Mobile Computing Thought Leadership
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Putting Real Numbers Behind Mobile Device TCO
5/23/2017
The Workforce Mobility Revolution is well underway and the landscape is no longer static. Devices, operating systems and configurations are constantly changing. Field service workers, DSD drivers and Parcel Courier/Postal drivers need devices that are intuitive and can continue to support them as workflows change. These factors combine to create a big challenge for all field teams. Should they select and then customize consumer-oriented devices, or go with purpose-built enterprise devices?
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The Automation “Handshake”: How Mobile Devices Make It Happen
5/4/2017
Automation is happening quickly across all industries, no real news there. But McKinsey Global Institute, in a new report, has identified new areas of work that are now susceptible to automation. We all know that manual, repetitive work has long been a target of automation. But high-skill activities that require interaction with machines will also benefit from automation; or, perhaps better described as the act of converting skilled workers into information workers.
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Transportation And Distribution Rugged Computer Feature Checklist
4/26/2017
This checklist outlines features of rugged mobile computing devices that commonly come into play in the Transportation and Distribution industries. It is recommended you pay special attention to these points as you research different rugged mobile PC options for your own specific applications.
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Oil & Gas Rugged Computer Feature Checklist
4/26/2017
This checklist outlines rugged mobile computing features commonly required by the Oil & Gas Industry for both onshore and offshore operations. Evaluating the necessity of each capability for your organization’s workflows and your workers’ daily flow is a critical first step as you research different rugged tablet PC options for your specific mobility requirements.
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Betting On Mobile Coverage: What Is The True Ante For An Online Application
4/26/2017
Market maturity in field mobility applications has continued to improve in recent years and as such, these initiatives become more central to organizations’ strategy and differentiation. As a result, project steering committees are made up of a wider group of people from the organization, which unfortunately dilutes the focus on the challenges faced by remote fieldworkers. One example of this are projects where the ability to work out of mobile coverage is removed with reckless abandon. After all, offline capabilities are hard to implement and mobile coverage is effectively everywhere, isn’t it?
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When An Apple Fan Is Forced To Choose Android
4/26/2017
Techies, and even the average user, that favor Apple devices almost always do so with extreme conviction. Not many Apple fans are lukewarm about why they use and love the company’s products. What exactly would cause a hardcore Apple fan to stray from the platform? Neal Ratner, manager of business innovation at Applus+ Energy and Power, is here to explain.
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Yes, You Can Deploy Best-In-Class Mobile Solutions Without Breaking The Bank
4/26/2017
We just wrapped our annual sales conference at Xplore, and I was surprised to hear how frequently customers still object to the cost of rugged tablets. Or perceived cost, I should say. As Enterprise Mobility Exchange and VDC Research noted in a recent report: ‘All companies want to be “good” at enterprise mobility (or at least none want to be “bad” at it).’ But, if I’m being honest, price sensitivity seems to be hindering more companies than it’s helping today, especially when it comes to mobility investments. But it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.
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Easing The Growing Pains Of Rapid Growth
4/20/2017
Power Pro-Tech Services (PPT) specializes in the service and installation of distributed power systems. Over the past five years, the company has experienced rapid growth – more than 15 percent per year. With field techs operating in 22 states and a number of acquisitions over the past five years, PPT is no stranger to some of the pains that accompany rapid growth. While these pains fall into the category of “a great problem to have,” they are still a problem that must be handled effectively to be overcome.
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Where Field Service Companies Commonly Fail With Technology
4/18/2017
Donald B. Stephens has been in the field service industry for 32 years. He is currently a Senior Customer Service Engineer with the Xerox Corporation. As you can imagine, in his time there he has witnessed the technology evolution and has learned a lot about how things can go right – and wrong. Stephens has taken his firsthand experiences and spends some of his time writing his own thoughts on those topics. He contributes regularly to Field Service Digital, and - fun fact – he’s even written three novels!
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3 Benefits Of Using Apple Devices For Field Service
4/7/2017
Greg Dykes, manager of technical services at The Davey Tree Expert Company, joined Field Technologies recently on a webinar to discuss his company’s experience rolling out a variety of technologies to its mobile workforce. One component of their overall solution is Apple devices – and here Greg talks about why Dave Trey felt Apple devices were the best fit for its field force.