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Handheld PCs have emerged as a valuable
tool for mobile data collection and productivity. However,
lengthy development cycles have prevented many ideas for
applications from reaching fruition. Potential entrepreneurs
are frequently not professional programmers, but specialists
in a particular field who recognize an opportunity and would
like to take advantage of it. Fortunately software tools
are available that enable even non-programmers to develop
extremely useful handheld applications - and make a good
income as a result.
A good example can be seen in Technician
Assistant, a call tracking application for use by system
administrators, PC technicians, and other technical support
personnel. Running on Windows CE and Pocket PC handhelds,
the application provides a convenient and efficient way
to capture and organize information related to service calls.
Users include IT support staff as well as independent consultants.
Technician Assistant was created by
Jeff Swope, founder and president of InterPlant
Software (interplant.wdnetwork.com). With an extensive
background as a system administrator, Swope knew that most
field technicians had no effective method for keeping track
of their service activities, typically relying on scribbled
notes in a binder notebook or on yellow "stickies."
This was not the most ideal way to keep track of a service
history, and would lead to problems and confusion when troubleshooting
a device six months down the road.
Rapid Development Environment
Swope created Technician Assistant
using Visual CE, an application development productivity
tool that allows even non-programmers to create highly functional
applications. Visual CE is available from SYWARE
(www.syware.com) and supports both Pocket PCs and Windows
CE devices.
"The rapid development ability
got my attention," he explains. "I'm operating
with just a few other people, and we need to be able to
do things quickly. Starting from scratch is counterproductive
- with Visual CE much of the work was already done."
Swope created Technician Assistant in less than one month.
Without Visual CE, he estimates that it would have taken
6 months to a year to build the application from the ground
up.
Visual CE's drag & drop interface
also enables Swope to quickly customize the application
for major clients. For example, a company from New Zealand
requested a custom package for their technicians who support
computerized machines that generate tickets in parking garages.
Site names, equipment classifications, and all other types
of information were customized for equipment found in New
Zealand parking garages.
Mobile Efficiency
Technician Assistant functions as an
electronic clipboard that allows PC technicians and system
administrators to collect, store, and print any information
while on call. The application can be used in any industry
- hospital, auto plants, factories, offices - wherever there
is computer equipment that needs to be maintained. It provides
an efficient and methodical approach for collecting all
relevant data, including client contact information, equipment
type, serial and model numbers, parts needed, problem description,
work performed, and additional notes.
Drop-down lists and windows that open
within a screen allow users to easily record and access
detailed information, even from a palm-sized form. The drop-down
lists allow the technician to select pre-defined vendor
names, operating systems, and other information about the
devices they are likely to encounter. For example, to specify
a PC manufacturer, a window opens to list major suppliers
including Compaq, Dell, Gateway, IBM, and Everex. A similar
window lists major operating systems. If the desired name
is not found, the technician can simply add it to the list.
Time billing is another useful feature.
When a consultant goes on a call, he can tap a time stamp
button with his stylus to start the clock, then tap the
button again when he's done to stop the clock. The hourly
rate is entered in advance, so at the end of the call, the
application calculates exactly what the customer owes.
The data collection capabilities pay
off during troubleshooting. If the technician gets a call
on the same piece of equipment six months later, he can
search on the serial number or other criteria and get a
history of service calls and work performed. This ability
to review the history of service activity on a piece of
equipment or software saves time, eliminates guesswork,
and improves efficiency.
A version geared to network administrators
provides the ability to record and track details about network
equipment such as routers, switches, hubs, and bridges.
All popular elements for each network device are pre-defined
in drop-down menus. For example, the router menu lists Cisco,
3-Com, and Lucent, among others. In addition, technicians
can use the application to dynamically generate IP addresses
from a database of available addresses, rather than run
the risk of assigning duplicate or incorrect addresses.
Technician Assistant can interact with
any ODBC compliant database such as Oracle, SQL, or Microsoft
Access, allowing easy integration with back end systems.
For example, integration with a company's service help desk
could provide a collaborative solution for use by all field
technicians. Predefined error conditions such as "System
Disk Error" or "Won't Power Up" that are
reported to the help desk could be uploaded to the handheld
along with client contact information. After the technician
completes his work, service records and field notes could
then be transferred back to the Help Desk system. If another
technician makes a repeat visit, he can upload a complete
record of all prior service activity.
Wireless, Interactive Server Access
New versions of Technician Assistant
will support SYWARE's Visual CE with mEnable a product that
provides handheld users with wireless, interactive access
to "live" server data. The mEnable wireless data
architecture allows any Visual CE application to wirelessly
read from or write to any ODBC-enabled data source. For
technicians and their companies, this will provide the best
of both worlds: pocket-sized computing power with immediate
access to corporate databases.
In a service environment, SYWARE's mEnable
wireless technology creates new opportunities for dramatically
improved efficiency. For example, work orders can be issued
automatically at the moment that the help desk logs the
call. Service information captured on the handheld can be
uploaded back to the server in real time - a particularly
useful feature when parts are needed in a hurry. Visual
CE with mEnable provides drag & drop ease of use that
allows entrepreneurs like Swope to easily extend their handheld
applications with wireless functionality. The software uses
the TCP/IP protocol to communicate over LAN, WAN, or Internet
connections through standard wireless network adapter cards
that install into the handheld unit.
Universal Data Collection Tool
Technician Assistant is now available
through several major PDA web sites in the U.S. as well
as Korean based Pietek, Inc. A demo version on CD-ROM will
also be released by leading software supplier Data Becker
Corp. of Germany for expected distribution in Europe, the
U.S., Canada, and Japan.
Swope is currently exploring opportunities
where Visual CE can be used to build applications that consolidate
information in many different areas, including healthcare,
inventory management, auto sales, and real estate - "anywhere
people keep notes in ten different places, and then misplace
them."