mobility trends in field service –

Mobility Trends in Field Service – Empowering your field workforce to

deliver better, faster service

Joe Spahn, Distribution & International Sales

About us:

Brother Mobile Solutions▪ A subsidiary of Brother International

– a $5.4 billion worldwide companyAward-winning printers and AIOs, and P-touch Electronic Labeling Systems

▪ Primary focus: Mobile printing and electronic labeling

▪ Key vertical markets: Field Service, Route Accounting, Public Safety, Insurance

▪ Key products:

Thermal letter/legal mobile printers

Small format, pre-sized thermal paper mobile printers

How mobile solutions are empowering field service organizations for:

▪ Improved workforce productivity

▪ Faster service resolution

▪ Reduced service-related costs

▪ Reduced errors and duplication of efforts

▪ Improved cash flow & margins

Today’s discussion …

It’s tough. And getting tougher.

Customers have an expectation of immediacy in all things …

▪ Internet/Web, PDAs, Blackberry

▪ Online ordering, payment, and express delivery

▪ No tolerance for error – or delay

▪ Business as usual doesn’t cut it

Today’s field service environment

Expect everyone to have the same urgency.

What’s the response?

They have adapted … ▪ To meet rising customer expectations

▪ To improve performance and profitability

How have they adapted? ▪ Empowering field workforces with mobility solutions

▪ Closing the loop … back office/ field

▪ Cutting paperwork, reducing workflow interruptions

▪ Streamlining processes

▪ Communicate, capture data and print in the field ▪ Improving velocity, efficiency, and accuracy in workflow

How is it going so far?

It’s paying off.

▪ According to a 2009 Aberdeen Group study of 200 service professionals:

▪ In a down economy, that’s pretty exciting

“

”

Those that are successful in extending the back-office to the field with convenient, well-integrated workflows have experienced significant 17% gains in service profitability from the deployment of mobile solutions.

Aberdeen Group reports …

Stunning differences between “Best-in-Class” (BIC) field service organizations and industry averages (IA)

Goal Industry Average (IA)

Best in Class (BIC) Difference

SLA Compliance 75% 92% 22% increase

First-time fix 61% 77% 26% increase

Workforce productivity (average work orders completed daily)

increase over the last year9% 18% 50% increase

Current service margins (profit / revenue)

16% 26% 62% increase

Mobility tools in use today

According to the 2009 Aberdeen Group study, among all respondents:

▪ Most common mobility devices: consumer-grade laptops, cell phones, smart phones and PDAs

▪ Highest projected increase in deployment:

▪ Conclusion: ▪ Smart phones, cell phones and PDAs – more penetration▪ Experience supports ruggedized laptops ▪ Mobile printers becoming more important

Device Current 2009

Estimated 2010 Difference

Smart phones 40% 46% 15% increase

Cell phones with GPS 34% 41% 26% increase

Consumer grade PDAs 25% 32% 28% increase

Ruggedized laptops 16% 24% 50% increase

Mobile printers 16% 25% 56% increase

Mobile printers & “the last mile”

▪ So far, most emphasis has been on voice & electronic data in and out and closing the loop between the back office and the field.

▪ But “the last mile” involves closing the loop between the back office, the field, and now also the customer …

▪ The result has been better, faster service, higher productivity, improved customer satisfaction, and better profitability

Mobile printing & workplace efficiency

Integrating mobile printers enables remote printing of …

▪ Schedules & work orders ▪ Start work immediately,▪ Improved accuracy

▪ Change orders and estimates ▪ Cuts delays in waiting for paperwork ▪ Strike while the iron is hot

▪ Customer invoices on completion of work▪ No delay in AR cycle – saves from 3-5 days ▪ Closes the gap – performance & payment▪ Cuts costs of processing & mailing

▪ Up-sell materials ▪ Coupons, special offers, promotion details▪ Extended warranty agreements

enhanced workflow efficiency

Defining mobile printing solutions

Mobile printers differ from integrated device printers (handheld scanner/printers, etc.)

▪ Mobile printers:print from variety of field service software apps on handhelds

▪ Advantages: Ease of use and versatility – like any PC-connected printer

▪ Applications: ▪ Work orders▪ Estimates▪ Invoices▪ Delivery/collection

receipts▪ Calibration/maintenance

and other reports

Types of mobile printers

Letter/legal size “mobile” printers▪ Inkjets

▪ Variations of sheet-fed desktop inkjets

▪ Common installation: Trunk or floor mounted

▪ Advantages: Familiar technology; easy to use; color

▪ Disadvantages: Ink supplies can run out; ink can freeze; uses standard paper sizes (letter/legal/A4) only

▪ Thermal▪ Roll or sheet-fed printers

▪ Common installation: Dashboard or glove box mounted

▪ Advantages: Smaller size, easier to mount; no inks to manage – only supply is paper; printing can be almost any length

▪ Disadvantages: mono only

PocketJet3 Series Mobile Printers

PocketJet3 Plus ▪ Letter/legal size

mobile thermal printer

▪ Extremely smallabout 10 inches

▪ Extremely lightlittle more than 1lb with paper and AC adapter

▪ Versatilebattery or AC adapter powered; roll fed or sheet fed

▪ Excellent connectivityavailable with Bluetooth®, IrDA, USB

▪ Excellent compatibilityWindows®, MacOS, Linux, Symbian, Palm, PocketPC, Windows Mobile, RIM (Blackberry)

▪ High-quality outputup to 300 dpi (laser quality)

10"

1lb

More mobile printers … handhelds

Other types – handheld mobile printers (MPrint)▪ Brother MPrint MW-145BT

▪ Small-format mobile thermal printer with Bluetooth interface

▪ Advantages: True pocket size; weighs only 11 oz, with battery and paper; IrDA, USB & Bluetooth connectivity; rechargeable battery, 300 x 300 dpi mono resolution

▪ Disadvantages: Max. paper size is 4.1" x 2.9"; mono only; small size means that it can more easily be lost or misplaced

▪ Brother MPrint MW-260▪ Larger format mobile thermal printer

▪ Advantages: Prints on paper up to 5.8" x 4.1"; weighs only 1.2 lbs. with battery and paper; IrDA, USB & Bluetooth connectivity; rechargeable battery, 300 x 300 dpi mono resolution

▪ Disadvantages: You’ll need a bigger pocket

Who is using mobile printers

▪ Field service organizationsinstallation, repair, maintenance

▪ Delivery operationsroute accounting

▪ Insuranceclaims adjusters, sales

▪ Law enforcement/public safetypatrol cars, EMTs

Real world example …

Plunkett’s Pest Control, Fridley, MN

Situation:▪ Leading pest control firm serving

residential, rental, and commercial/institutional customers in eight states

▪ Legally must keep documentation on pesticides they use

▪ Leave paperwork with customers for each service

Challenge:▪ Automate paper-based processes for field service technicians▪ Eliminate hand-written paper forms and replace them with on-

demand printed forms▪ Maintain the 8.5 x 11 format for all the printed forms



Solution:▪ Solution provider Emkat, Inc. was engaged

by Plunkett’s and automated their field service business processes with:

▪ Mobile handheld computers▪ Brother PocketJet3 mobile printers

with Bluetooth® wireless technology

▪ 200+ technicians equipped with a handheld computer and PocketJet3 to print leave behinds

▪ Invoice tells where worked was performed▪ Shows material used in treatment▪ Comments for future pest prevention▪ Service order information▪ Price of the service▪ Signatures and technician information



Result:

Let the customer tell us:

“”

The PocketJet 3 printers have been a good solution for our technicians. They are able to print out invoices for our residential customers and detailed description reports for our commercial clients.

“”

Handwritten forms are a thing of the past. The same information is now being printed by all our technicians on site. Customers don’t have to wait to get invoices or other important information. All of our requirements are being met.

Becky MillerTechnical Support and Training for Plunkett’s.


Oakhurst Dairy, Portland, ME

Situation:▪ Family-owned regional dairy delivering

milk products to stores since 1921 ▪ About 100 drivers, 70 delivery routes,

printing receipts and other documents through consumer-grade handheld computers & dot-matrix printers

▪ In 2007, upgraded their IT systems, built in-house mobile route sales applications;

upgraded handheld computers and mobile printers

Challenge:▪ Needed a better, faster solution – to

withstand N.E. winters – than the dot-matrix printers

▪ Needed to maintain the 8.5 x 11 format for all the printed forms



Solution:▪ Chose the Brother PocketJet3 mobile

printers after Maine State Police demo ▪ PocketJet3’s thermal printing not

affected by extreme cold & were much faster

▪ 100 drivers equipped with a new handhelds and PocketJet3

▪ Now, each morning:▪ Mobile computer pre-loaded with route information▪ Print “pick” tickets before leaving the depot▪ At the store, pick and bar code scan the order ▪ When order’s completed, print delivery list ▪ Customers sign on computer, receipt is printed ▪ All daily data downloaded into back-end system



Result:▪ According to a published article, the

migration to the new platform and printers has saved most route drivers at least an hour a day because of the speed of the application and the speed of the printer …

In their own words:

“”

The old printers took about a minute to spit out an invoice … Invoices now print in under 10 seconds.

Paul ConnollyVP of technology services and CIO at Oakhurst

Visit us in the CodeZone to view Mobile Printer Demo!!

Ready to get started?

E-mail: [email protected] Plus MW-260

MW-145BT

mobility trends in field service –

Documents

service profitability

service professionals

mobility solutions

aberdeen group study

empowering field workforces

deployment of mobile

increaseaberdeen group

exciting6aberdeen group