In the last 20 years, we’ve seen innovation in technology that we’d only imagined in science fiction. Though we don’t have flying cars, we do have everyday objects housing computers that can talk to each other. This constant flow of data between devices, known as the Internet of Things (IoT), is underpinned by network-enabled sensors that help us monitor, control, and interact with real-world objects; from reporting concrete integrity, to automating home security, to monitoring production quality standards.
You may think an organization like ProntoForms, that specializes in data collection, would be intimidated by systems that automate these processes. Isn’t that taking the job ProntoForms does out of the equation? Absolutely not!
ProntoForms looks at the automation of data collection as the next logical step. Our solution enables field workers to efficiently collect data and reduce the amount of time they spend performing mundane and repetitive tasks. This approach allows workers to spend more time on the jobs that computers and sensors just aren’t cut out to do. A sensor can tell you when an engine needs service, a pump requires calibration, or a pipe need to be replaced. However, it takes a person in the field to perform the inspection and any required maintenance.
Like so many emerging technologies, the Internet of Things is an incomplete system. Still, it’s important for businesses to prepare themselves now to take advantage of this technology in the not-too-distant future. Mobile forms are ideally suited to take advantage of IoT-enabled solutions, as they’re specifically designed to manage the 2-way flow of data between the field and the office. An IoT sensor can trigger a service request directly to a technician’s mobile device, and IoT-based data can be captured, processed, and dispatched to a mobile forms app.
Teams that adopt rich data collection and analytics tools can gain valuable insights into their business and take steps to improving their business. The more data a team collects now, the more they are able to take advantage of analytics and automatic data collection in the future.
Effective businesses are increasingly adopting a digitally native workflow. Mobile solutions like ProntoForms allow teams to consistently collect the high quality data that feed into corporate analytics engines. Companies that use analytics and digital data collection in their business processes now will reap great benefits: they’ll be able to identify critical issues, track trends more reliably, and make business decisions based on facts to improve their business as it grows.
Those who take advantage of the technologies surrounding mobile data collection today stand to see amazing returns in the future. As the Internet of Things becomes fully integrated into the world around us, mobile data collection and analytics tools become mission critical components for any business.
Written by Mark Almeida, VP Carrier & Partner Sales
