Data Visualization - Real-time Visibility and Mobile Data

You’ve heard it said a thousand times “A picture is worth a 1000 words”. 

Cliché?  Probably more often than not, but this weekend this saying really hit home.  Some of my buddies we’re hunting in the mountains of Idaho when they got lost.  

Yes they had a mobile GPS device that gave them their GPS coordinates but they had no map to determine the direction they should go. To make things worse the smoke from nearby fires was so thick they couldn’t see notable landmarks to get a bearing. They were so remote the only other communication method they had was a satellite phone.

Yes they had data but they had no way to interpret or visualize the data to make a decision in the field.

This is a critical point in the utilization of mobile apps. Providing data is not enough. The key is presenting real time data in a visualization layer that provides REAL meaning to the user.

If my hunter friends had a mobile device that incorporated GPS coordinates with topographical maps and a compass they would have easily been able to reestablish their position and decide on the best path to safety. Instead they were stranded with limited data and had to call for outside help using a satellite phone to have someone interpret the data and provide the information needed to get back to base camp safely. Yes they had data, but the data was irrelevant without some way to visualize or interpret the meaning of the data. It was comparable to having a “You Are Here” map with no other information than a dot.

With limited interpretable data my hunter friends could not act independently. They had to call in for guidance from those at home base that had better tools to ascertain the best route forward. The support crew back home were in a key position to evaluate the hunters known GPS location against on-line topographical maps, fire information gleaned from the Idaho Fish & Game websites, deciding which fellow hunter could most quickly get to their area if needed and provide instructions to the lost hunters.

Mobile Data Visualization

Many companies are implementing mobile solutions in the same way.   They provide a smattering of information without providing the ancillary data. Mobile reps are thus forced to rely on the home office to help make decision.  Armed with interpretable data mobile reps and managers can act immediately. Further, they can see data connections and patterns that matter. 

In fully integrated mobile solutions mobile data from field personnel can update corporate systems immediately. With a continual flow of interpretable data senior managers are in a position to see the bigger picture and can identify resource gaps, reallocate personnel, analyzing trends, identify shrinking inventories and much more.  The speed to manage and make decisions is exponentially increased as managers not only have data but they have the ancillary data that is instantaneously understandable enabling them to make the right decision for their customers, staff and company

Some industries are incorporating data visualization in unique ways. Here are a couple of examples

Natural Gas Industry – Tank Inspections: 
The team at Zenware has been developing some interesting mobile data visualizations components for the Natural Gas Industry.  Color based prioritization enables field reps to at a glance ascertain the priority level of preventive maintenance calls that need to be included in their weekly visits; Red current day, Yellow within 3 days, Brown within 7 days and White within 30 days.  These priority levels are set systematically based on the current date. This allows field crews to manage work autonomously. Managers are empowered because not only do they have management tools that enable them to adjust priority schedules they also have a graphical display of region that includes real-time location of personnel, natural gas tanks in the area, last sites visited and related color coded priority levels. I think of it as “follow the dots” taken to the next level.

Automotive Industry – PDR (Paintless Dent Repair)

Enterprise mobile solutions combined with data visualization tools are majorly impacting companies that provide new car prep and other auto detailing services to automotive dealerships.  Complete mobile ERP solutions are not only helping manage mobile service employees and service tickets, but also providing CEOs and CFOs a real time view into the current health of the company.

Data visualization tools are presenting mobile generated data in a visually rich manner to show profitability of regions, stores, managers even a look into the efficiency and profitability of a specific employee. Company leaders can instantaneously evaluate gross margins on every service offered, identify product lines that are diminishing or increasing in sales, valuate efficiencies of team members based on time spent on each project and more. Visually rich data presentation is providing the mechanism to drill down to the minute details helping companies fine-tune every aspect of their business.

Mobile data visualization is critical for all industry sectors. The ability for company leaders to quickly visualize, interpret and act on data patterns can significantly impact business. Gone are the days of culling through Excel sheets. Businesses that are implementing data visualization tools into their mobile applications are seeing significant improvements in customer management, inventory management, customer satisfaction, increased productivity and more.

Remember data is meaningless without context. Question is can you see clearly what your data is telling you?

Some Interesting presentations on Data Visualization

David McCandless: The beauty of data visualization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLqjQ55tz-U

Hans Rosling: No More boring Data

http://youtu.be/hVimVzgtD6w

Jody Sedrick

Enterprise Mobility Strategist, Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Zenware

The Key to BYOD? It’s the Data, Of Course

This article was originally posted on the Chief Mobility Officer Blog presented by Visage
http://visagemobile.com/mobilityblog/2012/09/13/the-key-to-byod-its-the-data-of-course/ 

The Key to BYOD? It’s the Data, Of Course

By Jody Sedrick | September 13, 2012

Millions of smartphones have invaded the workplace in recent years — and millions more are on the way. But it’s not the devices themselves that deserve so much of the chatter surrounding “BYOD.” Yes, legions of workers have made their smartphones and tablets integral parts of both their professional and personal lives. But for CIOs and CEOs, it isn’t the device they’re bringing that matters at all — it’s the invaluable data streams that course through them when they’re on the job.
Everyone can discuss and debate which device, what platform, which apps — but at a higher level, the end-game is all about the data. Forward-thinking technology managers are looking to get access to actionable mobility data to drive business, not just distribute phones. After all, the devices are simply the empty conduits of that data. And the data holds the keys to streamlining communication, tracking user behavior, managing costs and a host of other key business functions.

Smart Mobile Management

With the proliferation of smartphones and ease of access to data, companies are managing BYOD policies whether they want to admit it or not. Some are implementing new processes to get on top of all that data and put it to work. Others aren’t yet up to speed — and are increasingly prone to leaving their organizations vulnerable to security breaches, out-of-control spending and behavior, and unclear (or nonexistent) employee communication policies.
Smart mobility management means having the tools and technology to securely manage the constant data exchanges between your mobile workforce, back-end systems and inventory, assets, customer services, and more. The process needs to consider personal privacy, ease of adoption, and effective management of company data. Where can mobility data make a difference to the bottom line? Naturally, it varies from industry to industry. In just one sector —  field service — here’s what mobility data is helping enable:

1. Improved visibility to work assigned to field service crews, which fosters reduced fuel costs, travel times, and first-time fix rates.
2. Improved job assignments based on immediate availability, current location, or skill set.
3. Increased productivity due to more efficient planning of resources.
4. Improved inventory control with real-time visibility into parts on hand.
5. Increased collection rates with mobile invoicing at the time of service.
6. Improved customer interactions, with access to historical data that enables sales professional to follow up on services offered.

New companion strategies to BYOD, including Mobile Application Management (MAM) and Mobile Device Management (MDM), are evolving to help companies manage their data.These solutions provide ways to distribute applications and data to approved employee devices, corporate- or personally owned, while providing tools to support them in the field. Companies can set data encryption criteria, establish role-based access to data, and set parameters for deleting data or decommissioning a device from the system.
Ultimately, BYOD and companion mobility strategies are all about empowering your business and employees by securely delivering the right data, at the right time, to the right employee and device.
More: How to Safeguard Your Mobile Devices Against Security Breaches and Outages.

Image used under Creative Commons by Flickr user TIC Colombia.

Jody Sedrick

Enterprise Mobility Strategist, Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Zenware

I have iPads, Now what?

This week I had a great lunch meeting with a new client. One of the first things my client shared with me was the fact that "We've purchased 20 plus iPads for a pilot project and now everyone is wondering what to do with them." The client then asked me "Do you have some recommendations?"

This is a common theme I run across among potential and new clients. In their excitement and promise of enterprise mobility they rush to invest in new equipment without developing a plan for enterprise mobility.

The timeliness of this is evidenced in Kevin Benedict's blog post today highlighting some of the results of his  2012 Mid-Year Enterprise Mobility Survey where he asked vendors key questions about the challenges encountered implementing mobility. The number one challenge.... Drum roll please.....

"Q: What are your biggest challenges to implementing enterprise mobility today?" 

"A: The number 1 answer was, "Developing an enterprise-wide mobile strategy."  There was a tie for the next 2 between, "Determining anticipated ROIs" and, "Educating stakeholders on the potential impact of enterprise mobility on the business."   

(source Kevin Benedict's Enterprise Mobility Strategy Blog)

The importance of developing an enterprise-wide mobile strategy is critical. Many companies that I've delivered mobile solutions for are on the third or fourth mobile implementation specifically because they hadn't developed or thought through these three areas.

In the case of my client this week they clearly hadn't developed an enterprise-wide mobile strategy. In fact it was just the opposite, they threw iPads at the stake holders and said "here catch the vision of mobility". That's going to be a little difficult with 14 plus divisions, each with different ideas, interest, understanding, comfortability and vision of mobility. Further compounding the problem, each division has it's own ability to accept or reject the proposed solutions. (You might have guessed it's a state entity).

How do you successfully implement an enterprise solution in such an environment? You have to go back to the foundational requirements.

1. Develop an enterprise-wide mobile strategy. 
2. Educating Stake Holders 
3. Determine anticipated ROIs 

I'm working with my client through this process now.

Notice that while Kevin's survey results showed "Determining Anticipated ROIs" and "Educating Stakeholders" tied in importance, each customer is going to be slightly different. But generally I see the exact trends that are demonstrated in Kevin's Survey.

With my current customer I placed educating stake holders a higher priority based on the sophistication, interest and willingness to adopt mobility of the division managers. Either way you will have to address both of these issues. I tend to see educating stake holders and determining anticipated ROIs as dependent companions that help illustrate and articulate the transformative power of mobility.

Bottom line don't do anything with mobility until you lay a solid foundation for success.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Zenware

Mobile Field Service Significantly Impacting Business

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.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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IBM bans Siri - loose lips a security risks

A new wrinkle was introduced in the BYOD argument today as IBM announced they are banning use of SIRI in its networks viewing SIRI as a potential security risk.

Where's the rub?

Siri captures your voice input and sends the data to Apple's servers in North Carolina where it processes the voice inputs to send the query results back to the device. It is unclear who has access to this information and for how long.  IBM is concerned that anyone with access to these servers could glean information from these transmissions.

While IBM is prohibiting the use of Siri within their networks what happens when an IBM employee is off campus? They still have access to Siri.

I've noticed  a greater concern about BYOD the past couple of months. This puts a new wrinkle in the BYOD argument.  While on the surface BYOD seems a great idea with the promise of greater employee productivity, IT costs being shifted to employees and worker satisfaction. There are significant risks that are bubbling to the surface that companies are have ing to address with stronger BYOD policies.

IBM's banning Siri highlights the criticality of protecting company data. It is imperative that companies establish BYOD policies that address company needs and provide clear acceptable policies for a personal device. IBM is finding this balance is a  little difficult to manage  and in the end zipping the lips of Siri. 

I'm curious to see what other BYOD policy changes are coming down the pike.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Enterprise Mobility - "While we are benefiting, it's a mobility mess!"

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

1. Identify key business processes that will benefit from mobilization.
2. Determine how individual mobile projects integrate with a central mobile management, backend databases and security infrastructure?
3. Establish security policies for data accessibility, network accessibility, application distribution, device management, BYOD policies, etc.
4. Identify supported mobile devices; SmartPhone, TabletsPCs, Rugged devices
5. What supporting hardware is needed? Mobile Printing, GPS, RFID, etc.
6. Determine if mobile apps will be available on different mobile form factors; SmartPhone, TabletPCs, Rugged devices, etc.
7. Identify mobile user roles. User will roles determine data accessibility, security rules, appropriate device options.
8. Determine if mobile roles are transactional, informational or collaborative
9. Identify if mobile business processes and user roles are B2B, Internally driven or B2c
10. How many mobile users are targeted?
11. How will deployment and support of mobile users scale over-time?
12. What mobile architecture do you need to have in place?
13. How will mobile apps be developed, deployed and managed? Who will oversee this?
14. What types of apps will be supported? Custom-built, off-the shelf, modified mobile app templates, HTML5 mobile apps
15. 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."

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Why are you going mobile?

This week I had a great meeting with a new customer that is looking to build a really cool enterprise mobile application for the lighting industry. Meeting with them was refreshing as they obviously had invested serious time thinking through the mobile application, end-user requirements, backend integration and reporting requirements. This is unusual in that most of the customers come to with an idea for a mobile app but haven't really through through the business application.

My experience with them motivated me to share some enterprise mobility guidelines we walk through with our customers.

First Question: What is your goal in "Going Mobile"? Or better yet, WHY go mobile?

Obvious as this questions seems, it is the foundation of your success. But many companies are on their 2nd, 3rd even 4th mobile implementation because they didn't understand the "why" of going mobile. If a customer understands the "why" of going mobile their success rate  increase exponentially.  Some example goals and the "whys" brought to us to date

• Improve responsiveness to customers.
  This is really a goal. It's a result of good systems. Why do you want to improve responsiveness to customers? Have you struggled in this area? Have you identified the bottlenecks? What does it mean if you are successful?
• Providing mobile access to existing applications in the field to improve field worker productivity
  When I hear this I ask, "why is it important for field workers to have this data?" Does it enable the customer to make a decision now? Does it enable the field worker to guide decisions of the customer? Does it enable the service tech to offer the service now?
• Improve operational efficiencies both in the field and back end
  Again this is a goal. What is the cause of operational inefficiencies? Where are the bottlenecks? If I can eliminate those bottlenecks how does this affect serving my customers? How does it improve invoicing cycles? What reports now become available to help managers/sales people more effectively drive business.
• Expedite the invoicing process
  The why on this is clear as every business wants to keep cash flow moving in a positive direction so they can grow their business.
• Proof of service completion and acceptance
  Why? - A business wants to confidently demonstrate  service was completed or accepted.

Once you understand the "whys" of going mobile you can can establish the goals that will help you determine the right mobile strategy.  Most companies today deploy mobile applications in opportunistic business silos. While this approach can serve as a proving ground for mobile solutions it also can create a situation where mobile solutions become limited in scope, disjointed, invite technology disparity and are not scalable.

Businesses need to consider the overall mobility requirements within an organization and develop a long-term strategy that supports these goals then develop rollout strategies and pilots that align with the long-term strategy. Businesses tend to initially evaluate mobile solutions from the perspective of the field worker. But mobility needs assessments need to consider the entire business process and infrastructure considering every component including:

• Customer experience; Do customers interact with the device? A customer might review a service ticket or to provide a digital signature
• Field worker: what is the business process in the field? What data is required to help the technician or customer make a decision? Is mobile printing required? GPS -Do you need to know where your workers are or do they need help finding customer locations
• What kind of PDA device? Smartphone? Rugged PDA? Customer and field worker needs will drive device selection
• Back end integration: what accounting or corporate database systems need to be integrated with?
• Management and Executive Management: Considerations may inclue reporting, management evaluation and / or approval processes
• IT Support - what is required from the IT department? What device and connectivity standards have been set?
• Security policies

I find companies are on track when they've carefully considered these areas as well as come conclusions on the following:

• They have identified specific business processes that will significantly benefit mobile technology and why those are important
• Individual or departmental mobile projects are implemented with the overall business goals in mind. "Smaller" mobile projects can integrate with the enterprise mobile management, infrastructure and security policies.
• Common software, cloud based solutions or middleware mobile solutions are implemented across the organization.
• Implementation of device policies whether they be BYOD or corporate sponsored are clear and enforceable
• Projects are managed and supported according to clearly defined policies

I'll take a look at deciding which mobile applications to deploy in part 2 of this article.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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SAP acquires Syclo - Doubling down on mobility

SAP finally got it right with the announcement of acquiring Syclo. I remember shaking my head when SAP acquired Sybase thinking, "I see the infrastructure and synchronization value but Sybase doesn't provide a MEAP, SDK or even off-the shelf apps."

In a previous life, I spent 5 years building a MEAP solution that sat on top of Sybase.  I know first hand the power of the infrastructure as well as the weakness and lack of development tools. Sybase always seemed like a three legged stool somehow propped up with only two legs. The one significant benefit I saw at the time was that it provided a truly viable path for SAP's customers to extend data to mobile users - all be it the 9th attempt as pointed out by Narendra Agrawal in his article "With Syclo Acquisition SAP does it again"

My first question when I heard the news was "Did SAP finally realize they made a mistake the first time around learning that Syclo would've be a better bet in the first place? Or, is this a key strategic move to further support and build on SAPs mobile vision?" It's probably a little of both.

I think this is a big win for SAP since Syclo provides a much better mobile platform as well as industry proven mobile applications.  Companies looking to deploy enterprise mobile solutions quickly will be drawn to a Syclo's enterprise class app library that already integrate with SAP and a powerful MEAP to extend app capabilities or build entire new libraries.

I think the acquisition further entrenches SAPs commitment to enterprise mobility. I see it as a strategic play to broaden their enterprise mobility reach. Public consensus seems to agree as illustrated by Kevin Benedict in his blog "SAP Acquires Syclo - A second Cup of Coffed and 25 Comments". A whopping 78% think this is a good move for SAP.

The question remains, will customers view the acquisition in the same light?  I see the potential for many projects being placed on hold as companies wait for the dust to settle from yet another merger. I wonder if SAP will take this as an opportunity to simplify the pricing model as the current SUP pricing model is confusing at best.

Clearly this is another indicator of how quickly the Enterprise Mobility landscape is evolving.  This evolution creates on-going challenges and opportunities for mobile solution integrators and customers who are trying to decide how to develop and deploy mobile projects amidst an ever changing field of mobility players.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Nordstrom & Home Depot See Sales Boost from Mobile POS – So What?

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.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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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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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