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This is the 2nd article in a series on using Mobile computing. There are many considerations for firms to consider when building mobile and wireless-internet based systems. It is a complicated topic and involves ego’s, hardware, software, networks, processes and most importantly making profit !
Topics to be covered:
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1.
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Processes and methodologies to follow
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2.
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Vertical markets where wireless and mobile is driving profit
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3.
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Hardware, devices and selection criteria firms need to use
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4.
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Software, applications and selection criteria firms need to use
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5.
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ROI models
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6.
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Real World examples and Case Studies of Wireless architectures
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7.
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The Future of Standards, devices and networks and their impact on business productivity and processes in Canada
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1. Processes and methodologies to follow
Once I understand Wireless and Mobile computing what follows?
In the last we covered the definitions of Mobile and Wireless computing. The concepts are similar but not the same, and the architectures for both are in some ways quite different as are the choices for hardware, software, and networks.
In business you always want to map technology onto your real, true business process. A mobile or wireless solution will change just about everything in your company. It will alter your processes, the way your people use data, your reporting, the type of data analysis you will perform and the information which is available on your clients and on your business process.
As we discussed in the last article the steps involved in evaluating and then seriously piloting and deploying a mobile system would be the following:
Phase One
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1.
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Understand what is Mobile and Wireless computing
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2.
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Understand your own business processes and if Mobile computing can play a role
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3.
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What is the competition doing ?
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If you ‘pass’ this phase and decide that yes Mobile computing can offer me something than you would proceed to a more in depth analysis.
There are some key ideas in ‘Phase 2’ that business managers need to consider.
Pase Two
1. Creating the business case for the system
The point of the system is to make ROI as quickly as possible. Ask yourself what 2 or 3 issues do I need to resolve to make more profit ? How can I streamline, reduce or develop more cost effective business processes to support my revenue and profit targets ? The Business Case must be built on a hard ROI not soft fluffy concepts like ‘I save 10 minutes per day’.
A hard ROI includes such benefits as:
 More product delivered and sold- More product turnover in the warehouse
- Less inventory being carried or scrapped
- Increased channel or end user penetration
- Better and faster client support
- Reduction in staff
- Reduction in paper
- Reduction in errors processing orders
- Quicker invoicing and cash collection
- Better view of what inventory can be sold and when
- Better view of delivery times and in process orders
A hard ROI also includes such costs as:
- Hardware, network, server purchases or upgrades
- Software application development or purchase
- End user and management training
- Management and IT time
- Network connection costs
When building the ROI the Business Manager needs to have an idea of:
- # of End users
- Amount of IT resources needed
- Type of hardware or software they are looking
to purchase
When building the Business Case the IT staff must be taken into confidence and be asked to help build the benefits and cost calculations. If the IT staff do-not have the requisite skills an outside party can usually complete such a study relatively quickly. As well some firms already possess an ROI model that walks management through the Business Case justification process. IT input is critical to cost out device, network, software and other costs.
2. Understanding the Requirements
By ‘Requirements’ we mean business requirements. This is where the Business Manager clearly lists the business expectations and system functionality to the IT staff. The steps to do this would include the following;
All stakeholders must be involved. You need to identify what they want the system to do for them as stakeholders: Management, Finance, Sales, Marketing, Admin and Clients are key stakeholders that need involvement. You must be very precise about the target application of the system and very clear about what it is to do, and what problems it solves. Create a ‘Stakeholder’ team. Get people’s input on the key functional aspects the system must deliver. Stakeholders need to tell you not only what they want the software application to do but how they want to use it. This would include using the system through Desktops, Laptops, the Internet, large or small Hand Held Device, Cell phone, RIM, Pager, Palm, etc. Outline the business constraints that would affect the development of the system. This would include: speed [how fast does it need to respond to end user demands], ease of use, stylus vs. input fields vs. scrolling through data, messaging features [to and from head office], Internet reporting, Internet input/output and query, Device input/output and query and real vs. batch time for data transfer.
These concepts form the basis of the ‘System Design Document’. The System Design document is the foundation for the technical aspects of system design, build, deployment and usage. In the next article we will look at how to build the System Design and the rest of the process involved in building a distributed mobile and wireless system:
3. Creating and selecting the architecture
4. Communicating the architecture
5. Analyzing the architecture
6. Implementing the system
7. Ensuring implementation conforms to the architecture
Craig Read
Craig is a director of IT at a Toronto based mobile and wireless firm. Craig also founded the Toronto Wireless User Group which now has well over a hundred members www.torwug.org He can be reached at
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