Going mobile: easier than it used to be . . .
But it still takes some planning. Here are a few points to consider when deciding how you’re going to cut the cords:
1. Can you throw out your paper? Paper forms are the bane of field staff, who should rightly be spending more time in front of customers and less time pushing hard to write in triplicate. Your first priority should be to give them online access to systems that let them enter information once, from the field, and then get on to the next thing.
2. Mobility is a way of thinking. And not all developers are used to it. Portable devices require simpler user interfaces, sparser data presentation, and an intelligent distribution of processing tasks between client and server. You may need to send developers on a crash course in thinking small-–or, better yet, get them to live with a PDA for a while so they get into the right frame of mind.
3. Is the Internet necessary? If mobile terminals are being used simply to provide access to specific corporate applications, consider whether it’s better to provide a direct intranet connection or to give mobile workers full Web access.
4. Maintain radio silence. The way technology is going, you’re as likely as not to be providing GPRS connectivity through a mobile phone. Since mobile calls are still very expensive, consider disabling voice and SMS functions for all workers except those who need them.
5. Start small, think big. The benefits of mobile computing tend to snowball as worker productivity improves and word of mouth spreads. Expect that mobile system access will change your organisation; start small but expect it to take off quickly.
6. Wow your customers. Not all mobile applications are customer-facing, but you may want to give field workers access to systems that are. A polished interface that delivers real benefits to customers can only improve their perception of your company.
7. Build mobility in. Although many standalone products allow you to mobilise existing applications, you’ll get a more seamless experience building mobility into those systems. The next time you upgrade your applications, make sure developers address the content management and presentation issues necessary to ease mobile delivery. Your workers will thank you for it later.
8. Form factors count. Notebooks may be the most obvious method of mobilising your workers, since they probably already have one. But PDAs can provide many benefits: longer battery life, easier portability, and more intuitive interfaces (if designed right). Expect your mobile environment will eventually contain a mix of notebooks, PDAs, and tablet PCs—which will occupy a nice middle ground between the two.
9. Learn from others—or just let them do it for you. Although it’s not terrible to assemble a mobile solution (some say it can be done in days), your suppliers already have plans of their own. Working with the right partners can speed your entry into the mobile computing world, and many offer bundled hardware-software-connectivity solutions that will get you where you want to be in no time.
10. GPRS, Wi-Fi and me. The wireless and mobile industries have been plagued with buzzwords, but GPRS and Wi-Fi are two you should definitely consider. Public Wi-Fi networks are becoming more common, but they won’t replace GPRS for a very, very long time. Give your devices access to both types of network, and employees can use Wi-Fi to sync with the office network but seamlessly step down to GPRS when they’re on the road.
