So you’re feeling positive about your operations since you automated many of your internal systems. What happens when one of your employee’s jobs takes them away from their computer? Imagine this scenario: They have to find something in the warehouse. They have to deliver product to a customer. They make a sales call. If these employees had access to the systems and data that are available to them at their desktops, then could your bottom line be improved? For many of these mobile employees, the answer is yes. But how can your existing desktop computer systems be extended to your mobile employees?
As with many business systems, two areas must be addressed when considering how to implement mobile computers into your organization: the hardware your employees will use and the software they will run on this hardware.
Hardware
Most of us are aware of what is a smart phone and how fragile it is. If you drop one, then you might find yourself purchasing a replacement. Using an industrial rugged mobile computer that can tolerate the hazards encountered by many mobile employees can decrease the total cost of ownership (TCO) for your mobile devices. An industrial device decreases the downtime caused by broken equipment and improves the productivity of your mobile employees. Make sure you deploy devices that can stand up to the rigors of the job. To discover the most popular devices on the market today, visit http://www.l-trondirect.com/barcode-mobile-computers.html.
The Honeywell Dolphin 99EX mobile computer is a highly durable, dependable, and easy to use device made for indoor and outdoor environments.
Software
Some of the software systems you use may have optional components their manufacturers designed specifically to run on mobile computers. This should always be your first stop when looking to implement a mobile solution. If your software manufacturer does not offer this, or if their offering is incomplete or only comes with functionality you do not want to use or pay for, then your software integrator may be able to create an application front end. If you choose this latter avenue, then pick a manageable subset of functions to implement for your mobile employees. Fully document the screen layout and navigation for the mobile application because the screen size and real estate is much smaller than the desktop version. Also, user access and security should not be left as an afterthought as this provides wireless access into one of the systems vital to run your business.
If your company currently does not have a system integrator capable of implementing a mobile front end for your business software, or if you want a second opinion, please give us a call to discuss how the experts at L-Tron Corporation can develop a customized solution for you.
