Supporting the Mobile Workforce
by: Tony Revis
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Summary:
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Driven by substantial price reductions in handheld computer systems made possible by this explosion of portable information devices and by the increasing use of wireless technology, more companies are connecting their frontline workers to complete transactions at the point of sale or service. As such, applications for portable receipt printing are growing. Critical to this expanding automation process is the ability to print from small, highly portable printers that are durable enough, yet small and lightweight for easy use, whether worn on a belt or carried in a tool bag.
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| Body: | We are all aware that the PC has been joined by a wide range of intelligent devices and appliances, from handheld and in-car computers to Web-enabled televisions and cellular phones.
In the last five years, a number of portable information appliances, such as Handheld PCs and Pocket PCs, have become available to assist this mobile work force. These devices not only assist in managing appointments but also provide a tool for replacing paper-based business processes with forms-based applications. The increased efficiency and accuracy of capturing data quickly into a computing device can result in higher employee productivity, faster business reporting for decision-making, and reduced operational costs (e.g., avoiding the need for duplicate data entry steps), faster collection of funds and improved cash-flow.
Millions of people work in untraditional office environments. Such an environment may be a series of temporary workplaces, as in the case of traveling sales representatives or executives, or it may be that the nature of a job requires the worker to move from place to place, as in factory work, package delivery, field service or health-care professions.
Two horizontal application areas that experience measurable business improvements when extended to mobile devices involve the areas of an organization that are directly responsible for bringing in the revenue and for managing internal supply chain operations.
Customer relationship management (CRM). Mobile devices make it easier for account managers to speed the ordering process by having the latest product inventory levels, features and prices at their fingertips. Those providing service at a remote customer facility can automate their invoicing.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP). Many companies have deployed ERP systems from enterprise software vendors such as SAP AG, PeopleSoft Inc. and J.D. Edwards & Co. These systems provide the information and core services that support the internal operations of a business. Making these services and this information available to people without their having to return to their desktop PC can help improve productivity and reduce costs.
Certain vertical markets have high concentrations of mobile professionals and are already experiencing improved efficiencies from the use of mobile devices. Some of those vertical industries and the types of applications they are deploying follow.
Financial services. Some of the many uses in the financial sector include insurance claims adjustors collecting on-site pictures and data:
Healthcare. Quick access to current patient information, writing or renewing drug prescriptions, tracking the flow of drugs in a hospital to reduce errors, increasing the accuracy of data capture and reporting for new drug trials, in-home patient care, inventory management and patient monitoring are among the ways mobile devices can improve efficiency in the health-care segment.
Hospitality. Using mobile devices with a magnetic stripe reader can enable curb side check-in by reading a customer’s credit card, capturing a signature on the touch-screen, and creating the room key before touching foot inside the hotel.
Manufacturing. Reducing costs is a benefit companies see when they use mobile devices for managing the flow of materials in their manufacturing facilities around the world, avoid phone calls by talking over the internal wireless network, and remotely control the individual cells or equipment that make up the manufacturing process.
Retail and Distribution. Stores and restaurants are finding that these mobile devices, in addition to managing inventory and tracking packages, can increase customer satisfaction by providing faster customer service. With bar code and magnetic stripe readers, these devices are being used as mobile point-of-sale terminals for “line busting” to reduce the wait at the cash register.
Mobile professionals span many job roles that include corporate executives, sales representatives, construction engineers, health-care professionals, field service technicians, warehouse employees and vehicle drivers. No matter where somebody works, mobile devices enable access to the information and services they need to get their job done faster with higher quality.
Driven by substantial price reductions in handheld computer systems made possible by this explosion of portable information devices and by the increasing use of wireless technology, more companies are connecting their frontline workers to complete transactions at the point of sale or service. As such, applications for portable receipt printing are growing. Critical to this expanding automation process is the ability to print from small, highly portable printers that are durable enough, yet small and lightweight for easy use, whether worn on a belt or carried in a tool bag.
Extech Data Systems, part of Extech Instruments, provides these mobile printers.
Rapid Hospitality:
Use portable systems, including printers and magnetic card readers, as mobile point-of-sale terminals for “line busting.” This reduces the wait at cash terminals or eliminates the need to leave a seat at crucial moments while watching a ball game. At both the Fleet Center in Boston and at Seattle’s new SAFECO Field ordering food faster is made possible by using a portable point of sale solution. MICROS installed its 8700 Hospitality Management System at 100 point of sale locations throughout SAFECO Field, including restaurants, concession stands and luxury boxes. Receipts are printed as needed with credit card transactions using Extech small battery operated portable receipt printers.
Improved Management of Route Sales:
Reduce time to complete a sale, improve sales force productivity and create more satisfied customers. These are the benefits of a new system implemented by Grupo Modelo, the eighth largest beer maker in the world and owner of the prestigious Corona Extra brand. I-buttons from Dallas Semiconductor are installed at each customer for identification purposes and for storage of relevant statistical and historic data. The data is read and updated from Hand Held Products’ Dolphin computer and receipts issued from Extech Data Systems’ S3000THS. Each route is kept constantly up-to-date with inventory and sales data and the iButtons at each customer are updated at the end of each sales call and delivery.
Field Service:
One of the key problems for Sears and Itronix in developing a mobile communications system was finding the right portable printer. Extech came to the rescue with an adaptation of its Mini Parallel Printer. Result – there are now over 15000 Extech printers in the hands of Sears field service personnel printing receipts right at the point of service.
On-train Ticketing:
The Swedish National Rail system carries more than 19 million people annually. They recently implemented what Christer Kohler describes as “the first computerised conductors in the world” equipped with Psion Workabout hand held computers and an Extech MSP with integrated magnetic card reader. Passengers now pay on the train rather than at rail stations.
Meter Reading:
Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) is one of more than 122 electricity resale non-profit cooperatives licensed by the Philippines National Government Beneco equipped each of its Meter Readers with a Psion Workabout, EXTECH 2000T thermal printer, and a custom written software package, for both the Workabout and Beneco¹s PC based back-office PC systems, from MITECH Borromeo Technology Holdings Inc. Having keyed the monthly reading into the hand-held computer, Meter Readers now print-out and instantly deliver electricity bills in the same visit. Back at home base the Workabout is docked, and the data brought into 100% compatible custom written PC software. Basic information for consumer billings are available to counter staff at Beneco’s collection offices; they simply enter the consumer account number into their desk-top when presented with the bill, confirm the amount payable, and collect payment and print-out an official receipt. Both company and consumer have records of billing and payment in the official receipt. Monthly meetings with the Meter Readers obtain feedback allowing fine-tuning of the application and the implementation system.
Mobile computers log maintenance and repair call-outs:
Spanish vending machine manufacturer Azkoyen has replaced a paper based maintenance system by one using a new handheld computer system. Vending machines require regular maintenance to keep them in working order and Azkoyen's mobile service technicians carry this out. The new system has minimized the paperwork and errors. Every technician is now equipped with a Hand Held Products’ Dolphin and an Extech S3000T thermal portable receipt printer, connected to the Dolphin via infrared. The system was put together by systems integrator Bitmakers SL, an Extech Distributor in Barcelona, who chose the hardware for their ergonomic design and ruggedness, as well as their ease of integration and implementation -- considered important for devices in every day use in the field.
“Fresher Data Yields Better Inventory Control” (ID Systems)
The producer and distributor of premium juices had a problem with stale data However, a new system implemented by Advanced Computer Solutions extends the corporate data and logic out into the field using portable Psion handheld terminals and Extech S3000THS printers. With this new system, the sales rep downloads orders at the beginning of the day. During visits to customers, information about sales, returns and new orders are entered. Invoices are calculated automatically and generated directly from the portable Extech S3000T printers.
So we see many applications requiring paper output in the form of a receipt -- no matter the concept of paper-less environments, many of these systems only affect the paper-based input part of the process. That is the core business that Extech is in – printing receipts in a mobile workforce. |
Author Details:
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Tony Revis
General Manager
Extech Data Systems
tony@extech.com
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