Kevin Benedict Ponders the Future

Location Based Services on Mobile Handhelds and Smart Phones

LBS, location based services are very interesting. LBS refers to services that can be activated based upon your GPS location or cell phone tower proximity as identified by your Smart phone, mobile device or handheld computer service. I know how local pizza joints can benefit, but I am currently pondering how large businesses can utilize LBSs. I wrote about one of my new ideas in this article. It involves real-time notification of changing pricings and discounts to a grocery store's customer base.

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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Computing, EDI and B2B Expert and Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://b2b-bpo.blogspot.com/
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Mobile Coupons and Gambit Mobile - I Love it!

This mobile coupon concept by Subway is BRILLIANT! I found this excerpt in a press release from http://www.gambitmobileinc.com/.

Big brands such as Subway have embraced mobile coupons. The thing Subway likes the best about the mobile coupons medium is that it can reach its target audience when that audience is most likely to buy. Subway sends text messages to its opt-in database just before lunch time when workers are deciding where to go for lunch. Receive a mobile coupon and it’s almost already decided for them.

They time their mobile coupons to hit the Smart phones and other mobile devices when your stomach is growling and you are watching the clock for lunch time. I love it!

Give the customer exactly what they need, on a mobile device, exactly at the time they need it.

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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Computing, EDI and B2B Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://b2b-bpo.blogspot.com/
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Mobile Software and Mobile Business Intelligence

Business analytics and business intelligence is one of the few hot areas in enterprise IT sales now days. In fact, SAP is shifting resources from other business groups to focus more on their Business Objects solutions. All companies, executives and managers seem to be crying for more information that they can use to make faster and better decisions. In tough economic times, information is even more critical. Take this trend and consider that over 40% of the workforce is now considered mobile and you have an emerging requirement for mobile business intelligence and analytics.

In this recent article on Mobile Business Intelligence that I authored, an example of how service companies and their field service technicians can use mobile business intelligence was detailed. The bottom line, managers and mobile employees need access to critical business intelligence and business analytics while they are out of the office with customers or on remote job locations. This information needs to be published and formatted to fit the mobile devices used by these workers so this data can be used on location where ever that may be.

Today business intelligence and business analytics applications are designed for desktops and servers connected to large databases. There is also a need for better business analytics and intelligence on the mobile device. Mobile handheld computers have become powerful hardware platforms for many data collection accessories including RFID readers, barcode scanners, GPS units, data collection applications, Bluetooth to anything applications and much more. This collected data can be considered business intelligence. Business analytics is the processing and reporting of this data and what it means to the business. This information, in a mobile format is needed just as much by mobile managers as sedentary managers.

Mobile business intelligence and business analytics is an important segment of mobile software applications that needs a lot more development and thought. Other areas of mobile applications that need additional development are detailed in these articles:

If you would like to discuss any of these topics in more detail please contact me.

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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Computing, EDI and B2B Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://b2b-bpo.blogspot.com/
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Mobile Application Integration Platform - For Data Collection and Cloud Computing Services

An increasingly large amount of data is being consumed by mobile handheld computers and Smart phones. This data can come from a wide variety of sources and be in many different formats including GPS, LBS (location based services), SMS, voice, Email, Video, digital photos, barcode scanning, RFID, voice memos, documents and Bluetooth data connectivity to a large variety of data collection tools and equipment. The data can come from many different ERPs, database applications and SaaS (software as a service) offerings in a cloud computing environment.

The demand for mobile applications and mobile devices to be able to consume all of these various data sources and formats creates a need for an mobile data aggregation platform for mobile data feeds. This data often needs to be integrated into a mobile application somehow so the data can be used by the mobile worker. Some of this data can be aggregated on the database server side and downloaded or streamed to the mobile device, but data collection equipment and some applications are connected directly to the mobile device. For example, a voice memo application, GPS reader and a barcode scanner may be directly connected to the mobile device. The results of the barcode scan and the GPS data may be synchronized with the ERP to identify an asset that is located at a particular location. A data collection form that helps document the condition of the asset needs to be integrated with a digital photo, GPS data, voice memo, barcode scan and the asset data downloaded from the ERP. All of this data once aggregated, can be updated and synchronized back with the ERP.

There are some data sources such as weather conditions, shipment tracking and currency exchange rates that may be available as web services. This data also may be required on the mobile device, and even incorporated into the mobile asset management application. How do you bring all of this data together from the server and from the data collected on the mobile device so it can be used by the mobile worker in the field? That is the challenge. It can always be done in a custom manner, but how can this be solved in a reusable manner?

Mobile applications need:

GUIs or mobile application forms that have an integrated data validation and business rules engine
GUIs or mobile application forms that include a mobile workflow engine associated with the screens
Mobile database and synchronization technology
Mobile data aggregation platform (this article)
Mobile business process platform and ERP integration so the mobile worker can be part of the enterprise business processes in the ERP even outside the four walls of the enterprise

There needs to be a design and development strategy and a solution that can aggregate all of the various web services with the feeds from data collection equipment on the server side and on the mobile device side. This will become increasingly important as additional LBS (location based services) and consumable web services become available.

A mobile application on a Smart Phone or ruggedized handheld has access to a great deal of data. The value of the data comes from aggregating it in a standard way that can be used to make good business decisions. Today this takes a great deal of custom software development for each application. It is time for some good mobile software developers to solve these problems.

If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact or hire me :-)

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Author Kevin Benedict
Mobile Computing, EDI and B2B Evangelist and Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://b2b-bpo.blogspot.com/
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Mobile Workflows and ERPs

As mobile applications become more complex and sophisticated and used by large enterprises there will be an increasing emphasis and requirement for automated mobile workflows and supported ERP business processes. I wrote about mobile application support for ERPs in this article, but today I want to focus on the automated workflow on the mobile handheld computer, Tablet PC or laptop that is used in the field. ERP business processes and automated workflows have been supported within the four walls of the enterprise for decades, but they often don't extend outside the four walls to the remote jobsite and/or mobile sales and service processes. That is a big problem that needs to be addressed by mobile application vendors.

Let's begin by recognizing that it is often the service technician that is face-to-face with your customers. They are the face and personality of the service company. The actions they take, the words they say, the professionalism they display and the quality of work they perform all impact the customer's perception of your company and their willingness to continue to do business with and refer your business to others. Since the activities that happen in these remote and mobile jobsite environments can have such a big impact on your business, wouldn't it be important that you ensure the best quality work and presentation of your company? This is where automated workflows on your mobile devices comes into effect.

Let me now outline a process that you may want to consider when designing a mobile application for use in the field.

Outline the tasks and actions you want each service technician to perform at the customers location. Examples - Greet customer by name, give business card, thank them for their business, ask about animals or children that my be in the work area, interview the customer about the problem, understand the customer's schedule, understand how the customer will pay, is there a warranty or service plan, provide estimate, complete work, get customer's signature, etc.
Once all of the "best practices" tasks are identified for a generic service call, complete the same process for the other kinds of service calls you may have. For example: a warranty process has 11 tasks, an annual maintenance call has 16 tasks, an emergency system repair for HVAC equipment has 19 tasks.

Once you have identified and documented these tasks, your mobile application developers can design and develop these workflows to become part of your mobile application. Once in production, these mobile applications can direct and guide each service technician through the specific best practices that the company wants completed in a standardized manner in the field. As a result, quality and professionalism can be standardized into the company's customer interactions.

What does this process look like on a mobile handheld computer?

The workflow processes should be a layer in the mobile application that is tied to a specific set of screens that go with the workflow. If the mobile application has multiple workflows, then the first step is for the service technician, or the service ticket itself, to identify which automated workflow is most appropriate for the needed service. This then launches the appropriate process/workflow on the mobile device.
If the automated workflow consists of 17 steps/tasks, then this workflow will dictate that mobile form fields including check boxes, radio buttons and data fields are completed in the right order and with valid data entries.
If the service technician skips a step an alert sound or pop-up message should guide the service technician to finish the process and continue it in the appropriate manner.
Automated scorecards can also be created to monitor the performance of service technicians to the standards and detail any exceptions to the process so they can be analyzed for process improvements over time.
Brief customer surveys can also be provided for the mobile handheld computer to tie the customer's opinion of the service provided with the exact service order and service technician. It is great to reward the service technician for work well done.

The mobile workflow process is specific to the role of the user and service performed. A recent report I read said up to 40% of workers are mobile. That represents a lot of remote jobsites and customer interactions. If companies want to ensure a high level of professionalism and quality customer interactions, then means of standardizing those processes need to be employed. As more and more of these mobile workers are equipped with Smart Phones and mobile handheld computers, these processes become easier to deploy.

If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact me. I am available for SAP and Mobile Solution related consulting and permanent hire opportunities. My Linkedin profile can be found at http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict.

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Author Kevin Benedict
Mobile Computing, SAP, EDI and B2B Evangelist, Marketing and Business Development Consultant
http://b2b-bpo.blogspot.com/
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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