During our first newsletter we talked about the simPRO Mobile digital pens . Last month we looked at the PDAs and Smartphones and how you can best use growing technology such as iPhones and other handheld devices to improve your business productivity. Completing the simPRO Mobile suite of mobility solutions for field technicians is something that offers more power and a bigger screen – simPRO Ultra-Mobile. 
What is an Ultra-Mobile?
An Ultra-Mobile PC, or UMPC, is another name for a Netbook or small laptop – designed to be easily carried around and particularly useful for accessing web based applications. These are commonly available at most of the major computer retailers and also online.
What makes them different is the ability to have much larger screens than PDAs with the average being between 7 and 10 inch screens, but not have the bulk of a full laptop. This delivers lower hardware pricing and better battery performance than standard laptops while also delivering most of the power & features of a standard PC. Some units also offer touch screens for people who are unable to remove gloves whilst working making the use of a stylus with a PDA unpractical. Ambient lighting plays a large role in the usability of any mobile solution and having a screen that’s just a bit bigger can make the difference between technology that is equally good in the office and in the field.
Another big advantage of the UMPC over a handheld device like a PDA is that it can still be used by engineers for programming equipment, running diagnostics or testing. This easy to carry device with it’s easy to access simPRO menu means that the single device can be used to solve all the requirements of your field staff.
What is simPRO Ultra-Mobile?
simPRO Ultra-Mobile, or ‘SUM’ as we call it, is a specific web-browser login for simPRO users to take advantage of the unique properties of working with a UMPC – especially those with touch screens.
We redesigned the menu structure and button layout so that an engineer wearing gloves can easily navigate the touch screen system.
To use simPRO Ultra-Mobile you simply need an internet connection on your UMPC and the correct login details. This ensures you always have the latest version and never need to be worried about painful backups as the information you see is all in the standard real-time experience that staff experience in the office using simPRO.
Let’s look at the Home page:
Here we can quickly login and see what’s on for today, jobs, quotes & tasks are all displayed. The large coloured buttons are actually clickable with a mouse/cursor or with your finger when using a touch screen. SUM is similar to the employee login using a PDA but with the ability to create new jobs and new quotes directly connected to the office database. We can open up the tasks and see what processes we must complete today. The tasking system is directly linked to the powerful simPRO Enterprise task structure.
How many times have you wanted to send a message to a technician to remind them to pick up a check, or remember to complete the job a certain way? Send them a task within SUM!
Once we select a job we can activate any of the related processes for this job. We may need to conduct a site audit prior to commencement of work or monitor travel time to site:
The system can walk you through site audits, risk assessments and provide you with work method statements and other required documentation: 
Once in the job we you need to update assets or add some materials which can be done directly: 
In the SUM access to the job, you have access to the full list of cataloge, prebuilds and kits right here, it is much simpler than a detailed menu based listing on a PDA screen. The advantage over the digital pen solution is the it doesn’t matter if they have messy handwriting – everything is entered straight to the job record. The large screen offers a nice view of all parts available and all that is needed is to select the correct one.
If we don’t have enough materials on hand you can create an order number linked to the job and send it to the relevant supplier:
After the job is complete you can invoice the job and even print if needed. 
Access to the schedule & time sheets is available with the ability to update times directly to the job and to add any activity to the schedule that is job or non job related is also at the disposal of the field technician.
Engineers can look ahead to plan for future work also in between other tasks. 
In summary, the simPRO Ultra-Mobile option offers another convenient choice for field data to be entered directly into your simPRO system from the field by way of a UMPC, touch screen or keyboard based, delivering quite a few options to create and complete new work, quotes and other tasks.
It’s important to choose the most appropriate mobility option for your field force which is one of the reasons we firmly believe that not all field staff use technology the same way and therefore we have a range of options to suit all users. By considering the Digital pen, the PDA and now the Ultra-Mobile you can ensure that the right tool is being used on the job!
With the choice of mobility solutions available all linking directly into simPRO, there is no reason that you couldn’t run all three mobility solutions amongst your field based staff, giving the right tool to the right person. As with all things from simPRO, flexibility and choice is available.
We look forward to your questions to discuss which solution/solutions are right for your business when you are ready to take the next step with improving the field performance of your staff.
Tags: ultra-mobile pc, UMPC
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