Field Service Assistant app for "Spreading the Good Word"
Field Service Assistant app for "Spreading the Good Word"
This afternoon I took a few moments to explore the web and app stores for new field service mobile apps that have come on to the market. During my search I stumbled upon an app called Field Service Assistant . Thinking it was a field service app I clicked on the link. To my surprise it actually turned out to be an iPhone app to help Jehovah's Witnesses track their missionary efforts. Curious I browsed through the various screenshots that gave an overview of the apps capabilities. I was impressed by the number of items they can track with their app. Here is a brief list
Volunteer time
Number of Books
Number of Brochures
Number of Magazines
Revisits including quantity of visits and contact information
Total Service Hours
Email reports
User Management
Sharing
Notes
Multiple language support
I was reminded again how mobility is permeating every aspect of our lives from business, travel, entertainment, shopping and even religion. It seems the only limit is our imagination, creativity and innovation.
Last week Felix Baumgartner made history when he SMASHED the previous free fall sky diving record of 19 miles and jumped from a staggering 24 miles. The world literally watched in awe, wonder and anticipation as it was broadcast live from YouTube.
Being a bit of a adrenalin junky I watched a myriad of news reports, video compilations and Red Bull Stratos official videos. One video in particular caught my attention from the Red Bull YouTube Channel that highlights the team behind the record breaking jump.
Now watch it again and pay attention to the section where Joe Kittinger the previous record holder and Meteorologist, Don Day talk about the jump from :20 to 1:03.
The thing that caught my eye was the absolute attention to detail. The Red Bull team was working with every bit of data available to best predict the future - to best predict the perfect outcome. Notice the power of information that was continually flowing to the meteorologist -- all at his fingertips. Every bit of data was visually presented in a manner that enabled him to make immediate analysis of field conditions to help mission control know when and how to dispatch the Red Bull Stratos team.
This same kind of data visualization implemented into mobile businesses can empower companies to better manage their mobile teams. What kind of data are you gathering and more importantly visualizing from the field that will help you best predict the future outcome of your company? The ability to quickly visualize interpret and act on data patterns can signification impact business. In the spirit of Colonel John Boyd's OODA model, with the right data not only can you observe you can orientate, decide and most importantly act now to help best serve your customers, manage your team and ensure your companies growth.
