Kevin Benedict is a TCS futurist and lecturer focused on the signals and foresight that emerge as society, geopolitics, economies, science, technology, environment, and philosophy converge.
Mobile Software, PDAs, Rugged Handhelds and SAP
The poor plumber completes his work, pulls out his rugged handheld PDA and fills out the electronic work order. Once it is completed he has the customer sign the screen and prints an invoice on his mobile printer. The customer (SAP user) takes the invoice and gives it to the Accounts Payable department. The Accounts Payable department looks to see what purchase order the invoice is associated with and finds none. There is now an invoice dispute.
I see this challenge with companies receiving invoices from law firms and in the Oil industry (Upstream). Both industries submit many invoices to firms using SAP and these invoices are rarely associated with a PO. What's the answer? I invite your thoughts.
Even though the world of mobile applications and rugged handheld computers may permit faster invoicing for services, there still needs to be business process improve on the customer side in order for efficiencies to be realized.
New Trimble Nomad 800 Handheld PDA
Why are Mobile Applications for Handheld PDAs So Hard to Develop?
Custom Mobile Software Applications for Handheld PDAs - Don't Start from Scratch
The concept of a mobile application development tool kit, for developing mobile software for handheld PDAs, in this discussion means a software application that has many pre-built functions and supports many mobile project requirements out-of-the box. Many components of a mobile software application should be provided pre-developed in a tool kit, so you can configure not develop them from scratch. Components and functions such as:
- support for GPS
- support for multiple screen sizes
- support for storing and synchronizing digital images
support for synchronization of data between a mobile device and an enterprise database - support for RFID
- support for various button configurations on different models of handheld devices and Smart phones
- support for various security configurations
- support for bluetooth
- support for disconnected applications
- support for a wide range of Tablet PCs, laptops, Windows CE.NET, Windows Mobile etc.
- support for audio memo capture
- support for various bar code scanners
- support for new versions of popular operating systems and their new features
- support for odbc database integration
- support for data validations on the mobile devices
- support for various business logic and business rules requirements
- Mobile screen design tools
- much more...
Again the above components and functions need not be developed new for every project. They should be provided pre-developed by your mobile software development tool kit vendor. They are pre-developed, assumed-to-be debugged and tested, added to the tool kit library, improved over time and expanded so all developers can take advantage of them. There is no value added by your internal software development team building what is already available and market tested for less costs than developing in-house.
Many systems integrators and IT consultants have told me they can not profitably run a mobile application practice if they develop custom mobile applications from scratch. They want to configure mobile solutions, not design and program every possible custom scenario.
MobileDataforce is the developer of a mobile software development tool kit called PointSync.
Inspection Software for Handheld PDAs in Mobile Environments
Many inspections are follow-up inspections or reoccurring inspections on a schedule. In these kinds of inspections the inspector must reference previous inspection data. If the previous inspections were conducted on paper, then the inspector must acquire a copy of these previous inspections to take with them on the next visit. This often requires extra costs associated with driving time, gas and missed opportunity costs (less time inspecting and getting paid).
I remember working with a state agency responsible for inspecting professional licenses and premises. In order to perform their tasks, they were required to drive into the main office, rummage through paper files, remove these paper files and load them into a box to take with them to the inspection sites. They would use a carriage with wheels to transport this box to their automobiles. Let's pause a moment to think of the costs and inefficiencies of these task. They did the following:
- Drove to the main office where previous inspections were stored
- Sorted through file cabinets for previous inspection results
- Read through these files to determine any previous non-compliance or failed inspection issues.
- Recorded issues and highlighted them for review at the site
- Loaded these files into a box and carried them out to their vehicles
- Re-inspected the site and recorded more information on new forms
- Added new paper forms to the files
- Drove back to the main office
- Administration staff typed all the information from the new forms into a database system on a desktop computer
A simple database synchronization with a handheld PDA, laptop or Tablet PC from the field could have completed most of the above tasks in seconds. The inefficiencies listed above are not uncommon. Inspection software applications can be developed that synchronize directly to the central database. Queries on past inspections can quickly provide historic inspection data at the point of work without all the extra expense of driving to the office and manually searching through file cabinets. The time re-typing inspection data can be eliminated as well.
In these times of economic challenges, companies are looking for ways to do more with less. Mobile solutions can provide many cost savings and allow companies to conduct more services with less resources. For more information on mobile inspection solutions please contact MobileDataforce.
Interviews with Kevin Benedict
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