Clipboard to iPad - Why it's an easy transition.

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

ZenTouch work orders on an iPad

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?

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc
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BYOD - fast becoming the norm for enterprise mobility

BYOD a growing trend

Aruba Networks published a survey this week that shows 85% of hospitals allow physicians and staff to use their personal mobile devices for work activities. The adoption of BYOD, "bring your own device" is fast becoming the norm the adoption of mobility solutions into the enterprise.

This trend obviously causes challenges for network administrators who are tasked with building out network capabilities, securely providing access to key data and managing a range of mobile devices.  Gartner has long reported that the consumerization of IT is one of the biggest challenges for IT departments for the next 10 years. 35% of the Aruba Networks study respondents reported they plan on building out their current wireless and hard-wired infrastructures within the coming year to support the increased demand of "use your own device".

With the increased drive to mobilize more segments of business, is a BYOD policy right for you?

As companies evaluate and implement BYOD policies they are reaping benefits in the following areas"

• Provides the benefit of reducing capital expenditures
• Extends user choices beyond the standard corporate devices. 
• Increased mobility and productivity. 70% of employees with Smartphones check their corporate email outside of business hours. 43% connect to get ahead of the workload for the following day.
• When workers use their own devices IT support calls are diminished from 4.5 times per month to 2.5 and tend to focus solely on corporate access
• High job satisfaction

As you implement BYOD policies consider the following:

• Who is permitted to have a business supported mobile device? Generally this is determined by organizational role.
• What devices are supported? Previously BlackBerry held this space but now with BYOD you must consider iOS, Android, Windows Phone etc.
• Who pays for the device and on-going expenses
• Some enterprises may want to enforce acceptable use of a device. Enforceability concerns need to be considered.
• What apps are you going to support?
• Where are apps acquired?
• User responsibilities

Cloud based CRM, Work Management Systems, MAM (Mobile App Management), and MDM (Mobile Device Management) solutions are certainly facilitating the trend for adoption of BYOD. With the increased ability to securely distribute and manage corporate data at the point of interaction the adoption of mobile solutions is increasingly more appealing and critical.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc
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Data Visualization and Enterprise Mobility

I have been pondering the power of data visualization and mobility since reading Kevin Benedict's most recent blog "More on Mobility and 4D Field Services". In his article Kevin makes a key point and ask a critical question, "The data can provide us with real-time "situational awareness," but can we understand it and use it to make better decisions for our businesses?

As they say “a picture is worth a 1000 words", data visualization is the same.

Presenting real time data in a visualization layer provides REAL meaning to job status or progress. Presenting data in an easily understood and actionable format enables decision makers to act NOW instead of struggling to interpret the data and then respond in in damage control mode. 

We often think of only acting on critical "red flagged" data. This reactionary model negatively impacts our customers and business.  Whereas if we can associate visual cues to help us immediately understand a situation the greater our opportunity to quickly and properly respond.

In Kevin's example he used yellow circles to visually identify languishing jobs. A simple example of this is a stoplight. We all understand the metaphor; red - stop, yellow - slow down (or punch it), green - go. What happens to your decision making capabilities if you carry this some color or other iconic metaphor into your applications?

Zenware implemented this type of data visualization in a recent mobile application developed for the natural gas industry. At a glance technicians can identify service calls that require immediate or semi-immediate attention based on color. Graphical "color-cut" representation of the tank enable technicians to immediately understand the product mix contained within the tank. Armed with this data, technicians are able to make quicker decisions based on situational import as well as data content.

Data Visualization provides immediate interpretation of data
"screenshot property of Zenware"

By providing visual clarity to the data, service techs and managers can proactively respond and manage service issues before their status moves from “yellow” to “red”. Businesses that are implementing these types of mobile strategies are gaining a gain competitive edge due to their ability to dynamically respond to customer needs before they even know there is a potential problems. Armed with better tools to interpret and act on data they are  providing better perceived and real service to their customers. 

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareincLinkedIn Profile 

MEAP Nirvana? Is developing your own mobile solution wise?

For the past year I have consulted with a company that has sought to develop their own mobile solution. Early in the consulting process I recommended a cloud based mobile solution that aligned with their business model and processes. My recommendation to go with a pre-packaged solution that met 90% of their needs was primarily based on the fact that they hadn't put together a dedicated team to work on the project. Their attitude was, "A MEAP will make up for any difficiencies our developer might have in time or expertise", or "I can work on this project while traveling".

They have come to realize that while a MEAP solution provides great power to accomplish their mobility goals there are still a lot of challenges and complexities involved with developing an enterprise mobility solution that require time, evaluation, dedication and development.

A very simple example of this happened this week. The same company that decided to build their own mobile application approached us to solve some challenges they had encountered developing their own mobile app. As our team looked at the mobile solution a few simple, yet crucial, points were missed in their application design. Here are two examples:

1. Work order tables were joined on a customer name without having a unique customer ID. The result - if they changed a customer name from "Freds" to "Fred's" all ties to previous work orders would have been lost.
2. Work order numbers were not unique and could be shared between multiple customers. The result - Customer A could end up with Customer B's information. Not such a good idea.

There were other complications within their app but you can see how a few simple things can negatively impact the results of your mobile solution.  It is important to recognize there are difficulties and challenges in customer developing a mobile solution whether using a MEAP or traditional coding.

The following is a list of questions and considerations you should weigh before embarking in developing your own mobile solution:

1. Do you have dedicated resources available to gather all the business and technical requirements of your application?
2. Do you understand the business process in the field? What does the field technician need to be successful? What does the corporate side need to be successful? The key is building a mobile solution that provides the right data at the point of action.
3. Do you have and can you dedicate the right technical resources to design, develop, test, deploy and support your application?
4. Do you have experienced mobile application designers that can build intelligent business logic within the application and not simply design a great interface?
5. What mobile device options are available? What device features are required by the end user - barcode scanning, GPS, RFID or are consumer grade devices sufficient?
6. With what backend systems do you to have to integrate?

Mobility has become an integral part of business. It's no longer a "would be nice" part of your business, it is mission critical. Whether using a MEAP or traditional development methodologies the key is developing a mobile solution that can evolve as your business and mobile technology evolves.

Jody Sedrick
Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareincLinkedIn Profile