The industry is abuzz over mobile technology for two main reasons: 1) the new smartphones and tablets have the potential to dramatically alter the interaction between a work site and the home office, and 2) the technology industry is excited about the financial opportunities that this new technology offers. Users should be excited too, because the cost of deploying connected, powerful devices has decreased by over 90 percent in the last five years.

What constitutes a mobile technology implementation? First off, the scope of the project must be defined:

Simple – Make available certain key pieces of information or forms that the field staff need on a regular basis. This is primarily a "push" of files to field devices.

Moderately complicated – Attack a key point of pain in field staff operations (punch list, payroll time entry, daily job reporting, accident reports, etc.). This typically means gathering data in the field and pushing it back to the home office.

Complex – Put the entire workflow for the field staff onto a mobile device, with real-time or on-demand data connection to the back-office system. In this case data typically flows in both directions.

There is no reason to start a mobile technology implementation by defining a complex project as the first step. Start with a simple project that pushes out forms like MSDS safety sheets, employee policy manuals, and other documentation that can be presented in PDF format. This can be done on a small smartphone at very low cost. It represents a method for an organization to begin to understand the usage and changes that mobile technology will push into new areas. This implementation requires no significant investment in software or support but can be an important first step for any organization.

Five components are key for a mobile implementation:

• A target list of devices to be supported. Define the type of device (laptop, smartphone, tablet), the operating system (Windows, IOS, Android), and BYOD (bring your own device) versus company–provided devices.
• The application(s) needed to support the task(s) defined for the mobile device. This can be as simple as a commercial PDF viewer or as complicated as a custom–developed application specific to your organization and the task.
• Communication technology to be used by the device in the field, whether it’s to obtain data from or submit information to the office. Fortunately this is not a significant issue these days, as cell carriers typically provide this service. However, remote sites may require more esoteric technology like satellite phone.
• A support for infrastructure for users in the field as they use the application(s). This should also include strategies to handle the inevitable inoperable field devices. Plan for both initial training and ongoing support.
• Data transmission strategies. These can include simple file transfers with products like Box or Dropbox or more complex data exchange processes between the field and home office applications.

Cost is always a key issue when evaluating new investments, whether it’s a new road grader or tablet computer. But as with most investments, mobile technology payback depends upon the implementation in a specific environment. Starting with a simple implementation and a BYOD policy can lower the initial costs substantially, but it may be very difficult to prove the actual financial benefits. More complex applications that target specific problems may cost substantially more, but typically provide much higher payback and more easily quantifiable benefits.

There is a company in the Southeast U.S. involved in heavy road construction that makes mobile work every single workday. Prior to implementing its mobile daily reporting system, it had no mobile strategy or implementation. Its initial mobile application replaced a paper form that the field superintendent filled out each day for each job that his crew worked on. This is a very typical way for companies to do an initial implementation, by replicating a paper-based reporting system onto an electronic device. The total initial investment by the company was less than $100,000, but the CFO of the organization has quantified payback on that investment in less than 12 months.

Subsequently, the company has spent additional monies each and every year to upgrade and expand the applications on the devices, as well as the devices themselves. Field superintendents now use a 7-inch tablet and carry a very small portable printer so they can create and print the formatted reports required in their regulatory environment.

Over the last five years the company has expanded geographically and now covers over six states in the Southeast. The mobile application has supported this expansion because it does not matter if a crew is one mile or a thousand away from the office; the information is sent as needed. And within 15 minutes after the report is submitted from the field, copies are distributed to all relevant stakeholders (regulatory agencies, customers, company management, payroll and billing) via data import, or reports via fax, e-mail or hard-copy print.

Mobile applications impact three primary characteristics: volume, velocity and validity.

• Volume increases occur because a properly designed mobile application can collect more detailed information with less effort from the field staff in less time. Experience shows that 99 percent of the information can be presented to the user in the form of checkboxes and list selections. This makes it practical to collect information that in the past was nonexistent or inconsistent.
• Velocity in the information flow comes from the capability of the application to send and receive information as needed. It's no longer necessary to hunt down a fax machine at the end of the day to send in a report, or go to the construction shack at 5 p.m. to access the PC and input information. It's now in the palm of the user’s hand with ‘always on’ connectivity. ('Always on' does not mean 'always connected.' Make certain a system can store and forward information as needed because often when connectivity is needed the most, it fails.)
• Validity occurs because a mobile application can enforce business rules and perform validity checks in real-time as the user goes through the process. Also, designs that use checkboxes and list selections limit the user’s ability to misspell and write illegibly.

Very few construction projects are completed at the office. Having work crews able to access project and other information and quickly and easily collect and forward field information to the home office is an important benefit. Studies show that the construction industry has not seen significant increases in employee productivity over the last 20 years. And, compared to other major industries, construction has historically underinvested in technology. People are the most valuable asset, and mobile technology is one place where there are significant opportunities to enhance the process for customers and employees and affect the bottom line.

Empower employees with technology and the business processes will be enhanced and more powerful:

• Actionable and timely information: Collect information quickly and easily, and forward it to the people who need to make decisions on a timely basis, and things become actionable. Decisions can be based on facts and made in a timely manner. Then, they can be pushed out to all relevant parties quickly and easily.
• Structured information available: Information collected in a structured and orderly manner can be used to build up a historical database regarding all facets of the business. Properly designed, this happens not as a separate process but as a byproduct of other business processes. Cost patterns, volume trends, and other key business metrics can be made available at the touch of a button.
• Enhanced working environment: Mobile solutions eliminate the vast bulk of the drudgery associated with the historical paperwork that all businesses grew up with. This improves employee morale and enhances employee commitment. It can also positively affect relationships with customers, regulators, and other parties that are stakeholders.

Getting started means developing the technology plan that recognizes where the organization has bottlenecks or failures that could be eased or eliminated by implementing a mobile application of some form. A mobile system is not a cost, but an investment made to refine and enhance the company’s business processes.