3 Key Issues for Enterprise Applications on Smart Phones

The recent smart phone popularity has exploded and these feature-rich devices are gaining acceptance in previously unforeseen and unimaginable ways. Smart Phones are basically handheld computers with enterprise level applications and relevant data stored locally for complete functionality, with or without wireless access to central system. Smart Phones can now be used to pay at convenience stores, check-in at the airports, turn on/off security and lighting at home. Smart Phones have become a core component of many enterprise application roll outs and no longer are these applications considered a “nice to have”.
Our discussion will focus on how these devices can be used by sales reps to conduct business remotely, the tools and technologies required to enter cases and check status, online as well as offline.

Three main issues currently faced any mobile application are:
1. User Interface design / functionality requirements
2. Mobile network connectivity and interfacing with backend systems
3. Operating in Standalone mode and synchronization capability

User Interface design / functionality requirements
All things being equal from a functionality standpoint, a well designed, easy to use interface can make or break one's choice of a given application. Following are some of criteria to consider before making purchasing decisions:
i) Mobile Application users are likely to have limited time and space to access an application. Good organization of information is critical for achieving greater efficiency
ii) Design menus to help you get to the desired page in no more than 3 clicks
iii) Design a navigation system consistent with a regular web browser
iv) Minimize scrolling, especially horizontal scrolling. This can severely hinder user experience
v) Refrain from displaying too many data elements on a screen. This leads to confusion and greater opportunities for “operator error”
vi) Intelligent prompts should help users fill out / navigate through the application easily and do not require users to remember data elements.
vii) Provide indicators to elicit appropriate reactions from users. For Ex: Display signal strength / processing and downloading progress for user to wait before navigating away
viii) Long downloads generally lead to broken connections. Users should be mindful of this

Mobile network connectivity and interfacing with backend systems
Well designed mobile solutions should help professionals use applications remotely and temporarily function independent of backend systems / connectivity. Following are some of the key considerations:
• Latency: The communication between the central server and application running on the smart phone needs to be optimized for communication to account for dropped calls / lack of coverage.
• Bandwidth: The number of data-exchange touch points need to be minimized. Wireless transmission of large amounts of data is inherently slow. Data being sent and received needs to be manageable to ensure speedy receipt and retrieval. Choosing what data to keep locally and what to bring from the central server is more important that compressing the data to reduce file sizes.
• Reliability: The mobile app should be able to handle errors and recover cleanly as wireless connectivity is nowhere close to 100%. A well designed app should be able to let the user pickup from where s/he left off. The amount of “re-entry” of data should be ideally zero but realistically, should be less than 5% of the time.

Operating in Standalone, security and synchronization capability
• Security: Authenticate users against the central server the first time over. Users need to access the application when no wireless connection is available. This should be facilitated by allowing users to login (the last login should be locally cached so that the user can go in and out of the application) without a network connection.
• Reports: Some reports (generally user specific) can be generated from data stored locally but most need data from remote databases. These “on-demand” reports delivered to the mobile app need to be optimized for size and if possible, scheduled during off-peak hours so that users do not experience any access delays
• Security concerns include:
o Authentication
o Authorization
o Assign access Control / Responsibility
o Document Control Plans
o Limiting External Distribution
o Periodic System Audits, Access Control Enforcement and Awareness Training
o Incident Response Capability
o Virus Detection, Control & Eradication

Smart Phones are no longer a “privileged issue” or a symbol of one’s status in the corporate hierarchy. Real business is conducted through these devices and millions of dollars worth of orders flow through these “road warriors”. It is imperative that organizations do due diligence on these applications before embarking on a development project. This not only saves time and money but also accelerates adoption and embracement of these mission critical applications by the end user.