Kevin Benedict Ponders the Future

Airlines Make Some Improvement by Using RFID and Bar Codes on the Frontlines

In today's edition of the Wall Street Journal in the Technology section is an article written by Daniel Michaels called Airline Industry Gets Smarter with Bags - Carriers, Airports Use Scanners, Radio Tags and Software to Improve Tracking of Luggage. This article details some of the steps that airports and airlines are taking to use bar codes, bar code scanners and RFID tags to improve the tracking of bags. Why? Each bag that they lose costs them on average of $100 to return to the angry owner...read more.

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SAP and Mobile Computing

SAP's NetWeaver supports both connections to EDI trading partners, and to mobile computing devices. It is interesting to consider how similar traditional EDI and mobile computing are to each other. This article details some of the similarities.

The bottom line, both EDI and mobile computing require the exchange of data between the SAP ERP and a third party. In the context of mobile computing it is the mobile device. In the context of EDI it is your trading partner (supplier, customer, logistics partner, etc.)

If you would like to read more about SAP and EDI click here.

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Mobile Application Development - Focus on the Browser

I came across this article today by Carl Weinschenk on the challenges of selecting the right mobile OS and hardware platform for application development. The problem is many companies have users in all camps. This is a common issue, that all mobile application developers must ponder.

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54 Questions to Help You Select the Right Mobile Handheld Computer

Mobile computing requires mobile computers. Which brands and models you select can be a hard decision. The following list of questions are designed to help you think through some of the big issues that will enable you to narrow down the selection list.

The first big question you should answer is what is the primary purpose of the handheld or mobile device. Is it barcode scanning, GPS, RFID, surveying, map reading, voice calls, email, digital signatures or field data collection?

The second big question is what is the environment that the device will be used in. Is it used in the office, clinic, warehouse, cold storage or out in the rain on a construction site.

There are a large number of very good handheld computers, PDAs, Tablet PCs, laptops and Smart Phones to select from, however, the key to getting the right mobile device is to research the business purposes and the environment in which the solution will be used before making a selection. The following questions should help you narrow down your list of mobile handheld computers:

What environment will you be working in - is it hot, cold, wet or dusty?
How rugged do you need your device? There is a ruggedness scale.
Are there explosive vapors or explosive powders?
Is it a clean office environment, or a muddy and rugged outdoors environment?
Is the user in and out of vehicles all day?
Is your software application focused exclusively on bar code scanning, RFID reading, GPS, or do you need a multi-purpose data collection device?
Will the hardware configuration ever need to be changed? Some handhelds can be configured at will; others are locked and can only be used with the original configuration.
Will the device be used as a primary phone, or is it focused on data collection?
What hardware requirements does your mobile application require?
Will the battery last long enough to complete your daily work between charges? Do you need back-up batteries? Can you use batteries purchased at the local market, or are they vendor specific?
What is your budget? What does the value of using a handheld computer justify spending?
Do you have enough budget to purchase or develop the mobile software and hardware you need? Does your budget only allow for low cost consumer devices?
How many replacements(of a consumer device) does it take to equal the cost of a ruggedized handheld?
How do you replace broken devices? Can you get a replacement service in 24 hours, or must you wait a week?
What kind of support contracts and warranties are available?
How long will your new handheld computer be supported, serviced and manufactured by the vendor? Is it near end of life and being discounted for a reason?
Can you upgrade the operating system when Microsoft releases a new version of their mobile operating system?
Can you use standard laptop data cards in the handheld, or do you need to pay for high priced vendor specific cards?
Can you view the screen effectively in the sunlight?
Can you add more memory if your requirements increase?
A few industrial handheld computers have flashlights built into the device to provide better light for taking digital photos. Is this useful?
Do you require GPS? If so, how accurate?
Will your users be wearing gloves? If so, small keyboard buttons won't work. How big of keys do you need?
Do you need a water proof, or just water resistant case for your handheld?
Does the bar code scanner work effectively in real-world environment? Some scanners cannot scan effectively through glass or plastic.
Is the size and weight of the handheld appropriate for the user and environment?
Can your handheld computer support all the add-ons you require at the same time? Some devices can only support a specific number of add-on components so you are forced to choose. Some cannot support both a GPS and a data card at the same time. Some devices cannot support both a bar code scanner and a GPS add-on. This is an important consideration.
Do you need only a touch screen and navigation pad, a number pad or a full QWERTY keyboard? This is very important for user acceptance.
Is the handheld device also going to be used as a phone? Is a 2 pound industrial grade handheld really a usable phone?
Does your low cost consumer grade PDA need a rugged case like the ones Otterbox sells?
If you only have a budget for a low cost device, does it support the battery life and add-on components you require?
How will the device be transported around a job site? Will it strap to a belt, swing from a shoulder strap, sit in a holster or be mounted to the dashboard of your truck? Does your device support your chosen method?
Where is the closest inventory of extra handheld computers? Where is the closest repair depot?
Will your vendor loan you a device on trial?
Can you rent the handheld if you only need it for a short-term project?
Does your vendor take trade-ins on your old handheld computers?
Can you get the same exact handheld, under a different brand name for less?
How will your handheld computer send data back to the office? Cradle sync, WiFi, bluetooth, wireless data card, GPRS/GSM, CDMA?
What size screen do you need? Some devices like the Jett-Eye have a "landscape view" others a "portrait view" many have different sized screens. What do you require?
Do you need an integrated digital camera? Do you need a low or high resolution camera and does your device support it?
Does a refurbished device from Ryzex make better sense that a new device?
Where is your vendor's office? Are they in the neighborhood or on the other side of the planet? Does their location offer you the support and attention you deserve?
Does your handheld computer run on the same operating system that your mobile software solutions requires? I have had customers order Windows CE devices for their Windows Mobile application. It did not work.
Is your device likely to be stolen? If so, you may want to use cheap devices that can be easily secured and replaced. We have implemented projects in Africa where this was an issue for the buyer.
Does your handheld computer come with a pistol grip or other straps that help you avoid dropping it?
Can you comfortably hold the device in your handheld and complete your work? Some devices have scanners on the side, on the end or underneath.
Can you effectively view the data you need? Some jobs simply require a full keyboard and a full screen for viewing large CAD files or Maps. Does your screen size match your requirements?
Where will you store the device when you use the washroom? One of my customers used Tablet PCs and they kept breaking when they slipped off of the sinks in the bathrooms.
Does the mobile device you select support the RFID reader you need for distance and accuracy?
Does the battery in the mobile handheld last long enough after you have added on all the additional hardware accessories? Each added radio uses more energy.
If you have dozens of handheld computers, how will you charge them all at the same time? Do you have a docking station that allows for all of your devices to both charge and synchronize at the same time?
Do you need wireless data plans, or does batch synchronziation after each shift work?
What wireless carrier and data plan provides the best service and cost for you? Does that wireless carrier support your mobile device?
Does the wireless carrier have sufficient coverage for your workers?
What is your budget for each handheld computer? This may limit your selection and make the choice simpler.

I don't sell or represent any mobile hardware. I have just managed many mobile application development projects around the world so have learned some lessons. If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact me.

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Mobile Inspection Application ROIs

A few years ago I worked with a state agency on a very interesting mobile application development project. The agency was responsible for inspecting pharmacies and other locations that handled drugs and narcotics. 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 would do the following:

Drive to the main office where previous inspection documents are stored
Sort through file cabinets for earlier inspection results
Read through these files to determine any previous non-compliance or failed inspection issues
Record these issues and highlight them for review at the site
Load these files into a box and carry out to their vehicles
Re-inspect the site and record more information on new forms
Drive back to the office
Carry boxes of paper files back upstairs
Refile all old files
Re-type the collected data into the database application in the office
Add new paper forms to the files
Carry back to the main office

Once the mobile application was designed, developed and deployed -a simple database synchronization with a handheld computer, laptop or Tablet PC from the field completed most of these tasks in seconds.

I was also involved in a mobile project in the UK. This project was similar in that hundreds of service technicians would drive to the central office each morning to pick-up their list of work orders or service tickets. Once the orders were completed, or it was near the end of their work day, they would all drive back to the office to turn their work order forms back into the central office.

The time, fuel and opportunity costs of this hugely expensive routine was enormous. The ROI from dispatching work orders to mobile handheld computers would have been recognized in a matter of weeks.

Think about it, 300 service technicians wasting 1 hour per day driving back and forth to the office, plus fuel, vehicle maintenance and lost billable service time.

300 service technicians wasting 1 hour travelling back and forth multiplied by $25/hour is replaced by dispatching and synchronizing data to a handheld computer. This enables each service technician to save a travel hour and replace it by completing an additional work order for an additional amount of $22,500 USD/day
Save 300 gallons of wasted fuel per day multiplied by $2.69 USD/gallon = $807/day
Save some unknown amount of vehicle maintenance costs
More efficient work enables the company to reduce labor costs by 10% or $6,000 per day.

If you could be dispatching work orders directly to the service technicians' mobile handhelds, saving fuel, saving travel time, and getting an additional work order completed each day, you would be able to complete the same amount of work with less service technicians. Let's say you could reduce your staff by 10% and still bill the same amount of work (save $6,000 USD per day on labor costs).

The savings and profits on this project alone were close to $30,000/day. If the mobile application development project was $150,000, and the mobile devices each cost $1,000 each, plus a monthly data plan of $75 each you would invest around $450,000. However, the ROI would be recognized in less than 1 month. The bigger the number of mobile service technicians and vehicles, the faster you generally receive a positive ROI.

The important note here is we were just considering 4 or 5 benefits. The typical mobile application can improve customer service, inventory management, onsite sales of additional services, annual contracts and upgrades plus provide shipping status and cash collection. There are many things that can add value beyond the few we just discussed. Follow this link to read more on this subject.

If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact me.

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