The paper trail

Eliminating the paper from the process.

Are your customer’s orders beginning their journey on paper? For many, this is how business gets done. Orders are transcribed and entered into a computer system where pick lists and work orders are printed and fulfilled. Once complete, the order information is re-entered back into the same computer system. This type of system is inherently wasteful, duplicitous and prone to errors.

Paper-based processes create specific inefficiencies that can inhibit an organization's growth and competitiveness. By converting paper-based pick lists and work orders to mobile forms on handheld computers, companies can eliminate not only the waste of paper and time, but dramatically improve efficiency, responsiveness and profitability.

On our site, we have published a success story illustrating this conversion. The results provide a compelling case for eliminating paper-based processes.

Gadget inspector

Using handhelds to inspect and manage assets.

Where is our equipment? Who is using it? What is the condition of an asset? These are critical questions with elusive answers. Equipment may not be functional; it can be missing or lost. Companies who rely on clumsy, inefficient paper-based reporting systems to keep track of assets risk making important decisions based on bad information. This can be dangerous and costly.

Handheld computers can fix this problem, providing a way to track, inspect and manage assets more efficiently. Whether it is a forklift or a scaffold, companies need to know the status of their assets. Using software running on handhelds, mobile workers can read either durable barcodes or RFID tags to identify equipment, complete inspections and provide managers with the information they need to track, schedule and manage assets.

Mobile technology solves the inefficiencies of paper-based asset management systems, providing good data to make good decisions.

Envisioning tomorrow

Prepare your business to go mobile.

Over the next few years, we will see tremendous strides in the mobile technology space. Concepts that seem lofty today will be commonplace. Catch a glimpse of tomorrow by visiting an Apple Store today. They use mobile POS systems to provide an enhanced level of customer service. You can make your purchase without standing in a line (and you thought we were going to refer to an iPhone). There may be a number of places within your organization where mobile technology can advance and enhance. The question is: are you are ready?

Look at your IT infrastructure. Can you safely and securely access your systems remotely? Can your systems scale to meet the needs of a mobile workforce? Does your back-end ERP system play nice with other software? Can you access your data from other systems? If you are planning investments and upgrades to your IT infrastructure or your software systems, these are important questions to ask. Having good information now will help you budget your resources and make intelligent decisions.

As you plan for 2009, you should investigate how your new technology investments would work in a mobile world. Mobility is coming; be prepared to embrace it.