Mike Melton is a Sacramento-based lead construction manager at Kimball Hill Homes. As such, he has used plenty of tools: hammers, drills, wrenches, saws -- you name it.
But he recently added another piece of equipment to his toolbox: a Palm Zire 72.
Melton says his Palm Inc. handheld eliminates a few hours of paperwork for him and his colleagues every day. It also better organizes his notes and orders, helping to reduce errors and confusion.
Corporate officials at Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based Kimball Hill Inc. are impressed by such reports, says CIO Frank Scaramuzza. Therefore, the home construction company decided to roll out Palm Zire 72s to the construction managers at its 90-plus building locations after running a successful pilot program in Sacramento. Scaramuzza wouldn't disclose the estimated ROI but says it was "sufficient to move forward with the product."
On a typical day, construction managers walk through homes under construction, taking notes on what needs to be done, inspecting completed work, checking jobs in progress and scheduling the contractors, Melton says. In the past, they took notes on paper while walking around and then transferred the information to computers or to paper forms back in their on-site offices.
"Now we have the Palm, and [construction managers have] virtually a phone, a fax, a computer and a printer in every home. They have their schedule right there, they can take notes, they can make changes on the fly, and the messages go right out," Melton says.
The efficiencies created by the handhelds are tangible, Melton says.
For example, a construction manager changed a cabinet order for a home under construction, but the vendor failed to deliver the new item, claiming it hadn't gotten the order in time. But the construction manager had all the pertinent information right there in his hand, detailing when the change was ordered and who at the vendor's company verified its receipt.
"In the past, we would have ended up having to buy a whole home's worth of [the wrong] cabinets," Melton says. "But rather than us having to pay for it, we could show we did everything right. The Palm created that accountability."
See the complete Faces of Mobile IT special report.
The Faces of Mobile IT
Different types of mobile workers, such as road warriors, telecommuters and blue-collar workers, need different forms of IT support.
Stories in this report:
- Editor's Note: The Faces of Mobile IT
Editor's Note: Corporate America is addicted to mobile connectivity. In this special report we hear the stories of different types of mobile workers -- the devices they use, the features they'd like -- as well as the stories of the IT workers who have to support them. - Wireless Worker: White-Collar Road Warrior
These road warriors are savvy wireless users, which in turn creates support issues for IT. - Tethered to Treo
- Lightening the Load With Data Sharing
- Wireless Worker: Globe-Trotter
Different protocols, standards and security issues create unique support issues for workers who skip from country to country. - Wireless Worker: Blue-Collar Worker
In choosing portable devices for use in the fields, IT must find one that has the right technology, is sturdy enough to handle tough working conditions and comes at the right price. - At Home With a Palm
- Wireless Worker: Telecommuter
Stay-at-home workers are powered by laptops sitting atop docking stations, cordless phones outfitted with voice over IP and the often-mandatory instant messaging. - Close Contact With IP Communicator
- Wireless Worker: Campus Nomad
Most workers who spend their days roaming corridors and campuses want high connectivity paired with low-tech mobile devices. - PDAs for Warehouse Support
- Wireless Worker: Call Center Agent
Voice-over-IP and wireless and computer telephony integration options are making it easier to set up call center agents to work at home. - Setting Up Security With a 'Locked-Down' PC
- QuickStudy: ZigBee
ZigBee is a short-range, low-power, wireless personal-area network technology optimized for low-cost sensor and control devices used in homes, office buildings, and medical and industrial settings. - The Real Magic of Wireless Technology
Your end users expect real-time data anywhere they happen to be. It's your job to make that magic happen, says columnist Mark Hall. - Research Insights
Click here to view these survey statistics.
Online Exclusives
- Cool Wireless Stuff.
Sure it may be practical and help improve efficiency. But what good is a wireless gadget if it's not fun? Computerworld staffers share some of their favorites, from a universal charger to a $1,200 digital sound system. - The War Driver Returns:
Computerworld's David Ramel hits the road again to check out the state of wireless security — and comes up with some surprising conclusions. - Executive Briefing:
Read about the threats from mobile and wireless technology in the enterprise, and the strategies developed to deal with them, in this online special report. - Lone Warrior:
What about the one-person shop? Learn how power PDA user Bert Latamore thrives on being completely mobile and self-sufficient — until there's trouble. - The Wireless Security Value Chain
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