Active vs. Passive Workflow Management Systems
We're all familiar with using a web browser and navigating to different websites. You enter in the address or you click a
link in your web browser and you go to the site. Some of you may be familiar with web browsing on a laptop or mobile device
using a wireless data package from a wireless carrier. If you have done this, you understand some of the limitations involved. For
example 1) you need to be in wireless data coverage during your browsing session or you won't be web
browsing and 2) if you
are in coverage, navigating from page to page can be extremely slow and annoying because of limited data bandwidth. These same
limitations are experienced with Passive Workflow Management solutions.
Unfortunately, most Workflow Management software solutions on the market today are passive systems. Let's explore a typical
service call using a passive system. A new service call is setup in the office and assigned to a field technician. However, there
isn't any way for the technician to know he has a new job unless the dispatcher calls the technician and tells him to look for
it. For him to view this new service call, he needs to be in wireless data coverage. If he is not, he needs to find some coverage
in order to look at the job information. He arrives at the job site and finds the equipment he is working on happens to be in a spot in
the building that there isn't any coverage. This means while at the job site, he can't use the device to 1) view job, customer and
equipment information that may be critical to performing the work, and 2) enter in the work performed, materials used, time spent on
the job and miles. He simply can't use the device at all. To perform these functions he needs to find coverage by perhaps running
outside or at worst, drive several miles away if data coverage is spotty.
Let's contrast this passive system and explore the same service call using Mobile FieldPro's Active Workflow Management System. First,
the Dispatcher sets up and assigns the new service call to the same technician. From the office, the Dispatcher will be able to see if
the technician is in coverage or not. If he is in coverage, the technician's device will automatically ring and vibrate alerting
the technician there is a new service call. The device automatically sends back an Uploaded status. From the Office, the Dispatcher
will see the job status is Uploaded so she knows it's on the technician's device. If he was out of wireless data coverage, the Mobile
FieldPro Communication Server will monitor when he is back in coverage. Once he's back in coverage, the service call will automatically
be sent again. Once the job is on his device, wireless coverage is no longer an issue; all job, customer and equipment information now
resides on the device. Spotty or unavailable data coverage is not a concern, he can still complete the work performed, add materials
used, time worked and miles to this job item while at the job site. Every time the status of the job changes (e.g. Viewed, Traveling,
Working, Hold and Complete) the device automatically sends the status back so the Dispatcher can see the real-time status. Once all
the job information is entered in and he posts the job, all the job information will flow back to the Dispatcher. If he is out of
coverage when he posted the job, the Communication Service will monitor when he is back in coverage and will automatically send the
posted information then.
As you can see, there is a stark difference between the two types of systems. A Passive system is equivalent to using a web browser
in the field requiring the field technician to monitor when he's in coverage to view or input customer, equipment and job information.
An Active workflow management system automatically monitors coverage and pushes the job, customer, and equipment information to and from the mobile
device. Hopefully the above examples illustrate the critical differences between the two types of systems. If your organization has
several field personnel, you can imagine the difference between the two types of systems would equate to several man-hours per week.