This Simple Step Can Truly Change The Game

17 Aug / Author: Harold Leitner

Transforming Field Operations with Smartphone Technology

In the current pandemic, many organizations have struggled to carrying out work that requires their field staff to physically visit prospects, customers and/or work sites to conduct business. The situation has forced the field workforce to work remotely, and do the best they can to fulfil the responsibilities of their job. However for some, working remotely is simply impractical given the nature of their business. This situation has heightened managers’ challenges to balance the need for greater insight into achieving business productivity goals and throughput, while maintaining the health and safety of the workforce. Innovative smartphone solutions can solve these operational challenges.

Smartphones and tablets are now powerful computers in our hands, and over 92% of the U.S. population has them. They include technologically advanced Cameras, GPS, Bluetooth, accelerometers, and other sensors that can be leveraged to create smart solutions. Their high bandwidth connections to the cloud and native computing power allow mobile devices to be used as the “new laptops” for running enterprise applications. This blog article examines three different operational use cases and how smartphone-based solutions can be effective.

Case #1: Onsite Inspections & Audits

The first example is of asset-based lenders who must periodically audit the collateral used by borrowers for acquiring the loans. Traditionally lenders hire auditors / inspectors to visit job sites, car lots, etc., to ensure that the collateralized assets are where they are supposed to be and in good condition. Today because of COVID-19, auditors may be reluctant to do onsite inspections. As a result, lenders are now having their borrowers self-audit with mobile apps that confirm the asset’s location and condition, especially for low-risk loans. A smartphone app can validate the accuracy of the self-audit using advanced image processing, GPS, validation rules, and fraud detection models. This reduces lenders dependence on auditors for onsite visits, while maintaining the quality of information needed to evaluate the health and risk of loans.

Case #2: Salesforce Efficiency

A salesforce productivity mobile app can help sales managers optimize sales operations with data from built-in smartphone sensors to measure and evaluate the productivity of their salespeople. When salespeople visit a client or prospect, a smartphone app with advanced geofence and GPS location capabilities can log the time spent at the meeting and is used to collect notes, order information, etc., that can be automatically pushed into CRM systems. Managers can see reports and metrics on completed meetings, time spent in meetings, territory coverage, etc. This data provides sales managers with insights into productivity that are based on leading indicators of sales instead of waiting for sales that never come. Their dependence on the accuracy and quality of manual reports created by field staff can be greatly reduced. Sales managers can now have greater visibility into sales team productivity and better forecast sales.

Case #3: Contact Tracing

Six months ago this use case would not have existed, but the pandemic has given rise to the need for social distancing to fight against its spread. Many construction, energy, and supply chain workers must work in groups to get jobs done. Smartphone apps can leverage GPS, Bluetooth, and cellular connections to continuously monitor and report the location of the personnel as well as their proximity to each other. This data can be extremely valuable if one of the workers tests positive for an infection. Management can quickly alert the health authorities on who was recently in close contact with the infected person, so that these works can be tested immediately for possible infection.

There are many use cases where smartphones and tablets can serve as a new platform to solve complex operational challenges. As mobile device sensors, computing, and bandwidth capabilities increase, their ability to drive innovation in operations will continue to grow. Organizations that are looking to disrupt or advance traditional workflows or business models should consider how these new mobile app capabilities could help them achieve their goals.

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Harold Leitner

VP, Business Development

With over 25 years of technology sales, business development, and account management experience Harold leads Xemplar’s business development team. He has successfully driven business growth for early stage technology providers across a range of industries including e-commerce, finance, IOT, connected fleet technology and telematics. Harold holds an MBA from Northern Illinois University and a degree in International Business from Illinois State University.

SriKrishna “SK” Tirumala

CEO & Co-Founder

Over the last 24+ years, SK has been at the forefront of delivering technology solutions in Property & Casualty. For the last few years, he has been spearheading the development of risk management solutions at Xemplar Insights, LLC. As the head of the business, SK passionately leads R&D and product engineering teams to advance the Xemplar product portfolio. He is continuously associated with customers, prospects and industry partners in solving their chronic business issues with cutting-edge technology.

Xemplar Solutions Suite

XEMPLAR AUTO is a comprehensive mobile, cloud, and web solution that enables personal auto insurers to close gaps in their digital capabilities. Designed to support loss containment strategies using state-of-the-art smartphone telematics, it can also include policy self-service capabilities to drive adoption and lower servicing costs. Insurers get a powerful analytics portal to analyze where, when, and how risk occurs in their book of business. Granular data can be used develop new rating variables for Usage Based Insurance (UBI).

Personal and Commercial P&C policyholders value the ease-of-doing business with their insurers over mobile and web channels. They are attracted to insurers with better digital capabilities for convenience and better service. Insurers understand that building relationships and creating loyalty with policyholders is key to their on-going profitability and success. The Xemplar Engage solution enables insurers to rapidly innovate and advance their digital transformation strategy with self-service features on mobile and web channels, resulting in significant competitive advantages with improved customer experience.

Xemplar Drive – Business was designed as a non-white-labeled option for Commercial Auto Insurers that believe that the policyholders will be apprehensive about using a data gathering solution provided by their insurance carrier. Xemplar Drive – Business would be referred by the insurer to the Commercial Auto policyholders (small businesses to large fleet owners) as a solution for risk prevention and loss control.
Xemplar Drive – Business is also available as a white-labeled off-the-shelf B2C subscription-based solution (SaaS or private) sold directly to Large Corporates, Commercial Businesses, and other Institutions that operate a fleet of vehicles, as a self-administered risk management solution.

Xemplar Drive – Business is a branded off-the-shelf, B2C subscription-based solution sold through distribution channels such as driving schools or not-for-profit organizations to individuals and/or parents of teens as means to analyze driving habits of themselves, or young drivers as they gain driving experience and develop good driving habits.

Xemplar Stack’s suite of licensable and adaptable software feature frameworks, platform architectures, design patterns, and data model assets helps businesses save development time and costs and jumpstart the creation of tailored software solutions for unique business cases.

About Xemplar Insights

Our journey began in early 2015 while experimenting with smartphone technology to analyze motion patterns that led us to develop an innovative and economical smartphone telematics solution for loss containment. We then extended our capabilities to include numerous new features including policy and claim services, and developed turn-key solutions for Personal and Commercial P&C Insurers. Today, Xemplar is an established digital solutions company that offers both pre-configured and tailor-made solutions to insurers and commercial businesses, with many companies using our products and services to drive their digital transformation.