Overcoming Geographic Challenges To Support Mobile Workforces
Since 2007 customers with critical dependencies on their fleets of mobile computers often ask how we overcome Canada’s geography.
The understandable skepticism behind this question is really a function of just how large Canada is. We also know how long it takes to fly between such major locations as Toronto to Vancouver.
Although employees in most organizations can do without their devices for a period of time, although some would agree this tolerance is shrinking, some mobile users can not function when their device stops working. Courier drivers are a case point. There is no option to go back to pen and paper – business simply comes to a stand still.
Located in the Ottawa area, PiiComm team members ensure our customers experience minimal downtime when mobile devices break. Breakage rates vary substantially. We mitigate downtime for customers by managing customer’s spares pools using expertise, tools and processes.
Spares Management Strategies
By thoroughly understanding what a customer’s tolerance for downtime is, we then structure a spares management plan to meet that expectation. We accomplish this by leveraging one or a combination of three strategies: distributed, centralized, decentralized. 
PiiComm team members then take on the task to ensure that spares inventory numbers and health are pro-actively managed. Of course there are instances where inventories have to be shared but that ongoing management task we take care of.
Asset Intelligence Manager
The key enabler of our ability to accommodate customer needs is AiM – Asset Intelligence Manager. AiM is a powerful and unique management tool comprised of three components: analytics, help desk ticketing and database. AiM enables PiiComm team members to gain visibility of and efficiently maintain, on-site and off-site spares inventories to meet client requirements. Where customer requirements don’t dictate the necessity of on-site spares web tickets reporting in-operational devices are immediately processed.
As a result a courier driver who accidentally drops his mobile computer in Prince George, British Columbia is non-productive for only as long as it takes to drive back to the a local office to pick up a fully-configured and tested device.
To learn more about Asset Intelligence Manager schedule a one on one web demo here.