Transitioning from Manual Methods to Mobile Computing

There’s no doubt that manual methods of gathering information are going to have some issues, ranging from unreadable handwriting to losing the notes all together. Because of that, many companies are making the change from pen and paper to having everything tracked by electronic data entry through mobile applications and devices.

With employees spending a lot of their time away from the office, having a mobile application or a web-enabled software is going to help them as well as the business overall. Some of these benefits include:

  • More accurate and complete data
  • Instant access of the data from the field to the office
  • Better accountability and compliance with regulations

When looking for an app or web-enabled software to help your organization manage it’s fleet and assets, you’ll run into a lot of choices. Some of the key things to consider would be:

  • Ease of use
  • Flexibility
  • How it’s accessed

Collective Data’s web-based web-based solution is a self-hosted application that connects to a core server. Not only is it accessible through any desktop computer, it’s also accessible on any tablet or smartphone with an Internet connection and updated browser which gives you access to your data no matter where you are. This is all possible with its responsive web page design that changes based on the width of the screen.

Some others systems will offer native apps that you download to your device to connect. For companies that don’t allow users to install their own apps on company devices, this might not be ideal. Having a web-application that also works on mobile devices is often times the quickest and easiest way to deploy it and start gaining the benefits.

Change doesn’t come easy but can yield big results

Getting your staff to adjust how they’ve always done things for years can be challenging. That’s why ease of use is important, because a well-designed fleet and asset management system will help them realize that it actually makes their job easier once they understand how to use it properly.

By shifting from pen and paper to a mobile version or app, the business can analyze real data that is captured on the road which otherwise may not have gotten back to the office for hours or days. Some of the prime examples would be:

  • Asset inspections
  • Maintenance requests
  • Meter updates

With this data coming through in real-time, organizations will gain a number of benefits. Here are a few:

  • More accurate meters that are consistently updated for proper preventive maintenance compliance
  • When a default or issue is found, it’s reported immediately
  • Safety concerns won’t slip through the cracks as often
  • Inspections can be completed quickly and with less paperwork
  • Inspection data no longer needs to be re-entered by a clerk which saves time

There are a number of other ways that mobile fleet management software options that help improve data gathering and efficiency in an operation. To learn more, contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss how.