Anybody who’s been in the workforce for a couple years has gone through company-instituted experiments with applications that claim to make people’s jobs easier. Whether it’s computer software, cloud-based networks, mobile sales apps, or something else.

Success rates for these applications are usually mixed, right? Managers love them but can’t get employees to use them correctly; they solve a reporting problem but create an invoicing problem; they save time, but they’re tedious to use, or the time they save isn’t worth the original cost.

A solution that only solves part of a problem isn’t a solution. There are time-saving, cost-saving, go-getting applications that live up to expectations – or exceed them, even.

Custom Operational Solutions

More often than not, winning applications don’t come pre-packaged. In other words, they’re customized, at least on some level. Custom operational apps are the difference between the doctor who writes the same three prescriptions for every patient, and the doctor who listens closely to every patient and tailors prescriptions, doses and holistic advice to the individual. Which one has happier, healthier patients?

Let’s take a look at a very few of the ways that great mobile applications are changing the way businesses do business.

Better Day to Day Operations:

• Workflow Improvement – Reduce errors using evidence-based guidelines from historical patient, vendor or client data.
• Inventory Tracking – Collect and analyze data to help plan inventory decisions. Techs can record inventory use on their PDAs or on a storeroom device, then managers get notifications well in advance of when inventory needs to be reordered.
• Ops Overviews – Get better, faster visibility into day to day operations. Compact, easy-to-read data shows efficiency improvement or areas that need improvement. Plus, employees and contractors can fill out surveys that help administrators see what is happening on large or remote campuses in real time.

Organization for Support Services:

• Better Inspection Processes – Build customizable forms and checklists that automatically create and send reports after completion. These may include a bank of diagrams, FAQs and other items to help inspectors or service people as they perform their role. Apps can be built to integrate with whatever software the office is already running, so no major training or system changes are needed.
• Vendor Support Services – Standardize the service process with all vendors. If you’re working with a variety of equipment that needs maintenance, inspection, and upgrades from various dealers or vendors, a customized service app can help with service history, routine maintenance notifications, as well as reports on how each item has been used since the last visit.

Mobile Workforce Management Solutions (MWFM):

• Daily Work Requests – Manage client requests for workers with instant notifications and automatic scheduling. Employees don’t have to check in for updates because push notifications are delivered immediately to their mobile devices. They can then send confirmations to the client with literally just a couple taps. Plus, these apps can also measure workforce utilization to improve planning.
• Schedules Changes – Use push notifications to keep employees updated when there are changes to locations, times or needed equipment. Having GPS data on a workforce makes it easier to find the nearest available personnel and track shipment speed. Keeps unnecessary travel time and overtime down!
• Safety Training – Let techs and trainees have searchable, at-their-fingertips reference materials to get the job done. Safety and training materials can be interactive and even competitive, so the most important part of the job stays top of mind.

Last-minute schedule changes?
Push notifications keep employees and clients up to date when things change.

Improve Operational Efficiency the Easy Way

The options are pretty much limitless. The best thing you can do for your company is to assess what’s affecting operational efficiency, and then schedule some time to talk with a mobile development agency about possible mobile solutions.

The Jackrabbit team is a combination of high-level developers and experienced business strategists.  You’ll probably be surprised at how broad your options really are. Give us a shout to get started.