Corporate Solutions

Successfully Deploying
Handheld PCs to a Workforce

  Carl Merkle
In the last column, I predicted that handheld PCs will become popular with corporations and large organizations that want to harness the ultra-mobile communications and computing power of technology using these standardized, low-cost "thin-client" information devices. I said I'd explore the planning and implementation strategies necessary to successfully deploy handheld PCs to a large workforce in this column. I'll refer to the deployment of handheld PCs to a large workforce as "enterprise computing." The term really applies to any wide-scale deployment of computing technology in an organization.

Emergence of enterprise computing

We are entering into a new era of communications and computing characterized not by the merits of a single device, but by the capability and robustness of an entire system to meet organizational goals.

Originally, computing was a tactical resource and just a few well-trained specialists in the organization needed to use it. The convergence of computing and communications has allowed for wide distribution of electronic information over great or short distances. This now makes computing a strategic resource.

Many smart organizations are finding that all of their employees need to be able to easily access and share information -- within and outside the organization. The emergence of enterprise computing means whole organizations need to become computer literate in order to thrive. Wide-scale deployment of computers capable of connecting to the Internet (a.k.a., "internet worked" computers) is a major systems project that has major strategic implications to an organization.

Thus it requires top level management and board of director level buy-in and a great deal of care and effort in the planning process. It is difficult to implement for two primary reasons:
 

1. Resistance to change. Workforce automation will change the way people are currently working, and change is uncomfortable to most people. Significant resistance may be encountered, especially from those who do not currently use computers and feel they have operated well to date with paper based information systems. You'll need to begin preparing people for change early on, through memos, training sessions, and other activities.
2. High costs. Even if you are using low-cost information devices like handheld PCs, workforce automation is a major investment. Costs are associated with equipment, accessories, network infrastructure, the re-engineering of workflow, drafting new policies and procedures, and training. In addition, organizations must plan for future annual costs for wear and tear on equipment, loss, theft, new employee training, help-desk operations and system upgrades.

There are many stories about organizations that wasted a lot of money on technology -- don't become one of those stories! Think about your investment, make a good plan, and then act together as a team to implement the plan.

Think -- about what you want to do

Start by analyzing your needs and goals. Create a team of individuals within the organization to consider your strategic direction. Clearly state your organization's objectives and how the implementation of this technology will help you achieve them.

Understand the technology that is currently available and what it can and cannot do. Understand where current technology is headed. Understand the costs involved and what you are willing to spend. You'll have plenty of in-house knowledge about the business and its strategic direction. You may not have sufficient knowledge of computer technology. It may make sense to seek appropriate professional advice. At the end of this process you should decide whether to go ahead or not, and how far into enterprise computing you are going to go.

Enterprise networking is a technical project and it is easy to get sidetracked and focus too tightly on technical issues and not on the important people, process, financial and organizational issues. Clear goals and a vision helps keep you on track. A tool to do this is a "needs assessment".

A needs assessment is a detailed review of what types of systems and other technology the organization needs to build and maintain a competitive advantage. It identifies the business needs you want to address. Once you've identified these needs, then you can worry about technology and, more importantly, people, process and financing issues. A needs assessment identifies where you are, how you got there, and where you want to go.

Plan what you are going to do

A comprehensive implementation plan should be drafted by the team and approved by the organization. This written plan provides a shared vision of what you want to accomplish - a roadmap that will save many headaches in the implementation of that vision. The plan should consider where you are, where you want to go, and how you want to get there. It should address people, processes, technology and financial issues. No plan is complete without a significant commitment to training.

The implementation plan needs to be developed with input and buy-in from many sources, including, not only the end-users, but technical support staff, vendors, managers, and trainers. The plan should incorporate a pilot program to test the concepts, work out bugs, and provide a reference point for benchmarking the results of a full-scale implementation.

Act together as a team

As mentioned above, a small team or taskforce should be formed with support and authorization from top management and the board of directors. The team does the initial needs analysis, recommends a course of action, and is responsible for implementing the final plan. The team should include representatives from the major groups in the company that will be effected by the technology. As mentioned, the first implementation of the plan (the prototype) should be done with a smaller controlled group within the organization.

Once the tools have been chosen, the pilot program run, the communications process started, and the technology installed, the key to success is training and user support. The training should integrate the functions of the electronic tools, the company's business process and an effective organizational framework supporting the end user.

Most computer training focuses on the basic functions of the machine. Many times this type of training can be accomplished before a user enters a class session, using an off-the-shelf product. Class sessions should focus on the daily business processes specific to the user's job, using "real world" examples to solidify the users understanding. The users "thought process" must change as they learn how to use these new tools. A steady stream of easy-to-digest information must be available to the new user to help the user get the most of the system selected.

Think, plan, and implement! The process requires an investment in your time, attention, and money. But the long-term dividends to your organization will make it seem like putting money in the bank. 

Carl Merkle is the Director of Corporate Projects for Shier Systems & Software, Inc., and is responsible for managing delivery of ultra-mobile computing and communications business solutions to corporate accounts. A CPA by background, Carl was previously a senior manager with Ernst & Young, LLP. Carl lives in Irvine, California with his wife and three children, where the use of Handheld PCs is woven into the fabric of their daily activities. He can be reached by e-mail at: carl@shier.com or by voice-mail at 714-559-1142.