Unless you've been living in a hole you know Hurricane Sandy ravished much of the north eastern seaboard. Particularly ravaged by Sandy were New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. One of my customers, Certified Electrical (http://www.cei-ny.com) not only weathered the storm but are now involved in the largest inspection endeavor they've undertaken.
Before power can safely be turned every building has to be inspected in the Suffolk County, NY area. Anthony Ceriello owner of Certified Electrical told me, "There are over 20,000 homes in the immediate area that have to be inspected before electricity can be turned on. All of our guys are scrambling to complete these inspections amidst taking care of their own homes. Getting fuel to drive around town is a challenge and with a Noreaster bearing down on us the urgency is even more critical."
The ability to conduct inspections with a mobile device has been critical to inspecting every home. With limited or no cellular coverage, working independent of a connection has been essential to the inspection process. Inspections are created on the fly using a tablet device and ZenTouch as inspectors literally go house to house. "The devastation is unbelieveable! The extreme environment we are working under is incredible.", commented Anthony.
Tentants are understandably anxious to get power restored as over 3.5 million have been without power since Hurricane Sandy hit October 29th . Once inspections are completed tenants receive a certificate, printed on special county approved green paper, authorizing power to be restored. This mobile generated certificate serves as the golden ticket to a warm sanctuary while rebuilding a home and community.
For the past couple of weeks my team has been working on a brand new iPhone application for a client. The premise behind the application is to remind you that you have a shopping list not based on time, but rather based on your location.
The app is ideal for the busy mom, student or professional who is out and about.
The application works like this:
Create a shopping list. Your list can be for groceries, hardware supplies, electronics what ever.
Assign items to a store As you add an item to the list you can assign it to a store. The app provides built-in integration Google Maps enabling you to search for stores by name based on your current location.
Conduct business as usual Drive around town as you would normally through the day. The app doesn't even have to be initiated as it works in the background. When you are in the vicinity of a store that has assigned shopping items a visual and audio alert will inform you that you are in the vicinity of the store and ask you to open or ignore your list.
It's really that simple. The application is fully location aware based on the GeoFence parameters that you configure in the settings. Now when you are within 1 mile, 1/2 mile or even in the parking lot you can be notified that you have a shopping list.
We are now exploring other ways that we can incorporate this into this other applications. Imagine what could be done with:
Location based marketing based on your shopping list
Field Service notifications - accept or reject a new job based on where I am
Notify customers of the pending arrival of a technician based on their location
Initiate time tracking based on a technician's arrival or departure on a site.
Show other customers in my current area
With location based services integrated into your shopping list you can now say like one of the first users, "You just made my smartphone a little smarter."
This morning I took a look at a great report from Aberdeen (Aberdeen Group Field Service 2011: Mobility and the Extension of the Service Enterprise)
Here are a few interesting stats gleaned fromt he report with some of my thoughts:
Average workforce utilization is only 57% This means your field service techs are idle or non-productive an average of 43% of the time. Statistically most companies report the majority of idle time is spent driving back and forth between the office or waiting for their next service appointment. The conclusion is field service solutions provide an opportunity to decrease fuel cost as well as increase work force utilization.
Companies that implemented mobile field service management solutions increased workforce utilization to 76% That's a 19% jump in utilization. This is accomplished through better planning, better scheduling and ensuring the service tech has the information, tools and parts needed for every job. What would a 19% increase in utilization do to your bottom line?
Companies that implemented mobile field service solutions gained a higher first time fixed rate - 82% versus 65%. This naturally leads to higher customer satisfaction rates. On the service side mobile field service solutions are enabling managers to assign the right technician, pre-load service vans with right parts, schedule service calls, etc.. An interesting note, in Aberdeen's report companies reported that 47% of the return visits are due to not having the right part on-hand.
I am seeing similar trends in my own business. One of my customers recently reported an 18% increase in their conversion rate from Estimate to Work Orders by using the "Call Back" feature in ZenTouch.
Field service management tools like ZenTouch provide access to information that enable service teams to improve work order assignment, lower operational costs, provide a better customer experience via reduction of repeat visits, provide real-time data for better communication between customers and the service desk and more. This doesn't even account for the impact direct integration with backend systems like QuickBooks or Sage are having on the accounting side of the business.
As you may have heard Google has officially entered the mobile workforce space with the launch of Google Maps Coordinate. If you haven't heard Google Maps Coordinate is a mobile workforce tracking system that efficiently allows dispatchers to deploy jobs to their service techs and even track them while in the field.
Google Maps Coordinate offers tight integration with Google Maps as you would expect makes assigning jobs to a technician based on his location very simple and appealing to service managers. Assigning and sending jobs to field service techs is an easy task for dispatchers. Service jobs are time stamped and techs even have the option to accept or reject jobs based on their current on-site status. With an introductory price of only $15 per user Google Maps Coordinate seems like a nice solution for service companies.
Sounds pretty good, Right? What's the downside?
Google Maps Coordinate only works on Android. If your team currently uses iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry or any other web enabled SmartPhone you are out of luck.
Google Maps Coordinate only offers real-time work force dispatching and tracking. Yes, it provides great insight as to where you service team members are now but you are not provided any true scheduling capabilities. From the service techs perspective he only sees active jobs that are assigned to him enabling him to only focus on the jobs at hand.
Integration into QuickBooks, Sage or other accounting systems is non-existent at this point. Given Google's influence I'm sure this will come in future versions. But for now there is no way to streamline and expedite the invoicing processes.
Reporting - While Google Maps Coordinates provides information about a specific job there are now report functionalities that show you trends within your business; what service tasks are most common, which service tasks are most profitable, etc.
Clearly Google Maps Coordinate is Google's first step into providing a cloud based mobile workforce management solution. I expect it to evolve quickly. But based on the service companies I've talked to it does not meet the needs of a field service organization that is dispatching, managing multiple schedules, managing preventative maintenance schedules, managing inventory, conducting data analytics on service call times, evaluating service margins and profitability and integrating with their back end systems.
If you are looking for a real-time tracking and dispatching solution Google Maps Coordinate could be right tool for you. It certainly gives small to medium-sized service business a competitive tool to help them more dynamically manage their service crews and respond quicker to service calls placed by customers.
This morning I visited with a significantly larger enterprise client that has divisions that provide services in mining, oil and gas exploration, environmental impact studies, building engineering, water conservation and more. In our conversation he commented, "My biggest challenge is that we have come to realize we all have all these disparate mobile solutions that service individual business silos, but can not interact with each other. Each division is running their own mobile strategy. Some have mobile apps, some are still on spread sheets, others have no mobile solution but considering and I just learned we currently have two MEAP solutions running. And we haven't even discussed the mobile device issues. While we are all benefiting individually, it's a mobility mess."
In my experience companies who have rolled out mobile solutions have deployed them in an opportunistic fashion. Typically a field manager has caught the mobile vision early. Through his ingenuity, tenacity and budget maneuvering has implemented a mobile solution specific to his group. The positive impact of his mobile solution inevitably catches the eye and envy of other departments who eagerly clamor to adopt mobile solutions.
While this approach provides a strong, quantifiable internal use case for mobile solutions it often leads to a reevaluation of the first mobile solution. Especially, if the first mobile implementation only addressed a specific business need, was limited in scope, didn't plan for the broader needs of the company and was not scalable.
Developing a strategic plan is critical for the on-going adoption of enterprise mobile solution. The key is understanding "why you are going mobile". Evaluate what you trying to accomplish from an enterprise level all the way down to the individual level. Then develop a strategy that addresses this across the enterprise. Companies need to focus on the following key areas
Identify key business processes that will benefit from mobilization.
Determine how individual mobile projects integrate with a central mobile management, backend databases and security infrastructure?
Establish security policies for data accessibility, network accessibility, application distribution, device management, BYOD policies, etc.
Identify supported mobile devices; SmartPhone, TabletsPCs, Rugged devices
What supporting hardware is needed? Mobile Printing, GPS, RFID, etc.
Determine if mobile apps will be available on different mobile form factors; SmartPhone, TabletPCs, Rugged devices, etc.
Identify mobile user roles. User will roles determine data accessibility, security rules, appropriate device options.
Determine if mobile roles are transactional, informational or collaborative
Identify if mobile business processes and user roles are B2B, Internally driven or B2c
How many mobile users are targeted?
How will deployment and support of mobile users scale over-time?
What mobile architecture do you need to have in place?
How will mobile apps be developed, deployed and managed? Who will oversee this?
What types of apps will be supported? Custom-built, off-the shelf, modified mobile app templates, HTML5 mobile apps
Determine how success will be measured
Yes enterprise mobility brings new challenges and opportunities. Investing the time to conduct a full enterprise mobility assessment and developing the appropriate strategic mobility plan is critical for long-term sustainability and scalability of mobile solutions in the enterprise.
Like my client said, "We've been dabbling in mobility long enough. It's time to get serious and unify our mobile strategy and get out of this mobility mess."
Forbes has a great article about how Nordstrom and Home Depot have adopted mobile POS devices enabling employees to check out customers anywhere in the store. Employees at Apple's retail stores have been armed with mobile iTouch devices for several years that enable employees to scan a barcode and check out a customer immediately. Companies like Nordstrom and Home Depot are seeing increased sales because they can expedite purchases as the customer is trying on clothes, makeup, cordless drills or circular saws. No more waiting in line "thinking" about your purchase. Using Mobile POS employees can capture the buying moment and reap the benefits for the retailers.
Some interesting tidbits
Nordstrom's first quarter sales increased 15.3% since implementing Mobile POS devices.
The average number of items sold per sale increased
The average sales price per sale increased
I am seeing similar trends in the adoption of mobile work order systems like ZenTouch in the service Industry.
Driving business with Mobile Work Orders
With a mobile work order system on an iPhone, Android or Rugged PDA service technicians have full access to services, parts and prices to quickly create an estimate or service ticket for a customer. One customer reported he has seen a 17% increase in service techs availability to take additional service calls just by implementing a mobile work order system. Spread that across 8 technicians - that's a big impact on our business.
Another customer reports, "Customers seem to trust a digital system that breaks down costs for services and parts rather than watching me rifle through a stack of papers. I can present a complete service ticket, review the recommended services, add or delete items and allow them to approve service immediately." In the event a customer decides to wait to initiate a service call to talk with their wife/husband, review finances, check their calendar, etc. a technician or estimator can save the estimate and schedule a call back with the customer. Now all estimates and work orders are accessible via a mobile device with a simple search. Technicians can access past estimates and immediately revisit the estimate, email it to the customer or convert it to a work order on the spot.
Clearly efficiency gains are being recognized on both ends of the spectrum by implementing Mobile POS or Mobile Work Order Systems. These efficiencies are enabling retailers like Nordstrom and Home Depot to drive business at the point of interaction. Service industry leaders are experiencing identical results. By improving the customer experience the decision to buy is expedited and mobile enabled businesses are reaping the benefits.
For the past couple of months I have demonstrated ZenTouch to service professionals from a myriad of industries; electricians, installers, auto dent repairers, carpet cleaners, plumbers and others. I have found some trends that are enlightening, but today I wanted to focus on one - the adoption of the iPad especially in light of the launch of iPad 3 yesterday.
Clipboard similarities to the iPad are facilitating user adoption
After a careful review of the presentations done in the last 6 weeks, 80% of attendees reported that they plan on using the iPad or Android tablet.
This actually surprised me as I suspected many of the attendees would prefer the Android, iPhone or Rugged PDA form factor. This unexpected decision trend caused me to wonder, "Why is the iPad form factor so much more popular?"
Yes, it's easy to say people like having more screen real estate but there has to be a more compelling driver. Then it hit me, no matter the service industry from physicians to service techs everyone uses a clipboard.
We are so in-grained with collecting and annotating data using a clipboard that the physical similarities of the iPad or Android to a clipboard make it easy, even comfortable, to pick up an iPad and go to work.
The clipboard form factor is so universal that transitioning to an iPad is a natural. Plus, when you consider how "flipping" through pages using a finger swipe parallels flipping through pages on a clipboard the physical metaphor is further enhanced.
The adoption of the Android tablet has been far less significant. I think part of the Android's adoption troubles it is both too big and to0 small at the same time. It doesn't really fit the clipboard metaphor that has made the iPad an easier transition for all business and service sectors. But I digress.
Let's look at a two industry sectors
Physicians/Dentist
Think of the last time you went to the doctor, dentist or other care-giver, they handed you a clipboard with a number of forms to fill out. That same medical form on iPad is just as easy if not easier. I recently visited with a physical therapist who is looking to pre-load a patient's information on an iPad form. The front desk attendant can hand the iPad to the patient who then quickly verifies or updates previous medical information.
Previously doctors accessed paper medical records on a clipboard rifling through a stack of papers. Now, using an iPad, not only can they access a patient's record they can review historical trends, drill into past treatments, compare and evaluate current conditions to provide medical treatment based on real-time data and historical data. The medical records become a living document updated each time a patient receives treatment.
New advances are also making the communication with the physician and patient easier. Physicians can display a patients x-rays, pull up anatomical diagrams to explain medical conditions, and more. There are some amazing medical iPad apps on the market. Here is an example:
The power this gives to the physician and patient is amazing.
Service technicians ranging from HVAC Techs, Plumbers to Auto Dent Repairs all carry a clipboard. Tasks range from looking up part numbers, checking off service items, filling out the work order, collecting payment information and getting final sign off.
Now with systems like ZenTouch, a cloud base mobile work order system by Zenware, service techs are using their iPad "clipboard" to create estimates, process assigned work orders, add parts and services on the fly, access customer information, review previous service work, manage service crews and have information sync directly into QuickBooks.
The clipboard form factor is so universal that transitioning to an iPad or Android Tablet is a natural transition. Especially if you can couple the familiarity of a clipboard style device with intelligent business, medical or service apps that drive business, significantly improves processes and provide better service to your customers.
Here are a few areas that smart iPad Apps like ZenTouch are improving service business processes
Easy and immediate access to prior service information
Integrated service or pricing lists allow the technician to focus on service instead of pricing
Immediate invoice for faster collections
Proof of work
Create, schedule and dispatch future service tickets right in the field
Reduce and even eliminate human errors with automated business process
Avoid handwriting and note translation errors
Compute service work totals automatically
Collect and record payments at the time of service
Services industries from all sectors are rapidly adopting enterprise mobile solutions. I see a significantly higher move towards the iPad as the device form factor of choice. Doug Drink Water in his recent blog "The 8 industries and professions most rapidly impacted by tablets" highlights the impact tablets of various service industries. Notice that all of these industries historically collected data on a clipboard.
Enterprise mobility is impacting all business sectors. Question is, are you still clinging to that old clipboard and business processes or leading the pack with a simple transition?
