May 8, 2002
9020 Technologies
A new software solution has been released that not only organises data - it also organises people.
The job allocation and management software created by Christchurch business and software company 9020 Technologies is
being marketed to organisations such as franchises, agencies with field staff, and companies wishing to centralise
previously dispersed functions.
Customers include the Christchurch City Council's animal control team and the Hire-A-Hubby franchise.
The JAS (job allocation software) goes a step further than other dispatching software by not only tracking jobs, but
organising them into efficient work sequences. For instance, it is helping Christchurch City Council's animal control
team to increase the productivity of animal control officers, allocate urgent and non-urgent jobs, keep real-time
records of the results of jobs and identify downtime that can be used to clear backlogs and do administrative work.
The paper war that existed before has been transformed into a seamless electronic information sharing process that
connects the council's call centre to its office, and out to the field staff. All job details and background information
is transmitted to staff via their wireless data mobile phones.
9020 Technologies' technology director John McCombs says the job allocation software is aimed at clearing the 20%
bottleneck in logistics that results in 90% of the inefficiency and frustration. It was developed with the support of
Vodafone's Christchurch branch, which provided expertise on how to make the most of the telecommunications provider's
GPRS network.
"There is dispatch software around, but it doesn't provide much in the way of tools to effectively manage the workload,"
says John McCombs. "We add organisational intelligence and business process knowledge to the mix so that an improvement
occurs in the delivery of the service, not just at a technological level, but as a business investment."
Business development director Grant Margison says the job allocation software is being marketed to organisations with
dispatch functions that need to manage or consolidate growth.
9020 Technologies has seen that although many physical commercial enterprises have vanished into e-commerce, there will
always be a need to physically deliver goods and services. "Organisations that bring technological intelligence to these
functions will have an unbeatable edge," says Grant Margison.
"The need for on-site service, logistical people management and delivery will never go away," he says. ends
About 9020 Technologies
9020 Technologies is a software company specialising in information mapping, GPS tracking and business process
technologies aimed at large, geographically spread and growing or consolidating organisations
Unlike other mobile data technology companies, 9020 Technologies applies its business and information architecture
knowledge to streamlining data flow within organisations as well as tracking dispersed staff
It was established in 2001
Its main product suite is QuickSwitch (suited to businesses with relatively straightforward job allocation rules);
VisualDispatch (which adds visual dimensions to QuickSwitch with advanced features that help achieve optimal allocation
results) and lookup.net (a remote communication engine that interfaces with field devices such as fax, mobile internet
and text messaging). You can find out more at http://www.9020technologies.com
Ends