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.

Before the mobile technology, caseworkers had no access to email and were forced to drive back into the office to utilize a shared computer. Since many days are often spent waiting in courtrooms and pediatricians’ offices, sometimes caseworkers wouldn’t know about an appointment change until it was too late. When CIO for Our Kids, Pat Smith, followed the caseworkers to see how they managed their job, she found cars full of forms, folders and disposable cameras. In this Mobile Enterprise story, Smith said, “Caseworkers reminded me of insurance salesmen in the 1950s.”

As a result, Our Kids’ 250 caseworkers were equipped with lightweight, business-rugged Panasonic Toughbook W-series laptops and smartphones with cameras and GPS. Our Kids ensured that the notebooks and phones were very secure to protect children’s safety and privacy; they are all encrypted and can be remotely disabled. The Toughbook computers are equipped with Absolute Software’s Computrace LoJack, so they can be found if lost or stolen and data can be remotely deleted.

This solution, known as OK Connect, allows caseworkers 24/7 remote access to the Florida State Families Network and the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System. Every 30 days, pictures of the children are geo-tagged, time-stamped and remotely updated to the state’s system. The State of Florida is now able to ensure when and where the child was last seen.

Our Kids’ next goal is to begin the implementation of automated forms, such as home visit and judicial review forms, and inspire other agencies to take advantage of mobile technology. Since this test program was such a success, in July 2009, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced that $6.3 million dollars will be spent to roll out the technology to other caseworkers throughout the state. 

Make no mistake: IT has a wide array of issues and challenges to contend with when it comes to keeping its organizations productive and safe with minimal technology downtime. However, how many times have you heard someone say they felt strangled by the technology noose around their neck? Gary Hemel of the Wall Street Journal Management 2.0 blog published an interesting post on the topic last November that posed the critical question: “Do IT staffers really believe that conscientious, committed employees turn into crazed, malicious hackers when you give them a bit of freedom over their IT environment?”

This question surfaced again earlier this month after we came across Jennifer Bélissent’s post that discussed her enthusiasm and excitement over her brand new Toughbook laptop though she hasn’t yet been allowed to use it to its fullest.  It’s a great example of a credible user (Jennifer is a respected analyst with Forrester Research) who is patiently waiting for IT to flip the switch.

Organizations are finding that when people are given technology that is purpose-built for their jobs, they’re better able to perform those jobs. PCSC president, Rance Poehler recently addressed this topic, as well as the need for more flexibility in device selection, as a means to drive real efficiencies and cost savings within organizations.

A recent IDC Worldwide Mobile Worker Population Forecast found that nearly 75 percent of the U.S. workforce will perform jobs outside the traditional office space by the end of 2011. What’s more, there are a growing number of organizations allowing employees to use their own personal notebooks. A recent survey from Gartner cited that 43 percent of respondents have specific policies that allow the use of employee-owned devices. With the majority of our workforce being mobile and many of them using their own personal equipment, IT professionals will necessarily move away from strict standardization and towards an era where device selection is tied to the workflow, needs and environments of their end users.

The shift away from a sole-sourced corporate standard is already happening. We applaud those organizations that are helping to change that mindset.

The study found that nearly one-third of all laptops will fail within three years of purchase.  As found in the PCMag.com study, HP, Dell and Lenovo all had high failure rates, with HP having the highest rates of all nine manufacturers included in the study. Netbooks have the worst failure rate out of all notebook types, with an approximately 20 percent higher failure rate than more expensive laptops.

It’s understandable that, with the current economic environment, small business owners are looking to tighten their budgets in all aspects of business – IT included. Because they are considered mobile and inexpensive, some buyers see netbooks as an attractive option. Buying a $400 netbook might seem like a good idea when considering alternatives that are more expensive; however, it’s a short term fix that has significant impact on total cost of ownership. With such high failure rates on netbooks, it is reasonable to assume that near-term replacement, and the high cost associated with it, is inevitable.

Moreover, BusinessWeek columnist and Marks Group owner Gene Marks in his recent article described netbooks as being “too small, lack[ing] power” and a solution that makes “little sense for small business owners.” For these and other reasons, the expectations users hold for netbooks are shifting from that of a new primary computing form factor to being an auxiliary machine suitable for limited usage scenarios.

Figuring out the total life cycle cost of technology is vital for all organizations.  For small businesses, this does not only mean dollars spent or lost, but also the opportunity costs of technology failures.  In an era when we’re all being asked to do more with less, it’s time to throw the (net)book at these unacceptably high failure rates and demand more reliable technology.

Weighing these studies and determining the true costs of downtime can help clarify what the “reliability factor” means to you.  Do you know what your failure rates are? Have you tried to replace your laptop fleet with netbooks? Please share your experiences with us.

It’s great to know that house calls, a healthcare service reminiscent of the 1950’s, is coming back to practice. Doctors agree that seeing people in their environment allows them to get a better grasp of what their lives are like; and therefore, can assess their progress more accurately.

Whether it’s an increase in the number of mobile healthcare workers or clinicians working in multiple facilities, the healthcare industry is becoming increasingly mobile. And technology is the driving force that is letting this happen. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, advancements in portable medical devices, information technology, point-of-service laboratory tests, and handheld computers all have attributed to the comeback of home health visits.

Mobile technology provides clinicians with the gift of flexibility and versatility, allowing them to be freed from their traditional environments and into real-world clinical settings without compromising access to critical patient information at the point of care. From a patient perspective, mobile technology is providing them with greater independence and quality of life. Patients such as the elderly and the chronically ill, for example, who are too sick to leave their homes and disabled can be easily monitored and cared for from the comfort of their own environment.

Clinicians have been adopting mobile technology solutions in their practice for decades, but they’ve had their clear limitations. The COW (computer on wheels) was introduced as a way for clinicians to bring computers closer to the bedside, but its size actually hindered mobility and cluttered hallways. Business-centric laptops were also introduced, but clinicians soon realized that they were a unique breed of user and needed a technology solution that was better suited for healthcare applications. Also, tablet computers were widely adopted but users found that they weren’t very comfortable to hold, lacked durability and had an unsatisfactory battery life.

So what are the elements that clinicians and healthcare facilities should look for when equipping highly mobile professionals?

• Mobile, durable, and rugged computing devices – The mobile technology solution must be able to withstand the drops, spills and blows associated with being a mobile worker. Whether it’s a home care nurse leaving the laptop in a sweltering car or a doctor dropping the device when traveling to and from a patient’s home, the mobile technology solution must be able to keep up with the demands of the application.
• An ergonomic and light-weight design – If mobile healthcare workers are expected to rely on mobile technology, the device should be comfortable to hold, light-weight and have a portable design. Otherwise, it will become a nuisance and hinder the efficiency of day to day clinical activities.
• Advanced wireless technology – Advancements in wireless technology has enhanced mobility in both facilities and in-home environments. Especially, in the area of embedded wireless wide-area networking (WWAN) as they offer healthcare workers new and higher levels of functionality and flexibility.
• Long battery life – Not only must the mobile technology solution have a long battery life, it must also be appropriate for the healthcare industry. A device with a typical four-hour battery life is inadequate in mobile healthcare applications where clinicians work long hours often away from plugs and power sources.

Those in the healthcare industry should take a moment to understand the powers of information technology, and the benefits it provides to clinical workload, business and most importantly patient safety. The healthcare market is experiencing major challenges right now, including nursing shortages, an aging workforce, greater demand for healthcare services, to name a few, and the fact that technology advancements are able to initiate a shift in the way healthcare is being delivered, in an effort to better serve patients, is remarkable.

In a sense, technology is bringing back clinicians to their roots – patient care. Home doctor’s visits, a thing of the past and the epitome of patient care, can be reinstated thanks to the advancements in today’s technology.