Mission-Tracking-App for field-based staff

Introduction

This concept describes an ready-to-use, extensible and customizable base module, that could be used as a mission tracking app for field-based staff using smartphone, tablets or other mobile devices.

It aims at replacing manual logging (pen & paper) of field-based staff work time at the client's location to facilitate time recording, data storage and evaluation.

Basic functionality of the Mission-Tracking-App and expandability

The mission tracking app is an application programmed in Java and available for Android based mobile devices (from version 4.0.3 upwards). Adjustment and porting to Apple iPhone and iPad (iOs) possible based on customer requirements.

Mission data (Apointments, Coordinates) is loaded from an exchange server (more calendar formats and platforms possible). Therefore the mission-tracking-app needs an internet connection. Changes to scheduled dates could be rolled out automatically - Push functionality implementable at customer's requirements.

The tracked and collected data gets combined and sent to a predefined email address as an Excel sheet. More file formats like PDFs, SPSS, Word Doc, plain text or connectors for data exchange with web services or databases via JSON, XML through API implementable at your needs.

More functionality possible based on customer requirements. Contact us!

Basic functionality of the Mission-Tracking-App

Calendar synchronisation

The Mission-Tracking-App regularly fetches the scheduled appointments from the Server (mission control). The update Interval could be changed in the App settings. The synch could be forced manually by click on button.

The mission-tracking-app tries to detemine Geo Coordinates for every address entry. Those are used to recognize if start and end time was logged at the operation site.

Tracking Mode

By default the mission-tacking-app operates in tracking-mode. Running this mode, the app offers your field-based staff buttons for logging optional actions, that are available based on the current operational plan and the current status.

A typical workflow might be:

"Start work" when a new work day begins

"Start <customer>", if there is an appoinment

"End <customer>" afterwards, when work is in progress

(this repeats for all appointments made by mission control)

When all tasks have been completed, final choice is "End work"

Any operation could be suspended by clicking the buttons "Start interruption" and "End interruption". For any interruption entering a reason is MANDATORY.

Buttons for Start and End of prescribed work breaks are available, too.

GPS support

If the mobile device has a GPS receiver the mission-tracking-app could use to support enhanced tracking. The mission-tracking-app will never record a movement profile of the user!

GPS support is used at the following actions:

1. “Start <customer>”: The mission-tracking-app calculates the mobile device's distance from the operational site at the moment the button is pushed. The distance status will be shown color coded.
   1. “green”: distance is less than 250 meters
   2. “red”: distance is greater than 250 meters
2. “Stop <customer>”: the same methode is apllied as described in step “Start <customer>”
3. “Stop work”: The same methode is apllied as for “Start/Stop <customer>” with a difference that the last operational site (client's location) AND the company headquarters (mission control) is used as reference points. The company site must be entered in the App's settings.

Appointment schedule overview

In the Appointment Overview your employee can check all the appointments pending for today, sorted by Start-time.

It is possible to bring an appointment forward. This could only be done, if there is no scheduled job active or no break running.

Using an additional overview, your employee could look up all apointments for the next work day in order to prepare.

Log-shipping

As soon as your employee has executed "Stop work" he will be shown his day log.

By touching a button the day log could be sent to a predefine email address in Excel file format. A simple check mark documents the successful sending of the day log protocol.

The protocol includes the logged work time and the following details:

• Employee name
• Current date
• total effective work time
• total work time incl. traveling time, without breaks

the lines for the logged times contain the following data:

• Customer
• Start time (color coded green or red, according to distance)
• End time (color coded green or red, according to distance)
• Effective total work time
• Comment

Feel free to call us at anytime, we're looking forward to hearing from you:
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support@cloudssky.com