implementing a disconnected mobile application with dsi for field operations

Session ID:

Prepared by:

Implementing A Disconnected

Mobile Application with DSI for

Field Operations

103860

Victor Lang, VP of Enterprise Systems, Smartbridge

Danny Tsang, Manager Enterprise Mobility, Smartbridge

Agenda

• Introduction

• Industry Trends and Challenges

• Use Cases for Disconnected Applications

• Demo - Field Equipment Rental Application

• DSI Disconnected Mode Features and Architecture

• Design Considerations and Best Practices

• Question & Answers

2

Smartbridge – a full-service SI company

4

ERP – JD Edwards

Systems Integration

Infrastructure

Portals & Collaboration

Application Development

Restaurant Technology

BI Strategy & Assessment

Information Dashboards

Mobile BI

Data Warehousing

Master Data Management

Advanced Analytics

Mobile Strategy

Mobile Applications

Mobile Intelligence

Mobility Management

Internet of things

IT Strategy

Software Selection

Merger & Integration

Project Management

Outsourcing Strategy

Enterprise

Systems

Enterprise

Mobility

Business

Intelligence

& Analytics

Strategy &

Advisory

We provide full service consulting with end-to-end solutions

including strategy, implementation, and ongoing operations

and administration

Smartbridge – Full spectrum of mobility

Services

Mobile Strategy

• Full Strategy and Roadmap• Mini Roadmap and

Kickstart• Software Vendor Selection• Assessments

App

Development

• User Experience & Interface

• Design & Development• Backend Integration• Managed Services

Mobile

Intelligence

• Dashboards• Reporting• User Experience

& Design

Mobility

Management

• Device Management• Auditing & Tracking• App Management• Content

Management• Data Protection

Internet of Things

• Ideation -> Pilot• Design & Development • Integration• Analytics

Industry Trends and Challenges

6

Priorities for CIOs

CIOs Top 5 Mobile Initiatives in 2016

7

70%

74%

76%

78%

80%

64% 66% 68% 70% 72% 74% 76% 78% 80% 82%

CREATING FASTER GO-TO-MARKET APPROACH

SELLING MORE EFFECTIVELY

TIGHTER SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS

CLOSER CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY

Source: Forrester Research, “Mobile Becomes a Key Success Imperative for CIOS” November 2015

Priorities for CIOs

High Priorities to improve processes with mobile apps

8

Source: Forrester Research, “Mobile Becomes a Key Success Imperative for CIOS” November 2015

30%

32%

33%

34%

34%

38%

39%

49%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

FIELD SERVICE PROCESSES

FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING PROCESSES

ORDER MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

SUPPLY CHAIN PROCESSES

DECISION SUPPORT PROCESSES

SALES PROCESSES

CUSTOMER SERVICE PROCESSES

Boosting Productivity in Field

• Quick turnaround on

approvals

• Sales enhanced by

item availability check

• Service history

• Proximity based

features

• Eliminating paper

• Improve accuracy

• Reduce time to close

• Improve cash flow

• Acknowledgements with

signature

• Image capture

9

Access to Data Data Capture

Typical Challenges in the Field

• No Signal

– No cellular connection available in the work areas

• High Latency

– Takes too long to pass data back and forth.

• Low Bandwidth

– Bandwidth isn’t available to download large blocks of

data.

• Need for Mobility

– Users need to travel to locations where wifi and

cellular coverage isn’t always available.

• Rugged Environment

– Need for special devices

10

Use Cases for Disconnected

Applications

11

Field Sales

• Access customer information

• Access product information

• Access inventory availability

• Create quotes and enter sales orders

• Pick Pack Ship

• Access invoice and billing information

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Create QuoteEnter Sales

OrderPrint Pick Slip

Confirm Shipment

Print InvoiceUpdate/Post

Sales

Field Support

• Access service tickets

• Access equipment data

• Access critical manuals and documentation for usage, warranty and repairs

• Dispatch monitoring

• Update key information on equipment inspections and maintenance

• Enter purchase orders for spare parts, or materials

• Get acknowledgement from customer

• Update and closure of tickets

13

Create Support

TicketAssign Ticket

Review equipment

data and docs

Order/Receive Parts

Update Equipment

data

Update and Close Service

Ticket

Field Service

• Access my work orders

• Access customer data

• Access routing and locations

• Track activity, time and work hours

• Provide accurate and timely information of services

performed on remote property/equipment/facilities

for streamlined support and billing

• Can be applied to rental equipment, real estate,

construction/engineering

• Timely updates to work orders reducing time to

close

14

Create Work OrderExecute the Work Order

Track activity and time

Update work order

Approval workflow

Customer Invoice/billing

Field Equipment Rental

Application

Built using DSI with back end integration to JD Edwards

15

Field Equipment Rental Application

Objective:

Mobile enable the field staff to manage equipment rentals

Primary Functions:

Streamline the activities of branch plant personnel processing

the sales orders in the areas of

equipment delivery

capturing equipment usage

reporting damages or loss of equipment

return of equipment

Provide branch plant personnel the ability to operate in a

disconnected mode

16

Field Equipment Rental Application

17

DEMO

Disconnected Mobile Apps with

DSI

DSI Disconnected Mode Features

Overview of DSI Architecture

18

Offline Benefits

Benefits of being designed for offline

• Prepared for outages

– Offline applications can work even when your DSI or ERP system goes down. Cached data allows for users to continue working until the system comes back online.

• Faster transactions

– Transactions are queued, and transmitted in the background. This eliminates the time delay when multiple online transactions are performed back to back.

• True Mobility

– Users can work anywhere without needing access to the network for data.

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Rich Disconnected Mobile Apps

• Simple intuitive apps focusing on streamlining

workflows

• No vagueness in the user actions; “Fit For Need”

apps that require minimal training

• Tailor synchronization of data based on the user or

role

• Seamless synchronization and offline storage

20

DSI Features Supporting Disconnected Mode

• Mobile client stores available applications and login

credentials locally on the device

• Content can be synchronized and stored locally on

device database tables

• Completed transactions can be queued and

uploaded at a later time

• Ability to customize the synchronized dataset based

on users, roles, devices, or groups

21

DSI Platform Server

Ruggedized Handhelds

JD Edwards ERP

DSI Database Server

Laptops

Tablets & Smartphones

Other Database Systems


22

Replication AgentCommunication AgentAsynchronous AgentAgents:

DSI Platform Server


JD Edwards ERP

DSI Database Server

Laptops


IntegratedSystems



23



24


DSI Platform Server


JD Edwards ERP

DSI Database Server

Laptops


DSI System

IntegratedSystems



25


DSI Platform Server


JD Edwards ERP

DSI Database Server

Laptops


User Devices

DSI System

IntegratedSystems


Offline Data Life Cycle

26



DSI Platform Server

JD Edwards ERP

DSI Database Server


Laptops



27



DSI Platform Server

JD Edwards ERP

DSI Database Server


Laptops



28



DSI Platform Server

JD Edwards ERP

DSI Database Server


Laptops



29


JDE & Other Systems

DSI

Mobile Client

DSI

1. Data replicates from ERP and other

systems to DSI Database

2. User syncs data from DSI Database

to Mobile Client

3. Completed transactions are uploaded from

Mobile Client back to DSI.

4. DSI processes transactions into JDE and other systems.

Design Considerations and

Best Practices

30

Design Considerations For Developing A

Disconnected App

• What does your network availability look like?

• What kind of tolerance do you have regarding data

latency?

• How quickly do transactions need to be recorded

back into the system?

• Which parts of your work flow need to be done

offline?

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Addressing these questions early in the design process will help guide you in designing the data flow and replications needed in your disconnected applications.

Best Practices

• Look for opportunities to sync changes

• Use full and partial replications appropriately

• Use mobile client tables for local storage

• Reduce replication overhead

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Look For Opportunities To Sync Changes

• Periodically Check For Online Status

– Use the Is Connected control to check for online status as the user completes transactions.

– If connected, then use this as an opportunity to Transmit Queue and perform a partial replication sync.

• Allow user to manually sync if desired

– Add a button or action that allows the user to manually sync if there is a network connection available.

33

By taking advantage of opportunities to sync your data, you are

reducing the time window in which data is not updated back to JD

Edwards which will keep your data fresh and up to date sooner.

Full Replication Schedules

• Use a Full Replication fully rebuild your database

tables with the latest data in your DSI Server or

Mobile Client.

• Fast way to synchronize large sets of data and

without overhead of checking timestamps on

individual records.

34

Full replication schedules should be run on the server

overnight to rebuild the DSI database or on the mobile client

when the user manually wants to refresh all data.

Partial Replication Schedules

• Use a Partial Replication to get changes in data through out the day.

• This uses a timestamp field to identify what data has changed in a given table.

• Fast way to sync small sets of data changes throughout the day.

35

Preference is for the partial replications to be run periodically

throughout the day or after users perform certain actions on

the mobile client.

Use Mobile Client Tables

• Local Storage

– Mobile client tables persist on device

– Not overwritten from a database sync

– Use to store static data that does not needed to be updated frequently

– Used to store in progress data that is not ready to be written back to DSI yet

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Mobile client tables can be used to store static data such as

lists, and in progress records since they are not overwritten

during replication.

Reduce Replication Overhead

• Aggregate tables into views

– Combine necessary fields from multiple tables into composite views.

• Limit the data range

– Put a cap on the amount of data replicated by using date ranges or record counts.

• Customize replication rules

– Customize the rule to only pull data that is specific to the application, user or role needed.

37

Reducing the amount of overhead in the replicated data will

improve replication wait time and lighten up the load put on

the server when users are synchronizing data.

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• Victor Lang, VP of Enterprise Systems

– [email protected]

• Danny Tsang, Manager Enterprise Mobility

– [email protected]

• Smartbridge : www.smartbridge.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.smartbridge.com/

39

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