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

“Why don’t businesses value mobile computing like they value office based computing?”

For years companies have been using computers in the office to aid in the functions necessary to run the daily operations of the business.

For Example:

• Bookkeeping / Accounting
• AR / AP
• Payroll
• E-mail
• Customer Activity Tracking
• Sales Performance Tracking
• Resource Scheduling
• Creating, assigning, and closing Work Orders
• Ordering Parts
• Updating Spreadsheets
• Etc.

Could you imagine if each of these various office based functions were on paper and needed to be managed the same way field data is? As odd as it seems, it appears that these organizations just haven’t thought about the benefits of extending the reach of their many business systems out into the field. Mobile applications, specifically those built using MobileFrame, have the capability to easily extend the data contained in each of these systems to the mobile worker. Once the information is received the mobile worker is able to interact with the data to make better decisions faster, and with minimal impact to the office staff. Increasing the productivity of the Mobile Worker is just one of the areas mobile computing can assist an organization.

Here are some of the other benefits of Mobile Computing:

• Increase number of jobs performed, customers visited, etc
• Eliminate redundant manual data entry and data transcription errors, reducing clerical data entry costs
• Provide real-time access to data in the field, ensuring workers have the information they need, when they need it
• Reduce invoice and accounts receivable lag time
• Improve customer service
• Increase time spent in the field by eliminating the need to return to the office to complete paperwork
• Increase efficiency and productivity of field workers

If those bullet points didn’t capture your attention, how does eliminating 7000 sheets of paper on a weekly basis sound? Miller Pipeline sure didn’t mind.

To learn more about how Mobile Computing can help your business reach new levels, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to show you how Mobile Computing can make a difference to your service based organization.