For Companies Both Big and Small:
Running a Business on
Smartphones
Group 4:
Mon Arguelles
Francis Estolano
Mumty Quevedo
Randy Prado
Shine Villanueva
Julienne Yee
Shiela Zara
What is this case about?
Juxtapose two companies to show how technology
can work for any company, regardless of kind of
business, industry, scope, region, size, etc.
Who is CPS Energy?
• Nation’s largest municipally owned
energy utility providing both natural
gas and electric service
• Profitable
• Satisfied Customer Base and Workforce
CPS Energy
(Before)
– Specific CPS workers had limited
access to IT systems and resources if
they are not in the office or
warehouse.
– CPS workers had to be physically
present to diagnose problems, which
meant deploying several employees
to a particular problem site.
– Also, the entire after sales service
took several days to finish
CPS Energy Solution:
Magellan Program
• Mobilize and connect its
workforce to the people and
systems they needed to do their
jobs
• Extend CPS’ networking infrastructure
• Build its own secure wi-fi networks in
offices and warehouses
• Deploy smartphones and custom
mobile applications to all CPS staffers
who didn’t have a laptop or other
mobile device
Who is Lloyd Construction?
• provides expert demolition, excavation, rolloffs, waste management, and related services.
• 24 year-old family business
• 100 employees, 30 trucks, 400 dumpsters
Lloyd Construction
(Before)
– The company relied on several ways of
documentation – spreadsheets, paper ledgers,
accounting software – that were rather
unconsolidated.
– Company also relied on radios to coordinate with
onsite workers.
Lloyd Construction Solution:
E-Trace
– a mobile productivity suite adapted by
Lloyd’s construction to coordinate workers
and equipment.
– It is designed by GearWorks to work for
Sprint Nextel’s i560 and i850 phones.
However…
there was resistance.
Resistance to Change
• Steep learning curve – 18 months.
• Employees initially had a hard time mastering the features of
the phone
• Accounting inconsistencies rose when E-Trace and the paperand-pencil system were used side by side during the
transition period.
• Labor problems also rose from E-Trace’s real mapping and
travel data. The system showed some people spending their
breaks in unauthorized places.
Case Study Question #1
In what ways to smartphones help these companies be more
profitable? To what extent are improvements in performance coming
from revenue increases or cost reductions? Provide several examples
from the case.
Both Magellan and E-Trace
proved to be very
beneficial to both
companies!
CPS Energy
Benefits of Magellan
• Using digital camera
– Send only one person and take photo of the
damaged part
– Expert diagnose the problem based on the
photo; instructions sent either via sms, voice or
email
• Supply chain efficiency
• Speed up order process
– Key people need not to be on the site to
approve orders
• Faster order times
• Employee and customer satisfaction are up
• Reduced time it takes to complete service
calls
Lloyd’s Energy
Benefits of E-Trace
• Reduced unauthorized stops
– Due to integrated mapping and travel
data which showed real time locator
• Reduced fuel cost
– Due to efficient routing
• Reduced cost paid to accountant
• Faster process of data entry and job
logging by 1 ½ faster
• Improved performance by 10-12% or
roughly $1M for 2007.
Case Study Question #2
The companies described in the case encountered a fair amount of
resistance from employees when introducing smartphone
technologies. Why do you think this happened? What could companies
do to improve the reception of these initiatives? Develop two
alternative propositions.
• Resistance from employees
– CPS Energy
• Technology is costly
• Technology adds only a little value
– Lloyd’s Construction
• Employees had trouble learning the features of the
smartphones
• Labor issues
Fight Resistance.. Accept Change?
• Why do employees counter change?
Let’s face it. It’s human nature to find difficulty adjusting to
change. Often we find it better to stick with what we are
comfortable with. In the same way, there are employees who
just couldn’t accept and cope with changes.
• Solutions:
– Gradual introduction, instead of abrupt/radical
– Ample training so employees become more comfortable
Case Study Question #3
CPS Energy and Lloyd’s Construction used smartphones to make
existing processes more efficient. How could they have used the
technology to create new products and services for their customers.
Include at least one recommendation for each organization.
• CPS Energy
– Using smartphones to pay purchases, report issues,
schedule maintenance checks, etc.
• Lloyd’s Construction
– Use smartphones to schedule debris pickup online
– Expand into household waste, debris instead of just
construction sites
Real World Activities
Question # 1
• In addition to companies found in the case,
others like FedEx and UPS, which have large
mobile workforces, heavily use mobile
communications technologies. What other
companies could benefit from these
innovations?
Food
Delivery
Taxi Service
Hospitals
Question #2
• Go online and research uses of smartphones
in industries different from the ones reviewed
here. Prepare a report to share your findings
Uses of Smartphones in Different
Industries
• Retail Sector (Clothing, etc.)
• Online Shopping
• Commercial Banking
– Checking accounts
– Paying Bills
Uses of Smartphones in Different
Industries
• Newspapers Publishing
– News via app instead of print
Question #3
• Use the internet to research the latest
technological developments in smartphones,
and discuss how those could be used by
companies to deliver value to customers and
shareholders.
Technological Advancements in
Smartphones
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Larger Touchscreens
Faster Processors
Better cameras
Software Improvements
Faster Internet Connectivity
Near-Field Communication (NFC)
Cloud Storage
Social Network Integration
General Benefits to Business
• Computer
functionalities
• Organizer
• Fast communication &
information
• Navigation
• Networking with
customers
Latest Business Smartphones
in the Market
•
•
•
•
Samsung Galaxy Beam I8530
Nokia PureView 808
Blackberry Bold 9900
iPhone 4S
Beam Projector
Smartphone
Features:
•Android OS
•Projection with 15 Lumen DLP
•Over head Projector Support
•Long-lasting 2,000 mAh battery
•5MP Camera with Flash
•Dual-Core 1 GHz Processor
Uses:
•For salespersons/marketers on
the field
•Ultra-portable presentation
device
Samsung Galaxy Beam I8530
Most advanced in
smartphone camera
technology
Features:
•41 Megapixel Camera Sensor
•Carl Zeiss Lens
•Nokia Belle OS
•Connectivity:
•HDMI and DLNA outputs, NFC
and Wi-Fi technology
•Preloaded Nokia Maps
Uses:
For field personnel (tasks that
require high quality images and
videos)
Ex: Media reporters, Photography
Enthusiasts
Nokia PureView 808
Sample Images from
Nokia Pureview 808
Blackberry Bold 9900
Features:
• QWERTY Keyboard
• BlackBerry OS v7
• Allows pairing with BB
Playbook
• Touch Screen
• NFC capabilities
• Easy sharing of files (just
touch 2 devices)
Uses:
Best messaging smartphone
(emails, text messages)
Best-selling
Smartphone
Features:
•iOS
•Dual-core A5 chip
•8MP camera
•iCloud
Uses:
•For executives:
•Business Meetings
•Task Scheduling
iPhone 4S
Top iPhone Business Apps
The End.
Thank You! 