Industrial smartphones

Of course, the very wording of better/worse is not quite correct. But we can not avoid the constant comparison of these devices, so we will leave it as it is.

It should be clearly understood that for use in ordinary life, a standard smartphone is more suitable. As a rule, it is more productive, has a more powerful processor, camera and so on. We can load high-demanding toys on it, watch videos in high resolution, use a bunch of different applications that we are interested in today. If our phone sometimes hangs up, can’t connect to the Internet, messes with the connection or just turns off in the cold — we can forgive it, because it is a reflection of our personality, and we get tired too.

An industrial smartphone has a fundamentally different task — to provide a very specific set of functions without interruptions and unexpected surprises. The user always knows exactly what he wants from the device (most often it is spelled out in the ToR). And the only thing he requires from the device is stable and reliable operation in various conditions without regular service calls. In brief, it is a workhorse, which, despite the rain and blizzard, must fulfill the task at hand.

Let’s note the main differences between an industrial smartphone and an ordinary one:

The life cycle of the device — 5-7 years.
Removable battery — provides uninterrupted functionality in 24/7/365 mode. When the battery runs out of charge, it is simply replaced with a new one and the device is ready to work again.
High quality specialized accessories — for car attachment, wear on clothes, battery charging, data transfer, etc. Basically, only industrial connectors are used, which allow you to maintain the tightness of the case in any use of the device. About the fact that microUSB loosens and clogs with dirt, I think everyone knows firsthand.
Designed for commercial use — for the high reliability of the device and its use only for business purposes and taking into account the corporate security policy, a stable version of the OS is responsible. The assembly includes only necessary applications and utilities. There is no possibility for employees to freely manage applications (and therefore no risk of malware penetration). And the employee will not be able to occupy his time with exciting YouTube videos or playing marbles.
Increased dimensions — due to the impressive functionality of the MC, because it can simultaneously include a scanner, RFID-reader, communication and navigation, camera, etc. At the same time, the mobile computer remains quite convenient in operation: ergonomics is given special attention, since it is supposed to be a constant use of the device. Also, an industrial smartphone will not slip out of your hand.

Thanks to this functionality, MKs are used everywhere for mobile workforce automation solutions. Their use significantly increases the productivity and efficiency of employees, resulting in cost savings and increased competitiveness of the enterprise.

Trade — automation of various activities of merchandisers and sales representatives (including medical representatives) of distribution and wholesale companies, as well as other employees of stores and retail outlets

Increasing sales efficiency;
Increased accuracy and speed of order fulfillment (order creation by sample, selection of nomenclature by SC/name, automatic filling of prices, taking into account the conditions for a particular customer);
Transparency of work of mobile employees (GPS coordinates tracking, actual statuses of each request, the amount of money in the cash register, the balance of goods on board the car);
Reduction of human factor influence (the software prompts the user with the sequence of actions).

Service sector — automation of work of waiters in restaurants, bars and cafes, banking and insurance agents, access control at entertainment events:

Receiving orders and their prompt transfer to the kitchen without leaving the visitor’s table;
Receiving orders from the visitor using a single device, without paper carriers;
Convenience of work in specific conditions — insufficient light, noise, etc.
On-line access to the common database;
Creation/approval of the application on the spot;
Acceleration of all operations in times.

Repair and field service (FieldService, MRO, MRO) repair crews, service engineers, service center engineers.

Planning of inspections, inventories, scheduled repairs of technical objects, as well as transfer of formed daily plans to mobile complexes of each of the teams.
Monitoring of mobile teams, their location, efficiency of working time utilization
Quick and convenient access to reference and normative documentation, to regulations and instructions for maintenance and repair, information on previously performed works, on spare parts stocks.
Automatic identification of objects, meter readings, parameters of object operation, photo fixation of breakdowns, recognition of meter readings

Courier activity — automation of delivery of online stores with the ability to accept payment on the spot (cash/cashless), courier delivery:

Automatic receipt and transmission of necessary information;
Increased productivity of couriers
Improving the quality of customer service;
Reduced workload on document management
Effective planning and tracking of delivery.

Transportation — boarding control, inspectors/checkers, ship preparation on the air apron, etc.

Improved passenger safety in transportation
Speeding up the process of boarding passengers, issuing penalty tickets
Increase of labor efficiency of a mobile employee
Accurate recording of the time of fulfillment of a particular operation