Category Archive: iPad

Nordstrom & Home Depot See Sales Boost from Mobile POS – So What?

Posted on April 10, 2012 in: Andriod, Business, Enterprise Mobility, Field Service, iPad, Mobile Apps, Mobile Devices, Mobile POS, Mobile Work Orders, Route Management, Tablet PC|Post Comment

Forbes has a great article about how Nordstrom and Home Depot have adopted mobile POS devices enabling employees to check out customers anywhere in the store. Employees at Apple’s retail stores have been armed with mobile iTouch devices for several years that enable employees to scan a barcode and check out a customer immediately.  Companies like Nordstrom and Home Depot are seeing increased sales because they can expedite purchases as the customer is trying on clothes, makeup, cordless drills or circular saws. No more waiting in line “thinking” about your purchase. Using Mobile POS employees can capture the buying moment and reap the benefits for the retailers.

Some interesting tidbits

  • Nordstrom’s first quarter sales increased 15.3% since implementing Mobile POS devices.
  • The average number of items sold per sale increased
  • The average sales price per sale increased

We are seeing similar trends in the adoption of mobile work order systems like ZenTouch in the service Industry.

Driving service business with mobile work orders

With a mobile work order system on an iPhone, Android or Rugged PDA service technicians have full access to services, parts and prices to quickly create an estimate or service ticket for a customer. One customer reported he has seen a 17% increase in service techs availability to take additional service calls just by implementing a mobile work order system. Spread that across 8 technicians – that’s a big impact on our business.

Another customer reports, “Customers seem to trust a digital system that breaks down costs for services and parts rather than watching me rifle through a stack of papers. I can present a complete service ticket, review the recommended services, add or delete items and allow them to approve service immediately.” In the event a customer decides to wait to initiate a service call to talk with their wife/husband, review finances, check their calendar, etc. a technician or estimator can save the estimate and schedule a call back with the customer. Now all estimates and work orders are accessible via a mobile device with a simple search.  Technicians can access past estimates and immediately revisit the estimate, email it to the customer or convert it to a work order on the spot.

Clearly efficiency gains are being recognized on both ends of the spectrum by implementing Mobile POS or Mobile Work Order Systems.  These efficiencies are enabling retailers like Nordstrom and Home Depot to drive business at the point of interaction.  Service industry leaders are experiencing identical results.  By improving the customer experience the decision to buy is expedited and mobile enabled businesses are reaping the benefits.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc
LinkedIn Profile 
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Zenware is a Boise Idaho based company that specializes In custom mobile software development, custom iOS development, custom Android development, ipad software development, iphone software development, custom web development, web hosting and Saas based work order management software.


Clipboard to iPad – Why it’s an easy transition.

Posted on March 19, 2012 in: Business, Enterprise Mobility, Field Service, iPad, Mobile Apps, Mobile Work Orders, Tablet PC, ZenTouch|Post Comment

Clipboard similarities to the iPad are facilitating user adoption

For the past couple of months I have demonstrated ZenTouch to service professionals from a myriad of industries; electricians, installers, auto dent repairers, carpet cleaners, plumbers and others.  I have found some trends that are enlightening, but today I wanted to focus on one – the adoption of the iPad especially in light of the launch of iPad 3 yesterday

This actually surprised me as I suspected many of the attendees would prefer the Android, iPhone or Rugged PDA form factor. This unexpected decision trend caused me to wonder, “Why is the iPad form factor so much more popular?”

Yes, it’s easy to say people like having more screen real estate but there has to be a more compelling driver. Then it hit me, no matter the service industry from physicians to service techs everyone uses a clipboard.

We are so in-grained with collecting and annotating data using a clipboard that the physical similarities of the iPad or Android to a clipboard make it easy, even comfortable, to pick up an iPad and go to work.

The clipboard form factor is so  universal that transitioning to an iPad is a natural.  Plus, when you consider how “flipping” through pages using a finger swipe parallels flipping through pages on a clipboard the physical metaphor is further enhanced.

The adoption of the Android tablet has been far less significant. I think part of the Android’s adoption troubles it is both too big and to0 small at the same time.  It doesn’t really fit the clipboard metaphor that has made the iPad an easier transition for all business and service sectors. But I digress.

Let’s look at a two industry sectors

Physicians/Dentist

Think of the last time you went to the doctor, dentist or other care-giver, they handed you a clipboard with a number of forms to fill out. That same medical form on iPad is just as easy if not easier.  I recently visited with a physical therapist who is looking to pre-load a patient’s information on an iPad form. The front desk attendant can hand the iPad to the patient who then quickly verifies or updates previous medical information.

Previously doctors accessed paper medical records on a clipboard rifling through a stack of papers. Now, using an iPad, not only can they access a patient’s record they can review historical trends, drill into past treatments,  compare and evaluate current conditions to provide medical treatment based on real-time data and historical data. The medical records become a living document updated each time a patient receives treatment.

New advances are also making the communication with the physician and patient easier. Physicians can display a patients x-rays, pull up anatomical diagrams to explain medical conditions, and more. There are some amazing medical iPad apps on the market. Here is an example:

The power this gives to the physician and patient is amazing.

Service Technicians

ZenTouch work orders on an iPad

Service technicians ranging from HVAC Techs, Plumbers to Auto Dent Repairs all carry a clipboard. Tasks range from looking up part numbers, checking off service items, filling out the work order, collecting payment information and getting final sign off.

Now with systems like ZenTouch, a cloud base mobile work order system by Zenware, service techs are using their iPad “clipboard” to create estimates, process assigned work orders, add parts and services on the fly, access customer information, review previous service work, manage service crews and have information sync directly into QuickBooks.

The clipboard form factor is so  universal that transitioning to an iPad or Android Tablet is a natural transition. Especially if you can couple the familiarity of a clipboard style device with intelligent business, medical or service apps that drive business, significantly improves processes and provide better service to your customers.

Here are a few areas that smart iPad Apps like ZenTouch are improving service business processes

  • Easy and immediate access to prior service information
  • Integrated service or pricing lists allow the technician to focus on service instead of pricing
  • Immediate invoice for faster collections
  • Proof of work
  • Create, schedule and dispatch future service tickets right in the field
  • Reduce and even eliminate human errors with automated business process
  • Avoid handwriting and note translation errors
  • Compute service work totals automatically
  • Collect and record payments at the time of service

Services industries from all sectors are rapidly adopting enterprise mobile solutions.  I see a significantly higher move towards the iPad as the device form factor of choice.  Doug Drink Water in his recent blog “The 8 industries and professions most rapidly impacted by tablets” highlights the impact tablets of various service industries. Notice that all of these industries historically collected data on a clipboard.

Enterprise mobility is impacting all business sectors. Question is, are you still clinging to that old clipboard and business processes or leading the pack with a simple transition?

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc
LinkedIn Profile 
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Zenware is a Boise Idaho based company that specializes In custom mobile software development, custom iOS development, custom Android development, ipad software development, iphone software development, custom web development, web hosting and Saas based work order management software.

 

HTML 5 Apps – Breaking mobile barriers

Posted on December 16, 2011 in: HTML5, iPad, Mobile Apps, Mobile Development|Post Comment

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, worldwide HTML5 phone sales will surge from 336 million units in 2011 to 1 billion units in 2013.
View the Strategy Analytics article

HTML 5 app to track natural gas inspections

HTML 5 app to track natural gas inspections

HTML5 has quickly become a high-growth technology that our team has incorporated to develop rich mobile apps that extend across smartphone, tablets, laptops and standard desktops. We are finding that more and more of our customers are looking to build robust mobile  applications that work on all mobile platforms.

Mobile web apps developed with HTML5 have enabled us to breach the barriers associated with native apps while creating a phenomenal app experience. We see a significant trend in this direction. While we develop native mobile applications, many of the apps we have developed for our customers are actually a hybrid of native and HTML5. This combination enable us to leverage key device components where required as HTML5 continues to evolve.  FindThingsFast and MyPumpJack are great example of the combination of native and HTML5.

While HTML5 is still evolving it definitely demonstrates where the mobile app market, enterprise mobility and technology are heading. We are working directly with our customers to determine the right mobile technology for our customers. We are looking forward to launching a number of native, HTML5 and our own cloud solution over the next two months.

If you’d like to see the power of native and HTML5 mobile apps give our team a call for a personal demonstration.

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Jody Sedrick – Zenware
Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc
LinkedIn Profile 

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