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 Computing, High Speed Internet and Good Transportation is the Answer for the Heartland
The sharpest insight in the book according to Kauffman is that "small towns play an unwitting role in their own decline" by promoting the idea that fulfilling one's dream means one must leave home for the big city lights along the shores.
I live in Boise, Idaho. A small town in the high desert at the base of the mountains far from any oceans. Mobile computing, high speed Internet and a nice airport has made this a great base to raise my family and develop a high tech career. I travel all over North America, Europe and even Australia from here. Hewlett Packard, Micron, Microsoft and Sybase have all established a presence here.
I propose that small cities or towns, far from the big city lights of the coast, can often provide a higher quality life, a higher standard of living and more options to travel and learn about the world. Why? The cost of living is often a fraction of what living in a large coastal city requires and you are left with more disposable income.
Let me pause here to say I love the coasts. I love traveling to San Francisco, Boston and New York City and other great cities. We travel to the coast often on business and as a family on relatively low cost airline tickets. We would be missing many wonderful experiences and sites if we never visited these locations. However, I must say it feels good to return home to the mountains and the blue turf in Boise.
Small towns in middle America must understand that mobile computing and high speed Internet have changed everything. Entrepreneurs can choose nearly any place in America to run national and international businesses. I am continually impressed by how many people I meet that work at large multi-national companies and live and work from home offices in Boise. The flights leaving the Boise airport are full of highly educated people working from home offices and traveling to see customers and attend company meetings around the USA and globally.
Today, "small" town should refer to the population size, not a frame of mind. I see Boise, Idaho as a place I live and raise a family, but the world is my workplace thanks to mobile computing, high speed internet and a great little airport.
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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategy, Sales and Marketing Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Equipment Centric Mobile Software Applications and Workflows
Let's pause a moment and consider the implications of the above scenario. A need for a customer's equipment repair generates a work order that is wirelessly dispatched to the service technician. While at the jobsite, the service technician wants to know if any other equipment needs serviced while he is onsite. If he can accomplish more work while he is onsite, then that can save fuel and travel time expense.
Ideally, there would be an automated workflow that would link the Work Order Management System with the CMMS (computer managed maintenance system) and service calls would be organized (repairs, regular services and inspections) prior to the service technician dispatch, but even without this integration good mobile software application can synchronize with multiple backend database applications so onsite coordination can be done.
What kind of "regular" services are needed? Often, HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) companies will service their customers' equipment on a schedule for an annual service fee. To be profitable, the service company needs to make each visit the most efficient possible. They will inspect the equipment, do minor maintenance and change out filters. If a service technician is already onsite with a service dispatch, then he can efficiently conduct the "regular" services on additional equipment while he is there.
Often the environments described above involves a number of different software applications. CMMS, Work Order Dispatch, CRM and the customer's Asset Management software application. Ideally the service company would have the CRM/CMMS and Work Order dispatch system in place and all of these would integrate and synchronize with the mobile handheld computer. Once the work was completed at the jobsite the work order details would then be integrated with the customer's Asset Management application. This would allow the customer to keep their records updated on each piece of equipment.
For a related article on geotagging equipment for Asset Tracking and Management please see this article.
If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact me.
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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategy, Sales and Marketing Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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M2M, Route Optimization, Handhelds and Business Intelligence
Another scenario is a mini-inventory management system or a M2M (machine to machine) scenario whereby a snack vending machine wirelessly notifies the vending machine owner of current inventory levels.
I can envision a scenario where 1,500 vending machines automatically and wirelessly update the central office ERP with their inventory levels. The ERP checks inventory in the central warehouse and automatically creates shipping orders and replenishes low warehouse inventory through automated ordering rules with preferred vendors.
Business intelligence software predicts the demand for specific products for each location and vending machine based upon sales and date and time stamps. This prediction is used to load the route vans.
Next the route optimization software creates the most efficient routes for the drivers and synchronizes this with the driver's handheld computer.
M2M data synchronization is being added to more and more equipment these days.
If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact me.
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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategy, Sales and Marketing Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Multi-Purpose and Multi-line Smart Phones
What Smart phone manufacturer is going to give me both a personal and a work phone all in one Smart phone handset?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wirelessly Controlling Equipment with Mobile Software Applications
- Monitor recloser status points, such as a trip and lockout event, and automatically notify dispatch personnel. Notifications are sent upon alarms or events via pager, email or voice and can be sent to multiple individuals.
- Assist repair crews with the ability to provide open and close commands by supervisory (wireless) remote control of the recloser.
- Offers real time status of all the inputs/outputs of the recloser:- open/close state of recloser contacts- high and low voltage readings (AC powered models)- time of the events- presence of AC voltage (outage monitoring)- recloser malfunction indication- local/remote or hot line tag switch status- total count of recloser operations
We live in very interesting times. The challenge this year for mobile technology companies is to start aggregating these various mobile applications and technologies together and marrying them with mobile workflows, business process engines and business analytics.
If you would like to discuss these technologies in more detail please contact me.
Here are some related articles about mobile workflow, business processes, location based services and mobile business analytics and intelligence:
- Mobile Software and Mobile Business Intelligence
- Mobile Application Integration Platform
- Mobile Workflows and ERPs
- Mobile Workflows in the Field
- Mobile Applications that Move Things
- Mobile Applications, Location Based Services and Distribution
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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategy and Marketing Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Mobile Applications that Move Things
In this USA Today article, a California company has now created an application called Viper SmartStart that can replace your car keys. Your iPhone will now be able to lock, unlock and start your car. Again, your Smart Phone is controlling mechanical movements. Next I can see throwing away my garage door opener, TV Remote and using my iPhone to start up and warm my car during the dark of winter.
I have read in other articles about home security systems and security related video cameras all being managed and activated by Smart Phones. There has been the concept of convergent devices for some time, but this generally referred to converging different pieces of equipment such as bar code scanners, GPS, digital cameras etc, together in one mobile device. This new Convergence 2.0 includes taking control of and managing the mechanical movement of things.
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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategy and Marketing Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Mobile Applications, Location Based Services and Distribution
The LBS (location based services) and real-time notification system would need to be notified by the distributor when the product was delivered and available to be sold in a particular location. The system would require the distributor to scan a bar code label on the product with a handheld computer that includes a barcode scanner. The product, date and time stamp and location would be synchronzied with a real-time notification system that could send our text messages and emails to the subscribers.
This article, and the article linked to it, are identifying an entirely new category of mobile and real time inventory systems that could be of enormous value to wholesales distributors and CPG companies.
If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact me.
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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 Blogging
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Mobile Applications and Location Based Systems for Supply Chain and Inventory Management
- 14 trucks are delivering perishable products on routes
- Truck #7 has a customer that has an unexpectedly high demand for a product
- Truck #7, using a mobile handheld computer, requests additional inventory from the SAP ERP (enterprise resource planning) software in the central office.
- The SAP ERP reports inventory levels on all 14 trucks based upon the real-time synchronization of data with each of the handheld barcode scanners of the trucks
- It is determined that truck #9 has excess inventory of the needed perishable product
- The GPS service in the handheld computer used by truck 9 identifies it's position and a meeting location is quickly identified so inventory can be transferred from one truck to another to enable maximum product sales
- The route driver for truck #7 scans the bar codes on the boxes of perishable products in truck #9 and transfer the inventory from #9 to #7 and goes on his/her way.
That is a simple mobile inventory example using GPS integration with barcode scanners. What if there was an example of products sold on consignment? Let's use pre-paid calling cards as an example:
- The product is distributed to 500 stores
- Some stores sell more of these products than others
- When one store is low on these, an EDI message should be sent to the product company informing them of a need for additional inventory at a specific location
- The product company should be able to quickly determine where additional inventory is available in other locations.
- A representative of the product company should be able to remove excess inventory from one store to replenish another.
- With a handheld computer that includes a barcode scanner, the product representative can check inventory back into the SAP ERP system, which removes it from one store's inventory, an EDI or B2B electronic message is sent to the stores ERP notifying them of the product's removal from inventory.
- Next the product representative takes the excess inventory to the store that needs additional inventory, the products are scanned, using the barcode scanner and added to the local stores inventory. The barcode scanned inventory information is then synchronized to theproduct company's SAP ERP system which sends an EDI message to the store notifying them of the additional inventory at that location.
Where does LBS (location based services) fit into these scenarios? Inventory levels from various locations are constantly being uploaded via EDI/B2B and monitored. The inventory of each location, rather than being static, becomes a dynamic inventory that is able to be shifted according to local demand.
If inventories can be considered dynamic and mobile, able to be shifted according to demand, then there is the opportunity for incredible savings. Much of the guess work can be avoided as the inventory for one entire region can be moved and shifted according to demand.
I picture a scenario where a consumer can visit the website of the product manufacturer and request the location of the nearest available inventory to their moving vehicle. iPhone applications already request to use your current location. This information can be automatically passed to the product manufacturer and used to query for the nearest product location. Perhaps best prices can also be included at some point and mobile coupons.
The ROI for the distributor or manufacturer comes from avoiding loss, excess or slow moving product inventories that trap or lock-up cash flow, reduced inventory storage costs, and a reduced need to discount in order to move the products. A benefit is the ability to move product inventories to the locations where there is the most demand so sales can be maximized at the locations with the highest margins.
If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact me.
***********************************************Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Computing, EDI and B2B Expert and Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Location Based Services on Mobile Handhelds and Smart Phones
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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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Interviews with Kevin Benedict
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Futurist David Espindola’s new book has just been released, "Soulful: You in the Future of Artificial Intelligence." Alex Whittin...
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I had a great time participating in the filming and development of a 10 minute film on digital twins recently. Last week was its premier at...
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In this deep dive with Munich Re (Groups) cybersecurity expert Bob Parisi, we learn how the insurance and reinsurance industry develops poli...