A web-based application, constantly available to PDAs
over the internet, has improved the efficiency of a housing
charity's maintenance operations by 25%.
Brunelcare's priority was to escape the paper mountain that was
slowing response times to unacceptable levels and clogging
communication between tradesmen and the head office.
"I wanted to get away from 'the man in a white van' system,
where 25% of the paperwork is regularly lost," said Paul Musgrove,
development director at Brunelcare.
The charity chose Impact: Response from mobile software provider
Impact Applications, primarily because
Brunelcare's head of property liked and understood the intuitive
user interface. "He knew he [and the workers] could use it
immediately without any training," said Musgrove.
"The software is simple to use, which is key to ensuring
consistent service to our customers."
The system is based on a zero-client approach, where there is no
additional software installation required on user devices. This
means that data is not held on the mobile device, so confidential
customer data is not at risk. It also minimises downtime from loss
or failure of the device.
Job requests are made either via the resident support
coordinator at each site, or via the call centre that provides
emergency response to all residents. The resident support
coordinator enters the information into the system and jobs are
then scheduled and allocated by two central repair
coordinators.
As a result of the new system, Brunelcare's repair force now
finishes its scheduled tasks by midday, because they have all the
information available in real time.
Brunelcare said it chose Orange as its GPRS and 3G provider
because it offered the best commercial deal.
"There are occasional dropped lines, but nothing that cannot be
overcome by someone walking outside sometimes to get a signal,"
said Musgrove.
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