In the last few weeks I’ve been working on some new features for Fenwick Software’s waste reporting application: MobileWaste. MobileWaste enables waste truck drivers with tablet devices to generate real-time back to base reporting on the jobs they are performing on the road.
One new feature is MobileWaste’s new localisation settings. Localisation allows MobileWaste users to adapt the wording of key words within alerts, messages and buttons within the software, to be displayed specific to their locale or market. For example, MobileWaste users may want to have alert messages phrased differently than the default settings, or buttons’ names to have different wording tailored specifically for their drivers.
This brings to mind a useful quote I came across early in my software development and business career: “The language of business is the language of the customer”. In business and in application development it is crucial to build user specific features, such as localisation, into software.
These new MobileWaste features will empower users both in the field and base operations to make better informed decisions, with powerful data analytics to back them up.
Another new feature is the categorization of different types of photos the drivers might take while on a job. Currently the driver takes a photo using their tablet device and it is categorized in the database simply as a photo. When the new version is released management will be able to administer the types of photos the drivers take on their tours, and MobileWaste will display a button for each type of photo to be uploaded and stored, whether it be a standard photo, a delivery docket or even a photo of an incident the driver encountered on the tour.
The final significant MobileWaste feature we are adding is a pre-start checklist drivers must answer before they can start their routes. The type of question asked, and control used for the answer, is determined by the MobileWaste administrators which allows them to devise questions that have an emphasis on safety, maintenance status and suitability for work.
These new MobileWaste features will empower users both in the field and base operations to make better informed decisions by providing accurate information in real-time. Waste management has gone digital, and MobileWaste leads the way.
