It’s all too common for today’s frontline workers to require multiple devices to get their work done. They may have one handheld for barcode scanning, a walkie talkie for push-to-talk (PTT) communications and yet another device for data lookup and entry.
Needless to say, having to carry multiple devices around, track them and constantly switch between them can leave workers feeling frustrated — especially when they’re completing urgent repairs in the rain or working critical overnight warehouse shifts. In addition, purchasing, provisioning, securing, updating and repairing these devices throughout their life cycles can become a heavy burden on your IT team.
To spare everyone the time and hassle, you can provide each frontline worker with a fully integrated rugged mobile device that they can use for communication, collaboration and tactical work. Samsung’s rugged mobile devices consolidate the task-specific equipment that frontline workers need to get their work done. Here’s a closer look at how rugged smartphones and tablets can help you say goodbye to digital cameras, barcode scanners, in-vehicle PCs, two-way radios, walkie-talkies and old-fashioned pen and paper.
Solving frustration on the front lines
In a recent survey of 450 professionals working in frontline and field services conducted by Samsung and IPSOS, 75 percent of workers report juggling two or more devices throughout the work day.
IT leaders across diverse industries can benefit from eliminating this balancing act. “Consolidation of devices usually translates into greater productivity from our employees,” said one survey respondent.
“Increased productivity will add to our company’s bottom line,” said another, noting that a single-device approach could solve significant pain points. “Currently, it is time-consuming to change tablets, costly and double the maintenance.”
How does that translate into IT strategy? Nearly 60 percent of IT decision-makers are actively looking for new devices that allow for consolidation today, while 37 percent are interested in device consolidation in the future.
Samsung’s portfolio of rugged devices includes the Tab Active Pro and Tab Active3 as well as the Galaxy XCover Pro smartphone. These devices are designed for frontline workers, with integrated features like all-day battery, built-in cameras and an intuitive interface, so the process of switching to the new device is painless. They’re also built tough, with military-grade durability that ensures they won’t get held up by bumps, drops or debris. With a single device, workers can now confidently handle everything from capturing images and taking notes to securely sharing data and communicating with other team members.
Powering productivity with a PC-like experience
It’s not only legacy handheld devices that can be replaced with a rugged mobile device. Even road-bound frontline workers often need access to desktop computing to file reports and share information. In the past, this may have involved driving back to an office or working on a laptop from their vehicle at the end of a long shift to complete email, data entry and other tasks. Now, a rugged mobile device with PC-like capabilities can enable frontline workers to ditch the desktop altogether in favor of a streamlined experience consolidated onto the same device they use in the field.
With Samsung DeX, workers can transform their rugged mobile device into a desktop-like computing experience simply by connecting it to a monitor and keyboard. DeX on rugged tablets like the Tab Active3 can help frontline workers complete reports, upload images or video, and organize their field-captured data without having to go through the hassle of transferring it to another device — and risk losing or exposing important information in the process.
Stress-free device management
IT departments have as much to gain from device consolidation as the workers they support. Adopting a rugged mobile strategy can simplify your mobile device management (MDM), and solutions like Samsung’s Enterprise Edition offering can help. With the Tab Active3 Enterprise Edition, for instance, IT admins can easily enroll, configure and manage hundreds of devices as if they were one.
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Samsung’s Enterprise Edition devices come with a one-year Knox Suite license, plus three years of product life cycle support, five years of security maintenance updates (SMRs) and regular OS updates. By leveraging this toolkit, IT teams can eliminate the stress associated with device management without sacrificing security or key features.
Knox Suite provides end-to-end management capabilities. You can bulk enroll a large fleet of tablets in your MDM platform using Knox Mobile Enrollment (KME). Once your rugged tablets are out in the field, there will inevitably be issues to troubleshoot, but with Knox Manage, your IT team can monitor devices and resolve issues remotely. You can also schedule mandatory firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updates using Knox E-FOTA, and customize your devices to your specific business needs through Knox Platform for Enterprise (KPE). Lastly, Knox Asset Intelligence lets you monitor battery and application performance to uncover issues before they undermine productivity.
No matter your industry, replacing workers’ devices with a single, multipurpose solution is now possible and can be hugely beneficial for frontline workers and IT managers alike. With a single rugged smartphone or tablet that’s built for today’s frontline workers, your team can enjoy the ease of an integrated platform that’s flexible and fully outfitted with all your critical business features.
If you’re not sure whether rugged tablets will benefit your team, learn how you can optimize Galaxy tablets to your unique business needs using Samsung Knox Configure. Or explore Samsung’s range of versatile rugged mobile devices, built with defense-grade hardware to withstand even the most intense work environments.
