Concept
Information immediacy plays an important role on improving messengers' working efficiency. We proposed a system to provide messengers on-demand and dynamic information, and empower them to manage their jobs and availability more actively.
After signing in the system, messengers can view and select jobs available to them, according to their location and proximity on time. Messengers can also learn about others' availability and proximity; with this awareness coordinations can be managed directly among messengers.
Improvement
Inefficiencies - People come and go irregularly. The dispatcher needs to juggle messengers for coverage.
Solution - Messengers sign in to a central system. They broadcast their availability info via mobile phone. Status is seen by everyone and affects job allocation.Inefficiencies - The dispatcher must remember the location of messengers. Messengers have to write down all the job info they are given by phone or radio. There is lots of room for error.
Solution - Job allocation based on location and priority. Messengers see jobs close to them. The written info of the current job will be show up front on the messenger's phone. It could also trigger client notification automatically.
Inefficiencies - The dispatcher is the middleman to arrange coordinations for messengers because messengers do not know each other's location and status.
Solution - By providing peer communication, messengers are independent to coordinate and make decisions among themselves. There is much flexibility on the form of communication, including voice, VoIP and text messaging.
Prototype
The software prototype is made with Nokia Python for Series 60.
Info
January 2005
Nokia Innovation Workshop
Blue-Collar Mobility
Type: Mobile Software System
With: Steven Blyth, Jennifer Bove
Faculty: Jan-Christoph Zoels, Neil Churcher
Visiting Faculty: Andreas Kraft, Jurgen Scheible
Nokia: Matt Jones, Petri Tervonen, Chris Heathcote, Jan Chipchase
