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.

IDC estimates that by the end of this year, 1 billion people will be working remotely. In this highly mobile work environment, faulty devices have serious consequences like lost time and missed opportunities, not to mention employee frustration.

Increased mobility will also have a serious impact on a business’s IT department. Typically an increase in mobile workers, results in increased IT support time. So as companies begin to rethink their current mobile technology solution, device selection becomes critical.

At Panasonic, we engineer our Toughbook mobile computers for work in highly mobile work environments.  In fact, mobile computing is all we do, so we know that the right mobile technology will improve employee efficiency while minimizing IT support issues. More importantly, the right technology will also help you attract high caliber employees.  The wrong mobile solution is a recipe for disaster.

If you are interested in this topic, I recently wrote an article for Integrated Solutions for Retailers, on the topic of upgrading technology to outpace competition in the midst of a technologically advancing workforce. The full article is available, here.

For more information on Panasonic Toughbook computers please click here.

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.

A crucial factor in land reclamation is how fast the soil can be firmly compacted. To improve the efficiency and accuracy of this work, the bulldozers, vibratory rollers and survey vehicles were equipped with Panasonic Toughbook 19 convertible tablet PCs.

The bulldozers used the Toughbook 19s, onboard GPS and a set of LED indicator lights to show the operator when the current ground level differed from the planned surface elevation so that uniformed soil thickness could be achieved. Without this technology, the contractors would have had to use surveying equipment to stake out and measure the terrain’s elevation and incline, making it difficult to operate at night.

As part of the quality control criteria, the vibratory roller needed to pass eight times over each piece of land. The Toughbook 19, mounted next to the dashboard in each cab, recorded the number of passes over each spot. The screen displayed a ground plan of the site and portrayed strips of color in relation to the number of passes made. If any patches of the vast area of land reclamation had not received a full eight passes, it was clearly indicated on the screen. Given the size, scope and time constraints of the project, this system was the most efficient and accurate way to monitor the number of roller passes.

Survey vehicles were also equipped with Toughbook 19s to measure the completed work and take accurate assessments of the terrain.

The system used at the Tokyo International Airport project followed the prototype developed by Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd in 2002-2003. The system is adaptable and can be improved according to site conditions and operator needs. However, the only type of computer Penta-Ocean Construction installs in its construction vehicles is the Toughbook 19. The 19 is designed to survive harsh environments like construction sites and can handle high vibrations. Studies have shown that vibratory rollers can experience high G stresses – in some cases up to eight Gs.  An ordinary computer would experience immediate breakdowns under these conditions.

Panasonic’s Toughbook 19 played a significant role in the construction progress of Runway D. Without implementing technology, the quality control checks would have been completed manually, lengthening project completion significantly. Runway D now provides the Tokyo International Airport with greater capabilities to act as a major Asian hub airport.

You can find more information on the Tokyo International Airport deployment on the Toughbook Global Site here.

With our current economic climate, it’s no surprise that the survey results place an emphasis on reducing overhead and controlling expenses. Not surprisingly, respondents showed an increased commitment to mobile technology in supply chains.

According to the survey, 81% of respondents are already using or planning to evaluate mobile solutions in their operations. In fact, most of the responding organizations are planning to spend at least the same amount as last year, if not more, on mobile technologies. Furthermore, one-half of organizations consider wireless technologies, like RF scanners and GPS, to be essential in developing their supply chain operations.

So what’s the bottom line? According to the survey, mobile solutions are “key drivers in helping organizations achieve supply chain proficiency.” Increased accuracies, productivity and cost savings came through as clear benefits for the supply chain. Other benefits included improved customer service and savings on labor and resources.

But not all mobile computers are ideal for the supply chain market. There are a number of key issues that supply chain managers must consider when evaluating mobile technology for their operations. For instance, the functionality of the device, such as its battery life, weight, ergonomics, screen viewability (in direct sunlight) and operating system can have a direct impact on employee efficiency and support costs. In fact, the operating system is a significant consideration. Having a full Windows OS dramatically simplifies the process of integrating mobile technology with the corporate backend, resulting in substantial savings.

Another consideration is a device’s embedded features, like a barcode reader, RFID scanner, camera, wireless connectivity and GPS. All these technologies can improve communication as well as increase the accuracy and level of data that is available at any given time. Having these features integrated into a single unit eliminates the complications associated with having your workforce – and IT department – manage multiple devices.

Finally, durability plays an important role in reducing hardware failure and downtime from IT departments, and any associated costs. Mobile computers must be rugged enough to survive drops of up to six feet, dust, vibrations and extreme temperatures and weather. When purchasing a mobile computer, consider a device that is MIL-STD-810G certified and IP65 rated to ensure reliability in these harsh conditions. Also, ask manufacturers for audited failure rate data and look for devices that fail less than five percent of the time. If someone can’t, or won’t provide this information, it’s best you consider a different device.

Panasonic has a number of mobile computers that are optimized for the supply chain setting, including the Toughbook U1 rugged handheld computer, the fully-rugged Toughbook 19 convertible tablet and Toughbook H1 Field handheld tablet.