Mobile field service: where to start?

I just read a great article by LXE's Director of Business Development, Doug Brown, on making your mobile field service investment count.

He says when it comes to mobile field service strategy, too many businesses make the mistake of optimizing only one task, rather than optimizing the mobile worker's entire routine. As a result, companies are missing out on technology budget dollars, and may have to wait years for a replacement.

The article draws an interesting parallel between Doug's daily routine and that of a mobile worker's. In his simple (but so true) analogy, we can easily see how field service solutions drive exponential time savings and accuracy in the way that data is captured and tied instantly to the back-end system.

We've seen it with our own customers and through research from VDC. Field service organizations that have implemented a well-planned mobile field service solution achieve solid business results (see above table).

Finding the right mobile field service strategy is a matter of analyzing your field worker's routine in its entirety (not just one or two tasks). There are several tools out there to help you do this. In Doug's article, he refers to an ROI calculator created by LXE. Stratix has also developed a field service ROI calculator of our own. Try them both, or contact a mobile consulting expert who can help you decide where to start.

The right MDM strategy is critical to ROI

An interesting article by Mobile Enterprise came out this week discussing the benefits of Mobile Device Management (MDM) and the critical nature of having a solid MDM strategy. According to VDC Research findings cited in the article:

*The use of MDM solutions can save an organization more than $230 per device per year in support costs. **For a 1,000-unit deployment, this translates into savings of more than $1.1 million over a five-year period.

So why aren't more companies on board with MDM solutions? It's likely a matter of bandwidth. Many enterprise IT departments are overwhelmed by the diversity of mobile OS platforms, form factors, and rapidly changing technologies - especially those companies operating on an already limited IT staff. In these cases, outsourcing MDM is the way to go.

As part of a comprehensive mobile managed services strategy, an outsourced MDM solution gives organizations access to a centralized IT helpdesk of technical experts who can remotely track assets, control devices, run diagnostics, download and update applications, and remotely fix issues - with very little user interruption.

Learn more about outsourced MDM solutions.

* Source: "Unlocking the Power of Mobile Device Management," Mobile Enterprise Thought Leadership Series, August 2011.

** Source: Oscar Rambaldini, director of product development for SOTI Inc.

What's the impact of enterprise IT consumerization?

While many CIOs might view consumer device convergence as a management headache, they should actually embrace it -- for one very compelling reason: employee productivity.

As entertaining as consumer devices are, they're not just toys. This week I read that employees are using iPads to send and receive business-related texts, emails and Facebook posts in bed (45%), on vacation (62%), in restaurants (58%), on airplanes (45%), in business meetings (73%) and while watching TV (62%).*

Delivering mobile access and support for these new platforms doesn't have to be overwhelming; mobile cloud services are the key to enabling employee productivity on the go.

Outsourcing mobile managed services (including mobile strategy, deployment and lifecycle management) takes the burden off enterprise IT to securely and cost-effectively deliver line-of-business applications to an exploding number of consumer devices and mobile platforms.

When mobile cloud services are integrated into a crossplatform enterprise mobile strategy, employees will work more. IT resources will sleep more. And businesses will thrive.

Check out the article.

Learn more about mobile managed services.



*Source: IDC's "Consumerization of IT Study: Closing the Consumerization Gap"

The Next Evolution in Field Service Mobility

Service organizations are always looking for ways to be more productive, accurate and responsive in the field. Many have already adopted mobile computing technology to combat challenges in rising fuel prices, SLA pressures and scheduling/dispatch issues. The next evolution in field service mobility is coming. And adaptability will be a crucial competitive differentiator.

Join our live meeting:

The Next Evolution in Field Service Mobility
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
1pm ET

In this live webinar Stratix, Microsoft and Motorola leaders will reveal the trends, challenges and best practices for next-generation field operations. Check out the topics/panelists and register here.

BYOD & The Hybrid Mobility Approach to Managing Enterprise Apps

I've heard of BYOB, but "BYOD???" What's that?

"Bring Your Own Devices." And it's making enterprise IT teams scratch their heads.

To many organizations, 'BYOD' means having to accommodate both the consumer devices that managers and executives may bring to work -- and the company-issued rugged devices required in the field. The biggest problem that companies face is how to support both -- including mobile application strategy as well as managing the hardware.

On the application side, many are solving the BYOD phenomenon with a "hybrid mobility strategy" -- that is, investing in a mobile field service application that lets them leverage the same middleware and integration layers. The mobile application may look or feel different, given the different platforms, but how it connects to the back office and reports data remains the same.

Newer cross-platform software products entering the market run a single hybrid application (built using HTML5) operating as an enterprise cross-platform application. The look/feel is skinned for the unique device and OS, but the same business rules and processes are used from consumer devices such as iPads, iPhones and tablets, as well as company-issued ruggedized devices.

Cross-platform applications run the same capabilities across a broad spectrum of devices, giving companies more options in device selection. And through newer technologies now available, a network connection isn't even necessary to operate these applications. From a revenue perspective, this hybrid mobile application strategy empowers field-based workers with upsell and cross-sell opportunities never before possible.

From a mangeability perspective, businesses can focus on the features/functions they need instead of worrying about which platform they can run on, while solving the pervasive BYOD problem simultaneously. There's no re-investment in hardware technology and no re-architecting of applications. The "plumbing" stays the same, significantly reducing TCO and simplifying the long-term management of your mobile infrastructure. [Click here for more tips on cost-effective mobile management]

Over the next six months cross-platform products will rapidly emerge on the scene, delivering powerful feature set extensions for virtually any device type or form factor. For example, Stratix is adding Work Order Management, Surveys/Inspections, Payment Collection, Expenses and Parts Management to our suite of Stratix Mobile cross-platform applications this year. Stratix Mobile will also include a Field Service Management Suite, which brings GPS tracking, simple dispatch and work order creation functionality in a more standalone operation from a Web-based portal.

Related:

• Stratix Mobile Field Service: Cross-Platform Solutions Overview


• Enterprise Mobility Blog: Answers for a Cross-Platform World


• Stratix Mobile Managed Services Brochure


• Customer Success: Markem-Imaje Rolls Out Stratix Mobile Globally

Managing the Unpredictable Nature of Field Service

I was at a software event the other night and listened to a brilliant young CISO, Phil Agcaoili of Cox Communications speak. He joked about the proliferation of software everywhere -- there's even an application being developed right now in Germany for a toilet that monitors various aspects of your heath (such as cholesterol, vitamin deficiency, etc.) based on your... um, well... your 'output.' Yes, "There's an App for That!" I'm not sure I'm ready to go there. Mobile field service software, on the other hand, is a must for service organizations looking to gain competitive advantage. An interesting article in Field Technologies Online magazine (March 2011) highlighted a $3M savings achieved by utilities supplier Vectren Corporation, after deploying a mobile workforce management solution based on field service software and rugged mobile tablets. The solution addressed the unpredictable nature of route scheduling ("same-day" customer emergencies account for 30% of their daily workload). In 2000, Vectren migrated from paper to a laptop solution for its 150 technicians serving more than 1 million customers worldwide. Definitely better than picking up a stack of papers from a physical office each day. But still, there was no two-way communication between technicians and the back office. Once work orders were distributed to technicians in the mornings, it was very difficult for supervisors to shuffle the workload.

The new field service software solution dynamically assigns jobs to technicians approximately two at a time. Routing is simple and precise. Job notes are taken onsite, work orders are closed at the vehicle, historical data/productivity trending are readily available, and work is automatically distributed evenly behind the scenes to the right skill set, in the right place, at the right time. The ROI is real:

• 2.2% less travel time per order


• 13.3% reductions in unaccounted-for, unproductive time ($300,000 savings in 2010)


• 17% less overtime ($257,000 savings)


• Significant savings by removing high-skill technicians from low-skill tasks, such as meter-reading, and outsourcing that labor at a much lower cost

Not to be 'Captain Obvious' here, but... Service organizations need field mobility software to manage the unpredictable nature of their business -- and to stay ahead of competitors who are doing the same. What are your thoughts? Learn More: The "Consumerization" of Mobile Technology in Business: Where Are We Heading in 2011?" Mobile Application Development: Answers for a Cross-Platform World

Who Are the 2011 Field Service Show's "Most Wanted?"

Mobile field service solutions remain top of mind this year for many service organizations. Want proof? Take a look at the "Most Wanted" solutions coming to next month's Field Service Show in Arizona.

Worldwide Business Research (WBR) surveyed approximately 100 senior-level field service executives on which solution providers and products they're most looking forward to seeing, and Stratix was one of the first few to make the list!

Whether or not you choose to check out our mobile field service solutions at the show (a Stratix Mobile Field Service customer will be speaking), contact Chris Johnson to learn about the content and sessions that will be presented at this premier event for field service executives.

Read more