Go Rugged,
Stay Connected

“Rugged helps improve productivity without having to deal with ‘swapping out’ devices because of frequent breakage,” says Cavanaugh. “Rugged devices also have longer life spans than consumer devices, provide more control over updates, and are less reliant on the constantly-evolving consumer device market. Consumer devices will cost less initially, but there are costs associated with device swaps that can erode that savings.” 

For example, Cavanaugh recently worked with a firm that was using consumer-grade handhelds for proof of delivery activities.

The company was purchasing $40 rugged cases to protect those devices, but when it upgraded to new devices, it learned that case provider didn’t make a case for its new equipment. “They had to rework an entire project around a $40 case,”Cavanaugh explains. “Had they gone with rugged in the first place, they wouldn’t have had that issue.”

In comparing consumer-grade devices versus rugged options, Cavanaugh says security updates can create major headaches for companies using the former. Companies like Apple and Samsung, for example, put their phones into the hands of millions of customers and, as such, push out frequent updates. “Shippers want control over those updates,” says Cavanaugh, “but in most cases, they’re forced to accept the device updates, so it’s largely out of the shippers’ control. The options are to accept updates when they come or block them and potentially be unsecure. This is causing headaches for IT Security and has also caused some firms to re-think consumer grade.”

The Connectivity Factor

A must-have within the four walls of the warehouse, cellular connectivity provides everything from real-time visibility to more efficient operations to improved productivity. The same rules apply outside of the four walls of the warehouse, where a secure Wi-Fi infrastructure that passes PCI compliance has become a critical link in the digital supply chain.

Making that happen isn’t always easy, particularly when companies attempt to expand Wi-Fi out into the yard without paying close attention to security and other technical concerns.

“This is where the value of cellular comes in, and ensures that companies don’t have to stay within their own four walls—or even within their own environments—or worry about segmenting their networks from other corporate traffic,” says Cavanaugh. “With Verizon, we can give drivers a rugged device to use out in the middle of nowhere on our cellular network, and they can communicate and collaborate as if they were sitting in the office without the need to build out their own wireless infrastructure.”

Facilitating that communication and collaboration is a rugged device that can withstand the rigors of the logistics environment, where sunlight-readable displays, good shock absorbency, and long lifespans are all key requirements. With electronic log books now mandated, for example, drivers need reliable devices and connectivity as they make their way across North American highways and byways.

Since implementing its rugged solution, InSight has streamlined the sales process and implementation of its ELD solution. Its applications have been standardized on one device and with one configuration.

Offering a ruggedized form factor that can withstand the pressures of the warehouse, distribution center, yard, and transportation network, these mobile devices also provide risk mitigation while on the road, improved uptime for drivers, easier electronic logging that’s compliant with government regulations, smoother deliveries, and more satisfied customers. 

“The lifecycles are very short these days on consumer devices, so by the time a company rolls out its device or tablet initiative, the next generation of that device is probably already being released,” Cavanaugh explains. “That can create problems and bottlenecks in the supply chain as companies struggle to keep up.”

To firms wanting to leverage the value of rugged both inside and outside of the warehouse and across their logistics operations, Cavanaugh says that the first step is to do a thorough internal assessment to figure out what you have in place now, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get there. He suggests that you talk to providers and other companies in your industry about the options, and find out what others are using to achieve their own goals. 

“Look at what others are doing in your industry and talk to some experts (e.g., systems integrators or logistics providers) that have experience in the ‘consumerization of IT’ arena,” says Cavanaugh, “and then take the time to find a rugged solution that may cost a little more, but that will deliver some key benefits in an environment, where consumer-grade devices very often fail.”