New Member seeking expertise!

[Meg_Durbin]

My employer, a small flooring distributor, is in the process of rolling out iPads to all of our sales force and management. As a member of IT I have the opportunity to design how we will use the iPads to support business operations. We purchased our iPads through AT&T and we have been told by our rep that use of the iPads in a business environment is still relatively new. So I am looking for input from others on how they are using their iPads at work and what apps they have found the most useful. The business itself is a Microsoft shop so to some extent we are struggling with how to give the iPad users the functionality and access as our Windows users.

 

[Midranger4]

My employer, a small flooring distributor, is in the process of rolling out iPads to all of our sales force and management. As a member of IT I have the opportunity to design how we will use the iPads to support business operations. We purchased our iPads through AT&T and we have been told by our rep that use of the iPads in a business environment is still relatively new. So I am looking for input from others on how they are using their iPads at work and what apps they have found the most useful. The business itself is a Microsoft shop so to some extent we are struggling with how to give the iPad users the functionality and access as our Windows users.

Well your employer is committed at this point. Normally a company identifies the solution then obtains the required hardware to host it. In your case you have iPads and no software solution.

Nonetheless what's the goal here? Are they intended to replace field laptops or compliment them as a sales tool?

The retina displays could prove valuable in presenting flooring solutions in virtual spaces that reflect potential customer's living/business space.

If the intent is to use them as windows emulators I don't think it's going to be as beneficial a your employer may be hoping.

Do you do your own coding? Do you have an image database of available products? Any tools to create virtual rooms that demonstrate your product line?

There are also solutions that could turn the iPads into mobile POS terminals that can take credit card payments normally processed by phone or in your showroom(s).

 

[Meg_Durbin]

The goal is to give the remote users a uniform platform supported by the marketing guy...??? We haven't even rolled them out and its become an IT nightmare of sorts. To date the remote users have been completely on their own - no company owned or supported devices. In some respects we're very current on technologies and in other respects we are in the dark ages. Of course no requirements were defined nor was IT involved at all - this was a whim of the owner.

We don't do our own coding - we have 2 full time IT staff. 1 for hardware and the other for business systems (me). Our primary systems are System36 on AS400 or Microsoft. Fortunately we are able to give our users a web interface to the System36 apps. We haven't decided exactly what to do with the Microsoft pieces, I'm looking into various web-enabled solutions.

At this point we neither process credit cards nor have any product images. Things to be remedied in the hopefully not too distant future.

 

[Midranger4]

The goal is to give the remote users a uniform platform supported by the marketing guy...??? We haven't even rolled them out and its become an IT nightmare of sorts. To date the remote users have been completely on their own - no company owned or supported devices. In some respects we're very current on technologies and in other respects we are in the dark ages. Of course no requirements were defined nor was IT involved at all - this was a whim of the owner.

We don't do our own coding - we have 2 full time IT staff. 1 for hardware and the other for business systems (me). Our primary systems are System36 on AS400 or Microsoft. Fortunately we are able to give our users a web interface to the System36 apps. We haven't decided exactly what to do with the Microsoft pieces, I'm looking into various web-enabled solutions.

At this point we neither process credit cards nor have any product images. Things to be remedied in the hopefully not too distant future.

I'm iSeries too....25+ years. What rev are you running on the 400 and I shudder to ask what are you running on a System36? Do you have websphere?

 

[Meg_Durbin]

LOL, what a coincidence! I'm new to the iSeries as well as iDevices, lol, coincidence they're both "i"? 18 years with Microsoft and Oracle products, so out of my element a bit, but up for a new challenge. We are running an ERP solution designed back in 1987 targeted to flooring distributors and retailers. Ironically enough we are forced to use it by a very large flooring manufacturer - which requires it of all its distributors, even though they use SAP. The one benefit is we are members of a small, close knit community. We do have websphere, but have done nothing with it. In fact, we have lots of hardware/software we've done nothing with. :-/

 

[Midranger4]

You stated you have a web interface to your System 36. I'd be interested in how you went about this.

We hit our iSeries via the VPN client on the iPad in tandem with MochaSoft TN5250 which is available via the app store.

Presently only support staff are using iPads to access the iSeries but we are exploring if we want to use the same approach with the client community or if we should do as you have described and create a web based application that utilizes a middleware solution that basically performs screen scrapes off the iSeries and then converts them to GUI.

 

[Meg_Durbin]

The ERP vendor is in the process of building a web interface one module at a time. Currently we are still using green screens. We have a majority of employees that have been with the company 8+ years that are not really tech savvy and are so used to green screens that they are reluctant to consider change.

The vendor has provided a web solution for reports where we can initiate or schedule reports in S36 and then distribute to the web. They also have a web store which provides access to customer account information and order entry.

 

[Midranger4]

LOL, what a coincidence! I'm new to the iSeries as well as iDevices, lol, coincidence they're both "i"? 18 years with Microsoft and Oracle products, so out of my element a bit, but up for a new challenge. We are running an ERP solution designed back in 1987 targeted to flooring distributors and retailers. Ironically enough we are forced to use it by a very large flooring manufacturer - which requires it of all its distributors, even though they use SAP. The one benefit is we are members of a small, close knit community. We do have websphere, but have done nothing with it. In fact, we have lots of hardware/software we've done nothing with. :-/

Am I correct to say one supplier requires you continue using a legacy system that is resident on your System 36? Both the hardware and OS on the 36 are unsupported aren't they? I imagine you have a challenging environment to manage.

If they run SAP I'm confused as to why they require you continue to run the legacy app on the 36. They had to rewrite those interfaces when they went SAP and I am guessing they want to maintain a standard interface with all of their customers but dang that's what EDI is for! Kinda sounds like the tail wagging the dog and boy do I know that quandary all too well.

Feel free to PM and we can exchange email addresses rather than bore folks here with our babble.

Have a good one!

 

[AnonymousNoOne]

She can't pm you, she need's at least 10 post to do that.

AnonymousNoOne  

 

[Midranger4]

Oh that stinks lol!

Mods..,please feel free to PM my email addy to OP.

I guess the alternative is for OP to up that post count lol!

 

[leelai]

Oh that stinks lol!

Mods..,please feel free to PM my email addy to OP.

I guess the alternative is for OP to up that post count lol!

New members may PM other members after 6 posts I believe, but there's nothing stopping you PMing her now.

So nice of you to help here Midranger!

 

[leelai]

Hi and welcome to the Forum!

The IPad Forum is a community of members from all walks of life and from all over the world coming together to share our experiences and to help each other learn about this wonderful piece of technology the Ipad. There is a wealth of information already here in the many threads we have so doing some searches will answer most of the questions you have. If then you cannot find the answer you are seeking then by all means post your question. There are many friendly and informed members here only too willing to help you.

We also have our own App - It is a very simple app to navigate.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/discussion-forum-for-ipad/id412896524?mt=8
Reading the IPad manual is a great place to start so please download a copy of these.
http://www.support.apple.com/manuals/ipad/
2 very informative threads from which you will learn many tips and shortcuts for the IPad.
http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-general-discussions/21590-tips-tricks-those-us-who-dont-know.html
http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-os/49581-ios5-tips-tricks.html
We have rules like any Community so please read these also
http://www.ipadforums.net/forum-rul...um-rules-everybody-please-read.html#post14697

Once again we welcome you here and are so pleased you have joined us!