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Handhelds carve a niche in India Inc.

The adoption of handheld devices by various industry segments is improving the efficiency and productivity of users, says Vinutha V

The entry of personal digital assistants (PDAs) has changed the business of data collection in various industry segments such as FMCG, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and mining.

Take the example of the Bangalore traffic police, which was finding it all but impossible to track violations in a city where 700-900 vehicles are added to its roads every day; the cops soon started using Simputers.

Also consider the case of a pharmaceutical company which does not want to be named. Before its field-force began using handheld devices, it had to depend largely on manual, paper-based systems. It used to take this company a month to compile data collected from doctors and chemists. The introduction of handhelds has led to a tremendous increase in the productivity of the company’s medical representatives. Software loaded in the handheld enables each medical representative to maintain, store and feed information, and a three-day data transfer takes only five minutes. The company is now planning to go in for more handhelds (palmOne m500 and m515s).

In today’s regulated world, facilities have to demonstrate that they comply with numerous requirements. From testing for visible emissions to monitoring control device parameters, environmental managers must gather and store a great deal of information. Documentation of various operational parameters must be undertaken on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis. Consolidating this information is time-consuming. Newer handheld devices have improved speed, memory and graphics capabilities, as well as offered greater flexibility when it comes to customisation. Customised handheld devices can store and generate maintenance or compliance data collection worksheets/ checklists that include logic structures which guide the user through the route, thus minimising the manual labour required from him. These handheld devices enable field personnel to gather information in an electronic format while reducing opportunities for transcription errors and permitting more efficient processing and utilisation of data.

The old way

Earlier, data collection was done using paper-based systems which were far from accurate. HLL’s (Hindustan Lever) sales force visited its distribution outlets with paper forms, and the number of stores they could cover was limited. Worse, it was difficult for a sales person to remember the huge list of products that the company offered, and to keep track of what each distributor wanted. Today, companies look at Web-based tools to synchronise field data.

Novo Nordisk was using such a system; it had its own Web-based tools. Although sending information in this manner was swift, the shortage of Internet connections in some parts of the country was a hurdle. The company finally picked handhelds.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) formerly used notebooks as part of its vehicle diagnosis system. Says Mahesh Babu, the company’s Deputy General Manager of R&D, “The notebook-based communication unit that used to connect the engine management unit was not completely utilised. We needed a device that could provide small memory capacities and was simple enough to do only the tasks required.”

Manifold benefits

Using handheld devices increases the focus, accuracy, efficiency and confidentiality of data collection. Also, the novelty of using these devices may actually increase interest in survey participation by some respondents who might have not participated otherwise.

The Bangalore traffic police will shortly buy more Simputers. Currently, 38 units are being used, and another 30 will be added in May 2005. The role of these gadgets goes beyond issuing a printed copy of the violation. If it’s a repeat offence, entering the name, vehicle number or licence details of the offender results in the Simputer listing the previous offence. K V Ravindranath Tagore, Additional Commissioner of Traffic Police, Bangalore, says, “Efficiency has increased by about 40 percent. Besides other methods of sending computer notices to the traffic offenders, Simputers help us book over 2,000 violations in a day. Earlier, it was less than one-third what we are witnessing now. This has drastically reduced the number of accident cases, which is nearly 15 percent lower than it was in 2004.”

Novo Nordisk field staff has been using palmOne CN-500s to get data from doctors and chemists. About 325 units are being used by the sales force for their daily reporting and call planning. “We needed to monitor our customers closely and bring more discipline to the workforce. These requirements were taken care of with handheld devices,” says Wilfred Prakash, Manager, IT & Administration, Novo Nordisk India.

We needed to monitor our customers closely and bring more discipline to the workforce. These requirements were taken care of with handhelds Wilfred Prakash Manager-IT & Administration Novo Nordisk India	Efficiency has increased by about 40 percent. Simputers help us book over 2,000 violations in a day K V Ravindranath Tagore Additional Commissioner of Traffic Police, Bangalore

For diagnostic purposes with regard to its new Euro III vehicle, the Scorpio CRDe, M&M has developed a total communication tool called ‘Mahindra Insight’. The Encore Simputer is part of this tool, and it is plugged directly into the engine control unit of a vehicle to read the engine parameters. “The mobility aspect of the Simputer has provided value for money. The use of the device indicates its huge potential, including for remote diagnostic purposes,” adds Babu. About 200 units have been bought by M&M, of which its dealers use 50.

There are several protocols that sales people have to meet at HLL when they contact a distributor or retailer during their Journey Cycle Run Rate that takes place every three months. They have to get information about products based on re-launch, regular purchase and different schemes. Sales Companion, an application developed by TVS-E for HLL, is used on palmOne Zire 31, Zire 71 and Zire 72 by the HLL team to accelerate the data gathering process. “A sales person does not spend more than three minutes on each retailer or distributor. By using these devices, we have minimised the challenge of memorising all the parameters, and reduced the time required. Sales have increased significantly, and our workforce has become smarter,” says Navin Singhania, Systems Manager, HLL.

PDAs vs notebooks

Handheld devices are not used for applications that need continuous monitoring. The smaller screen of a handheld is not conducive to continuous viewing. That said, PDAs are sleek, lightweight and inexpensive vis-à-vis notebooks or PCs. In industrial environments, they often make a better fit than notebooks or PCs. If the price of a notebook starts at Rs 30,000, PDAs are available from Rs 10,000. On the field, certain advanced features in notebooks remain unused. Handhelds supply a comparable graphical user interface with drop-down menus and radio buttons. Most user companies buy these devices from vendors and outsource the application software development to third parties as per their requirements. The software providers offer easy-to-use development tools, and in certain cases, users develop their own operating system.

Promising future

Unlike in developed nations, WiFi-enabled PDAs are not available in India. This makes it difficult for field staff to synchronise data in real-time, especially those working in semi-urban or rural areas. Companies are encouraging their employees to move to a cellular network that has a wider reach. Even there, few companies (such as Novo Nordisk) have been sending information to their main server using CDMA technology. Handhelds can run out of charge and this results in data loss.

Although it takes time to acquaint employees with the gadgets, in a competitive environment, the top management and their field staff welcome anything that boosts efficiency and gives productivity a shot in the arm. By simplifying data collection and report generation, PDAs have found their niche in India Inc.

vinutha@expresscomputeronline.com