Mobile Data collection is changing the ways businesses capture data, both on the plant floor and in the field. Companies that commit to collecting data efficiently and then make informed changes based on the data they captured are experiencing better results and lower costs. As organizations look to make the move from paper data collection to mobile data collection, there are a few things to keep in mind and mobile data collection features to look for.
The optimal mobile data collection solution should allow your businesses to capture better data quickly and report on that data more accurately. This increase in speed and accuracy should also be accomplished at a reduced cost and with much less effort. Here are three critical mobile data collection features we believe need to be present in your mobile data collection solution in order for that to occur:
- Flexibility and Configurability
- Ease of use and Reporting
- Competent support
Flexibility and Configurability
Your firm’s processes are unique, and they can change over time. You need a solution that allows your admin users to customize the way data is collected to match your processes, even as they evolve. You should not be forced to alter your process to fit your tools configurations. You should also be able change and alter the configuration as your requirements change over time. This is especially true if you are executing processes where regulatory issues and compliance requirements must be met. For long-term success, it’s critical to have a system that can make adjustments to stay current with updated rules and regulations.
In addition, your tool should be flexible and easy enough for an admin with no technical experience to customize a process without the help of a software expert. A flexible and configurable platform makes data collection a very quick and easy process for the people doing it. Once the data is collected, it sorts the information and delivers it to stakeholders as needed.
Build a Form In Minutes
In this short video demo learn how anyone can build a form in minutes with no coding or software expertise
Ease of use and reporting
A flexible mobile solution helps you capture data effectively in the field, but that’s just the first step in the process. The second importan core mobile data collectioin feature is the ability to share that information in easy-to-understand reports in real-time.
A mobile solution should have its own BI tool that’s able to query the data with filters like date ranges, code numbers, product parts, and anything else your business requires. And once queried, it should be able to build graphs and charts that are easy to read and understand. Finally, that data should have the ability to be distributed in real-time. Mobility on the floor should mean that your supervisors never need to flip through clipboards again to get a real-time view of any process being managed.
Your system should also be able to create and share these reports on a specific schedule with dashboards, emails and PDFs. Once again, all of this functionality should be available to the admin users, who should never have to call a programmer to help build a new report or analyze their results in a new way.
Demo – Automated Reporting and Analysis
A quick demo of how simple it is to automate and share reports. We also share how you can do custom analysis and craft simple visualizations.
Use Case – GFSI and Global GAP Audits
We will quickly show how to seamlessly migrate an audit process to KipTraq in minutes. We will also share how mobile data collection streamlines this process from data collection to customized final reports.
Competent support
Short and long-term support are integral to the success of your mobile data collection tool. With a fully customizable mobile data collection tool, you should expect expert, hands-on support in learning how to configure the tool to your processes.
Once you learn how to manage your own tool, you should still expect ongoing support in case you need a refresher or have a new approach you want to try. Your support people should understand your business and be able to make relevant suggestions.
You should also have access to complete online documentation and easy-to-access how-to videos and FAQs, so team members can self-educate.
Watch a quick overview of how our product specialists ensure you get the most from your no-code data collection app
Summary
We’ve covered the three concepts and mobile data collection features you should keep in mind when looking for a mobile data collection solution. First, your solution should have the flexibility to work across your entire organization. Second, it should be easy to use at both the floor/field level as well as at the management level. It should be easy to configure and manage, and it should be easy to build reports and access your data in meaningful ways in real-time. Third, it should be easy for your team to learn and manage. Hands on support and extensive documentation should be available to ensure your implementation is successful.
To learn more about KipTraq’s additional mobile data collection features and how we may be able to improve your data collection processes please contact us for a custom demo.