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Captec, the designer and supplier of specialist computing platforms, has teamed up with market-leading rugged tablet manufacturers to provide 360-degree in-vehicle solutions.

The specialist tablets from Dell, Getac, Panasonic and Samsung are designed to accommodate the needs of demanding applications in industries including construction, utilities, and fire and rescue.

In the modern working environment, it is crucial for fleets to have the tools that allow them to work efficiently through improved communication and efficiency. By securing these strategic partnerships, Captec provides fleets with high-performance technology and the flexibility to achieve an optimal balance between performance and budget for their application.

With features including high ingress protection, ruggedisation, built-in GPS and barcode scanners, the tablets meet and exceed the needs of mobile workforces across multiple sectors.

Each tablet can be combined with a vehicle dock, specifically designed to accommodate it – sourced by Captec from its trusted vehicle docking partners, Gamber-Johnson and Havis.

To provide a true 360-degree solution, Captec offers a complete installation service including full vehicle audits, custom cabling, onsite installation performed by experienced engineers and tailored through life support.

For more complex applications demanding a high level of customisation such as additional ruggedisation for uninterrupted operation in hostile conditions, Captec offer bespoke engineering and technical services. From the initial design concept through to testing and validation, Captec can make any necessary modifications quickly and effectively at its dedicated in-house engineering facilities.

Ian Langton, Product Manager, Captec, said: “We have partnered with leading technology providers in complete confidence that, when combined with our installation service, we can address the performance, reliability and longevity needs of today’s mobile workforce. Our aim is to create a one-stop-shop for fleet managers looking to equip their vehicles with rugged and reliable mobile computing.”

In addition to offering models from suppliers through strategic partnerships, Captec has recently designed, developed and introduced a brand new rugged tablet of its own.

The VT-681 tablet is a fully rugged device, powered by Windows 10 IoT, making it ideal for fleets requiring a cost-effective solution, without compromising on performance or features from other well-known suppliers.

Find out more about Captec’s in-vehicle computing solutions @ www.captec-group.com/in-vehicle

 

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John Hunt outlines why when it comes to digitalisation, the focus should be on the end goals, not the technology...

There is a common thread being pulled by executive boards across the globe at the moment both in the field service sector and far beyond.

That is, of course, digitalisation.

In my role here at Astea, it’s a topic that our customers and new prospects are keen to talk to us about – almost every company I’ve spoken to in the last 12 months has broached it in one form or another.

However, there is a fundamental point I believe is often being overlooked by companies as they dive head first into weaving the digitalisation thread into their strategy – that is that digitalisation itself should be seen as an on-going process continuously woven in your field service tapestry rather than a one-time project, or a mere stitch in time.

 

An opportunity to redefine workflows

To start, let’s look at what digitalisation shouldn’t be.

Digitalisation shouldn’t be simply taking all of the previous steps your field service engineers used to undertake manually with good old pen and paper and dumping them onto a mobile device. Digitalising their workflow is an opportunity to re-evaluate some of these processes, re-order some things, maybe even remove others entirely all in the spirit of making your customer ambassadors happier and more efficient and effective. That happiness, efficiency, and effectiveness translates into better top and bottom line performance and most importantly, happier and more loyal customers.

 

"Those companies that get the most success from the implementation of a Field Service Management (FSM) solution are those who bring a selection of their engineers into the implementation process..."

 

Invariably, those companies that get the most success from an implementation of a Field Service Management (FSM) solution are those who bring a selection of their engineers into the implementation process. Just like product marketers use focus groups of prospective customers to fine-tune their product offering to maximise demand, so should you leverage a similar approach with your customer ambassadors, also known as the engineers. For example, by speaking with your engineers to understand what elements of your FSM system’s mobile app they use the most frequently, you can ensure that access to the relevant parts of the solution need are easily surfaced within the app.

The same of course also goes for your scheduling solution – digitalisation should be an opportunity to put the information your team needs at their fingertips, quickly and seamlessly to improve both service triage and first-time-fix rates. So who better to ask what information should be where than the folks on the front line that need access to such information each and every day? The happiness through efficiency and effectiveness you will weave throughout the services organisation will pay big dividends not only in the traditional operational sense but also in employee retention and the all-important increased customer loyalty.

 

A journey of continuous improvement.

The concept of continuous improvement is one that many field service professionals are fully aware of, yet all too often it doesn’t get factored into discussions around digitalisation.

Facebook is famously always in ‘beta’ when it comes to its development, and whilst I wouldn’t recommend such a fluid approach to something as mission-critical as field service operations, digitalisation certainly allows us the opportunity to tweak things here and there to find those sometimes hidden incremental improvements that can yield seemingly small efficiencies that stack up hugely in the overall picture.

For example, I recall speaking with one service director earlier this year who explained to me that by implementing a simple keystroke study of his dispatch staff across 3 months they were able to identify some simple yet effective changes to the menu structure of their system which brought some frequently used options to the front of the solution when they were previously tucked away behind a couple of sub-menus.

On an individual basis these changes sped up the dispatcher’s role by just a few seconds each time. However, the overall net benefit to the service organisation was millions of dollars per year as those seconds began to add up across the entire workforce just like a snowball accumulating more and more snow as it rolls down the mountain.

Digitalisation allows us to not only make these changes quickly and easily across a large user base but also to understand how, why and where these changes should be made.

 

Build processes today with an eye on tomorrow.

One final piece of advice I would give to companies embarking on their own digitalisation journey is remember you don’t always need to boil the ocean; digitalisation should be an iterative process.

For example, IoT is the hot topic in field service right now and rightly so as it is set to play a huge role in the future of service delivery. Yet, for many companies a full IoT rollout is cost prohibitive and requires a gargantuan feat of logistical planning.

 

"I’d suggest you don’t even need one asset connected before you start building in the processes of identifying key data you wish to collect – what is to stop your engineers noting certain key data points when performing maintenance?"

 

However, do you need to have every asset in your install base connected before you can start pulling data for analysis to dig out some key trends and insights that could be of value to your organisation and perhaps even more importantly to your customers? Of course not!

In fact, I’d suggest you don’t even need one asset connected before you start building in the processes of identifying key data you wish to collect – what is to stop your engineers noting certain key data points when performing maintenance? You can build the processes and collect the data that would form the backbone of a digitalisation strategy before a single asset is connected, and then introduce automation for these new processes across a much more manageable timeframe.

In doing so you will have already begun to think beyond the realms of what is possible today and begun to consider what can we build now that will improve our service delivery tomorrow.

And this at its heart is what good digitalisation strategy should be all about. There are already some masterpiece tapestries with shiny digitalisation threads prominently featured in the field service world today reaping big rewards with their own teams and customers; these will continue to grow and outpace the industry. The best time to have begun your work of art was yesterday. The second best time is today, so gather your thread and your team to design it and start weaving!

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John Hunt, is Managing Director, EMEA, Astea, 

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JLT Mobile Computers, a leading developer and manufacturer of reliable computers for demanding environments, sees an increasing demand for Android within many of its core segments, including warehouse logistics, transportation, ports, mining and agriculture markets.

Responding to this trend, in March 2018 JLT launched its latest generation JLT6012™ vehicle-mount computer with Android support and is now expanding its Android operating system product suite with three new fully rugged portable computers.

Being by far the most common mobile operating system for smartphones and other consumer devices, Android, with its familiarity, ease-of-use and flexibility is now growing in popularity also in the enterprise and vertical market space.

“No doubt, there is a lot of interest in Android on mobile devices for professional use within our core markets,” observes Per Holmberg, CEO of JLT Mobile Computers. “By providing Android alternatives for our vehicle-mount computers and now also our portable computers, we help customers save on cost and training, and simplify maintenance by running the same OS on all devices deployed in their operation.”

The three new products are the 5-inch MH1005A™ rugged handheld, the 7-inch MT1007A™ rugged tablet, and the 10.1-inch MT2010A™ rugged tablet. All are IP65 dustproof and water resistant, capable of operating in temperatures of -10 to +50°C (14 to +122°F), built to withstand even the most challenging working environments, and tested to applicable MIL-STD-810G requirements.

Powered by ARM® Cortex™-A53 octa-core 1.3 GHz processors, all come with bright sunlight viewable displays, capacitive multi-touch screen, front and rear integrated cameras, as well as data capturing functions including NFC reader and optional 1D/2D-barcode reader. For maximum productivity, all include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and mobile broadband and provide full-shift battery life or more.

The new rugged tablet and handheld units, which are available for immediate order, are offered with the same high level of support and services that JLT is renowned for. A wide range of accessories is available, including vehicle and desktop docks, high-capacity batteries, battery chargers, and hand and shoulder straps.

Contact JLT Mobile Computers today for more information about the new Android-based rugged handheld and tablets, or visit www.jltmobile.com to learn more about JLT, its products and solutions.

 

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Rugged devices are a hugely important tools available to field service organisations to empower their engineers with mobile tools that are designed to survive the rigours of remote working environments. However, for the uninitiated, there can be a bewildering amount of terms used by rugged manufacturers (and increasingly their consumer-focused cousin) so let’s take a quick refresher of some of the key language used in the world of rugged...

 

Fit-for-purpose

With no shortage of devices to choose from, deciding what’s best for your service operation is no easy task. Fit-for-purpose should be the starting point for any deployment, say the experts.

Indeed, the first question any company should ask when looking for new devices for their engineers or technicians is “what tasks will the device be used for?”

Mobile devices in field service are mission-critical – they are not just “nice-to-have”, they are the lynchpin of your operations essential to the efficient running of the operation. Ease-of-use of can have a big effect on productivity and user-acceptance – would an integrated barcode scanner, for example, be better than a more fiddly-to-use camera?

 

"The mobile device is more than your service technician’s new pen and paper; it carries the job schedule, customer details and equipment data..."

 

Remember, once you’ve made the shift away from paper, there’s no going back – the mobile device is more than your service technician’s new pen and paper; it carries the job schedule, customer details and equipment data.

Your customers will become used to the higher service levels.

So, above all, the devices you equip your field workers with need to be reliable.

Can it survive the technician dropping it? Are the processor and memory up to running several apps at once if that’s required? Is the screen readable in strong light? Will the touchscreen work if it gets wet? Can it last a whole shift without recharging the battery?

Is it Fit-for-purpose?

 

MIL-STD810G

Almost every rugged device you see will proudly boast the magical code MIL-STD 810G somewhere in the specs but what exactly does it mean and why is it just so important?

Well as you may well have guessed MIL-STD is actually short for Military Standard. In fact, it is an American military standard that although has it’s origins with the US Air Force is now upheld in a tri-service agreement between the US Army, US Navy and US Air force. However, the standard is widely adopted amongst commercial products that need to be able to hold up to rigorous environmental tests.

The G if you were wondering, relates to the current revision of the certification document and we have been at G since 2008.

General Program Guidelines

The first part of the MIL-STD-810G is a set of general guidelines that describes management, engineering, and technical roles in the environmental design and test the tailoring process. It focuses on the process of tailoring design and test criteria to the specific environmental conditions an equipment item is likely to encounter during its service life.

Laboratory test methods

The second element of MIL-STD-810G is focussed on the environmental laboratory test methods to be applied using the test tailoring guidelines described outlined in the general program guidelines.

With the exception of Test Method 528 (Mechanical Vibrations of Shipboard Equipment), these methods are not mandatory, but rather the appropriate method is selected and tailored to generate the most relevant test data possible.

The tests themselves are varied across a range of different environmental stresses which include:

 

• Temperature ranges
• Shock
• Vibration
• Humidity

 

Tested to. Vs. Engineered to

One problem with MIL-STD 810G testing is that it can be very expensive and it’s important to remember that MIL-STD-810 is not a specification per se but a standard. A specification provides for absolute criteria which must be satisfied to “meet the spec”. MIL-STD-810 as a standard provides methods for testing material for use in various environments but provides no absolute environmental limits.

Therefore, some OEMs will skip the whole second part of MIL STD 810G (the actual testing part) yet still claim their devices are engineered to meet MIL-STD 810G standards.

Whilst such devices may well be more than capable of surviving the rigours of your field engineers toughest day, the simple fact is that they haven’t been actually tested to do so.

That said most of the dedicated rugged players within the space such as Janam, Getac, Panasonic and Xplore et al will all have their own internal testing facilities and will also often engage with a third party to validate their findings.

 

IP Ratings

IP environmental ratings along with MIL standards (MIL-STD) are perhaps the most widely recognised yet also perhaps the least fully understood of the standard definitions of what makes a mobile computer or tablet rugged.

What the IP figures mean

IP ratings are defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards and tell you how well devices are sealed against dirt and moisture ingress and the level of protection components have against whatever is thrown at them.

IP ratings have two numbers: the first indicates the degree of protection against dust, dirt and foreign bodies entering the device while the second is about how resistant the device is to the ingress of fluid from drops, sprays and submersion. Ingress protection ratings can be affected by the number of ports on a device and whether they are sealed or open, by keyboard design and a number of other factors.

 

"If like me, you’ve ever spilt tea or coffee on a computer keyboard, you’ll know that water ingress can be the kiss of death to electronic components.."

 

For field service, the numbers to look out for on a rugged mobile device are “5” and “6” for dust protection and 4,5,6, or 7 for water or fluid ingress. (In comparison, consumer devices typically have a rating of IP42 or lower although high-end consumer mobile devices are frequently now seen to have IP67 ratings)

Both are important when assessing devices: if like me, you’ve ever spilt tea or coffee on a computer keyboard, you’ll know that water ingress can be the kiss of death to electronic components. Less dramatic but in the long term just as damaging are ingress of dust and dirt particles. They can cause keys to stick and generally penetrate causing damage to components.

While “6” is dust-proof, a “5” rating doesn’t mean the device will prove unreliable, just that it isn’t completely sealed against dust ingress. It’s worth noting, too, that complete sealing against water and dust ingress may increase internal temperatures which in turn might impact on processor performance.

There are more numbers for fluid or water ingress: a “4” rating signals protection from splashes, “5” against water from a nozzle, “6” will cope with more powerful water jets or sprays, while “7” means you can submerge the device in water and it will still survive.

Again, which is best for your operations depends on the working environment – for many field-service environments, a “5” rating and even possibly a ”4 “will be perfectly adequate.

 

Touchscreens:

In a world of smartphones and tablets touch-screens have become a universally understood means of interacting with a device.

Whether it is inputting data or simply navigating through an operating system, I would put a hefty wager on the fact that anyone reading this article is both familiar and comfortable with using a touch-screen device, such is the prevalence of the technology today.

Touch-screens are an important, even critical part of the user experience of almost all modern tablets and smartphones. Yet at the same time, the screen is of course the potential Achilles heel and an obvious weak spot in a rugged device. The balance therefore between delivering a screen that is sufficiently capable of withstanding drops and knocks, whilst maintaining high usability, is absolutely critical for a rugged device.

So let's look at some of the various options you may find in differing rugged devices when it comes to the screen and explore exactly what these options actually mean.

Almost certainly the biggest debate when it comes to screen choices in rugged devices is whether capacitive or resistive screens are better suited for the task. But what is the difference between the two?

The older of the two technologies is resistive which relies on pressure to register input. This pressure can be applied by your finger, a stylus or any other object – think of the handheld computers that many delivery companies use, often covered in ink because when the original stylus is lost, the delivery driver often just uses a regular pen to collect a signature instead.

Resistive touch screens consist of two flexible layers with an air gap in between and in order for the touch-screen to register input, you must press on the top layer using a small amount of pressure to make contact with the bottom layer. The touch-screen will then register the precise location of the touch.

Rather than relying on pressure, capacitive touch-screens instead sense conductivity to register input—usually from the skin on your fingertip but also from dedicated styluses.

 

"The biggest debate when it comes to screen choices in rugged devices is whether capacitive or resistive screens are better suited for the task. But what is the difference between the two?"

 

Because you don’t need to apply pressure, capacitive touch-screens are more responsive than resistive touch-screens. However, because they work by sensing conductivity, capacitive touch-screens can only be used with objects that have conductive properties, which includes your fingertip (which is ideal), and special styluses designed with a conductive tip.

Initially one of the big advantages of capacitive touch screens was that they enabled multi-finger gestures – perhaps the most obvious example is pinching or stretching a document to zoom in or out. However, resistive touch screens have also supported multi-finger input for about three or four years now also.

The big advantage resistive screens have over their capacitive counterparts is the fact that the operator can still use the devices whilst wearing gloves – as the input is dependent on pressure rather than the electrical current being completed through a conductive material such as a finger.

An additional benefit is that light touch, such as rain landing on the screen, won’t register so the devices are far better to suited to being used in the wet.

Both of these factors are of course particularly useful in a number of field service environments.

However, another key factor for rugged devices is of course reliability and durability and in this respect, capacitive touch screens have the advantage – especially in heavy use applications.

Resistive screens can have a tendency to eventually begin to wear down in frequently used areas. Such areas may be prone to becoming faded and may ultimately even become unresponsive. Also in terms of reliability, if a capacitive touch-screen does happen to become pierced or cracked it is still likely to function – think how many times you have seen someone using a smartphone with a cracked screen?

However, a break anywhere on a resistive touch-screen will often mean that it no longer works.

In terms of field service, this is a potentially huge advantage for capacitive screens as it allows for a field service technician to continue to utilise their device until they can get the screen repaired.

Ultimately, there are many different rugged devices available these days ranging from rugged smart-phone style handhelds through to fully rugged detachable laptops. As we mentioned at the beginning of this feature ensuring the devices you select are fit for purpose is crucial.

In order to do this, we advise getting a real understanding of how your field service engineers and technicians are doing their job - what environments to they work in and what is there workflow. Get them in to give you some input or get out there on some ride-alongs. Because, if you have an understanding of this you will find a device that fits your needs.

 

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Check out this excellent showcase of Dell's latest rugged range where NatGeo’s Mike Libecki trades a peak into expedition life for a look at Dell’s Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme and Latitude 5424 and 5420 Rugged notebooks.

National Geographic adventurer Mike Libecki depends on Dell Rugged PCs to get to the most extreme locations and this great video he takes Rahul Tikoo, VP of Commercial Mobility Computing with him to Utah to give him a taste of expedition life through ascending, rappelling and climbing, whilst Rahul Mike the new Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme and Latitude 5424 and 5420 Rugged notebooks.

Find out more and check out the full Dell rugged product line here: https://www.dell.com/rugged

 

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Captec, designer and supplier of specialist computer platforms, has announced the launch of a brand new fully rugged tablet, built specifically for mobile workforces.

The lightweight, 8-inch VT 681 provides smaller fleets with an affordable Windows-based tablet and has been developed by Captec to disrupt the market currently dominated by more expensive rugged hardware.

Ruggedisation features include IP-67 protection and drop-testing to 1.2 metres, enabling the tablet to comfortably withstand the stresses of challenging environments including rough treatment, dust and water ingress and shocks.

With built-in GPS and an optional barcode scanner, the VT-681 supports the application needs of today’s mobile workforce across sectors including construction, field services, utility fleets and emergency services.

The addition of an integrated hand strap delivers maximum comfort on-the-go, while the active stylus pen increases the functionality available to field service professionals, even in wet conditions.

 

"With built-in GPS and an optional barcode scanner, the VT-681 supports the application needs of today’s mobile workforce across sectors including construction, field services, utility fleets and emergency services..."

 

For mobile workforces requiring use in and out of vehicles, Captec has also developed the IVM-681 vehicle dock, designed to accommodate the VT-681 tablet.

The new Captec dock is robust, compact and quick and easy to use. It features USB and power pass through and has been constructed to offer hassle-free, one-handed cost-effective docking.

To meet the critical safety requirements of in-vehicle applications, the dock has been tested for its ability to endure shock and vibration – enabling tablets to stay securely mounted, even in the event of a collision.

Gerard Marlow, Sales Director, Captec, said:

“We’re excited to be able to introduce this new rugged tablet into our range. Our aim is to provide mobile workforces with flexible, powerful and cost-effective mobile computing solutions that make their jobs easier and provide peace of mind that they’re equipped to withstand all the rigours associated with fieldwork.”

As well as developing the new tablet and dock, Captec offers a complete installation service. By fully managing everything from vehicle audits and custom cable looms to installation and through-life support, Captec optimise in-vehicle applications for reliability, safety and longevity.

Find out more about the Captec VT-681 rugged tablet here - https://www.captec-group.com/product/captec-vt-681-fully-rugged-tablet/

 

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The potential to enhance field service efficiencies through technologies like IoT, Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence are out of this world. But to fully realise the benefits they can bring field service companies need to have a foundational framework of technology already in place.

Here we look at five key systems every field service company should focus on before they look to take another giant leap forwards...

Field Service Management technology has become essential to service delivery excellence and in a world of connectivity and ever-increasing customer expectations, service excellence is no longer a USP but a baseline requirement.

Indeed, the rapid evolution of technology and its impact on field service in recent years has led to an increasing integration between process and technology when it comes to field service management.

However, whilst technologies such as IoT and Augmented Reality are grabbing the headlines and can undoubtedly enhance service delivery, their potential is greatly diminished unless you have a fundamental layer of technology in place already. In this article, we will explore five core, fundamental elements that should be at the base of your field service management solution.

 

Contract Management:

Contract management is often viewed as the starting point of almost everything within field service management operations.

Without a view of your service contracts, you cannot have to hand the answers for critical questions such as:

• What is the SLA on any given contract?
• Is a client under warranty or do they have an enhanced level of service contract?
• Does a contract include spare parts and/or consumables?
• Is the service contract due for renewal?

You could be at risk of potentially not meeting your clients' expectations and so putting the potential of renewing or upselling service to that client in danger in the future – or on the other side of the coin, you could be giving valuable service away for free.

Therefore, Contract Management is perhaps the most important of the fundamental building blocks that you should expect to find within a modern field service management solution and perhaps the first area that you should make sure your team is fully versed in utilising.

 

Scheduling:

Scheduling comes in a number of different guises and the various different names given to types of scheduling options can be a somewhat confusing but broadly scheduling will come in three flavours:

• Assisted Scheduling
• Optimised Scheduling
• Dynamic Scheduling

So which is right for your business?

It is often assumed that a dynamic solution is required for a larger mobile workforce, but whilst the size of your workforce is certainly one consideration in which type of scheduling engine would best suit your service operation - this is not the only factor.

The complexity of the service work, as well as the variety of service jobs you undertake, is another significant factor.

For example, an organisation that has a field workforce that services multiple different asset types – perhaps from multiple OEMs, and therefore has a number of different engineer requirements for differing jobs - would likely benefit far more from an optimised scheduling engine than an organisation that just fixes one or two types of assets for which all of their engineers are qualified to undertake repairs and maintenance.

This remains true whether you have 20 or 200 field service engineers.

Similarly, if a large proportion of your field service efforts are focused on planned maintenance calls which have a level of flexibility in terms of getting an engineer on site, then you may not have a need for a dynamic scheduling engine whilst an organisation that is far more reactive, that has a firefighting approach to their service delivery and strict SLAs would benefit hugely from a dynamic scheduling system.

 

Mobile tools and communications:

It is fair to say that the biggest revolution in field service has come from the rapid explosion in mobile computing power.

Today’s smartphones are capable of greater computing tasks than even the laptops of just a few years back.

For the field service organisation, this is fantastic as it puts information at the field service engineers finger tips, empowers them to spend more time on maintenance and repair and less on activities such as paperwork and enables them to deliver a far more effective and impressive service experience for the customer.

 

"Engineer to engineer communications are seamless in today’s world, whether it be using dedicated built-for-purpose business tools or even free to use consumer solutions such as WhatsApp or Skype.."

 

Also, with the advent of smart phones, and then latterly tablets, has come greater communications tools than we could have ever expected ten years ago.

For example, engineer to engineer communications are seamless in today’s world, whether it be using dedicated built-for-purpose business tools or even free to use consumer solutions such as WhatsApp or Skype.

From a FSM solution standpoint again whilst a mobile app was a USP, an add on or even a separate solution entirely just a few short years ago, now almost all FSM solutions will come with some mobile offering included. However, whilst the mobile element in FSM technology is constantly evolving, essentially the most fundamental and core aspect that you want a mobile aspect of a FSM solution to do is to mirror your back-end solution and to do so in real-time.

 

Parts & Inventory Management:

Parts and Inventory management is perhaps an area that in the past has not received the focus and attention that it requires.

It has often been the mantra of field service organisations that they are aiming to get the right engineer to the right job, at the right time.

But that all becomes moot if the right engineer doesn’t have the right parts to hand as well.

Consistently at industry conferences, parts management remains a hot button and a common pain point for a huge amount of organisations.

So whilst it is exciting to talk about emerging technologies such as IoT and Augmented Reality - a primary focus should be on ensuring our field service operation is as efficient as possible at a fundamental level, and that means getting a grip on parts management.

And whilst of course there are supply chain and logistics aspects to the conversation which can make things complicated – especially when you are using third-party contractors – one of the most crucial aspects of good parts and inventory management is utilising a system that can keep track of where your inventory, including van inventory, is at any given point.

One area where many companies get themselves caught out is by thinking that they can use a system such as a financial system that is designed at best for companies whose stock resides in static places such as warehouses and stores.

However, field service is far more dynamic than that, with parts moving back and forth and in and out of locations constantly each and every day.

 

Integration:

Finally, just a brief note on integration.

We are living in a world of data lakes, data rivers, data mountains and all other types of data topography it seems!

But all these vast swathes of data are meaningless unless you are able to draw insight from it, and quite often that means being able to let the data flow seamlessly from one set of business applications to another.

This is why integration is absolutely key in any modern business system – including FSM.

[quote float="right"]Integration is absolutely key in any modern business system – including FSM.[/quote]Of course, our vision of the future is that everything will be plug and play and all technologies will play well together nicely, but we aren’t quite there yet.

Integration varies from provider to provider but often it is led by the integrations they have been asked to undertake, so if your current provider or a provider you have identified as being a good fit for your business don’t advertise integration with a specific system you are using – it is worth discussing the possibilities with them - especially if it is a common platform as making their product integrate may be useful for other future clients also.

Whilst there are still some legacy systems that can prove very difficult to integrate with this is becoming less and less so in today’s day and age. Indeed, we are seeing more and more companies offering ‘off the shelf’ or ‘out of the box’ integration with the leading CRM, ERP and even Telematics solutions.

Finally, it is worth discussing with your providers how they are future proofing their products when it comes to integration – there is, for example, a large amount of proprietary technology centred around IoT at the moment and until accepted universal protocols are in place you want to make sure any investment you make is future-proof.

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A new fully-rugged solution purpose-built for the challenging conditions and uncompromising demands of those working within hazardous industries

Getac announced last week the launch of the new F110-Ex fully-rugged tablet, as an enhancement to its popular F110 model, designed to deliver unrivalled efficiency, reliability and safety to workers in hazardous environments.

In many industrial sectors, extreme temperatures, poor weather conditions and close contact with dangerous substances are all factors to contend with daily. Workers need devices they can rely on for efficient field maintenance, accurate safety checks and equipment monitoring tasks. IT failure not only has a significant impact on productivity, it also puts lives at risk.

The new F110-Ex fully-rugged tablet has been designed with this in mind. Featuring an 11.6-inch sunlight readable display and weighing just 1.49kg, it is both versatile and compact providing reliable operation in the field. MIL-STD810G and IP65 water and dust resistance certifications ensure seamless operation in wet, dirty environments, while an operating temperature range of -21°C to +60°C ensures full functionality in even the most extreme conditions.

The F110-Ex features intrinsic safety design limiting electrical and thermal energy output to a level below that required to ignite hazardous atmospheric mixtures. Like all of Getac’s Ex fully-rugged tablets it is certified to ATEX, UL913 and IECEx standards, for complete operator safety.

Powering digital transformation

Advances in AI and IoT technologies are powering digital transformation across all industrial sectors and the F110-Ex allows those businesses working in hazardous environments to fully benefit from productivity and process improvements and migrate legacy paper-based documentation to live and even cloud solutions.

Chris Bye, President at Getac U.K. Ltd, comments, “The F110-Ex enables users to safely collect and send digital data, capture images and even engage in video communication in high-risk environments, helping enterprises complete the last mile of digital transformation.”

Exceptional performance and security

Equipped with the 7th generation Intel Kaby Lake Core processors and multi-factor security mechanisms, the F110-Ex provides exceptional computing power and secure authentication. Full data protection is provided by Windows 10, with an optional face recognition camera compatible with Windows Hello, as well as barcode scanner and (LF/HF)RFID reader.

As one of the top rugged solution providers, Getac offers a comprehensive portfolio of vertically integrated solutions for all types of extreme operating conditions.  In addition to the new F110-Ex, Getac’s fully rugged tablet portfolio includes the EX80, ZX70, T800 and other ATEX-certified models, all delivering exceptional ruggedness and performance for hazardous industries.

Availability:

The new F110 will be available to buy from 27th September 2018. For more information, please visit: www.getac.com

 

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We recently gave Janam’s XT100 handheld computer a full Hands-On review and now we turn our attention to its sibling the XM75 which shares mostly the same specifications but comes in a different form factor...

In March earlier this year, Janam announced two new handheld computers to their range - the XT100 and the XM75. Inside the guts of both devices are almost identical but there are some slight differences and of course, the XM75 occupies a different form factor, more geared towards data input with a 24 key numeric keypad and also a purpose-built trigger handle available as well.

Having given the XT100 a rigorous hands-on review when it launched we thought we should also get it’s sibling into our offices to compare the two and to see which workflows each device would be more suited to.

 

What the manufacturers say:

Pocketable, Powerful Tough.

Janam’s XM75 rugged mobile computer makes it easy to capture business-critical information accurately and efficiently. As one of the only devices specially designed for input-intensive applications, the XM75’s compact form factor combined with larger keypad design delivers the ideal solution for organizations that want an easy-to-use keypad and large touchscreen in the same device.

 

The XM75 is sealed to IP67 standard against dust and immersion in up to 3 feet of water. It can withstand multiple 5’/1.5m drops to concrete per MIL-STD 810G across a wide temperature range...

 

Pocketable and powerful, the XM75 supports the enterprise-ready Android operating system with Google Mobile Services and meets all the requirements of the most demanding environments, including transportation, logistics, route accounting, direct store delivery and field service.

Weighing only 10.5 ounces, the XM75 is one of the lightest yet most rugged devices in its class and is packed with advanced features to boost productivity, streamline operations and improve the customer experience. Offering 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth, the XM75 provides lightning fast and reliable access to voice and data applications inside the enterprise and out in the field.

The XM75 is sealed to IP67 standard against dust and immersion in up to 3 feet of water. It can withstand multiple 5’/1.5m drops to concrete per MIL-STD 810G across a wide temperature range. A standard 2-year warranty provides customers with both peace of mind and the level of service they require, at no additional cost, with optional Comprehensive Service plans available to those that want to further extend their mobile computing investment.

 

First impressions:

The XM75 does pretty much what you would expect of it - for those that read our previous review of the XT100 for all intents and purposes, it is an XT100 with a keyboard instead of just the capacitive screen.

This does, of course, make the device’s footprint slightly larger (76.83mm x 166.01mm x 29.27mm for the XM75 vs 70mm x 136mm x 17.4mm) which subsequently, of course, adds additional weight to the device as well and it comes in at a full 3oz heavier than the XT100 making it about 30% heavier.

 

"The device is far from in heavy even when strapped into the trigger handle (which is itself surprisingly light) and both in and out of the trigger we found the device to be ergonomic and comfortable..."

 

That said the device is far from in heavy even when strapped into the trigger handle (which is itself surprisingly light) and both in and out of the trigger we found the device to be ergonomic and comfortable.

All in all the XM75 feels very much as it is intended to, a robust yet relatively lightweight handheld designed with the factory, warehouse or field worker in mind.

But ist there more to the differences between the XM75 and XT100 other than form factor?

 

Processing power:

In terms of processing power, the two devices are identical with bot the XM75 and the XT100 having a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 410 quad-core. In terms of the market for similar devices as to the Janam offerings, these offer a fairly standard amount of processing power.

They both also come with 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM as standard. Again this sits pretty much in the middle of the pack in terms of similar devices and is definitely suitable for a number of field service applications.

Also, the memory in both devices is expandable via a user accessible Micro SD slot with SD and SDHC support – which can become a very useful option for engineers who need to record a lot of data, or even for those who work in offline environments regularly where locally storing asset maintenance information to aid a first time fix could be of benefit.

 

Operating system:

The XM75 is currently running Android 6 (Marshmallow) - which is a perfect option for industry, focused devices and as such is also on the XT100.

 

"The XM75 is currently running Android 6 (Marshmallow) - which is a perfect option for industry, focused devices and as such is also on the XT100..."

 

Whilst the latest consumer devices are now running Android 8 (Oreo) and some even beginning to see Android 9 (Pie) - in a world of enterprise the need for a robustly road-tested OS is hugely important. Marshmallow is currently the most advanced iteration of the OS that also has the stability required for enterprise-grade computing so a sensible option for both devices.

 

The Ins & Outs:

As with another of Janam’s handheld computers former flagship device the XT2, Neither the XM75 nor XT100 have a huge array of physical input options – but this can’t really be avoided in a device of such a size.

However, both devices benefit from good ergonomic design of in terms of the placement of hard keys are configurable but whose primary role would be most certainly be engaging the dedicated barcode scan engine (Honeywell N6603 2D Imager) which incidentally was both fast and effective in our tests of the XM75.

Of course, one of the major differences between the two is that the XM75 also has the optional trigger handle which offers yet another hard key and makes the device super easy for any role that requires a high volume of scanning.

The other significant difference between the devices then is also the 24 key numeric keypad which certainly appears to be well made, with the keypad having both a reassuring feel of durability to it as well as offering that important tactile feel that simply cannot be overlooked when a workflow involves inputting short text and numbers frequently within a workflow.

Another nice touch with regards to the keypad is that it is backlit. It is these little details that can make a huge difference if, for example, your field staff are working in a dark location - and it is the mark of a good manufacturer that doesn’t skip these small but important details.

 

Ruggedity:

When we reviewed the XT100 we pointed out that whilst the XT100 holds its head high with good rugged credentials albeit slightly less so than its sibling the XT2. The XM75 however, has the higher rugged credentials of its elder cousin.

 

"The XM75 also boasts of a higher IP rating than the XT100 with a rating of IP67 meaning that it is even less susceptible to water ingress than the IP65 rated XT100..."

 

Whilst the  XT100 is capable of withstanding multiple drops at a respectable 1.2m the XM75 has been tested at the higher drop height of 1.5m and in our testing, it survived such drops without a scratch. In fact, we even tested it in and out of the trigger handle and throughout our entire series of tests it only ever came out of the handle once - a good sign is given that the XM75 will almost invariably be used primarily within the handle.

The XM75 also boasts of a higher IP rating than the XT100 with a rating of IP67 meaning that it is even less susceptible to water ingress than the IP65 rated XT100.

When it comes to operating temperature ranges both the XM75 and the XT100 operate within a range of -20 to 60 degrees centigrade – which means that even in the most inhospitable environments the device should function effectively, and in terms of humidity they are both is non-condensing up to 95%. Finally, the capacitive touchscreen boasts toughened Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to further add to the devices robust credentials.

 

Battery Life:

In terms of battery life the SM75 again just edges out the XT100 with its 4100mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery compared to the XT100’s 3000mAh 3.8v rechargeable Li-ion battery.

 

"Both devices should be capable of seeing out most field service engineers working days, especially if the device is placed in an in-vehicle charging cradle in between jobs..."

 

This is of course, likely to be the result of Janam taking advantage of the slightly larger form factor, but it certainly does make a difference. We found that the XM75 held battery life across an 8 hour day of reasonable to heavy usage considerably better than the XT100. When we reviewed the XT100 and ran it through our tests the battery was finished the day on 14%. The same tests for the XM75 saw the battery level at the end of the day at 27% so this is certainly a factor to be considered if your field workers tend to work longer hours on occasion.

That said, both devices should be capable of seeing out most field service engineers working days, especially if the device is placed in an in-vehicle charging cradle in between jobs.  However, for those engineers who are required to spend long days in one location, a four-slot battery charger is an optional accessory.

 

Conclusion:

When we reviewed the XT100 a few months back we praised it as a solid mid,-market handheld computer that was particularly elegant and comfortable in hand and was remarkably light for a rugged device.

Similar things could be said for the XM75 although when it comes to roles where there is a large amount of scanning or field completion then the XM75 becomes the choice between the two. Similarly, if your field staff are in slightly more rugged environments, the XM75 just edges its close sibling with slightly better-rugged credentials.

However, both are a solid choice for field service organisations looking to empower their field workers with handheld mobile computers powerful enough for the job, rugged to survive yet with a light footprint.

 

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