48 Questions to Help You Select the Best Mobile Handheld Computers

There are a large number of very good handheld computers, PDAs, Tablet PCs, laptops and Smart Phones to select from, however, the key is to research the business purposes and the environment in which the solution will be used before making a selection.

1. What environment will you be working in - is it hot, cold, wet or dusty?
2. Are there explosive vapors or explosive powders?
3. Is it a clean office environment, or a muddy and rugged outdoors environment?
4. Is the user in and out of vehicles all day?
5. Is your software application focused exclusively on bar code scanning, RFID reading, GPS, or do you need a multi-purpose data collection device?
6. Will the hardware configuration ever need to be changed? Some handhelds can be configured at will; others are locked and can only be used with the original configuration.
7. Will the device be used as a primary phone, or is it focused on data collection?
8. What hardware requirements does your mobile application require?
9. Will the battery last long enough to complete your daily work between charges? Do you need back-up batteries? Can you use batteries purchased at the local market, or are they vendor specific?
10. What is your budget? What does the value of using a handheld computer justify spending?
11. Do you have enough budget to purchase or develop the mobile software and hardware you need?
12. Does your budget only allow for low cost consumer devices?
13. How many replacements(of a consumer device) does it take to equal the cost of a ruggedized handheld?
14. How do you replace broken devices? Can you get a replacement service in 24 hours, or must you wait a week?
15. What kind of support contracts and warranties are available?
16. How long will your new handheld computer be supported, serviced and manufactured by the vendor? Is it near end of life and being discounted for a reason?
17. Can you upgrade the operating system when Microsoft releases a new version of their mobile operating system?
18. Can you use standard laptop data cards in the handheld, or do you need to pay for high priced vendor specific cards?
19. Can you view the screen effectively in the sunlight?
20. Does the bar code scanner work effectively in real-world environment? Some scanners cannot scan effectively through glass or plastic.
21. Is the size and weight of the handheld appropriate for the user and environment?
22. Can your handheld computer support all the add-ons you require at the same time? Some devices can only support a specific number of add-on components so you are forced to choose. Some cannot support both a GPS and a data card at the same time. Some devices cannot support both a bar code scanner and a GPS add-on. This is an important consideration.
23. Do you need only a touch screen and navigation pad, a number pad or a full QWERTY keyboard? This is very important for user acceptance.
24. Is the handheld device also going to be used as a phone? Is a 2 pound industrial grade handheld really a usable phone?
25. Does your low cost consumer grade PDA need a rugged case like the ones Otterbox sells?
26. If you only have a budget for a low cost device, does it support the battery life and add-on components you require?
27. How will the device be transported around a job site? Will it strap to a belt, swing from a shoulder strap, sit in a holster or be mounted to the dashboard of your truck? Does your device support your chosen method?
28. Where is the closest inventory of extra handheld computers? Where is the closest repair depot?
29. Will your vendor loan you a device on trial?
30. Can you rent the handheld if you only need it for a short-term project?
31. Does your vendor take trade-ins on your old handheld computers?
32. Can you get the same exact handheld, under a different brand name for less?
33. How will your handheld computer send data back to the office? Cradle sync, WiFi, bluetooth, wireless data card, GPRS/GSM, CDMA?
34. What size screen do you need? Some devices like the Jett-Eye have a "landscape view" others a "portrait view" many have different sized screens. What do you require?
35. Do you need an integrated digital camera? Do you need a low or high resolution camera and does your device support it?
36. Does a refurbished device from Ryzex make better sense that a new device?
37. Where is your vendor's office? Are they in the neighborhood or on the other side of the planet? Does their location offer you the support and attention you deserve?
38. Does your handheld computer run on the same operating system that your mobile software solutions requires? I have had customers order Windows CE devices for their Windows Mobile application. It did not work.
39. Does your handheld computer come with a pistol grip or other straps that help you avoid dropping it?
40. Can you comfortably hold the device in your handheld and complete your work? Some devices have scanners on the side, on the end or underneath.
41. Can you effectively view the data you need? Some jobs simply require a full keyboard and a full screen for viewing large CAD files or Maps. Does your screen size match your requirements?
42. Where will you store the device when you use the washroom? One of my customers used Tablet PCs and they kept breaking when they slipped off of the sinks in the bathrooms.
43. Does the mobile device you select support the RFID reader you need for distance and accuracy?
44. Does the battery in the mobile handheld last long enough after you have added on all the additional hardware accessories? Each added radio uses more energy.
45. If you have dozens of handheld computers, how will you charge them all at the same time? Do you have a docking station that allows for all of your devices to both charge and synchronize at the same time?
46. Do you need wireless data plans, or does batch synchronziation after each shift work?
47. What wireless carrier and data plan provides the best service and cost for you? Does that wireless carrier support your mobile device?
48. Does the wireless carrier have sufficient coverage for your workers?

If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please contact us.

SAP ERP and Mobile Applications for IT

The following press release was issued today concerning Redwood Software's announcement of a mobile application for IT staff to receive and respond to real time alert notifications on their mobile devices. This software application works with SAP and other ERP systems. This announcement follows an earlier one that is stated to be the first iPhone business application for enterprise process automation. I am a strong believer that the future of enterprise mobile applications must include a business process automation component as discussed in this article.

MORRISVILLE, NC -- 08/17/09 -- Redwood Software, an industry leader in delivering enterprise and mobile software, today announced immediate availability of the Cronacle Mobile(TM) Alerting Service for the iPhone(TM) and iPod® touch. The Cronacle Mobile Alerting Service enables IT staff to receive and respond to alert notifications in real time on their mobile device. With Redwood's new service, customers' IT departments using SAP® solutions gain unprecedented portability, visibility and control of business processes and the enterprise systems that underlie them.

Today's announcement of the Cronacle Mobile Alerting Service follows Redwood's recent launch of Cronacle Mobile, the first iPhone business application for enterprise process automation and job scheduling. The Cronacle Mobile Alerting Service extends the capabilities of Cronacle Mobile by taking advantage of the new Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) to deliver time-critical system information immediately to the iPhone or iPod touch.

"We are very excited to deliver a solution to our customers that is as mobile as they want or need to be," says Tijl Vuyk, CEO and president of Redwood Software. "With our new alerting service we extend our mobile platform so customers can monitor their systems, and receive real-time notifications wherever they are and whenever issues require their attention."

Cronacle Mobile Alerting extends the benefits of mobility and remote management to any back-end systems which run Redwood's industry leading process automation and job scheduling solutions, including Redwood Cronacle® and the SAP Central Process Scheduling application by Redwood. All SAP and Redwood customers can use Cronacle Mobile Alerting to manage their entire enterprise landscape, including both SAP and non-SAP applications.

If you would like to discuss this topic or other custom mobile applications for SAP please contact us.

Mobile Applications - Hosted or Not?

Many companies have asked whether a hosted or non-hosted enterprise mobile software application would be best for them. The answer may be best determined by the following questions:

1. Is the enterprise software application that you want to connect to your mobile handhelds, an off-the-shelf application like SAP, SAGE, MS Dynamics or Quickbooks?
2. Is the mobile software application simply a mobile front end (GUI) to the back-office application? Does it do basically the same thing you would do on the office application, but in a mobile environment?

If the answer is NO to any of the above, then you are into a custom development environment that is difficult to support in a hosted model. Companies that host applications need volume and reusability. Custom projects may be uploaded to a hosted data center, but there is no business case for the software vendor/developer to pursue this as a business model. However, if the mobile software application is custom, but the database application that it synchronizes with is sold as an off-the-shelf application, then there may be a business case.

Here is a real life scenario. SAP ERP does not handle work orders or service tickets well if they are not associated with a pre-approved purchase order. This is a problem in the oil fields as contractors and service technicians are often called to perform unanticipated work to fix or repair items. Since SAP does not like to receive unexpected invoices, Field Service software vendors have responded to this need by developing applications that convert these unexpected invoices into acceptable SAP formats that are integrated with SAP using standard integrations. These same vendors have created mobile work order applications that synchronize with their work order management systems. They have a standardized model that can be sold in a hosted environment.

Since the work order management application was an off-the-shelf software package, with a standardized integration to SAP, it could be offered in a hosted environment with a good business model.

If the work order management system was custom, and the back-office application or ERP was custom, then the mobile software application would need to be custom and there is no efficiencies in this scenario for a hosted solution.

If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail please email.