Corporate headquarters is sent the signed paperwork that documents acceptance of goods, with payment instructions. The financial transaction is completed at time of delivery and both parties have a complete set of paperwork on the business transaction. The enterprise recognizes the following benefits:

• The accounts receivable cycle improves dramatically and so does cash flow. The lag time now between delivery and receipt of payment information is minimal.

• Delivery and payment information is all entered directly into the handheld. Shipping, delivery and payment errors drop. The company grows, but is able to do so without adding staff to its accounts receivable department. Administrative costs associated with re-entering delivery and payment data into the central repository are avoided.

• Because all paperwork is transacted at the time of delivery, shipment costs of signed paperwork to corporate and the customer are avoided.

• No lost or illegible proof of delivery. By automating paper bills of lading and delivery receipts, all orders can be tracked. When deliver paperwork is lost or illegible, delivery shortfalls and freight claims mean revenue write-offs. Eliminating the manual process results in more captured revenues.

As you can see, these two completely different mobile solutions bring completely different benefits to the enterprise. And because of this difference, it's really difficult to have a rational discussion about mobile solution ROI in general without bringing some additional focus and granularity to the table.

Putting theory into practice
In future columns, we're going to dedicate our value examinations to specific mobile solutions and how these solutions play out in the different industries that are adopting them today. Each column will inventory the benefits buffet table. So if you're considering a mobile solution for your company, but aren't sure about how to keep score on the investment you're contemplating, we want to hear from you!

Mobile solutions are being used in field service, sales forces, construction site management, law enforcement, and building assessments. In fact, local government has even deployed handhelds to town dog officers! Mobile solutions are revolutionizing healthcare with mobile rounds, provider charge capture, and patient home health monitoring.

Handhelds and RFID are redefining inventory management and fulfillment. The mobile solution list is long, and growing at an exponential rate. We build to suit. So you decide the order in which we investigate mobile solution ROI.

While we thoroughly enjoy pontificating on our personally selected topics regarding Mobile Enterprise Solutions, we'd like to establish an interactive relationship with you, our reading audience. Monologues are not us! We'd like to invite you to send your questions, opinions and topic suggestions on mobile enterprise solution value delivery to dtroppito@computingunplugged.com. We'll do our very best to respond expeditiously in our upcoming columns. Looking forward to hearing from you!

James Booth is Editor-at-Large at ZATZ Publishing. In addition to writing for Computing Unplugged and Connected Photographer, he's the author of Do-It-Yourself Wedding Photography. A self-taught photographer, James also dabbles in digital graphics and has learned to be a PC and handheld specialist through personal trial and error. James can be reached at jbooth@zatz.com.