Mobile project registration via the web
InfoGroen has been active in the green sector in the Netherlands for almost 20 years. Gardeners and horticulturists receive support for their administrative business processes through software, hardware and courses.
Parts of the software are also available as online applications. Three years ago, a unique SaaS service, Groen-Mobile, was added. We talked to commercial manager John Willemsen.
With Groen-Mobile, gardeners can directly register project data online in their PDA . By registering hours and expenses on location, users won’t have to do this manually at the office or at home afterwards. Via PDA or skeye pad, gardeners or workgroups contact a web server via a GPRS network. Productive and non-productive hours, materials, overtime and RAW data can be booked in the web application. These data are automatically sent to their back office software, Groen-Kalkulatie.
From registration to communication
Their SaaS service is in fact one step beyond standard software; its range covers many things from registration to communication. John Willemsen: “Via PDA, Groen-Mobile directly provides information on the project status. All project data that are registered are directly checked, which adds a whole new dimension to our project administration. Having to look for missing information becomes a thing of the past. This direct response to hour registration also allows for quicker and more active responses during executions.”
InfoGroen customers are both one-man businesses as well as large gardening companies with 400 employees. So which group benefits the most from Groen-Mobile for PDAs? John Willemsen: “We noticed that there isn’t really much of a difference. On the one hand, some of our smaller customers don’t want to work with their PCs at home in the evenings. Then there are also bigger customers who work in shifts and chose this SaaS solution to optimise their work and information.”
Information
As with every new technology, InfoGroen had to spread the word about Groen-Mobile to attract customers. So how did they achieve this? John Willemsen: “It has a lot to with mentally accepting something. It requires buying a PDA and switching to another working method. As a distributor, you also have to show that you can be trusted in a partnership. Fortunately, our list of users contains some well-known names. We also publish news letters to inform our customers about this new service and organise user days to demonstrate Groen-Mobile.”
Groen-Mobile can also be upgraded with additional PDA functionalities: route navigation, email options, surface calculation via coordinates, as well as vehicle tracking and tracing.
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