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When Will Business Get With The Program?
If you pay attention to the popular media, you probably have the
impression that the wireless
world is driven by the consumer space as opposed to the business market. There is good reason for that: Most
companies still look at wireless as a
secondary or tertiary communications method -- not a primary or critical
way to get business done.
Yet the same benefits used to tout wireless technology to consumers are
appropriate for business users as well: usability, time and data
management, remote access, and more. Consider the following applications in light of
your business needs, the economy, and the devices and technologies
available.
Consider The Problem, Then The Solution
Are there elements of your business that are time- and location-sensitive?
Is it important that your workers out in the field have access to
information back at the office? Do your managers need a way to track
mobile workers? Wireless and handheld devices can save work for
paper-centric, mobile businesses. When your job requires constant updates,
wireless devices in the field can save significant amounts of time and
money. An excellent small
business case study illustrating this point was just featured on TMC's
Planet PDA magazine.
Bring The Database With You
I don't know how many times it needs to be said before it sinks in:
wireless communications is not just an extension of the telephone, minus
the cord. Portable, handheld computing devices -- which now include
digital phones and unified messaging systems and portals -- enable a new
set of boundaries, enabling mobile workers to have access to databases
that concern their location, duties, supplies, etc. Your representatives
can now get up-to-date inventory numbers before committing to sales or
delivery dates, and telecom and other utility troubleshooters can find out
if they have the parts they need to schedule repairs at the time of
problem diagnosis.
The PDA Is Not A Planner
Too many people still look at handheld PDAs as the playthings of the
corporate world, forgetting that FedEx, UPS, and other delivery services
have been taking advantage of similar devices for a long, long time. We
have already discussed that the scaled-down PDA is a perfect device for
inventory-based and sensitive business. Who does this affect? Everyone
from the delivery driver, to the warehouse manager, the accountant, and
the sales rep. There is no reason that every person in the chain needs a
complete suite of software, but customized devices can save amazing
amounts of time and frustration, while at the same time increasing
accuracy and accountability.
Stop Tuck Pointing Your Brick And Mortar
Is your company looking to cut costs? Your location costs money, remember?
More people working from home means less people in the office. Less people
in the office means smaller offices -- perhaps in less expensive areas --
are needed. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize these things,
but so many companies are not only stuck with their heads in the sand,
they are quickly burying the rest of their bodies, as well. Wireless
technologies can not only help manage data and communications, but they
increase the ability to track down employees.
What would be the result of adopting applications like the ones above? A more efficient company, no doubt.
Consumer-based ideals -- from time and
data management to always being connected -- should become ubiquitous in
wireless-enabled business.
Mike von Wahlde welcomes your comments at mvonwahlde@tmcnet.com.
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