Enhancing Business Operations with Mobile Computing

目前，许多公司的销售代表依靠简单的笔记和现场观察。通常 这些笔记与其他销售代表和经理的同步直到 一天，或者更晚。随着移动的计算和高速持久网络的发展， 可以向其他销售代表及其经理提供实时更新。此外，重要指示 也可以立即传达给现场销售代表，从而避免通过安排另一个 稍后访问网站。 Encore Market Engagement渴望扩展从以前的研发计划开发的原型， 谢里丹创建一个完全实施的移动的应用程序，为他们的销售代表。安可有兴趣在这个合作 研发移动的计算项目，包括： - 最大化销售代表的车内时间用于业务目的：Encore的客户目前使用的数据 用于iPad的采购/销售团队工具（EnCompass）。我们的目标是将开发的原型扩展为完整的 商业实施，以便销售代表在运输过程中更有效率。 - 销售代表自定义路由算法：需要为销售代表提供灵活、可自定义的算法， 生成工艺路线计划，并提供选项，销售代表可根据需要调整其计划 (e.g.,需要解决一个高度优先的问题）。这个问题的解决方案将涉及云计算 和移动的计算资源。 此项目给合作伙伴带来的好处包括一个可提高销售能力的技术解决方案 通过简化流程提高效率，并最终通过最大化 他们的投资回报。对谢里丹的好处是增加了学生参与应用研究， 现实世界的挑战。对研究学科的好处包括新的知识和专业知识 这些信息可以在地方、省和全国范围内传播和转移给加拿大公司。

Currently, sales reps in many companies rely on simple note taking and observation in the field. Usually, the synchronization of these notes with other sales reps and the manager does not take place until at the end of the day, or possibly later. With the advances in mobile computing and high-speed persistent networks, sales reps could provide updates in real-time to other sales reps and their managers. Furthermore, critical instructions could also be relayed to the field sales rep immediately, thereby avoiding costly delays by scheduling another visit to the site at a later date. Encore Market Engagement is eager to extend the prototypes developed from a previous R&D initiative with Sheridan to create a fully implemented mobile app for their sales reps. Encore is interested in this collaborative R&D mobile computing project, comprised of: - Maximizing sales reps' in-car time for business purposes: Encore's clients currently use a data acquisition/sales force tool (EnCompass) for the iPad. The goal is to extend the prototypes developed into full commercial implementations so that sales reps will be more productive while in transit. - Sales rep customized routing algorithm: A flexible, customizable algorithm for sales reps is needed to generate routing schedules and to provide options by which sales reps can adjust their schedules if necessary (e.g., a high priority issue needs to be addressed). The solution to this problem will involve cloud computing and mobile computing resources. The benefits of this project to the partner include a technology solution that will result in increased sale force efficiency by streamlining processes, and ultimately increasing Encore's client profit margins by maximizing their return on investment. The benefit to Sheridan is increased student engagement in applied research and real-world challenging problems. The benefits to the research discipline include new knowledge and expertise that can be disseminated and transferred to Canadian companies, locally, provincially and nationally.