"The ROI (return on investment), in this context, is the term used to describe the value of a mobile software solution relative to the expense of designing, developing and deploying it. If a mobile solution cost $145,000, how do you justify the investment? Management needs to see that their investment will provide a quick and positive return. The following list contains some of the most common justifications for mobilizing business processes:
1. Eliminate time spent in the office re-typing data collected in the field: Enable field service technicians to synchronize information directly with the office database.
2. Eliminate time spent on the phone dispatching service tickets or work orders. Both the time of the dispatcher and the time of the service technician: Dispatch electronic service tickets direct from your work order management system in the office with the mobile device of your service technician.
3. Save time finding each work location: Send driving directions, or links, in the electronic work order that work with the GPS and mapping software in the mobile device.
4. Avoid the high fuel costs incurred delivering paperwork to the office and picking it up: Synchronize the data direct from the field to the central database application.
5. Avoid the time cost transporting paperwork from the field to the office: Synchronize the data collected from the field with the push of a button.
6. Save time and provide better customer service by providing real-time access to enterprise parts, orders, and inventory data while in the field: Enable mobile access to customer history, product documentation, warranty information, inventory information, time sheets, work schedules and much more.
7. Save time with field data collection by using barcode scanners and barcode labels, or RFID readers and RFID tags on assets: A quick scan with a handheld computer can automatically display all stored information related to the asset for quick review, edits and additions.
8. Save time and reduce admin costs by creating and scheduling new service tickets direct from the field:
9. Provide immediate invoicing for faster collections and better cash management: Allow field tech to print the invoice on a mobile printer at the job site.
10. Save time and postage costs: Print the invoice and leave it with the customer at the job site, rather than wait and bill later from the office.
11. Document proof of work completed to reduce invoice disputes: Leave a GPS audit trail of where work was performed and include a time and date stamp. Digital photo evidence of before and after work is also useful.
12. Reduce the introduction of errors: Paper based systems are inherently slow and error prone due to human interaction, copying and re-typing. The more human hands that touch a paper form and add or edit data, the more chances that errors can be introduced to the data which will cause invoice disputes, inaccurate records and confusion.
13. Reduce administrative costs by ensuring complete data is sent from the field, as incomplete or inaccurate field data can take hours of work to track down and correct: Send data from the field and ensure it is complete with data integrity features on the mobile handheld computers and rugged PDAs.
14. Reduce administrative costs by avoiding errors and misinterpretations due to poor or misread handwriting: Create electronic forms with pre-made options, check boxes and lists, and by using onscreen digital keyboards.
15. Reduce administrative costs by ensuring the accuracy of data: Validate answers in the mobile software application on the handheld PDA.
16. Reduce time on the phone and dangerous note taking while driving: Push documents directly from the office to the handheld.
17. Save time and fuel by providing electronic dispatch and least cost routing: Use vehicle and/or handheld GPS tracking to view your workforce locations. Handheld computers with GPS functionality can integrate with GIS and display the location of the field worker to help managers better organize service responses.
18. Save time by developing computation and analysis features on the rugged handheld in the field: Programmed analytics can help field users make quicker and more accurate decisions and job estimates.
19. Save time in the field by automating business processes in the mobile software: Mobile application can be configured to perform all kinds of automated business functions, queries, computations and analytics.
20. Enforce quality work habits: Automate “best practices” into your mobile software application and provide visibility to managers.
21. Automate quality and best practices - Activate the appropriate business process based upon the data entered: A specific answer can trigger the required business process.
22. Reduce inventory loss - Avoid undocumented inventory usage and unbilled time: Enforce real time data entry before clock out or work order completion.
23. Improve job estimates: Require clock in and clock out on work to document and analyze the accuracy of work estimates.
24. Improve technician training: Train new service technicians and inspectors with audio memos or video clips in the handheld computer application.
25. Reduce disputes by documenting deliveries and work with digital signatures, date and time stamps and barcode scanners on the handheld computer.
26. Save travel time and fuel cost: Query available inventory in nearby company vehicles.
27. Increase profit per customer: Use information on handheld computers to up-sell more products and services while onsite with the customer.
28. Provider quicker and more accurate estimates: Query latest shipping status, schedules or inventory levels via handheld computers while onsite with customer.
29. Increase warranty revenues: Include updated customer information on the handheld computer so the service technician can sell warranty and maintenance plans, new products and upgrades.
These are just some of the common areas where enterprise mobile applications have been found to provide significant value. The issues and costs of designing, developing and deploying the mobile software applications and handheld computers are discussed more in this article.
If you would like to discuss this subject in more detail please email me."
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Five key marketing priorities for a startup
Prioritizing your marketing time and resources can be a daunting task. Having previously discussed five marketing time wasters that startups should avoid, it seems wise to examine five marketing priorities you should consider as you put together a plan.
In general, your marketing efforts have two goals: reach potential customers and help them find you. If you can successfully navigate the following marketing deliverables, you’ll be well on your way to providing a strong foundation for your company. Stop me if they sound familiar.
Validate market need assumptions - You probably know how critical this is to your company’s survival, but it’s just as critical to your marketing plan. Conduct interviews with potential customers to ensure you’re on the right path about the problem or need they have - and whether your product will address it.
The needs you believe to exist may not match the market’s reality. Going blindly with gut instinct in your marketing can be costly. Going blindly with your gut in your business can be catastrophic.
Define and deliver your first working version of the product - Get a product that has value, that people will pay for and (most importantly) that will allow you to collect feedback from early adopters as soon as possible. The objective here is to avoid large investments of time and resources that take a product down the wrong path.
Marketing and research are two sides of the same coin. And if you’re lucky (and have made wise decisions as you have put together your first version), you’ll be able to begin building buzz even as you hone the product and add features.
Validate pricing and business model - There are three key guides to keep in mind when establishing a starting point price: competition, product margins and customer value. Each provides valuable data, but for startups the focus should be on value. Spend the time necessary to clearly understand the value of meeting your customer’s market need. Pricing with this value as a foundation will optimize your returns as a company.
For startups in a new market, customers aren’t necessarily looking for a bargain as much as meeting a need, but they will not pay more than they perceive it to be worth. Ensure your price is the right one before you begin to focus on marketing. If it’s not, it won’t matter how good your marketing is.
Establish a strong web marketing presence - The best marketing is no substitute for having your ideal customers seeking you. To prepare for this, you need a content rich website. (As an added bonus, Web marketing is the most cost effective medium for interacting with prospects.) Also, start a corporate blog and establish a Twitter account. Use them to keep interested parties up to date with what you’re working on and any new features you have released.
Your website is the face of the company and your blog is its voice. Communicate clearly and make a good impression. Regular communication with high value content costs next to nothing - but as a marketing tool, its returns will astound you.
Put the tools in place to track key marketing metrics - It’s critical, of course, to ensure that your marketing is working. Develop measurements for your efforts, with a particular focus on web analytics and lead tracking. Know who’s coming to your Web site, how they found you and where they spend their time. And ensure you are able to track your leads pipeline, conversion rates and marketing touch points (i.e. first touch, last touch and marketing interactions).
Without these basic tools, you will never know what’s succeeding and what’s failing, which can be a quick way to deplete your marketing budget.
As you can see, the key points of startup marketing aren’t all that different from the key points of launching a successful startup. By sticking with the fundamentals, you’ll be able to preserve your company’s capital and lay a foundation for future success - in both your promotional and business goals.
In general, your marketing efforts have two goals: reach potential customers and help them find you. If you can successfully navigate the following marketing deliverables, you’ll be well on your way to providing a strong foundation for your company. Stop me if they sound familiar.
Validate market need assumptions - You probably know how critical this is to your company’s survival, but it’s just as critical to your marketing plan. Conduct interviews with potential customers to ensure you’re on the right path about the problem or need they have - and whether your product will address it.
The needs you believe to exist may not match the market’s reality. Going blindly with gut instinct in your marketing can be costly. Going blindly with your gut in your business can be catastrophic.
Define and deliver your first working version of the product - Get a product that has value, that people will pay for and (most importantly) that will allow you to collect feedback from early adopters as soon as possible. The objective here is to avoid large investments of time and resources that take a product down the wrong path.
Marketing and research are two sides of the same coin. And if you’re lucky (and have made wise decisions as you have put together your first version), you’ll be able to begin building buzz even as you hone the product and add features.
Validate pricing and business model - There are three key guides to keep in mind when establishing a starting point price: competition, product margins and customer value. Each provides valuable data, but for startups the focus should be on value. Spend the time necessary to clearly understand the value of meeting your customer’s market need. Pricing with this value as a foundation will optimize your returns as a company.
For startups in a new market, customers aren’t necessarily looking for a bargain as much as meeting a need, but they will not pay more than they perceive it to be worth. Ensure your price is the right one before you begin to focus on marketing. If it’s not, it won’t matter how good your marketing is.
Establish a strong web marketing presence - The best marketing is no substitute for having your ideal customers seeking you. To prepare for this, you need a content rich website. (As an added bonus, Web marketing is the most cost effective medium for interacting with prospects.) Also, start a corporate blog and establish a Twitter account. Use them to keep interested parties up to date with what you’re working on and any new features you have released.
Your website is the face of the company and your blog is its voice. Communicate clearly and make a good impression. Regular communication with high value content costs next to nothing - but as a marketing tool, its returns will astound you.
Put the tools in place to track key marketing metrics - It’s critical, of course, to ensure that your marketing is working. Develop measurements for your efforts, with a particular focus on web analytics and lead tracking. Know who’s coming to your Web site, how they found you and where they spend their time. And ensure you are able to track your leads pipeline, conversion rates and marketing touch points (i.e. first touch, last touch and marketing interactions).
Without these basic tools, you will never know what’s succeeding and what’s failing, which can be a quick way to deplete your marketing budget.
As you can see, the key points of startup marketing aren’t all that different from the key points of launching a successful startup. By sticking with the fundamentals, you’ll be able to preserve your company’s capital and lay a foundation for future success - in both your promotional and business goals.
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