FAQ's
Questions
- On what criteria should I base my selection of a mobile development platform?
- What productivity gains can I expect from automating my workflow management?
- How quickly can I expect to see a return on my investment and what benefits will I likely gain?
- I've heard about implementations of thin and thick clients. What are these?
- What is the best device to use?
- Do all my users have to be wireless? Also, what is the definition of working offline?
- What about battery life?
- What is the biggest concern my peers have about implementing mobile technology?
- Can I create a single mobile application from two different enterprise systems?
- How difficult is it to maintain mobile applications built on Agentry? What about changes to the backend system?
Answers
1) On what criteria should I base my selection of a mobile development platform?
Mobile development platforms will differ on the tools they provide a developer; however there is a standard set of criteria any mobile platform provider should be able to deliver. Some of these elements include:
- A strong mobile architecture and development tools that can extend key functions and multiple backend applications to mobile quickly, in weeks rather than months.
- The ability to develop once and have the mobile application supported on a variety of handheld devices, so an organization is never tied to just one device type or technology.
- Technology that is proven in the real world and has been rapidly deployed.
- Solutions that are easy to use and can be readily adopted by both executives and non-professional workers.
- Technology that works in and out of wireless coverage and supports the latest advances such as RFID, GPS/GIS and digital cameras.
- Solutions that have helped other companies gain a substantial and sustained return on investment.
Syclo's Agentry mobile development platform, at work for hundreds of organizations, meets all of those criteria.
2) What productivity gains can I expect from automating my workflow management?
Two ways to examine gains, first the time once spent on paperwork becomes more completed work. Secondly, with more pertinent data in had at the point of performance, workforces perform at a higher competency rate. Look for improved first-time fix rates, customer service improvements and even more closed sales.
After five years of using a mobile solution built upon Agentry, skilled technicians at Rush Medical Center in Chicago have raised productivity by 25 percent--the equivalent of 89 technicians doing the work of 112. Other organizations record savings of 40 minutes-plus per worker on each shift.
3) How quickly can I expect to see a return on my investment and what benefits will I likely gain?
When using Agentry for workflow automation, the return is rapid and substantial--often within four to six months. At Hewlett-Packard's Corvallis, Ore., inkjet facility, productivity gains translated into the equivalent of adding five tradesmen to a team of 15. Mobile professionals, with access to data for sales or account management functions, can see returns almost immediately by closing a sale or delivering enhanced services.
4) I've heard about implementations of thin and thick clients. What are these?
This is a matter of what is best for your operation. A thin client is best when primarily displaying static information already available through a Web site or other source that can be easily converted. A thick client is best when interacting with enterprise applications and performing transactions that require business-rule enforcement and other types of computing performed in the handheld device.
Relying on a wireless data connection can be tricky as coverage varies. Without data residing on the mobile device, many of the benefits of mobile can be lost. In most instances, enterprise users are better suited to the thick-client model, but there are occasions where thin-client computing will serve an organization's needs. Agentry supports both models to ensure the best user experience in any situation.
5) What is the best device to use?
Different devices work best in different environments, i.e. ruggedized handhelds work well in harsh settings or lightweight palmtop devices best serve account reps always on the go. Technicians or inventory managers dealing with hundreds or thousands of different assets on a daily basis may require a device with barcode scanner, while sales managers may need a device with a keyboard to quickly and easily update customer and account details. Agentry supports a broad range of devices to ensure that any organization can deploy its mobile application on any type of mobile devices.
6) Do all my users have to be wireless? Also, what is the definition of working offline?
No! In many cases, sparse or non-existent wireless coverage would inhibit the productivity of mobile workers who rely on being always connected. This is why Agentry supports store and forward wireless (send and receive updates when returning to coverage areas) and network docking cradle communications, to ensure that users can be productive regardless of coverage.
Working offline refers to the ability to continue to access and update a limited set of data or forms that are stored or residing on a device even without a wireless connection. The user than has the ability to continue working as needed and can upload changes either by docking the device or connecting wirelessly. Many organizations choose to have their employees work offline and only connect wirelessly after key data is entered, in order to reduce the cost of wireless connectivity charges and save battery time.
Many of the battery life issues have been addressed by the device makers. But, the use of a wireless modem will jeopardize an eight-hour PDA battery life. With Agentry, the ability to work offline lets users conserve battery life to last for the whole shift!
8) What is the biggest concern my peers have about implementing mobile technology?
Dollars! According to a recent survey of CIO's and VPs of IT, costs associated with enterprise-wide deployment ranked as the #1 concern. Solutions built on Agentry deliver immediate savings from the combination of pre-integrated products, rapid development time, lower application maintenance costs and substantial productivity gains. Also, because the Agentry platform consists of a solid mobile architecture, any custom application is already 80 percent built, helping to eliminate the risk involved with development projects, and lowering overall costs.
9) Can I create a single mobile application from two different enterprise systems?
Yes. Solutions built on Agentry can interface with multiple backend systems are integrated at the front-end to create a single mobile application drawing from different data sources. While a number of backend connectors will be needed to extract data from multiple sources, Agentry makes it simple to design, deploy and manage the new, single mobile application seamlessly presented to the end user.
10) How difficult is it to maintain mobile applications built on Agentry? What about changes to the backend system?
Syclo designed its software to allow administrators to easily add enhanced application functionality using the Agentry Editor, which allows for critical updates to be seamlessly implemented. Agentry also has a unique systems management approach, allowing administrators to use an automatic tool to manage the distribution of software updates, system and business rule changes to end users without having to collect devices and manually reload the entire application.