60 Seconds on Business
Go wireless for speed, efficiency

By Dr. Drake Beil
President, Solutions Inc.

How can you use wireless communications to improve your profits? If you don't, and your competitors do, they will lower their costs, increase their cash flows, and you'll be wondering why the same old techniques don't work anymore.

While it wasn't true just 10 years ago, now, mobile applications are everywhere. If you're able to generate alternatives, some of them might be useful for your company, too. For example, UPS can track products, do billings and prove deliveries to customers. Are you doing any of those things? Could they be done faster, better or cheaper with wireless handhelds?

In another example, Office Depot gave their field people wireless signature-capture technology so they can invoice clients immediately, and eliminate paper altogether. If you are trying to compete with them, how can you expect to be a threat without matching this speed of automatic order entry and billing, instantaneous communication and a new, higher level of service?

How about waving your cell phone in front of a new cash register and automatically charging your clothes or chicken wings to your credit card?

What's coming is the potential for automatic payment at Internet speed on wireless networks connecting everyone to everything via next generation cell phones and embedded faceplates.

Drake Beil can be reached at 587-5832 or by e-mail at drake@60secondsonbusiness.com.