The Mobile Revolution

Mobile computing is no longer a “nice to have” technology. Increasingly more powerful devices, faster networks and the ability to access web applications have made it possible for CEOs and CIOs to think more strategically when it comes to mobile solutions.

By Robert Hughes (Chairman/CEO), FieldConnect

September 26, 2008


We are very lucky to have been able to partner with some visionary customers over the last few years. These pioneering customers shared our vision for how a mobile solution could improve their business. These early adopters have been using our mobile solutions to maintain real-time communication between their field technicians and their main office ERP systems. Some have even combined our geo-location capabilities to track their vehicles, optimize their routes and generate reports that show mileage, gas usage, vehicle speeds and more. These organizations are uniquely positioned to outpace their competition and remain differentiated in a highly competitive economy. That makes me very happy because our customers took a chance on us and we were able to deliver on that vision. These technology pioneers knew that FieldConnect’s mobile solutions would eventually be mission critical and not just “nice to have technology”.

And guess what? It is going to get even better….

1. Powerful devices. 3G iPhones, BlackBerries, smartphones, Windows Mobile devices, laptop and tablet computers. From the beginning, our strategy at FieldConnect was to embrace every device. Why lock our customers onto one device when the world is changing so fast.
2. Faster networks. Recent investments in networks allow for much faster, more reliable communications.
3. Web enabled software. Very light on the device yet it gives you access to powerful software.
4. Location based services (GPS). We can leverage this rich source of data to enhance you business decisions…and reduce costs and liability.

The enterprise solution
We see a real opportunity for mobility to provide even higher returns when strategically deployed across the enterprise. Companies already have achieved many highly successful examples of this Mobile revolution.We have clients who receive new work order requests from their customer via our web customer portal. This request is immediately displayed on both the dispatch board at headquarters and on the supervisor’s handheld device. The dispatcher, whether in the field or at headquarters, assigns the work order to a field technician. That technician performs the service and closes the work order. The whole process can be tracked in real-time, and paperless, by the customer. The dispatcher can also track the technician’s location and assign the next work order by location or optimized route.

There are more succes stories to come...please keep in touch.

Robert W. Hughes is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FieldConnect, Inc. Mobilizing Service management for MS Dynamics and Sage ERP. (Solomon, Great Plains and Timberline).

Ensuring Customer Satisfaction - (Whitepaper Part 3)

This is an excerpt from the FieldConnect Whitepaper titled "Maximizing Profit with Field Service Mobilization". To download the full document please click here:http://www.fieldconnect.com/

Ensure Customer Satisfaction
What is the cost of losing customers or spending unplanned budget to keep existing customers happy? In today’s economy it is imperative that you retain your customer base in order to find new revenue opportunities from within as well as their peer groups. The impact of not ensuring customer satisfaction can be measureable and staggering:

- For every customer who bothers to complain, there are 26 others who remain silent.

- The average “wronged” customer will tell 8 to 16 people.

- 91% of unhappy customers will never purchase services from you again.

- It costs about five times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to keep an old one.

- Each one of your customers has a circle of influence of 250 people or potential customers who hear bad things about you!

Your field service organization is your first line of defense in the customer satisfaction department. They are in place to address problems if and when they occur; so the completeness and promptness of response will be a direct indicator of your level of customer commitment. An effective Field Service Mobilization solution can ensure the highest caliber of response as well as provide new opportunities for cross selling and up selling during each and every service call.

In today’s “information at my fingertips” world, customers also expect a level of self-service and web-based access to their status and service requests to mitigate the need for calling into an already over-taxed dispatcher. The difference between “best in class” and “average” service organizations is sometimes as simple as the level of offerings available for the customer to chose from as it relates to service level response expectations.

"Thick or Thin" Architecture - FieldConnect's "Thin" Approach

When evaluating technologies for automating the necessary and expensive communications that are required between technicians, dispatchers and customers for the purposes of problem and field service resolution, one of the first questions that has to be answered is “should I go THIN or THICK”? This isn’t some crazed diet question, but one of client architecture, and what will be necessary to implement and manage an on-going viable solution. Ultimately it will be specific business, environmental and cost issues that drive a final decision towards a thin-client versus a fat-client based solution. This white paper will help demystify these business, environmental and costs issues.
Understanding FieldConnect’s Approach
FieldConnect is the most efficient software available for Field Service Mobilization. FieldConnect
leverages the ubiquitous availability of the internet along with the large array of available portable computing devices (PDA, laptop, tablet PC, Blackberry or desktop computer) to bring real-time communications to all field service stakeholders: customers, technicians and dispatchers. From its inception all FieldConnect products have been designed and developed with the Thin-Client architecture in mind. But we have also facilitated offline usage for those customers requiring use in environments where online connectivity is not as ubiquitous or available.
Click here to download White paper.

Click on the image below for the executive Matrix.

GPS - Device Reset (Enfora MT-GU)

All GPS devices require an occasional reset. The process is simple!!... once you know how to do it!! So please watch this short (60) second video, or read the written instructions, to learn how to reset the device.

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Written Directions for resetting the SIM card on the Enfora MT-GU
No tools need for reset:
1. Locate the receiver/transmitter (See Picture Below)
2. Remove the power connector for the back center (See Below Picture)

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3. With the Power removed, move the tab locking the SIM card to the right, as pictured: Slide the lock to the right; then depress the SIM card with your finger to make it pop up.

4. Push the SIM card down until it clicks and release to allow the SIM card to pop up out of the unit.

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5. Wait ten (10) seconds and re-inert card, take care to insert GSM Carrier logo facing the top on the unit.
6. Move lock to the left to hold SIM card firmly in place
7. Plug the power cable back in to the back of the unit.
8. The three lights on the unit will start out:
USR1: Flashing Green
PWR GPS: Solid Red
USR2: Solid Red
9. As soon as the card establishes service with the GSM carrier the first light will go to a solid green.
10. You have successfully reset the SIM card!!

FieldConnect - Custom Training (Spanish version)

FieldAccess Custom training: FieldConnect is leveraging new forms of training in order to address the diverse needs of our customers. Our standard and custom training programs include traditional forms of training and documentation, as well as video and Web training. In this example, you will see how we set up training for one of our customers that required some easy to use video training in Spanish.

Selecting the right device - (Whitepaper Part 5)

This is an excerpt from the FieldConnect Whitepaper titled "Maximizing Profit with Field Service Mobilization". To download the full document please click here: www.fieldconnect.com

Selecting the Right Devices
As you could imagine, one size does not fit all when it comes to selecting the appropriate devices to implement as part of your Field Service Mobilization solution. There are literally hundreds of choices to assist with field mobility all with specific characteristics relevant to specific environments, functionality required and price range. It is also highly probable that you may need to offer a variety of devices based on individual preference, location or job responsibility. The best way to select which devices are best for your Field Service Mobilization solution is to understand the basic breakdown in categories. These categories are:

Mobile devices – According to http://www.wikipedia.com/ a mobile device (also known as cell phone device, handheld device, handheld computer, "Palmtop" or simply handheld) is a pocket-sized computing device, typically having a display screen with touch input or a miniature keyboard. In the case of the personal digital assistant (PDA) the input and output are combined into a touch-screen interface. Smartphones and PDAs are popular amongst those who require the assistance and convenience of a conventional computer, in environments where carrying one would not be practical. Enterprise digital assistants can further extend the available functionality for the business user by offering integrated data capture devices like Bar Code, RFID and Smart Card readers. Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: data plan costs, geographic coverage, screen size and read-ability, input functionality requirements (i.e. keyboard, scanner, signature capture) and environment-specific usability.

Vehicle mounted devices – Typically an all in one rugged panel PC design which integrates a sunlight readable touch screen LCD panel and a computer into a single enclosure. These rugged tablet PCs operate much like a regular home or office PC, except it is specially designed to work in vehicular or industrial environments. Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: vehicle requirements, ruggedness, geographic coverage, screen size and read-ability, input functionality requirements (i.e. keyboard, scanner, signature capture) and environment-specific usability.

Tablets and laptops – By now everyone knows what a laptop is, does and the relative merits of specific models. A tablet is similar in size and functionality but has the added functionality of a stylus to more closely mimic manual paper and pencil functions.Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: Ruggedness, configuration and peripheral support, screen size and read-ability, input functionality requirements (i.e. keyboard, scanner, signature capture) and environment-specific usability.

GPS devices – In order to keep track of your fleet 24 hours per day, seven days a week a GPS device will be required. These devices use cell phone-like technology to communicate with a server and a preconfigured timely basis for specific data points such as location (latitude and longitude), speed, vehicle status (speeding, idling, parked, etc). Some devices can even go so far as to report on all engine functions and even impact some of those functions based on server commands. Typically these devices are mounted to ensure proper vehicle tracking, but portable devices are also available. Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: vehicle requirements, ruggedness, geographic coverage, data plan requirements, frequency and type of information reported.

Maximizing Field Service Profitability (Whitepaper / Part 1)

This is an excerpt from the FieldConnect Whitepaper titled

"Maximizing Field Service Profitability" To download the full document please click here: http://www.fieldconnect.com/

Maximizing Field Service Profitability
Is your corporation constantly looking for new ways to improve customer satisfaction, maintain customer retention, stay competitive, ensure cost effective productivity for field-based technicians and find news ways to cross-sell or up-sell on every field service call? Would it surprise you to know that only 20% of the corporations in the United States achieve “best in class” field service and they deliver on average 300% more profit margin (18% versus 6%) to their bottom-line than corporations that don’t meet this standard? These statistics and more are readily available from in-depth studies done by analysts firms such as the Aberdeen Group, but they really gloss over the fundamental challenge for field service organizations today. In an effort to improve field service efficiency, resiliency, and competitive standing, real-time communications need to be maintained between all service stakeholders: customers, technicians and dispatchers. Yet currently most service organizations rely on manual methods for this “last mile” of service management. This creates unprofitable service organizations with terrible customer satisfaction ratings due to:

- Lost paperwork or misquoting of parts and labor costs
- Poor route planning
- Lack of parts and equipment availability
- Delays in time-to-invoice

In today’s trying economic times, corporations have to expect more from their field service organization. In doing so you can realize the benefits of those companies who have already achieved “best in class” status.

It may be a blatant statement of the obvious, but if you could just find the answers you would have them… Answers to questions like: Which customers need attention today? Where are my technicians and what are they doing? What is the current cost for parts and labor? Where are all of the corporate field service assets (trucks, inventory, equipment and tools) and are they in good repair? Which technicians are productive, which are not and who sets the standard for technician profitability?

The answer to all of these questions and more may be found in a Field Service Mobilization solution. An effective Field Service Mobilization can eliminate the communications bottlenecks between all of the service stakeholders: dispatchers, technicians and customers while delivering on the promise to connect technicians, empower customers and track your fleet.

An effective Field Service Mobilization solution can address a number of critical business issues effecting all organizations that rely on their field service organization to maintain customer satisfaction, retention and follow-on business. Specific business issues include:

- Eliminating paper and easing dispatcher duties – Real-time communications between all service stakeholders: customers, technicians and dispatchers.
- Enhancing customer satisfaction – More timely response combined with self-service equals happier customers.
- Regulatory compliance – Having complete information at your fingertips not only for audit purposes but in the event a customer wants to resolve an invoicing issue.
- Time to invoice – Typical 30 day invoicing delays can be reduced to real-time emails or daily system runs.

Today, business success is increasingly defined by how well you can satisfy customer requirements after the sale as well as before. The timeliness and completeness of response is a key differentiator separating “best in class” from the average field service organization and ultimately impacts the bottom-line profitability.

FieldAccess - Supported Devices

FieldAccess supports all Web enabled devices. Included here are some of the most popular devices that are used by our customers.



The Popular Blackberry devices.



Vehicle mounted/removable tablets.



Rugged devices with Bar Code scanners or credit card capabilities



Laptop and tablet (2 in 1) convertable devices.

iPAQ

iPhone

Spider MT Family (FieldLocator) GPS

Mini MT (FieldLocator) GPS

iPhone and FieldAccess Video

iPhone - FieldAccess supports all Web enabled devices - check out FieldAccess on the iPhone!!