However, there are methods to successfully engage your employees and ensure a smooth and positive rollout. A significant investment in new hardware will end up collecting dust in a corner if not properly adopted and integrated into your workforce. At Panasonic we’ve established some best practices to garner employee buy-in early on and streamline the deployment process.

Understand the needs and pain points of your mobile workers
Many times the organization’s IT department has its own agenda and goals for a new technology deployment. This is often driven by the need to streamline IT processes or capture additional data in the field as the result of a new corporate initiative. However, it’s extremely important that you invest the time to understand the culture and needs of your workforce. This is a critical element of a successful deployment rollout.

We advise IT planning personnel to conduct ride-alongs with field teams or host focus groups in order to get a sense of the their day-to-day challenges and pain points. This allows you to observe redundancies and inefficiencies and collect feedback directly from the end-users. It also communicates to your workforce early on that you’re interested in addressing its needs and helping make their jobs easier.

Initiate small pilot or trial programs
Once you understand the needs of your workforce and began evaluating solutions, initiate pilot programs to test different solutions in the field. A small pilot program with a select group of users can be valuable. They can get a feel of the workflow with the possible devices and communicate their feedback. Tracking key information, such as the number of repairs/service calls per day or turnaround times, during the pilot phase will help earn management and financial buy-in and acceptance from the larger team.

Select partners that offer ongoing support once the solution is deployed
Choose partners that will provide support and services once the technology is in the field. As with any new rollout, it will take time for the devices and associated software to be fully accepted and usable. Partners that provide on-site assistance and support after the initial purchase will significantly reduce the time your IT department spends training and assisting workers with technology transitions.

Offer comprehensive training for all your mobile users
Once you’ve selected the best solution, prepare a detailed rollout plan that includes employee training. Without the proper training, we find users often don’t use the technology to its maximum potential. To get the most out of your investment, we recommend choosing a day and time to roll out the solution to the entire team. During this training, use advocates of the technology to share success stories from the pilot program and share the key improvement metrics that you captured and quantified. Using the participants from the pilot program to engage their peers will help create excitement and lower resistance to the new processes.

With any mobile technology investment, you are purchasing a solution, not individual devices. Without training and acceptance from your workforce, you’ll likely be facing an uphill battle. Engaging your field workforce early on and listening to your employees’ needs will create interest in the new solution and expedite your return on investment.

*David Krebs and Balca Korkut. “2011 Enterprise & Government Mobility Solutions,” VDC Research, June 2011.

The complexities of rolling out a new mobile technology solution or the challenges of managing security concerns associated with a mobile workforce can only be understood by a select group of people.  Although IT managers tend to have support teams, when everyone is facing the same problem, it’s hard to find a fresh perspective. Most seasoned IT professionals know the benefit of taking a step outside the box and talking to others in their field.

Facing the challenges associated with managing mobile technology deployments can be simplified through interacting with peers at smaller, more focused industry events. These events typically host educational panels, workshops, case study reviews and perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to converse with peers and discuss industry trends.

Panasonic values the educational opportunities offered by these types of peer-focused events. We have created an environment for customers and partners to interact with each other and share best practices through programs like the Panasonic Healthcare Symposium and the Panasonic Thought Leadership Forum. Both conferences are great opportunities to understand how similar organizations approach mobile technology challenges.

Our Healthcare Symposium runs from September 11th – September 13th; this year’s event takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Conference attendees are typically healthcare IT decision makers from major healthcare systems, large hospitals, home health agencies, blood centers, long tern healthcare centers, and Veterans Affairs facilities. Topics slated for the 2011 Healthcare Symposium include key issues affecting healthcare technology implementation, visualization solutions for enhanced patient care, best practices and technology trends.

If you’d like to attend the Healthcare Symposium, or learn more about the event, click here.

We also host the Thought Leadership Forum, a similar conference for the enterprise. Industries represented include utilities, petrochemical, oil & gas, telecommunications, broadband cable, field service, insurance, transportation, construction, beverage manufacturers, and supply chain logistics.

Click here, for details on Panasonic’s Thought Leadership Forum, from October 4^th – 7^th also taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The hot-swap capability means that a device includes two high-capacity battery packs, not merely a main battery and a small “bridge” battery. This allows users to change a battery without having to turn the power off or reboot the system, extending running time. Plus, it removes the burden of having to swap your main battery in a very short time, which is not always practical. Using a battery charger, you can keep spares fully charged and take them with you. In situations where you can’t run on AC power or recharge batteries, this reserve power can make a significant difference.

In today’s business landscape, the mobile professional category represents a new opportunity and challenge. According to the Yankee Group, mobile professionals represent 46% of all mobile workers and that percentage will continue to grow. The analyst firm’s “Mobile Outlook 2011,” found that roughly one-third of all employees in U.S. businesses can be considered mobile, spending at least 20% of their time away from the primary office or workspace. As a result, it is common for these users to sacrifice either weight or battery life in order to use a mobile computer for extended periods of time.

Standard batteries – in many cases – are light in weight but often deliver poor life. As a result, mobile professionals are forced to use long-life batteries to meet their needs for extended uptime. These extended-life batteries, which I refer to as Goiter batteries, impact the device’s weight and also its footprint – making that small and light laptop larger and heavier. And, because they extend beyond the laptop’s case, these larger batteries offer an increased opportunity for failure.

To resolve this conflict, Panasonic has applied its hot-swappable twin battery design to the business-rugged Toughbook C1 convertible tablet to enable extended battery life and light weight for mobile professionals. With two batteries, the Toughbook C1 can run for about 10 hours and only weighs 3.7 pounds. However, if the extra battery life is not needed, the C1 ships with a dummy pack and can run for five hours on a single battery, which decreases the weight to a phenomenal 3.2 pounds.

With traditional notebooks, replacing a battery requires the PC to be powered down and rebooted. This downtime can be detrimental for many mobile professionals, such as pharmaceutical sales representatives who frequently spend long hours waiting to present the latest drugs and equipment to doctors. This window of opportunity is often a matter of minutes; therefore, it’s essential to have the computer running at all times.

For nurses or other mobile workers that select a device from a number of units on a charging rack, Panasonic has designed the C1 to clearly indicate up to four charge levels at the front edge of the case. At a quick glance, you can tell how much power each battery has. Without this feature, machines would be selected at random. If a device with a low charge was chosen, the battery could die during offsite duties – resulting in significant downtime and lost productivity.  Of course, the ability to swap in a charged spare could help mitigate that.

When evaluating mobile devices, we recommend closely examining battery life. Devices with standard batteries that do not offer significant life should not even be considered.  In today’s mobile world, a laptop should be able to achieve six to eight hours of life without having to use an extended-life battery. In addition, notebooks that offer twin hot-swappable batteries allow users to truly take advantage of mobility. More information on Panasonic’s hot-swappable battery technology can be found here.

In this economic climate, spending cuts are widespread, forcing agencies, like police departments to improve efficiency. Without a mobile computer, writing a police report is a lengthy process, with officers taking notes by hand and then typing in the information later. Although not uncommon, this method is time consuming and prone to errors.

Police agencies benefit from systems that allow officers to digitally capture and share information. According to a press release from Astra, the Toughbook-based solution can provide the needed improvements in efficiency.

According to Dick Ellam, Vauxhall Special Vehicles Manager, the Astra has always been a trusted car model within police agencies, which is why the company has decided to make the Toughbook option available.

“Toughbook rugged mobile computers are already in use by several police services across the country, and are proving to be a revolutionary resource to police; at a time when spending cuts are rife, a device that enables the force to save time and money will be invaluable,” said Ellam.

In the Astra, the Toughbook 19 fits neatly into the new docking solution by Tempus Computers Ltd, which is mounted in the glove box. The convertible laptop can be easily removed, which allows the computer to be used in both clamshell and tablet form. The Toughbook laptop is connected to an 8.4-inch high resolution touch screen positioned in the Astra dashboard. The screen is easy to reach and is mounted flush in the dash, which meets all legal and safety regulations.

According to Ellam, the Toughbook system enables police officers to operate a mobile office system, reducing the amount of time previously spent behind a desk.

“Toughbook rugged computers are ideal for professionals working in mission-critical or field-based environments, so their potential use extends beyond that of the police,” said Ellam.

For more information on the Vauxhall Astra with Toughbook option, please visit: http://www.vauxhall.co.uk

Related blog posts:
Case Study: Tucson PD Motorcycle Officers Deploy the Toughbook U1
Poor Time Management is a Crime Too
In-vehicle Technology is Mission Critical for Public Safety

Labatt Food Service can trace its roots to the early 20th century. The company is widely recognized in the food service distribution industry as an innovative, customer-focused and high-energy leader.

To maintain this reputation, Labatt has continually innovated to bring improved service to its customers. In 2008, the company realized that two issues needed to be addressed to maintain its competitive edge in the transportation arena: driver satisfaction and delivery efficiency.

Like many in the industry, Labatt’s drivers were using pen and paper to track arrivals, departures, returns and to update hours-of-service logs to comply with internal documentation needs and DOT regulations. By moving to a digital solution, Labatt could realize significant improvements in operational efficiency.

Labatt first looked at shrink-wrapped solutions available to the trucking market, but found these devices were too restrictive – not allowing for upgrades, modifications and customization. After exhaustive research, the company selected the Toughbook U1 for its durability, full Windows OS, daylight viewable touch screen, embedded mobile broadband and GPS.

“Because the U1 runs a full Windows operating system, we are able to develop solutions on our own laptops without some type of emulation software to mimic a handheld operating environment. We know if it works on our laptops it will work on the U1,” said Miguel Escobedo lead project architect, Labatt Food Service.

With wireless connectivity a critical component of the deployment, Labatt tested multiple providers to establish which offered the best mobile broadband service in its operating area – ultimately determining that mobile broadband service from AT&T was best suited to address its needs.

Since adopting the new Toughbook U1-based solution, the benefits have been clear. The new solution automatically logs route data and customer interactions, eliminating the time spent entering data by pen and reentering paperwork at the distribution center.

The Toughbook U1’s reliability has reduced the IT support issues typically found with mobile technology solutions, allowing Labatt to focus on strategic growth issues that can further improve the service it offers its customers.

“Since drivers played such an involved role in the system’s creation, they have really embraced it. And keeping drivers happy is important to our bottom line. Since the system’s implementation, we’ve seen driver turnover get cut in half. Although turnover reduction is not entirely attributable to the new system, its estimated worth is just under a million dollars a year,” said Blair Labatt III, project lead, Labatt Food Service.

Click on this link to read the full Labatt Food Service case study.

• Superstar Award in the Hardware: Business Class Notebook category – The Panasonic Toughbook® S9
• Superstar Award in the Hardware: Tablet Computer category – The Toughbook H1 Field
• Rising Star Award in the Hardware: Industrial or Rugged Handheld Computer category – The Toughbook U1 Ultra
• Rising Star Award in the Success Story: Asset Tracking & Field Service category – Comag Marketing Group (CMG) case study

A little background on the winners – the Panasonic Toughbook® S9 is the world’s lightest 12.1” laptop with an integrated DVD drive. For the highly mobile professional, the durable S9 is powered by the Intel® Core™ i5-520M vPro™ processor and delivers up to 11 hours of battery life with a standard battery and weighing only 3.0 pounds. Additionally, it offers optional Gobi2000™ mobile broadband and a host of other features.

The Toughbook H1 Field is the world’s most rugged handheld tablet computer and specifically designed for field sales personnel, first responders, supervisors, inspectors, maintenance workers and other highly mobile professionals.  The durable device comes with optional goodies including SmartCard, RFID, barcode readers, and Qualcomm’s Gobi2000™ mobile broadband technology to help to maximize mobile worker productivity.

Finally, the U1 Ultra, the newest member of its Toughbook® U1 ultra-mobile PC product family, combines the portability of a handheld computer, the benefits of a full Windows OS, the durability needed for enterprise applications and a suite of available integrated features. The device is ideal for highly mobile jobs such as direct store delivery (DSD), eCitation and vegetation management in markets like supply chain management, public safety and utilities.

The Mobile Star Awards also recognized one of our customers, Comag Marketing Group (CMG), a New Jersey-based company that helps leading magazine brands stand out with comprehensive sales, marketing and promotional services through a network of sales venues. CMG switched to the Panasonic Toughbook T8 and U1 devices after multiple requests from customers, including the need for real-time data, were unable to be fulfilled. Since the launch, CMG has noticed an increase in revenue and their customers now have access to near-real-time data at store level, which has made CMG a more valuable business partner.

We are thrilled with our wins and look forward to what 2011 has in store for us.

For more information on the Mobile Star Awards and Panasonic’s wins, please click here.

In April 2009, Elemic introduced a customer relationship management (CRM) system that allowed maintenance tasks to be carried out in a prompt and reliable way. The Elemic Field Service System is a SaaS platform applying FieldBase, a CRM package made by TDC Software Engineering Inc.

Elemic evaluated a variety of notebooks and PDAs to run the FieldBase software. It was important the solution be simple and easy to operate, because many of the engineers were not technically savvy. After careful consideration, Elemic chose the Panasonic Toughbook U1 rugged handheld PC as the mobile device to be used onsite by service engineers. Elemic was looking for a mobile terminal that was compact, light weight and able to survive drops and splashes of water. The company recognized that standard notebooks were not suitable for this environment, and the screens of PDAs were too small to use comfortably. PDAs also had operating system restrictions since they did not run a full Microsoft Windows® OS, limiting software development.

With these considerations in mind, Elemic deployed Toughbook U1s with built-in barcode readers and wireless WAN. The Toughbook U1s are wirelessly linked to headquarters and automatically receive service requests and manage business tasks, including the necessary work order forms. Elemic also utilizes the Bluetooth® function to connect to mobile printers. This allows the service engineers to create a work slip and issue the paperwork to the customer onsite. In the warehouse, the company uses the built-in barcode reader to maintain a real-time inventory of products. This access to current inventory data allows Elemic to keep the right stock on hand.

As a result of the Toughbook U1 and Elemic Field Service System, business efficiency has significantly improved. Elemic can quickly issue transaction slips and has eliminated the process of faxing work orders. Customer satisfaction has also improved, providing more prompt and appropriate responses to address customers’ situations. Paper use is expected to be reduced in half and office supervisors’ overtime is down by an average of 70 percent. Through these cost savings and improvements in efficiencies, the investment has already paid for itself, delivering strong return on investment (ROI) to Elemic.

You can find more information on the Elemic Co., Ltd. case study on the Toughbook Global Site here.  A video about this Toughbook U1 deployment can be found below.

Over the past ten years, Caterpillar has been moving to a computerized system for construction equipment diagnosis by implementing sensors into the engine and hydraulic mechanisms. The sensor data is collected and organized on an onboard computer called the Electronic Control Module (ECM).

In July 2009, Mr. Shinichi Takahashi of Caterpillar Central Japan’s Service Technology Section brought the new Toughbook U1 to Kashiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd., a gravel plant located in Nagaoka City in Niigata Prefecture. The company uses about ten Caterpillar 966H wheel loaders to move and load gravel into dump trucks. In order to get into the driver’s seat to perform diagnostics, the technician must climb a six-foot ladder with his computer in tow. Compared to other fully-rugged computers, the Toughbook U1 is extremely compact and light weight, making it ideal for this application.

Since the devices are used mainly at outdoor construction sites and gravel plants, it was critical that Caterpillar Central Japan had a PC able to survive rain and wind-blown dust. Although the device is small and light, the Toughbook U1 is fully rugged – able to survive drops from six feet and protect against water, dust and moisture.

Once in the driver’s seat, the operator connects the Toughbook U1 and wheel loader via a USB conversion connector. The Electronic Technician (ET) software, developed by Caterpillar Inc., performs the equipment diagnostics. Using this software, the Toughbook U1 is able to check things such as engine temperature, rotation speed, pressure in the hydraulics, displacement of moving parts and operating time. All of these results are automatically stored as electronic data. When the engine intake pressure lowers or there’s a failure in the electrical system, the ET software alerts the technician of the problem.

After the items are checked in the cockpit, the mechanic opens the power-driven engine hood. Using the built-in camera on the Toughbook U1, Caterpillar Central Japan is able to take pictures of the equipment and uniformly organize the picture files with the diagnostics data. It is important that the mechanics don’t solely rely on the computerized data; the camera allows mechanics to record external appearance and any part damage. Previously, the company used the camera function on mobile phones; however, it was labor intensive and inefficient to integrate the photos with the data.

As a result of this technology, maintenance work is completed much faster and breakdowns can be prevented beforehand. Operations have also become more efficient because Caterpillar can evaluate the habits of experienced operators and share that information with others to improve efficiency and save energy.

For more information on Caterpillar Central Japan’s deployment, check out the full case study on the Toughbook Global Site here.

The company initially tested commercial-grade tablet computers, but found they were not able to withstand the day-to-day work environments of an arborist, resulting in failures due to road vibrations, contact with moisture and exposure to extreme temperatures.

Connectivity was another issue faced by AMS.  Originally, the company planned to use external PC modem cards to provide its mobile broadband connection, but found this solution created an increased opportunity for device failure – if dropped or bumped against any surface, an external card could snap off, damaging the motherboard and possibly leaving the field worker with an inoperable tablet.

It was clear to AMS that commercial-grade tablets with external modem cards were not an appropriate solution for its highly mobile workforce. After conducting additional research, the company purchased 80 Panasonic Toughbook 19s with Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband Built-In.  AMS chose Verizon Wireless because of its wide coverage network and its ability to keep employees connected in the field despite the excessive number of miles each arborists covers. The Toughbook 19s were selected for their combination of durability, functionality and performance.

Since rolling out the Toughbook 19s with embedded Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband, AMS has seen a number of positive changes. With the constant connectivity, field workers are able to send and receive greater levels of data, improving the quality and quantity of information available to the company and its customers.  With the embedded modem, the new solution allowed the IT department to eliminate a potential point of failure, “break/fix” support and maximizing mobile worker productivity.  Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband service also allowed IT  remote desktop access to troubleshoot user problems in the field, virtually eliminating downtime and the need for arborists to stop their work and bring their notebook to the office for upgrades or repairs.

With the successful deployment of its Panasonic Toughbook with Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband solution, AMS doesn’t worry about device failures and connectivity, and can now focus its efforts on being the best possible partner to its customers.

You can read the full ArborMetrics Solution case study here, and watch a video case study below.

Before the company rolled out a mobile computing solution its engineers would arrive on site and gather information for their reports, then drive home to complete each report on a desktop computer – a practice that wasted thousands of man hours every year.  This practice changed in 2004 when Zurich deployed Panasonic’s Toughbook 18 fully-rugged convertible tablet computer. Using the Toughbook 18, work was completed on-site, leaving the engineer free to move on to the next task. John McMullen, Head of Operations and Systems for Zurich Engineering, estimates that the division recouped its £1 million investment in Toughbook computers within the first 8 months of use.

Along with full Windows capabilities, tablet functionality and a long battery life, ruggedization is a core requirement for Zurich Engineering. The division’s engineers may find themselves working on tower cranes, in manufacturing facilities, chemical works or foundries – even clinging to offshore wind turbines, in the harshest weather conditions.  One of Zurich’s Toughbook computers, run over by a crane, sustained a cracked screen but its hard disk was still intact. “We just took the hard drive, put it in a new notebook, and the guy was up and running.” claims McMullen.

After five years of using Panasonic’s Toughbook 18 fully-rugged convertible laptop, the division is now betting squarely on the new Toughbook 19. The new convertible laptop brings further benefits to Zurich Engineering’s work, including improved 3G mobile communications and increased battery life.

Given the operating conditions Zurich’s approximately 500 Toughbook 18s were placed in, they saw very few failures.  So, when making the switch to the Toughbook 19, Zurich didn’t consider other devices.  According to McMullen, “the Toughbook 18s were reliable even in the most extreme conditions and required minimal IT support. Five years of service in a market like ours is impressive, to say the least. That level of reliability allowed us to maximize our return on investment.”

That’s not to say there has never been pressure to change devices.  “We have had other manufactures try to sell us on their solutions, but no one has been able to show us a device that provides the mix of performance, reliability and value of the Toughbook brand,” McMullen added.

Zurich Engineering is delighted with its Toughbook laptops, and with the service and support it has received from Panasonic. “We worked with Panasonic to share ideas and decide how best to make the deployment successful. The Panasonic team was very open and supportive,” McMullen adds. In the end, though, one statement from an engineer equipped with a new Toughbook 19 says it all: “If you want it back, you’ll have to fight me for it!”

The full Zurich Engineering case study can be found here.