I have a confession to make. It’s not going to be pretty, but stay with me—there’s a good story at the end.

OK, I’m a bit of an Internet geek. I often find that in my spare time I go to Internet forums on different topics to have some dialogue with random people from around the world. My favorite forum is one that’s focuses on “working out,” but they don’t call it working out—they call it training, hence the name of the website “Training Anarchy.”

It’s about to get uglier—I keep a training log on this website. All my workouts for the last three years are recorded for all of these random people to see and to comment. Go ahead and poke fun! My wife sure does!

Now to the story: Within this forum there’s a section called “The Network”—think of it like a coffee shop. There are threads on topics that cover just about everything. Some people even use it as kind of a journal for themselves—talking about everything from home renovation projects to how they got out of shopping with their wives to the stupid things their teenage kids do. By now, you’re asking yourself: “What does this have to do with government?” Well, one of these network members had an interesting post recently.

The title of the post was “Municipal Pet Peeves…” This caught my eye, considering my line of work is focused on the public sector. When I clicked on the thread, there was a picture of palm trees with dead fronds. These palm trees haven’t been trimmed for years. Enter Infor Hansen Mobile 311 for citizens.

What’s interesting about this situation is that the blogger has already completed all the steps it takes to log this in our Infor Hansen Mobile 311 application. He was at the location and took a picture, and all he’d have to do then is “submit” it using his smartphone. He’s already using the app without following through.

That’s not the end of the story. A few weeks later, he posted an update in the same thread. Luckily, a windstorm came that had 60 mph gusts and took care of all the dead fronds. As my fifth-grade grade teacher would ask, “What’s the moral of the story?” The moral: Don’t wait for a windstorm. Be proactive and check out what Infor Hansen Mobile 311 can do with this exciting new technology from Blue Dot Solutions. Help your citizens help you. Chances are, your citizens will be happy.

Do your citizens have the functionality to be proactive? I'd like to hear your plans for adding mobility to your agency. Please leave a comment to this post with your thoughts.

Posted by Jim Galon, Account Representative, Infor Government Markets

The questions below are from the Q&A session of a recent Infor webinar, Introducing Citizen Smartphone Requests for Infor Public Sector. In case you missed it, you can view the recording here.

Q:  How is the addition and/or modification of new request types handled? Do we have to go to Blue Dot Solutions for every change? What if we have a detail page? How would that work?

A:  Service codes are managed within Infor Hansen and displayed on the device based upon the participating jurisdiction’s IDs. Service request status details are configurable via the Administration Portal and are also based upon the jurisdiction’s IDs. For any customizations, you would contact your account executive.
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Q:  Are any organizations currently using this technology?

A:  The Infor Hansen Mobile 311 product uses an open standard defined at http://Open311.org. A number of cities, such as San Francisco and Washington, DC, are already using this technology and a number of other cities such as Boston, Portland, Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), and others have pledged support for using it (more information is available at the Open311 website).
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Q:  Is Cloud available in Canada?

A:  Microsoft Cloud is not currently available in Canada. Once it’s available, we’ll roll out the Infor Hansen Mobile 311 solution to this region. Today, there are other options for Canadian customers. Please contact you account executive for details.
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Q:  How does Infor Hansen Mobile 311 deal with ambiguous reports or nuisance callers?

A:  The Infor Hansen Mobile 311 product provides an administrator the ability to uniquely identify devices that are associated with submitted requests and to disallow a specific device from submitting further service requests.
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Q:  What are the plans for Android and RIM device support? Will an iPad “end-user” solution be available in the field for service requests?

A:  Native support for Android-powered devices is in the works and anticipated in the first half of 2011. Native support for BlackBerry devices will be considered after that. In the meantime, an HTML “thin-client” has been developed to enable all web browser-equipped smartphones the ability to submit Infor Hansen Mobile 311 service requests. We’re looking into making an iPad application available.
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Q:  Is the Mobile 311 system integrated with the office version of Hansen?

A:  Yes, Infor Hansen Mobile 311 is integrated with Hansen 7.x and Infor Hansen, Release 8.
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Q:  What search term should I enter in the iTunes app store to find Infor Hansen Mobile 311?

A:  You can search by Blue Dot Solutions, Advanced Mobile, or Mobile 311.
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Q:  What’s the business case/ROI for a city for implementing Infor Hansen Mobile 311?

A:  The Infor Hansen Mobile 311 application allows agencies to do more with less by cutting back service request calls, providing seamless data entry into your Infor Hansen solution, enabling citizens to clearly identify where their issue occurred leveraging accurate GPS coordinates, and allowing your citizens to understand other issues within a specific area of the city.
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Q:  What’s the minimum version of Hansen that we need to have to employ Infor Hansen Mobile 311?

A:  Either Hansen 7.10 or Infor Hansen 8.2.0 is required to use Infor Hansen Mobile 311.
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Q:  Can we use our own GIS maps or do we have to use Google or Bing? We have lots of unincorporated areas and would like to let citizens know if they’re not within our jurisdiction.

A:  Yes, iPhone leverages Google maps and Windows leverages Bing maps out of the box. For custom requirements, please contact your account executive.
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Q:   Will Infor Hansen Mobile 311 work with Hansen version 7.x and its existing version of Dynamic Portal?

A:  No, Infor Hansen Mobile 311 will use a separate instance of the Dynamic Portal framework.
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Q:  Do you plan to provide the app as a mobile web app so that any mobile device with a browser can be used?

A:  Yes, a smartphone browser-friendly version of the basic application is available at http://mobile311.cloudapp.net/m.
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Q: To use the smartphone functionality, do you need to have the Infor Hansen 311 module installed or will the Complaints/Service request module suffice?

A:  Yes, Infor Hansen Mobile 311 needs to be installed on the phone.
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Q:  What’s the price for the service (not the application)?

A:  Please contact your account executive for pricing details. You can also send an email inquiry to publicsector@infor.com.
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Q:  How do we retrieve reports of reported incidents? Is it possible to incorporate the reports with our own website?

A:  We would be happy to contact you to get more details about your question. Please contact your Account Executive for details or send an email to publicsector@infor.com.
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Q:  Who is the target user of this application, "utility workforce" or citizens?

A:  Infor Hansen Mobile 311 is designed for citizens. But, an internal work force could certainly use the application.
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Q:  How are the service types defined?

A:  The service types are coming from the Hansen v7.x or Infor Hansen Release 8 instance.
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Q:  Is Infor Hansen Mobile 311 a hosted application or can it be in-house with the organization?

A:  Infor Hansen Mobile 311 is a hosted, cloud-based, Windows Azure application.
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Q:  Will Infor provide a test license for us to test with customers?

A:  Infor Hansen Mobile 311 is available now via download. We’ll evaluate issuing test licenses on a case-by-case basis. Please contact your account executive or send an email to publicsector@infor.com.
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Q:  Does the request look at city boundaries (geofencing)?

A:  No, this application simply leverages a Bing or Google map which doesn’t have any boundaries since it’s based on GPS coordinates. We’d be happy to review your requirements to see if the system is able to comply. Please contact your account executive or send an email to publicsector@infor.com.
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Q:  Can the citizen take a picture and submit with the complaint without saving the picture first?

A:  Yes, the citizen can take a picture and save to ones device and submitted at a later time.
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Q:  Can Infor Hansen Mobile 311 also be used for work orders, or is it just service requests only?

A:  Infor Hansen Mobile 311 is not available to perform internal work orders and service requests at this time. We’re looking into making such applications available via smart devices and will advise our customers once they’re available.

Please leave a comment to this post with any further thoughts or questions.

Q: Can the Infor Hansen Cashiering module be used without using the CIS Billing system?

A: The Infor Hansen Cashiering module can only be used with the CIS (customer information system) and CDR (community development and regulation) products. Cashiering is primarily used to pay bills and accounts from the CIS Billing system and for fees generated in the CDR suite by Permitting, Licensing, and Code Enforcement.

In addition to paying for charges generated within Infor Hansen, Cashiering can pull outstanding receivables from third-party systems, but either the CIS or CDR system is required. We currently don't sell the Cashiering module as a standalone product.

Q: What are the plans for Infor Hansen Mobile 311 Android and  RIM device support?

A: Native support for Android-powered devices is in the works and anticipated in the first half of 2011. Native support for Blackberry devices will be considered after that. In the meantime, an HTML "thin-client" has been developed to enable all web-browser equipped Smartphones the ability to submit Infor Hansen Mobile 311 service requests.

In our last post, we talked about how Smartphones are revolutionizing the way business is handled both in the public and private sectors. The computing capacity and processing power of these devices is impressive and can go pretty much anywhere, creating an empowered, mobile citizenry.

What mobile applications are your staff and citizens asking about to help make their lives easier? Imagine a mobile app that allows real-time, community-based collaboration to collect and disseminate data. With this mobile technology available at their fingertips, your citizens can now quickly and easily create, submit, and review service requests straight from their mobile devices.

But is this technology right for your agency? Check out this on-demand webinar to see it in action and learn how you can take best advantage of the Smartphone revolution.

Posted by Juan Ortiz, Product Manager, Infor Public Sector

Guest post by Randy M Starr, VP of Technology, Blue Dot Solutions (an Infor Solution Partner)

Think about this for a moment: The Smartphone that you can buy for $200 at the nearest electronics retailer probably has more processing power and memory than most of the laptops you could buy five years ago. Add to that a five-megapixel digital camera, a GPS receiver, high-speed wireless connectivity, and a suite of 250,000 applications, and there’s a truly amazing amount of power and potential in a device roughly the size of half a deck of cards.

Because of these extraordinary Smartphones, we’re in the midst of a mobile revolution. Facebook, one of the most heavily visited sites on the Internet, reports that over 40% of its users access the site through mobile devices and that such users are twice as active as non-mobile users. A recent IBM survey of technology professionals found that most of them expect mobile application development to outstrip traditional business application development within five years.

Public Sector is taking the initiative with new Smartphone-oriented products such as the Infor Hansen Mobile 311 solution powered by Blue Dot’s Advanced Mobile Platform. Infor Hansen Mobile 311 is an easy-to-implement, easy-to-use, crowd-sourcing solution. You can quickly create, submit, and review service requests from your Smartphone directly into the appropriate municipality’s Hansen 7 or Infor Hansen 8 instance. Through the tiny technological wonder of the Smartphone, you get more high-value information such as GPS coordinates and photographs that aren’t nearly as easy to gather through web applications or call centers. Submitted service requests go to a "cloud-based” service layer that processes each request and routes them to the appropriate Infor Hansen instance, eliminating the need for on-premise server infrastructure or support. Other exciting advanced mobile applications are on the way.

Think about the Smartphone that you have. What public sector tasks and processes do you see as migrating from the PC to your phone? What mobile applications are your employees and citizens asking about? How do you think Infor Public Sector can take best advantage of the Smartphone revolution? Let us know what you think.

Q: Can log types carry over to a work order from a service request?

A: Yes, you would have to set up a rule in Workflow Manager to populate the log on the work order from the service request as long as the log type value is duplicated in the setup from the service request type and the activity workflow.

Help the Infor Hansen community. Share your tips and tricks for handling service requests and work orders in Hansen 8.

Guest post by Scott O. Hall, PSO Corporate Account Manager, Infor EAM

In 2009, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced that it had selected Infor EAM Enterprise Edition to help reduce costs and increase productivity and became yet another in the growing number of success stories Infor has to share. CTA, the nation’s second-largest public transit agency, provides transportation for the City of Chicago and its 40 surrounding suburbs and will be using Infor’s EAM solution to determine optimum performance and maintenance levels on its more than 200 facilities.

CTA is leveraging Infor’s EAM Enterprise Edition for asset management and reliability tracking for historical information to allow data analysis. They can then determine optimal maintenance intervals and equipment inspection cycles. CTA is also using handheld devices, such as cell phones, to help manage the maintenance of its train stations, bus garages, and other remote facilities. In addition, Infor EAM Enterprise Edition is playing a part in helping CTA increase labor efficiency and reduce overtime.

CTA is also in the process of implementing Infor’s EAM advanced mobile solution which will allow the agency to transmit work orders to and from field units over a wireless data connection for real-time information on work and labor. Supervisors and dispatchers will be able to effectively manage maintenance staff by using up-to-the-minute work tracking and analysis.

If your organization is ready to start recognizing increased efficiency and optimal performance levels, consider checking out Infor’s on-demand public sector webinar, where the CTA team will be demonstrating how they can achieve the benefits of Infor EAM Work, Asset, Inspection, and Mobile modules, working individually and together.

Click here for more information or to view this on-demand webinar.

Participation by CTA in the Infor webinar does not constitute an endorsement or expression of opinion in regards to Infor's products or services.

Q: How are service request(s) and work order(s) linked together?

A: There is a one-to-many association of service requests and work orders in Hansen 8. Many service requests can be linked to a parent request and then to a work order. In Hansen 8.2.2, when a work order is completed and closed, the resolution screen will appear to resolve ALL service requests—the parent and the linked. You can also have multiple work orders associated with one another.

Help the Infor Hansen community. Share your tips and tricks for handling service requests and work orders in Hansen 8.

Guest post by Bernard P. Tisserand, Director, Professional Services, Infor Public Sector Group

Every day, untold numbers of government professionals crisscross jurisdictions working for their communities to inspect, verify, approve, authorize, and conduct all kinds of other duties for the millions of items that make up their governmental infrastructure. Getting current, factual, and meaningful information much like we’re accustomed to in our personal lives—anywhere, anytime—is the new expectation in business.

Smartphones have changed the way we communicate and interact on both a personal and business level. Personally, I can’t function without my smartphone. With its instant access to the Internet, my email, music collection, and a host of other useful (and guilty pleasure) apps, it’s my lifeline to the world. And with the proliferation and power of mobile devices skyrocketing, many agencies are adopting a mobility strategy for their field employees and issuing handheld devices to help complete their daily tasks.

In the past, workers armed with notepads, cameras, and inspections forms went about their daily routines. But now, these little handhelds are the only devices that field employees need to perform their duties, with almost instantaneous results and communications to their agencies.

But government agencies are not the only workers taking advantage of mobile technology. Companies that work closely with these agencies, such as Infor and our PSO government services techs, are also using the latest technology available in smartphones to provide better, faster service.

Infor’s PSO government services technicians and analysts have taken the forms of the past and the logic needed to make them meaningful to make a workable solution within the little handheld that can ...

What trends have you seen toward integrating mobility in government agencies? What are your plans for adopting a mobile strategy to mobilize your field workers? What challenges and/or benefits do you see for your agency?

Leave a comment to this post with your thoughts.