synchronize
  12. Make sure if your connection is broken, you start the entire synchronization process over again - none of this starting where you left off sissy stuff
  13. Don't consolidate your enterprise data into one simple mobile synchronization "view", leave the data in dozens of different databases and database tables spread liberally around your IT ecosystem - this proves your courage and fortitude

  14. Don't bother optimizing your application for mobile environments

  15. Maximize the amount of encryption and security you use on every aspect of your mobile solution - with enough security and encryption you can slow the data synchronization down to a mere trickle

  16. Make sure you have all your mobile workers synchronize their handheld PDAs at the same time in batch mode

  17. Hard code your mobile software solution to work only on one specific handheld PDA that can only synchronize with your backend database in one specific manner

  18. Ensure that the software programmer that develops your mobile software application is ambitious and feels he/she is under paid and under appreciated, and/or their green card is about to expire

  19. Develop your own synchronization middleware...so what if other software companies have spent the last 15 years perfecting it...no time like the present to begin your own 15 year odyssey.

  20. Make sure this is your first time developing a mobile software solution - it brings out the pioneering spirit

  21. Give yourself some unrealistic development time frames - make sure you commit to these time frames publicly and in the presences of senior management. Make sure that senior management then develops their business strategy around the dates you provided

  22. Don't include testing and debugging time in your project plan...you need to cut corners somewhere
  23. Documentation is only for forgetful minds, don't waste your time here

  24. Purchase all your handheld PDAs before you develop your mobile application. Purchase enough to last the next 8 years. Who knows how long they will be available on the market and you don't want to re-develop your mobile software application for new operating systems and features

  25. Allow your mobile workers to download all the games, music and videos they want onto their handheld PDAs

  26. Don't standardize on a particular operating system or handheld PDA specification - it will stifle creativity

Handheld PDAs in the Kitchen


I took a brief holiday with my wife this week and somehow ended up in a kitchen products store. As I was rummaging through the various over priced multi-colored utensils from around the world, I noticed a Symbol Handheld PDA on a nearby kiosk. This was something interesting in a kitchen store, who would have thought it?

I walked over to the kiosk and noticed a synchronization cradle sitting next to a connected desktop computer with a flat panel monitor. I noted that the Symbol PDA had a built-in barcode scanner, monochrome screen and was running the Palm OS. I walked slowly around the kiosk, pretending to be captivated by the flexible cutting boards, but I was really trying to determine the purpose of the handheld computer. I noted that the Symbol PDA was their low-end ruggedized device, and that it seemed to be positioned for the use of their customers, not for their own internal inventory purposes. I imagined I was Sherlock Holmes out to solve a case and reached for my pipe.

I nonchalantly picked up a wooden spoon with a price tag of $49 and pretended to be fascinated by its craftsmanship. I looked closer at the kiosk and noted a sign mentioning the registration of gifts. That's IT! The Symbol PDA was used by people wishing to create lists of over-priced gifts, they would never think to buy for themselves. They would scan the barcodes on all the exotic wooden spoons and then synchronize the list to the kiosk computer. Once the products were in the database application, anyone could access this list over the internet. Wow! So much technical ingenuity from a kitchen supply store!

I best finish blogging and return to carving wooden spoons.

Crop Dusters and Mobile Handheld PDAs


I am always interested in new and unique mobile software applications that run on handheld PDAs and smartphones. This week one of our partners in New Zealand started work on a flight information recording application for crop dusters. They are using the PointSync Mobility Platform to design, develop and deploy this solution. I don't know all the details, but it certainly sounds interesting!

Building Inspection Solutions on Handheld PDAs



It is the season for Building Inspection solutions here at MobileDataforce. We are currently involved in 5 different Building Inspection projects. We are working with county governments, private building inspection companies, mold inspection companies, water conservation organizations, and a housing authority in Europe.

There are a lot of similarities:
  • Identify the building and building owner
  • Identify the physical location
  • Identify the inspector
  • Identify the date and time of the inspection
  • Inspect the premise
  • Identify and document the areas that were examined - building, floor, room, wall
  • Recommended action steps
  • Inspection Report
  • Mobile Invoice

Sometimes there are work orders or preventative maintenance work orders that get activated based upon an inspection. For example - NE corner of the roof is damaged, schedule repair. Other times work and cost estimates are associated with the inspections. For example - NE corner of the roof is damaged - estimated repair time 16 hours - materials costs $345.

We often support the mobile component of existing database applications for Building or Property management, but other times we develop both the mobile component and the enterprise building management application.

Mobilized Work Order System for Mobile Handheld PDAs


What does a "mobilized" work order dispatch and management system look like on a mobile handheld PDA? It consists of a number of business processes integrated together to create an efficient and profitable process that satisfies the requirements of your customer. Let's explore a mobilized work order process now:

A customer calls in to report a broken heating system. The office staff takes the phone call, enters the relevant information into the work order database application on the desktop computer which creates a unique work order number. The work order database application, with GIS integration, can compare the location of each service technician to determine which service technician is closest to the work location. This is accomplished with GPS tracking on the service vehicles or handheld computers used by the service technician.
Once the appropriate service technician is identified, the work order is dispatched to the handheld computer used by the service technician. Included in the electronic work order is driving directions from his/her current location to the next job location. In addition to the work order information, warranty, repair, users manual, maintenance history and product information on file can also be dispatched to the handheld computer for reference.

Once the service technician arrives at the location - he opens the work order on the handheld PDA. Opening the work order automatically captures the service technician's name, the date/time stamp and GPS coordinates and enters them into the open work order.
Once the service technician examines the broken heating system and determines which parts need to be replaced. He can pull out his handheld computer and check whether he has the needed parts in his vehicle inventory, if not, it automatically searches nearby service vehicles for the needed part (GPS tracking enables this). If another service vehicle is located that has the part in inventory and is nearby, then driving directions can be sent to describe how to get there in the most efficient time.
When the service technician arrives at the service vehicle with the needed part, the part is scanned using a bar code scanner in the handheld PDA to remove it from the vehicle's inventory and assigns it to the appropriate work order number.
Once back at the work site, the service technician runs into a challenge. He has never worked on this model before and needs advice. He snaps a digital photo of the equipment and synchronizes it back to the office. His supervisor reviews the photo and calls him with advice.
Once the work is completed, the service technician signs his name on the handheld computer screen, and has the customer sign the work order screen as well. The service technician prints an invoice on a mobile printer and collects the payment from the customer. The collection is noted on the mobile work order and synchronized back to the office for immediate processing.
As soon as the work order is completed and synchronized, the work order system reviews work order locations and priorities and assigns the next optimized work order to the service technician.

Featured Post

Leadership Advice from a Futurist - A Reading

Leadership is hard.  So for all the leaders and want-to-be leaders out there, here is some advice that I hope you will find useful. ***...