The Law of Mobility

The Law of Mobility states that the value of any product or service increases with its mobility. Improvements typically realized from a mobile solution include a reduction of paper, streamlining of non-value added and redundant processes, an increase in overall productivity, elimination of manual processes, reduced labor costs and overtime, and increased quality and reliability of information. ~Russell McGuire, The Power of Mobility

Russell McGuire has provided us with a concise description of the value of mobile applications. Here are 39 detailed reasons to mobilize your business.

Mobilizing business processes enables you to gain visibility into work done in the field, helps to ensure quality work, enables you to reduce administrative work and invoice for field services quicker.

Online Educational Video on Implementing Field Services

Educational Video on Mobilizing Field Services

For those of you interested in mobilizing your field services, you will fine the following video informative and useful. The President of Psion Teklogix (a ruggedized handheld computer manufacturer), Ron Caines and myself explore the challenges and rewards of mobilizing field services and field data collection.

Field Services video

MobileDataforce's Office and International Visitors

In the past few months MobileDataforce has attracted some very interesting customers and visitors from all around the globe. Last week in our office we hosted Mayor Dave Bieter of Boise, and just this morning we had a visitor from the French government. A few months ago we hosted visitors from the UK , the Netherlands and the Idaho State Board of Pharmacy.

MobileDataforce has also been interviewed by Fortune magazine, Forbes magazine, Inc. magazine and VAR in the past 4 weeks. Many of these interviews focused on quality of life and fast growing high tech companies in the inter-mountain region of the USA.

Our office is right on the Boise river and it is a very attractive destination for fisherman, mountain bikers and skiers. If you are a fishing fan - this Idaho Fishing Guide is a great place to learn about fishing in and around Idaho.

Mobile Software Applications in Africa

Who would have thought it? MobileDataforce is working on a long list of very large mobile software application projects in Africa. In my original business plan for MobileDataforce, I must admit that the continent of African did not play a significant role in my 5 year plan.

Much of our work in Africa revolves around mobilizing government projects, water delivery, medicine delivery, logistics and inspections. A lot of these projects originate in Europe or North America but extend to Africa.

The mobile software application industry is certainly very exciting and ever changing. It is fasinating how new opportunities pop-up in unexpected industries and geographies on nearly a daily basis.

Managing Remote Locations & Franchises with Handheld PDAs

One of my marketing team members, Matt Jantz, has been working with a number of franchise companies that are interested in mobile handheld PDA solutions. He compiled the following list of reasons why a company with franchises or remote locations may want to mobilize their business processes.

1. Streamline business process with immediate data transference from handheld devices to main office


2. Save money, administration costs and time by going paperless


3. Ensure business processes are being carried out correctly by franchisees and their employees


4. Protect franchise name and reputation by ensuring processes are being completed to franchise standards


5. Improve time and cost efficiencies by eliminating data interpretation and entry into home database


6. Improve customer service by providing customers with prompt billing and service information


7. Receive payment for service faster by getting payment on site (mobile credit card processing and or using mobile printers) or sending customer invoices and billing faster


8. Ensure that employees are recording necessary customer and job information correctly on site with the use of data integrity features: data will not be sent to home office until required fields are complete


9. Track sales at every location to ensure the franchising company gets their agreed upon percentage of sales from franchisees


10. Ensure delivery and receipt of equipment and supplies by tracking them from origin to final destination


11. Use handheld devices for onsite reference and training to help new associates learn the process and maintain the franchise reputation


12. Allow field technicians to locate parts necessary for given jobs, retrieve pricing information, and provide accurate repair estimates


13. Gain a technological competitive advantage over competition, which can be leveraged to smite competition and retain franchisees

MobileDataforce has delivered many world class mobile solutions for companies that have franchise models.

Handheld PDAs - More than Data Collection Devices

When some people think about replacing paper forms with handheld computers - they are only thinking about collecting data and sending it wirelessly back to the office. However, simply collecting, storing and moving data would be a missuse of a powerful handheld computer. A computer should compute. By that I mean - a computer should analyze the data collected and take action based upon the data. Here is an example:

Your house is on fire. You can take out a handheld computer and enter data that says, "my house is on fire," and store it as the house collaspes around you, or you can program your handheld to automatically call 911, turn on the sprinklers, call your work to report you will be in late, order new carpet and cancel the evening poker game, and provide a damage estimate.

OK - so that is a silly example but the point is a computer can analyze the data you enter, and be programmed to take action. Computers should do the following:

• Allow you to enter information/data


• Store it


• Synchronize it with a distant software application


• Take action based upon the information


• Alert people or other computers about the data


• Analyze the data and make predictions


• Activate other computer programs to take action


• Decrease inventory numbers


• Close work orders


• Enter a new customer order


• Replace inventory with a new order


• Track packages


• Call your customers


• Reschedule an appointment


• Estimate the closest service technician


• Predict the fastest route to drive


• Analyze the accuracy of job estimates


• Conduct time tracking


• Copy and send the data to multiple destination


• Perform mathmatical computations and take action based upon the result


• Activate mechanical equipment to take action based upon the information


• Turn on and off electronics

All of these actions can be programmed to take place based upon the data you enter into a handheld computer. At MobileDataforce we work with customers on these kinds of issues daily.

Building a Small Mobile Business Using Handheld Computers

Over the past few years companies were coming to MobileDataforce to ask about mobilizing existing business processes like field services, asset tracking, inspections, etc. These were companies that were just looking for ways to make things more efficient. I am now seeing a new trend. This trend is companies that are starting from the ground up as mobile businesses that take advantage of mobile technology at their core.

Companies that can be run by a mobile owner/manager. The mobile owner/manager is able to enter work orders and job assignments on his handheld computer, dispatch the job to his team and keep working in the field. All the work is electronically documented on handhelds and synchronized back to his office accounting and work order software without human intervention.

These capabilities offer very compelling competitive advantages. You have full business visibility on the handheld. You don't have the high admin cost for the office. You can run very small operations very efficiently and with built in quality assurance.

For more information please visit MobileDataforce's website.

MobileDataforce VIN Decoding Technology (MVDT) on Handheld Computers

Handheld computers are a wonderful thing. We are using them plus our “MVDT” (MobileDataforce VIN Decoding Technology) to deliver some very interesting projects involving field services and automobiles.

The following items can be identified by simply scanning the barcode on the dashboard or on the door frame of a car: year, make, model, body type, bed length, doors, # of cylinders, engine formation, engine size, fuel delivery method, fuel type, gross vehicle weight, build plant, restraint system, transmission gears, transmission type, wheelbase, antilock brakes (y/n), stability control (y/n), traction control (y/n), trim level, curb weight, EPA city mileage with auto, EPA city mileage with manual, EPA highway mileage with auto, EPA highway mileage with manual, ground clearance, height, length, width and color options.

All of this information can be automatically imported into a vehicle inspection or a work order uniquely associated with the automobile. For more details please visit our website.

iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger

Have you seen the new mobile device line up by HP? They have some interesting new Windows Mobile devices. The device shown in this image is the iPAQ Business Messenger. Here is a description.

MobileDataforce provides software for developing a wide variety of mobile business applications and data collection solutions on handheld computers. We love PDA phones running Windows Mobile OS. This PDA phone has a keyboard for data entry and the connectivity to synchronize data from just about anywhere in the world that has wireless network coverage.

Rent a Mobile Handheld Computer

Ryzex now offers rugged industrial handheld computers for rent. How is this helpful? Many organizations need rugged handheld computers only for a specific 6 week period of time for year-end inventory, annual inspections, or a one time limited time project.

MobileDataforce sees a lot of these projects because our mobile software platform, the PointSync Mobility Platform, enables companies to quickly design, development and deploy these simple mobile applications.

Another important set of considerations is the ability to immediately synchronize and review the data that was collected on the mobile applications. In an earlier blog article I wrote about the challenges with using poorly trained, temporary workers for important data collection in the field.