I wrote up a little post after we had a case recently here in NC where a field auditor was killed on the job. (Protect Your Field Agents and Auditors)
And, I'll be the first to admit that the concept of getting all your field employees on GPS enabled phones may be a daunting task in a lot of situations. Thankfully, there's a way to trim down that option.
As long as you can have your employees check in and out from calls, and have someone available to keep on top of that reporting (real time) you can have a manual version of map based tracking.
Brightkite.com is a pretty solid application. It's formed around social networking and the idea that knowing where your friends are brings another useful dimension in the whole social spectrum. Users can check out a map of their area and see who is nearby - or can even be alerted if someone checks in close to them.
You don't need a GPS phone because you "check in" by sending a text message, email or via the website.
It fits nicely into Twitter use and although it's still in beta - I think Brightkite has a bright future. (can't believe I just said that)
The beauty of this is that you could keep your employees on their current phones.
But - you'd have to:
This solution is mostly for large scale operations with more than a few workers in the field at any given time. Mapping out the worker's locations is the main benefit, and Brightkite's messaging / picture integration is a plus.
Once someone's checked in - they can post pictures or notes that can be added to a case file later or reviewed by the monitor real time.
It's an option - but you can always keep up with employees old-school by them calling or texting in and out with a "tracker" plotting them on a map and standing by.
Brightkite is still in beta but let me know if you're interested in trying it out.
And, I'll be the first to admit that the concept of getting all your field employees on GPS enabled phones may be a daunting task in a lot of situations. Thankfully, there's a way to trim down that option.
As long as you can have your employees check in and out from calls, and have someone available to keep on top of that reporting (real time) you can have a manual version of map based tracking.
Brightkite.com is a pretty solid application. It's formed around social networking and the idea that knowing where your friends are brings another useful dimension in the whole social spectrum. Users can check out a map of their area and see who is nearby - or can even be alerted if someone checks in close to them.
You don't need a GPS phone because you "check in" by sending a text message, email or via the website.
It fits nicely into Twitter use and although it's still in beta - I think Brightkite has a bright future. (can't believe I just said that)
The beauty of this is that you could keep your employees on their current phones.
But - you'd have to:
- Make sure they check in and out from every call with the correct address.
- Make sure there is a firm policy for the length of visits and exending when in a visit.
- Make sure someone is watching the web interface and keeping up with the visit times.
- Make sure all the communications policies cover the bases and are well trained.
- Make sure they can use SMS, and know how to as well.
This solution is mostly for large scale operations with more than a few workers in the field at any given time. Mapping out the worker's locations is the main benefit, and Brightkite's messaging / picture integration is a plus.
Once someone's checked in - they can post pictures or notes that can be added to a case file later or reviewed by the monitor real time.
It's an option - but you can always keep up with employees old-school by them calling or texting in and out with a "tracker" plotting them on a map and standing by.
Brightkite is still in beta but let me know if you're interested in trying it out.
