Let’s say you run a direct store delivery (DSD) business selling bakery goods.  By simply capturing the data that the DSD application provides, you can keep track of inventory and automate invoicing, which in itself is beneficial.  But by optimizing your data management into a decision support dashboard you can determine which goods are selling better in which stores and going faster off the truck and link that to ingredient ordering and labor management.  Knowing this information allows management to make informed decisions about what ingredients to buy and what products to send to different outlets.

Of course this is simply an example, but dashboard functionality can be beneficial to most businesses.  It’s a matter of determining what information is required to make solid decisions and putting that data in front of the decision makers.  Contact us to discuss how utilizing a Dashboard management system can collect the information you need to make sound decisions.

We figure that we have tracked just about everything – from the cradle to the grave.  And now two customers are putting that to the test!

MobileFrame was recently deployed as the application for Paternity Declaration at Contra Costa County, California.  This application captures vital information and parent signatures at the time of birth.  With over 2500 clerks at over 700 birthing centers across California, MobileFrame’s integration into the county’s Vital Records is saving time, sometimes months, and increasing accuracy.

MobileFrame is also excited to announce the recent customer win of Service Corporation International.  SC I is a leader in the funeral services industry and the application allows for mobile tracking of remains and personal affects, for the deceased.  With nearly 200 Personal Care Centers MobileFrame is increasing efficiency across the company.

We are excited to work with these new customers in providing reliable solutions to their mobile needs. MobileFrame can quite literally handle any and all of your tracking needs, from the beginning to end. If you are interested in seeing how we can help you please contact us today.

While getting ready for the holidays I was at the mall, and it was packed!  People were hustling and bustling about, looking for the perfect gift for loved ones.  I mean it was NUTS!  It made me think, why do we put ourselves through all this?  Couldn’t we just as easily get a gift card, or whatever is in the sale ads for the people close in our lives?  Wouldn’t they be happy just knowing we thought of them?  No.  There is something to be said for the perfect gift, the one thing that – when you see it – you know it was made for them.

Why settle for less when it comes to your organization’s mobile application needs?  Off the shelf systems are designed to meet industry wide needs, but not necessarily the requirements of your organization.  Your organization is unique and chances are your software needs are as well.  Settling for an off the shelf system might solve some of your problems, but it will surely leave holes – probably in just the places that differentiate your organization.

MobileFrame is a tool that is used to create the perfect mobile and web based applications.  MobileFrame helps to solve all of your mobile software needs, not just some of them.  Whether it is a modification of an existing pre-built solution or a complete customization, our 100% code free platform makes it easy for you to solve the exact problems that typical off the shelf systems cannot.  This means that rather than a system that will simply allow you to get by; you can have the system that works for you.  Allow electronic data collection and managed workflow to be seamlessly integrated from the field to backend systems, making sure your mobile workforce has access to the data they need and the backend system is fully up to date.

From mobile application development to device management, MobileFrame gives your business the benefit of the perfect mobile and web based application – one that when you see it you know it was made for you.

Click here to schedule a demo and have us build your perfect mobile application and demo it to you live on our very first phone call.

There are two main reasons why barcoding for inventory applications is beneficial

1. Productivity
2. Accuracy

With today’s smaller profit margins and competitive markets, inventory control is not an option.  Simply put a warehouse must receive inventory and ship items efficiently.  If there is a lapse in any of these steps problems are often compounded before they are corrected.  Shipping costs, labor spent correcting the problem, additional shipping, customer dissatisfaction are all additional costs that can be avoided through proper inventory management using barcodes.  Paper tracking is time consuming, manually entering inventory numbers on paper – often times on many pieces of paper.  Scanning a barcode is quick, and can be relayed from one form to another electronically; reducing the administrative time it takes to track the item which will probably be keyed into a database system anyway.  Scanning into inventory and moving it through the process of inventory to shipping to invoicing as well as ordering replacement inventory can be automated, saving time and reducing errors.  This also allows you to “see” your inventory and know exactly what is where.  Barcodes are accurate, much more so than even the most conscientious worker and accuracy is enhanced by positive product identification.  Items cannot be misidentified by workers or customers, reducing the risk of inventory shrink and tag swapping.  Whenever there is a need to accurately identify or track something, bar-coding should be used.

With today’s low cost units to both print and read barcode labels there is seemingly no reason for businesses to not use the technology.  Time savings and increased accuracy, tracking and data sharing capabilities, visible inventory and reduced shrinkage provide a strong case that it can cost businesses for not using it.

If you are interested in seeing how other companies just like yours have been able to implement barcoding solutions utilizing MobileFrame please do not hesitate to contact us today!

Here at MobileFrame we have seen organizations that have tried everything to bridge this communication gap including:

• Equipping mobile workers with 2-way radios
• Utilizing Push-to-Talk based cell phones
• Sending text messages
• Calling workers directly

What we have found is that while these technologies are useful, they just are not optimized to help run a mobile operation.

Here is where they fall short:

• Push to talk cell phones and radios provide instant feedback but what happens when a mobile worker either doesn’t have the device near them, can’t hear the message, or they are out of coverage?

• Cell phones have obvious benefits but interrupting a mobile worker in the middle of their task can lead to a decrease in productivity. And, what about missed calls and voicemails?

• SMS based systems are great but how many times have you tried sending someone a message only to hear that they didn’t receive it? Also, what about an audit trail of all sent and received messages?

We’ve solved this problem by vastly improving the existing concept of instant messaging and optimizing it to work out in the field.

MobileFrame’s Sarbanes-Oxley Compliant Instant Messaging system allows for both office and mobile workers to collaborate in real-time. Messages are setup for guaranteed delivery,  including the ability to store and forward. We also provide a complete audit trail of all messages sent and received. Enabling your team to communicate more effectively is just one of the many ways that MobileFrame can help you to eliminate the hassles associated with running your business.

If you are interested in learning more about our Sarbanes-Oxley Compliant Instant Messaging please contact us today.

Over the past several months we have been working very closely with a large Consumer Packaged Goods Distribution company that has been in the process of evaluating different mobile software vendors to replace their legacy route accounting system.

They are interested in not only replacing their existing system but they also wanted to find a single platform to provide the ability to build, deploy, manage, and support all of their mobile application needs.

After we showed them our pre-built Direct Store Delivery Apps, and conducted a demonstration of our platform.  Including building a completely new application, deploying it to a Windows Mobile Handheld, Windows Desktop, iPhone 4, and displaying the collected data and photos via the web all with them watching the development live. When we finished the Director of IT was so excited he said “you have found a way to innovate, not just replicate, what every other software vendor does”

The problem with many DSD solutions is that they can’t be customized easily for the customer’s own requirements without paying the vendor a fortune. And, what happens when a driver goes to deliver their product and the cooler is

broken? Our solution has a built in work order app so a technician can be dispatched to do the repair. We also offer apps for asset tracking and for conducting merchandising activities. Our suite of apps is integrated together so you can automate your entire enterprise.

We love showing how easy it is to build, deploy, manage, and support mobile applications using MobileFrame. If you would like to schedule a personalized demo immediately, please click here to schedule a demonstration.

This increase in the number of available software vendors has caused confusion in the marketplace when trying to determine what the main differences are between companies that provide simple mobile forms vs. mobile business applications.

When most companies are investigating solutions they are looking for ways to eliminate the manual process of collecting information on paper. By eliminating the collection of data on paper, the business will be able to save costs, and ultimately increase profits. As an example let us assume that you are currently looking for a mobile software vendor to help eliminate paper from your field operations. You have completed your preliminary research and think you have found 2 companies that could be a potential fit.

The 2 companies you have found offer different solutions; one provides simple mobile forms and the other provides mobile business applications

• Company A – Provides a mobile forms tool which enables you to re-create simple paper forms on a smartphone. This tool makes it easy to collect simple text based information using your smartphone when connected to the Internet.
• MobileFrame – Provides a Mobile Business Application tool set which enables you to create, manage, deploy and support an infinite number of mobile business applications. This tool makes it easy to collect not only text based data but also rich data types including photo’s, barcode scans, voice notes, and can operate even when disconnected from the Internet. Meaning all associated business logic, data from your back-office systems is made available at all times even when working in remote locations.

Mobile Forms vs. Mobile Business Applications – What is the difference?

Collecting information using a mobile form is still a one-time event. Information is collected, saved, and transmitted back to the host system. Once completed,  someone still needs to physically copy, calculate, or re-purpose the data for your business to receive any benefit.

In other words the means of collecting the information has simply changed formats, but the actual business process that needs to be completed (the one that is taking all of the time) is still manual.

Other common issues with this approach include the lack of the ability to collect data when disconnected from the Internet, control over the data format, scalability, device management, and peripheral support (barcode scans, photos, voice notes, rfid, etc.).

In contrast mobile business applications like the ones developed by MobileFrame, enable you to bi-directionally exchange information between multiple back office business systems (Accounting, Inventory Tracking, CRM, etc.) and the mobile workers in real time.  These thick client mobile business applications embed all of the business logic, and necessary data into the database so the mobile worker is able to do their work without having to worry about connecting to the Internet. Mobile business applications also provide peripheral support making it possible to collect rich data types, and validating the data as it is being entered into the system. The best part is that once data is received by the back-office system, automated tasks can be set up to automatically process the data once it is received in real time.

Why selecting a Mobile Business Applications is the right decision:

Using a Mobile Business Application you are not only eliminating paper you are eliminating the administrative overhead, and manual data processing of information back at the office. Information is collected digitally, validated at the point of entry, and automatically entered into the other systems immediately once data is received back on the server. This means that your business will be able to run smoother, faster, and less expensively than ever before possible.

As takeaway from this article here are the 3 differences between mobile forms, and mobile business applications that you should remember.

1. Mobile Business Applications Provide Control
   • Do you want an open, free text entry or do you want to ensure that the information has a level of control to it?  Are phone numbers actually phone numbers or simply a combination of 10 digits?  Are your addresses formatted correctly?  There is no reason to electronically store information if it is not accurate and you lack control of what is captured.  Garbage in – garbage out.
2. Mobile Business Applications are Integrated
   • As you are fulfilling customer orders, you can automatically update your inventory tracking system, produce a mobile invoice, send it to your accounting program and update your CRM system in real-time with no additional effort. When your systems are talking to each other it saves you the time of duplicate (or triplicate) data entry.
3. Mobile Business Applications can run automatically
   • Possibly the most powerful benefit of this type of system is the ability to DO something automatically as information is received. Your workflow can be simplified when it is automated. When you are running low on a particular part, your mobile system can update your ERP which can send an alert to the purchasing department and let them know it’s time to order more. Other additional benefits include leveraging management dashboards, customer self-service portals, and automatic delivery of daily productivity reports.

If you are interested in learning more about our award winning mobile enterprise application platform, please contact us today!

Contact Us | Phone: 408.885.1200 | Email: Sales@MobileFrame.com

On paper it’s pretty easy to explain what happens, everything in the office has to STOP while the dispatcher or service manager figures out how to untangle this mess. Usually this involves multiple phone calls to technicians to figure out job status, parts on hand, etc. Then after you find someone who can handle the additional work, how do you get them all of the needed information about the new job? They will likely need to know the customer name, address, contact information, description of the work needed, parts required, past history, etc.

It doesn’t take too long to realize that this process could definitely benefit from some improvement.

As you may be aware MobileFrame is the industry leader in Configurable Mobile Applications™ that bridge the information gap between the office and the field. We offer a library of pre-built mobile apps that can be used right out of the box. Because they are built using MobileFrame, they can also be easily changed to meet your requirements.

One of the main features that help our customers get information they need out into the field in real-time is our Dynamic Enterprise Data feature. This built in data deployment toolset makes it easy for business administrators to manage transactional data. When used in conjunction with our Integration Wizard, MobileFrame can easily pull information from any 3^rd party application and assemble it logically before it gets sent out into the field. This way companies are able to dynamically deploy the right data, to the right person, at the right time. If the company I mentioned above was using MobileFrame, work order re-assignments could be handled within our scheduling app and automatically notify mobile workers of the changes. This liberates office administrators from having to stop everything to manage daily emergencies.

Many customers have also noticed that Dynamic Enterprise Data also provides other benefits, such as:

• Increased time to spend on higher value-added tasks
• Automatic exception management
• Reduced database size
• Increased application performance

If your organization is stuck managing a growing pile of paperwork instead of your focusing on your customer, please take us up on our MobileFrame Mobility Challenge. Send us your existing forms and we will create a complete working mobile application and demo it to you live on our very first phone call.

Contact Us | Phone: 408.885.1200 | Email: info@MobileFrame.com

Utilizing the unlimited capabilities of the MobileFrame platform, our partner program will arm you with everything you need close more business faster

Some of the key sales related benefits include:

• The ability to easily enter new markets
• Develop custom mobile applications in less time and with less effort
• Accelerate hardware sales cycles by being able to recommend the “Perfect” mobile solution that will exceed the requirements for any application, or department
• Expand sales opportunities in existing accounts, allowing for your customers to leverage their investment and increase ROI.

The MobileFrame Customer Application Challenge, Send us your customers’ paper forms and we’ll create a working prototype of their mobile application, then demo it to them live the very next business day.

• Here are some Examples:
  • Collecting Weather Information Automatically
  • Real-time meal ordering
  • Cash Pickup Confirmation
  • Mobile Work Order / Dispatch

The MobileFrame platform offers a fully functional and easy to use Mobile Computing Platform with all of the tools you need to ensure a successful mobile deployment. This enables your customers to gain a competitive advantage by replacing manual paper based business processes with automated mobile solutions that boost productivity and increase revenue.

Some of the key benefits include:

• Custom mobile applications with no coding, including custom integrations, and printing
• Built in mobile device management, and configurable GPS tracking module
• Plug and play device and peripheral support, utilizing our Automatic Device Driver Recognition Technology
• Multi-language support
• Fewer skills required to deliver complete mobile solutions, allowing your team to focus on automating workflows without worrying about complex custom coding projects.

Our FREE Partner program is unmatched in the industry and includes:

• Sales and Marketing Support
• Technical Support
• Online Sales Demo with Private Partner Account Passwords (Includes, email notifications when viewed by customer prospects)
• Internal Development Licenses
• Sample Mobile Applications to get you up and running quickly
• Online Basic User training to help get you dangerous
• 3-day advanced technical training to make you an expert
• Banded Sales and Marketing Collateral, including success stories and case studies.

To take the next step, please contact us today:

Contact Us | Phone: 408.885.1200 | Email: info@MobileFrame.com

This week we were visiting with a prospective client who collects soil samples out in the field. In addition to collecting a wide variety of different types of measurements related to the soil, they also need to collect information about the current weather. This weather data ideally is then saved along with the soil sample data. Apparently the lack of a standardized method for collecting and saving this information has lead to significant challenges for both the customers of this company as well as the office staff.
Here’s a look at what was going on:

1. Engineers were guessing what the weather conditions were, which was leading to inaccurate data collected. In turn, this inaccurate data was provided to customers.

2. Engineers with smart phones were checking the weather online, but many times they would get the weather for the wrong location. This also lead to inaccurate data.

3. Other engineers were completely ignoring the collection of this information and were sending the forms back to the office with these fields blank. Since this information is required the back office staff would go online and see what the weather was for that particular day. Unfortunately because they have no way of accurately determining what the time was when the soil sample was collected, you guessed it, inaccurate data was being collected.

Good thing for the client that they heard about the “MobileFrame Application Challenge”! They called and described their situation to us and we were able to create the app in less than an hour. We gave them a demo the very same day, which solved all of their issues. If you are interested in learning more about how MobileFrame can help you overcome your field data collection challenges, please contact us today.

Contact Us | Phone: 408.885.1200 | Email: info@MobileFrame.com