Mobile Maintenance with a Handheld CMMS
Facility Management Software in the palm of your hand

A Handheld CMMS Might Be For You

Using technology to overcome communication challenges. Improving efficiency for field workers; all while being eco-friendly?

Does this sound like a familiar scenario? Your maintenance crew are in the field hard at work, but there is no way for you to know which jobs have been completed, which ones have comments and notes attached to them, and your maintenance crew don't know which jobs are next in line, leading to an inefficient amount of time spent just trying to communicate with each other.

If you find it difficult to remain "in the know" with team members, or want to increase the efficiency of your field workers, then the new Hippo Hand Held CMMS (HH) may be the solution you are looking for.

For years, field workers have had to manage with a pen and paper system that has resulted in an assortment of errors, delays, redundancies, and inabilities to access or send information when it is needed the most. And then on one blissful day in the early 90's, the first hand held device was introduced. However back then, these devices served more of a personal organizer function than an all encompassing computing function.
Fast forward about 20 years and you enter into an environment where there are a multitude of different devices available, and many of them can be customized to better suit your needs. We will delve further into the topic of what is available to you later on, but first let us answer the question I know you are thinking: why would you need a handheld?

The answer is simple; these devices are more than just a communication tool. Specifically for your maintenance crew, a handheld device that is enabled with the Hippo Hand Held software allows your team to:
Improve Efficiency and reduce wasted travel time
Your maintenance crew can spend a large amount of time travelling back and forth to get to different jobs or get the proper tools and paperwork necessary to complete a task. Paper documents especially lack the ability to be tracked and audited, and are usually are tucked away in a box somewhere. With the Hippo HH (Hand Held) your crew can download work orders wherever they may be. Daily routes can be scheduled to be completed in an efficient and timely manner, and all the information needed whether it is pictures, manuals, invoices, checklists, can all be accessed on the spot. Further, management can more accurately manage and direct resources based on what work orders are outstanding.

You can better plan routes to improve productivity and minimize your costs
You can better plan routes to minimize your fuel costs, and vehicle depreciation, and you can improve your productivity by getting more jobs done in a day.

Save costs on Paper and Printing products
With a hand held device, say goodbye to paper products and hello to a completely paperless environment! Invoices, Manuals, and other paper documents can be attached to work orders, and you don't even need to print the work as it can be accessed from the device. This forward thinking enables your company to not only save costs on paper and printing costs, but also distinguishes you from your competitors as an eco-friendly organization. Not to mention the reward you feel from taking small steps towards a cleaner environment.

Improved Communication Capabilities
Technology has changed the way we do business. With the development of technology, organizations have left behind the traditional forms of communication and are adopting newer, faster, and more effective ways to communicate with others both internal to the organization and external. Redundancies, errors, and lag times are slowly becoming a thing of the past. With a hand held device, you can go the extra step, where you can instantly update team members and communicate with vendors with the touch of a button.

Ever play the telephone game? If so then you can agree that messages can easily be misinterpreted. With a hand held device you can increase the accuracy of information flowing back to team members. Since work orders are closed out as the work is completed, the notes entered will be accurate eliminating the risk for errors or omissions that can be made when entering in notes after the fact.
But so now who can benefit from these handheld devices? It's not just your maintenance crew that will experience the rewards. A hand held device affects all levels of personnel.

The CEO, Manager, Financial Officer
To satisfy the management team a handheld device needs to be useful to the organization and there has to be some sort of financial incentive to acquire one of these devices. As previously mentioned a handheld device, cuts down on the cost of paper and printing products, and increases efficiency. It allows for the mechanic who is in the field to be able to update and download work orders right away from wherever they are, not head back to the hub to get more work orders allowing for an efficient use of time management. Your personnel can complete more jobs in a day without the pressure of working overtime or having to rush through a job to get to the next, and as a bonus, having access to the right tools and information will make your employees more efficient.
Handheld devices are not just for field workers, department members and management teams can immediately see the benefits as well

Clerks
Even though the people submitting the work orders may not be using the hand held they can be assured that the device helps them as it allows for the maintenance crew to automatically update the clerk without having to write the notes on a sheet and then having the information entered twice. Clerks can focus on more important tasks without having to worry about the administrative functions associated. Hand held devices also ensure a quick flow of information to critical team members.

Field Force Workers
And now for the most important, the field workers who use the device daily- Hand Held devices allow for the crew to effectively and efficiently accomplish all the tasks necessary for the day. Maintenance crew can schedule their days to be more productive and save costs with no extra output. It's a win-win scenario.

What's available out there?
Hippo HH has partnered with Alcom Electronic Communications to bring you the best choices in enterprise mobility tools. Operating since 1983, Alcom is Winnipeg's largest Motorola dealer and service centre. They deliver wireless communications and mobility solutions that improve service delivery and increase both productivity and safety. Together with Alcom we have identified four hand held devices running the Hippo HH system to best serve clients of all industries. You can pick and choose which one best suits your needs. Best of all, with both leasing and purchase options available from Alcom it is very affordable to start mobilizing your maintenance crew with Hippo HH today! Pick and choose the device that is best suited for your industry. Customize the device to fully satisfy your needs
Motorola ES400
Motorola ES400 Spec Sheet
Perfect for customer facing environments and for executives on-the-go, this device is the size of a Smartphone but provides so much more. It is one part 3.5G world cell phone and one part robust mobile computer. It can use multiple WWAN connections to ensure you are always connected, as well as WLAN for on-site applications. It is durable enough to withhold exposure to dust and moisture, tumble half a meter 300 consecutive times and can even survive multiple 4 ft. drops. Try doing that with your cell phone!
Motorola MC55
Motorola MC55 Spec Sheet
This pocket sized rugged handheld is the one of the smallest and lightest of the enterprise digital assistants available, yet can still hold its own when it comes to capabilities. The device offers a WWAN, WLAN, and Bluetooth connectivity, push to talk capabilities over WLAN, and a rugged sealing to ensure reliability in spite of frequent "bumps" It is available with WIFI and WIFI + GSM capabilities for both inside and outside-the-four-walls workers.
Motorola MC75A
Motorola MC75A Spec Sheet
Ideal for institutional settings and field service workers this device is unique from all the others in the sense that it has five different data entry options and comes with a power management features that ensures battery power for a full shift and best-in-class GPS for location based services. The device has a rugged design required for survival in an industrial setting and can withstand multiple wipe downs and sanitization.
Motorola MC9500-K
Motorola MC9500-K Spec Sheet
This beauty has got everything for harsh industrial and manufacturing environments! The purpose of the design is to handle even the most demanding environments. 6 ft. drops, coffee spills, and full immersions in water are like a walk in the park for this device. With multiple data capture options and with both WLAN and 3.5G WWAN wireless network capabilities, the MC9500K offers big business value at a fraction of the cost.

You can choose any of the above for a device that truly fits your needs. And with the Hippo Handheld system in place, you can be assured that there will be no more delayed information and no more paper products. Just up to date access to get the job done right.

Want to learn more about how Hippo can help your company? Click here to get your FREE online CMMS software demo and Quote today. You'll be glad you did!