- Work order management systems
- "Mobile client" software that runs on the handheld computer and synchronizes with your work order management system
- How to determine the kind of handheld computer to purchase
Now we are going to explore some of the options for dispatching work orders to your teams in the field.
Handheld computers can now be PDA phones. You can buy a Pocket PC Phone from just about any mobile wireless carrier now days. Palm is even coming out with a Treo 700 Pocket PC Phone this Quarter. The challenge with these devices are their lack of durability when Fumble Finger Fred is using them.
Ruggedized handheld computers can also come with wireless data cards built-in. These allow you to send and receive data using the mobile wirless carriers networks, but often do not include "voice" communications. This capabilitiy enables your field work crews to both send and receive work order data at the push of a button on their "mobile client" software. So the office can write up "service orders" and when the field crew pushes a synchronization button on their handheld, any new service orders will be dispatched, and completed service orders would be uploaded to the office.
A number of handheld computer manufacturers are also adding VoIP to their handhelds. VoIP is "voice over IP or internet protocals". What does this mean? It means you can talk to your office through the microphone in your handheld computer using the internet connection, rather than the phone connection. The vision here is the following - a junior service technician can call the office asking for advice on a repair job. The supervisor asks junior for a digital photo of the object under repair. Junior holds up the handheld computer and snaps a photo. The photo is uploaded through the data connection to the office. The supervior reviews the photo and talks him through the repair over the VoIP connection. Mission accomplished.
...more in Part 4
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