Now the NMS 5000 Rugged Tablet PC I Like!


I came across this ruggedized tablet pc today and am a fan. I love the right hand buttons for short-cuts. Perhaps because I am right handed - sorry left handers. Many field data collection projects involve maps, blueprints and other files that benefit from a larger screen in a rugged case.
NMS 5000
The NMS 5000 provides data collection technology ideal in several applications including field service, military, industrial / manufacturing, medical, parking management, public safety, utility services and retail. More...
MobileDataforce's software for field data collection can be found here.

Chossing Between a Rugged PDA or Industrial Grade Handheld?

My sales team is asked hourly for recommendations for mobile handheld computers, smartphones and PDAs. The customer is always looking for the most cost effective solution. Cost effective must include value, reliability, usability, flexibility, expandability and much more - the total cost of ownership. There is a document you can download here that lists all the questions you need to ask before making the purchase.

I was reading about the industrial grade handheld PDA M3 today and their description points to some of the rugged features that users need to consider.

M3 Industrial PDA M3’s rugged design and IP54-rated sealing ensures continued use and uptime by protecting against dust, moisture and extreme temperatures (-20°C ~ 50°C), And, whether working inside or out, it has a drop spec of 1.5m to concrete across vast temperature ranges, reducing equipment and maintenance costs.More...

A lot of your decision needs to be based upon what kind of mobile software application you are going to use and what operating system it requires. Do you need a large screen to read drawings, blueprints and maps, or a simple data form?

New Palm Treo 500v Smartphone


Palm has released a new version of the popular Treo series Smartphone - Palm Treo 500v. It sounds like it will be available in Europe in October and available from Vodafone. It will be using Windows Mobile 6.0. I think the Palm OS may be going away soon in favor of Windows Mobile for PDAs.
The Palm Treo 500v and the Palm 750w (available in the USA from AT&T) are good examples of "convergent" devices. Devices that can handle both your work and your play. For companies like MobileDataforce, devices like these mean more business owners, managers and field technicians will be using mobile devices capable of handling mobile field service applications. Good job Palm!

Don't Start a Mobile Software Development Project Yet


In Steven McConnell's book, "Code Complete" he describes why a person should not jump right in and start developing code for a mobile software solution for use on handheld PDAs on the first day that the business thinks it is a good idea. Often business motivations help drive a sense of urgency to start coding a software application immediately, but there are also business motivations NOT to start today. Coding without gathering ALL the requirements and architecting the system has a high cost.

Here is an excerpt from McConnell's book that is very interesting and true:

Explicit requirements help to ensure that the user rather than the programmer drives the system’s functionality. If the requirements are explicit, the user can review them and agree to them. If they’re not, the programmer usually ends up making requirements decisions during programming. Explicit requirements keep you from guessing what the user wants.

Explicit requirements also help to avoid arguments. You decide on the scope of the system before you begin programming. If you have a disagreement with an other programmer about what the program is supposed to do, you can resolve it by looking at the written requirements.

Paying attention to requirements helps to minimize changes to a system after development begins. If you find a coding error during coding, you change a few lines of code and work goes on. If you find a requirements error during coding, you have to alter the design to meet the changed requirement. You might have to throw away part of the old design, and because it has to accommodate code that’s already written, the new design will take longer than it would have in the first place. You also have to discard code and test cases affected by the requirement change and write new code and test cases. Even code that’s otherwise unaffected must be retested so that you can be sure the changes in other areas haven’t introduced any new errors.

...Data from numerous organizations indicates that on large projects an error in requirements detected during the architecture stage is typically 3 times as expensive to correct as it would be if it were detected during the requirements stage. If detected during coding, it’s 5-10 times as expensive; during system test, 10 times; and post-release, a whopping 10-100 times as expensive as it would be if it were detected during requirements development. On smaller projects with lower administrative costs, the multiplier post-release is closer to 5-10 than 100 (Boehm and Turner 2004).

McConnell lists 5 steps in the software development process:
  1. Requirements
  2. Architecture
  3. Coding
  4. System Test
  5. Post-release

There is simply NO way to bypass these steps for the purpose of saving time and money. If there is an urgent need for the mobile software solution, then there needs to be an urgent need to define the requirements, and architect the system so coding can begin.

An Interesting ROI for Mobilizing Business Processes Using PDAs and Handhelds


Here are 2 new and unusual ROIs (return on investment)that came in this week for a mobile solutions customer of MobileDataforce's.
  1. They don't want their inspectors taking up parking spaces at the office. The parking space is limited so they would rather synchronize data out to the mobile inspectors than have them come to the office.

  2. They don't have anymore office space for the inspectors. They want them to work from the field.

I had never considered these 2 reasons on my article entitled 28 Reasons to Mobilize that is available to download. Make that 30 Reasons to Mobilize.


Why Do Some Companies Use Mobile Software and Others Don't?


Daily we receive calls from companies wishing to use mobile software on handheld PDAs for their work orders, inspections, asset tracking or delivery services. Although we receive many calls, these companies are unique. For every company that calls my mobile software solutions team, many others in the same markets regretfully do not. Is it because my marketing budget is finite and they simply don't know MobileDataforce exists? Perhaps, but I am inclined to think there is more to the story.
The companies calling us are dissatisfied. They are dissatisfied with their existing business processes. They see inefficiencies and they are annoyed. They have seen the capabilities of mobile solutions and recognize what they mean to their business and profit margins. They are focused on growth and business process improvement. They have ambitions to accomplish more, capture more profits and to improve customer service. They call my team with questions like these:
  • How can I put a work order solution on my Palm Treo 750?

  • How can I dispatch a work order to my mobile device?

  • How can I accomplish instant invoicing?

  • How can I take digital photos of my work?

  • How can I get "proof-of-delivery" using a mobile handheld PDA?

  • How can I take these paper forms and convert them to mobile solutions?

  • My paper process is costing me $234,000 per year. Can I mobilize this process?

When is a Mobile Software Solution for PDAs and Handhelds a Bad Idea?


This morning, one of my sales team told me he had said "no" to a company wanting to purchase a mobile software solution for their employees' PDAs and handhelds. A few minutes later as he cleaned out his desk and was escorted to the the door he called out over his shoulder, "They couldn't tell me how it would benefit their company!"
Hummm...Good Point.
If a customer or prospective customer can not articulate the value of a mobile solution to their business, then why bother? Mobile solutions take time and effort to design, develop, deploy and support. Customized mobile applications need to be integrated with database systems and business processes need to be re-engineered to optimize the value of mobilizing. This all takes work. If the customer can not identify the value of this effort or the expected ROI, then their commitment to seeing the project through a successful roll-out is very limited.

I've got a smart sales person, or I did have.

If you would like to discuss potential ROIs and the value of mobilizing various business processes please contact us at http://www.mobiledataforce.com/, or call 208-384-1200.

MobileDataforce and Mobile Software for Handheld PDAs in Singapore


MobileDataforce expands into Singapore with NetCob Technologies Pte Ltd partnership. They provide professional IT consultancy services to various organizations, including MNCs, government agencies and regional SMEs. Their service covers:
- Enterprise Solutions such as ERP, CRM and EDMS;
- Infrastructure and networking solutions;
- Radio Frequency Identification;
- Security Solutions;
- Enterprise CAD/GIS strategy;
-Mobile Software Applications for Handheld PDAs

MobileDataforce in India for Mobile Handheld PDA Development


MobileDataforce announces expansion into India with their new partner HiFX.

HiFX focuses on providing business extension through field force automation using handheld PDAs and mobile software for continuous synching of business critical data in the HO and field force. These solutions provide up to the minute information to all employees guaranteeing consistency of data. We are also able to provide services that escalate existing legacy applications, ERP and CRM solutions, workflow applications to seamlessly integrate with mobile applications. With all expertise fundamental to mobile solution development, HiFX rolls out enterprise mobile software solutions and custom business solutions for midsize to large enterprises using handheld PDAs.

Featured Post

Leadership Advice from a Futurist - A Reading

Leadership is hard.  So for all the leaders and want-to-be leaders out there, here is some advice that I hope you will find useful. ***...