Dos and Don'ts

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Dos and Don'ts

• Mobile Solutions in the B2B Market

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Mobile Applications in the B2B Market
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Warehouse Logistics

• Mobile Warehouse Solutions
• PDA integration with barcode or RFID scanning
• Printing solutions

• Transportation Courier Services
• PDA or Fixed Mount computer, combined with Track
  Trace
• Task follow-up, link with barcode/RFID, camera
  integration, receipts

4
Field Service

• Mobile Field Service
• Device with mobile work order entry, customer /
  machine info
• On-screen signature, scanning, printing,

• Mobile Inspections
• Generic inspection forms on mobile device
• Planning, metering, fraud detection with RFID
  tags or barcodes

5
Sales Merchandising

• Mobile Sales
• Extend the mobile office with specific solutions
  for sales CRM
• Order entry, visit reporting, barcode scanning
  integration

• Merchandising Activities
• Generic survey system activity reporting
• Shop scoring, stock shelve Management, camera
  integration,

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More than just a PDA Application

• Back-End Integration
• Existing Systems
• Back-End Transparancy
• Synchronisation
• Communication Costs!
• Hardware
• Devices Options
• Barcode, RFID,
• Geographical Information Systems
• GPS Navigation Solutions
• Geographical Planning Analysis
• Track Trace
• (Reverse) GEO-coding Address Optimization
• GEO Reporting

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The Biggest Challenge Back-End Integration!
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Identification Solutions

• 1D Barcode
• Can be used to identify locations products
• Code inside barcode links to back-end database
• Limited in length
• Easy to print, high readability when damaged
• 2D Barcode
• Can contain more data (batch number, production /
  expiration date, country of origin, )
• Fault Tolerant

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Identification Solutions

• RFID
• Available in LF, HF and UHF
• Choice dependant of type of solution
• Reading distance
• Read only / WORM / Read/Write
• Extra sensors required
• Passive/Active
• Passive no power source
• Active battery included
• To provide larger reading range
• To power extra sensors (temperature, vibration,)
• To process logic on the tag
• Expensive compared to barcode choose the right
  application!

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Why use RFID ?

• Locations (ground tags)
• Intelligent tag requirements
• Must contain large amount of information
• Must contain sensors (eg. Temperature statistics)
• Must be rewritable for production/follow up
  purposes
• Environment
• When barcode is not possible (eg. Animals,
  dirt,)
• Closed vs. Open Loop
• Closed loop tags are reused
• Containers Bags
• Open loop tags are lost in the supply chain
• Tag on consumer product
• Proven ROI case

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RFID Examples
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Reference Kela Pharma
?

• Mobile CRM Environment for Pharmaceutical Company
• 20 Users
• Visit reporting, sample drop
• Visit report history
• Visit times viewing management
• Integration with Pocket Outlook Calender
• Direct link with Kela Pharma back-end using GPRS
  communication

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Reference TeleLinQ/Nextel
?

• 80 technicians
• Integrated with existing .Net based CRM system
• Mobile Work Order
• List of tasks
• Interventions posibble
• Technicians (team), tasks and materials
• On-screen signature
• On-line (GPRS) connection with application in
  mixed modus (offline possible)

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Reference Freebility Inspection System
?

• Standard Inspection Management System
• From planning to reporting
• Create inspection surveys (PC application)
• Plan inspection rounds
• Execute inspections on the field
• Collect answers
• Reporting to any format
• Integrated with barcode and RFID scanning

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Reference UPC Belgium
?

• 45 Field Engineers on the road
• Installation Intervention of cable TV, Internet
  and Pay TV
• Work Order receival processing
• Local data stored in XML format
• Integration using XML Web Services, SQL Server
  and Custom Made backend
• Communication using GPRS Intranet

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Reference Ferag
?

• Field Service Team
• Time Registration on Smartphone device
• Central Planning Tool
• Drag Drop
• Outlook Calender Interface
• Central Reporting
• For Billing (report to include)
• For Management
• HTML Based

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Reference Euro-Sprinters
?

• Full Courier Registration Follow-Up System
• Semi-automatic dispatching
• Based on locations, planned activities and ETAs
• PDA application
• Receive new assignments
• Integrated navigations
• Assignment follow-up (statuses)
• Track Trace information
• On-screen signature
• Track Trace
• User location
• Planned route

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Reference Decubo
?

• Building Contractor
• Transport orders on fixed mount vehicle terminal
• Registration of
• Container drop off pick up
• Machine drop off pick up
• Waste pick-up
• GPRS communication
• GPS capture
• For use in own back-end environment
• Coaching track
• Close co-operation with Decubo ICT

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Reference Levenstond
?

• Mobile Solution for Production Warehouse
  Management System
• Complete Integrated solution
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP system
• PDA Scanning devices
• Printing of labels for pallets packaging
• Integrated Electronic Balance (Weight of fish)
• Wireless LAN and FTP communication
• Interactive Intuitive
• Printing of labels initiated from the PDA in
  real-time
• Production follow-up on PDA integrated with
  electronic balance
• Complete functionality
• Incoming, Move, Production, Outgoing

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Reference Ernst Young
?

• RFID based archiving retrieval system
• Labeling of paper files
• RFID per paper file
• Barcode per box
• RFID barcode label printing
• Browser based application
• Register new paper file for archive
• Retrieval of paper file in archive
• PDA with UHF RFID reader barcode reader
• Archive Management
• Find a Paper File

21
Reference Evonik Degussa
?

• RFID based tracking of train carriages and
  containers
• Incoming/Outgoing traffic
• Fixed RFID tags on own materialsRemovable
  (magnet) on foreign materials
• Follow-up of locations
• Carriages (bulk)
• Containers
• Unloading, Moving, Loading
• Integration with ShiftBook
• Oracle based solution
• Generic form system

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Reference Cura Mobile
?

• Standard Planning and Reporting Application for
  domicile nurses
• Integrated with Cura product
• Check and change planning in the field
• Request patient info and visit history
• Enter actions performed (planned and additional)
• eID and SIScard Integration
• For reading of patient/user identification

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Dos and Don'ts

• Mobile development with Microsoft Technology

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Choose your OS

• Windows Mobile

• Windows CE

• Own Application on top of
• Runs on all WM powered devices
• Additional managed code (cradled, power status,
  ...)
• Shell applications (office mobile, ...)

• Modular operating system
• milking machines, sewing machines, industrial
  robots,
• Windows mobile developers

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Full vs Compact Framework be aware of
restrictions

• The .NET Compact Framework is a subset of the
  full .NET Framework. It implements approximately
  30 percent of the full .NET Framework class
  library and also contains features and classes
  that are specific to mobile and embedded
  development.
• Screen dimensions limited
• Dimension of controls ? stick vs gloves
• Structure screenflow
• Numbering screens devide functionality into
  chapters

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Full vs Compact Framework be aware of
restrictions

• Processor speed
• Response time interface (eg. sales app)
• Storage capability
• SD card
• Flash
• Battery life
• GPRS radio, Bluetooth radio, WLAN radio
• RFID reader
• Barcode scanner

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A word on RFID readers ...

• Advantages
• Eliminate searching
• Find what you want in a split second
• Avoid mistakes
• Detect your tag within long range

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A word on RFID readers ...

• Be aware of
• Device (type) dependency
• Different SDK
• Different methods or SDKs depending on frequency
  high frequency, ultra high frequency
• Not all manufacturers have good documentation.
  (Reverse engineering sometimes needed)
• Activate and deactivate scanner on one control
  ore on multiple controls
• Battery consuming

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Data Storage

• Do use Database

• Do use XML

• Large data amount
• Search capabilities
• Complex querying

• When Database licencing becomes a great cost (eg
  Deployment on 200 devices)
• Object serialization
• Sync of data objects
• Saving and maintaining a complete set of data
  without overhead

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Data Synchronization

• Activesync via cradle (desktop passthrough)
• Without partnership
• Use of host connections (LAN, WLAN, ...)
• Access to device filesystem using PCs file
  explorer
• With partnership (extra)
• Synchronizing outlook mail, messages, ...
• Image of my documents folder (automatic transfer)
• Transfer data without using FTP, HTTP, ...

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Data synchronization

• LAN, WLAN, GPRS/UMTS
• LAN via cradle or activesync connection
• Fast, secure, cheap (large amount of data eg.
  Product list)
• Not that mobile ...
• WLAN via activesync or PDA WLAN radio
• Fast, secure, cheap
• Mobile whithin certain range (warehouse, ... Eg.
  Order picking)
• GPRS/UMTS via build in radio (or plugged in)
• Slower, can be secure (APN), more expensive
• Very mobile

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Networking considerations - GPRS

• Availability intermittent
• persist data before sending
• Monitoring GPRS radio (device dependant). Keep it
  running !
• Costs based on volume
• compression, initiate sync by user
• Security
• APN, HTTPS, encoding
• Changing IP-adres (push)
• Hey, im still alive from device to server

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Security considerations

• Storing credentials/data on device
• Init file, XML file
• Database if any (encrypted)
• Auto delete (push command, ...)
• Securing network connections
• Validating user input (does it have to be
  mentioned ?)
• Access to the device (kiosk mode)
• Signing applications

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Threading User interface responsiveness

• When ?
• Sending receiving data
• Transactional data (placed order, ...)
• Keep alives
• Status updates (task started, ...)
• GPS coordinates
• Listener to push messages
• Lock your methods !

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Questions ?

• johan.huygh_at_freebility.be
• patrick.dekoninck_at_freebility.be