When a company decides to automate and give their mobile workers a smartphone or tablet to increase working efficiency, it is very important to take the opportunity to optimize the relevant workflows in the process.<\/p>\n
Analyze existing workflows
A company often has existing workflows which were defined, set up or otherwise created in the past, not taking mobility into account. Not every company has its workflows documented, either. If you want to start automating mobile workers, documenting your processes is highly recommended. Experience with other companies shows this benefits the efficiency of the solution and the adoption by employees increases as well.<\/p>\n
Mobile workflows are not paper-based workflows
The fact that a traditional way of working has been successful does not necessarily mean that it will work equally well in an automated, mobile environment. Through the use of automation, efficiencies can often be achieved by combining processes, for example. This can range from scheduling through remote task execution and even invoicing. The steps between these processes are substantially different and you should think carefully about them. You may even discover that there are preparatory tasks and post-activity tasks that aren\u2019t yet accounted for in your existing processes. Such tasks could be good candidates to address as you mobilize your workflows.<\/p>\n
How to start
Experience has shown that involvement by all departments works best. Have your department heads together for a session. Support from an experienced consultant in the field of mobile solutions is recommended to encourage out-of-the-box thinking. Draw the process on a flip-chart or whiteboard, discuss it and check it with the people in the field after you have generated your early drafts. Only then do the automated processes start to take shape.<\/p>\n
Build a prototype first
Only if you think carefully about the new processes will you achieve optimal efficiency. Also very important: involve the users who will be using the solution in all stages of your efforts. This will ensure that the acceptance (or adoption) will be much higher! Next, identify one workflow from your list, and generate a prototype (or pilot solution) that everyone can try out and give you feedback on before you build it all the way out. Many workers have a difficult time envisioning an application, a mobilized one in particular, until they have something they can actually see and experience. You will likely get ideas and revisions for your other workflows from your team as a result, saving you additional time and effort. (Check our earlier posting on Mercedes Benz and prototyping here.)<\/p>\n
Next steps
RAM Mobile Data (and Navara) offers solutions to your business applications on smartphones, made available through its mobile development platform, Navara. For more information contact: Ken Heard, Country Manager for Navara in the US.<\/p>\n
From: Ram Navara<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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