Harnessing Cloud Data on Rugged Devices for Effective Mobile Resource Management
With digital access to geographic information, route maps, power grids and communication systems, enterprise workers today have more data at their fingertips than ever before. The challenge for businesses is developing strategies to best leverage the power of this information. To that end, many enterprises have begun implementing a Mobile Resource Management (MRM) strategy in order to provide mission-critical, actionable data to their mobile workforces.
Mobile Resource Management, simply put, is a way for businesses to keep track of their resources through time and space. It allows managers to track the progress of workers and equipment in the field, and assign a specific job, to a specific worker, with specific equipment, in real time. By keeping track of employees and business resources in the field, MRM users can experience immediate returns that include improved worker productivity and efficiency, faster responses to customer demands, enriched customer relationships and increased revenue.
Telogis, a California-based provider of location intelligence software, is one such company that helps businesses keep track of their mobile assets in real time. Using Telogis solutions, enterprises can get heightened visibility into their daily operations from a single powerful cloud-based platform. This includes real-time status and location of all fleet assets, commercial navigation, optimized route planning, work order management and mobile integration services.
MRM can only be effective when mobile devices are delivering accurate information at all times. Choosing the right mobile device for field workers is essential. Mobile devices with advanced integrated wireless technology, such as 4G LTE, enable the constant connectivity required by routing and fleet tracking applications. With integrated, high-speed wireless, mobile workers are able to maintain an always-on connection to power their operations remotely.
Even with advanced wireless capabilities, challenges inherent in field services—such as challenging environmental scenarios—may still prove problematic to an MRM solution. For example, in the utilities industry, a field service worker might encounter hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours while working to restore service. For oil and gas workers, exploration and facility management can include everything from dry, dusty desert-like conditions to the rough waters on the open sea. As such, companies looking to best leverage an MRM strategy should opt for ruggedized and durable hardware platforms that will remain reliable despite inclement weather and temperature conditions.
Equally as important as connectivity and durability to an MRM strategy is the security of the mobile device. Field workers in government, insurance and utilities, for example, are handling confidential records on a daily basis and how that data is accessed and transmitted is of the utmost importance. For these workers, hardware encryption for enterprise-grade security and management, FIPS level-2 compliance and authorized usage capabilities are all must-have features.
Finally, the size of the mobile device you deploy is important when considering an MRM strategy. For instance, tablet form factors with their small and slim build can help to save valuable space in transportation cabs, such as the passenger seat or dashboard, which might otherwise be used to accommodate larger devices. Where safety is concerned, some mobile devices are capable of being professionally-mounted to preserve space in the cab and provide the most secure option for an in-vehicle data-entry and access point solution.
To meet these all of these challenges, Panasonic offers Toughpad tablets and Toughbook mobile computers. The Toughpad tablets include both Android- and Windows 8 Pro-powered devices, with daylight-readable screens ranging from 7” to 10.1” in size. Toughbook mobile computers include laptops, convertible laptops, tablets and handheld devices. Both families are specifically designed for enterprise use and are capable of supporting all of the Telogis applications.
Our devices combine highly secure data and device management capabilities with seamless connectivity and enterprise-grade technology, giving mobile workers the integrated features and options required to find answers and make decisions no matter the situation or environment. The combination of the Telogis platform and Panasonic’s families of Toughbook mobile computers and Toughpad tablets provide customers with a smarter, more efficient way to manage their mobile resources and best leverage critical data to make optimized business decisions.
