I recently read a very interesting article in Computerworld that described the ways the rules for enterprise software applications are changing.  Computerworld offered 3 new rules for enterprise software to be successful.  These included:

1. Make it appealing – Enterprise software must be user-friendly and work well on all commonly used browsers and mobile devices.  According to Gartner analysts, business strategies for application development need to consider three user groups: B2B, B2E (employee) and B2C (consumer).
2. Make it transparent – Real-time data is more important than ever before.  Employees that have access to up-to-date information have a competitive advantage.  In addition to real-time data, users are also interested in having information presented in graphical form with tables and charts.  These analytic tools help users discover trends and improve decision-making.
3. Update it often – Employees expect and want frequent updates to the applications they use. And with the increasing use of cloud-based software, updates are easier than ever to push out to users.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about enterprise software applications.

Mobile field inspection solutions enable you to manage your assets more efficiently by eliminating the need to travel back and forth between the field and the office. Empower your employees with mobile devices that transmit real-time information to your back office database and other employees. Mobile Epiphany’s industry-leading software integrates into any business process, so regardless of industry we can create workflows for any asset and any task. See for yourself, check out this great new video.

Let’s Get Mobile! Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about end-to-end mobile field inspection and asset tracking solutions.

During NRF 2012, Motorola Solutions introduced the MPM-100 that will be available in April. This exciting new Mobile Payment Module enables the process of any type of payment—anywhere and anytime. When pairing this small multi-payment module with your mobile computers via Bluetooth, workers can accept:

• Credit (capture signatures on mobile device)
• Debit
• Loyalty and gift cards with magnetic stripes
• Chip and PIN-based credit
• Near Field Communication (NFC) payments made via mobile phones

The versatile MPM-100 also boasts the highest level of data security and offers cost-efficient PCI compliance.

Stay tuned in the coming months for additional information about this exciting new device.

Let’s Get Mobile! Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about mobile payment processing solutions.

I recently read an interesting article in Field Technologies Magazine that included some tips for a successful mobile deployment.  According to the article, one of the most important items that companies often overlook is ensuring that employees are properly trained on the mobile solution and they understand the reason for the transition.

We talk a lot about the productivity and efficiency improvements that mobile solutions provide, but unless employees understand how to use mobile technology you won’t realize these benefits.  Tips from the article include:

1. Get your mobile workers involved early on
2. Help them understand how they will benefit from the deployment
3. Plan for proper training

DecisionPoint understands the importance of proper training, that’s why our MobileArc Field Workforce Automation Solutions include expert professional services for technical set up and user training.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about our end-to-end mobile solutions.

Aberdeen Research Group recently polled 200 field service firms to understand the ways they manage their mobile workforces and handle scheduling and route optimization.  67 percent of respondents cited workforce productivity and utilization as one of the greatest pressures that they face.  Additionally, 47 percent of respondents claimed that the most common reason a service request wasn’t completed during the first visit was because a necessary part wasn’t available.

Mobile field service solutions provide the real-time information technicians need to improve productivity and also automates the process of assigning the right technician to the job, at the right time and with the right parts. The survey also reported the average results for best-in-class companies utilizing flexible scheduling and optimization solutions:

• 90 percent meet response or completion times compared to all others at 74 percent
• Average workforce utilization is 74 percent compared to all others at 60 percent

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about our MobileArc™ Field Service solutions that improve workforce utilization and first time fix rates.

In past posts I’ve provided information about the multiple benefits that GPS solutions provide, such as fuel savings, increased security and improved driver productivity.  DecisionPoint’s partner GeoMicro offers 3 Software as a Service products that quickly enable you to achieve desired ROI for your field workforce automation deployment.

• Mobium GPS turns any Windows Mobile handheld computer and smartphone into a GPS navigation system with turn-by-turn, GPS guided and voice prompted route guidance.
• Mobium GPS Fleet Tracking System records the movements of all the vehicles in a customer’s fleet with current location, historical (breadcrumbing) data and geofencing and alert options.
• AltaMap Routing Engine provides route optimization designed and developed to create routes based on user-specified origins, waypoints, and destinations. It provides turn-by-turn driving directions, distance, and estimated drive times for the U.S. and Canada.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about integrating turn-by-turn navigation, GPS tracking and route optimization into your operations.

Last week I provided some of the responses regarding field service software from Field Technologies recently released Field Mobility 2012 special report.  Some additional responses from the survey that were quite interesting involved handheld mobile computers, device form factors and features.

According to Field Mobility 2012, 81% of respondents currently use handheld mobile computers in field operations.  When asked what device form factor they would be considering for their next refresh the results were as follows:

• Tablet – 51%
• Laptop/Notebook – 66%
• Handhelds – 78%

Respondents also cited the following top 10 features and functionalities they look for in mobile computing devices:

1. Wireless communications capabilities
2. Processor power/speed
3. Battery life
4. Ruggedness/durability
5. Ergonomics
6. Memory/storage
7. GPS
8. Camera
9. Windows OS
10. Bar code scanner

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about our field workforce automation solutions and mobile computing systems that meet the requirements on the top 10 list.

Field Technologies recently released their Field Mobility 2012 special report which includes feedback from a sample of 327 readers.  The report provides a real-world take on the features and functionality you should look for in field workforce automation solutions.  45% of respondents with mobile workforces that use automation software cited the following top 10 features and functionality of field service software:

1. Ability to integrate with back-office systems
2. Ability to update remotely
3. Customizable
4. Ability to work untethered (without wireless connectivity)
5. Real-time data transfer
6. Scalability
7. Ability to support multiple goals/functions
8. Rapid deployment framework
9. Multi-platform support
10. SaaS/Cloud-based

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about our end-to-end mobile field service solutions that provide these features and functionalities.

In our Oct. 28th post I provided additional information about the Panasonic Solutions enterprise-grade Android tablet and the microsite they launched in Sept.  In early Nov. Panasonic held a launch event for the Panasonic Toughpad A1.

Panasonic’s Toughpad A1 is targeted as a solution that provides the popular form factor of a tablet with the ruggedness required by many enterprise applications.  The Toughpad A1 provides field workers with access to the tools they need and withstands drops and abuse.  Check out the video below to see what the Panasonic Toughpad A1 can do for field maintenance workers.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about the Panasonic Toughpad A1.

Aberdeen Group recently released a research report on the key trends in the path to service revenue.  They surveyed approximately 150 service organizations to understand these key trends and the report also documents best practices relied upon by leading service organizations.  In the report, the importance of mobility tools was rated at least a 4 out of 5 in every category, including:

• Reducing errors
• Growing service profitability
• Improving customer satisfaction

According to the report, equipping field technicians with mobile computers is the key to improving workforce utilization and efficiency.  By doing so, service organizations can raise productivity over 23%.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn about our mobile field service solutions.