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Integration of Location Based Services with Mobile Business Processes Management

Supervisor: prof. Heikki HämmäinenInstructor: fm Ville Westerholm

Master’s Thesis Seminar14.3.2006

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Agenda

Introduction

– Background

– Location Based Services

– Mobile Personnel Management System

Research Problem

Research Method

– Requirements of Integration

– Solution Architectures

– Pilot Integration

Conclusions

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Background

In many business areas, such as logistics, the mobility is compulsory

Traditionally the business process management has been more or less stationary and therefore mobile field force personnel may have had old or even faulty information of the task

Another area of interest, when working with mobile personnel, is location

When systems are not integrated, Location Based Services (LBS) cannot offer functionality that would seamlessly support the mobile field force management

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Location Based Services

Services, which contain: defining location, location information transporting, and services, which are related to information of mobile device user location

Geographic Information System (GIS) studies the geographical information of world’s surface and man-made structures -> Used for digital maps

Positioning is location of an object in a specified reference system

Navigation is an action that helps finding the specified location based on the user choices

Tracking is defined as positioning based functionality that aims for reporting a position of the object in close to real-time fashion and may also contain surveillance of the object

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Mobile Personnel Management System

Offers end-to-end solution for mobile workers to be connected to operative processes of enterprises

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Research Problem

Required functionality of LBS to support field force management?

Architectural design of the integration based on current products?

Positioning method that can be used for locating the users?

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Requirements of Integration (1/3)

Requirement Logistics Service Security Maintenance

Navigation X X X X

Special Maps X X

‘Automatic’ task starting and ending

X

Assignee tracking X X X X

Tracking of other X X

Tracking history (X) (X) X X

Route planning X X X X

Other real-time applications

X

Customer requirements

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Requirements of Integration (2/3)

Functional requirements of LBS– Define Point of Interest

– Define User of Interest

– Show Map

– Solve Coordinates for Address

– Solve Address for Coordinates

– Define Distance Between Coordinates

– Define Driving Distance Between Coordinates

– Define Shortest Route

– Collect User Location Information

– Store User Location Information History

– Navigate to Coordinates

– Update Maps

– Download Special Maps

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Requirements of Integration (3/3)

Other requirements

– Have to meet common requirements set for mobile field force management system

Global

Support Distinctive Resale Models

Scalable

Secure

Reliable

– Requirements that enable fulfilling functionality

Adequate positioning

Real-Time Tracking Information

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Modules of Integration

Tracking Module

MFFM Module

Tracking Database

MobileTracker

LocationServer

TrackingApplication

GIS Database

Application Database

ClientApplication

TaskManager

User Database

Navigation Maps

Mobile Mapping Module

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Architectural Solution 1

Client Appliance

Po

sition

ing

AP

I

Mo

bile

Tra

cker

Tracking Data

NavigateTo

coordinates

MFFM ClientMFFM Data

Mo

bile

Ma

pp

ing

Stand-Alone Task Management

Task Management

MFFM TaskMangager

MFFM Server

ApplicationDatabase

Tra

cking

Co

nne

ctorRequest maps with

POIs (x,y), UOIs (id), etc…

Maps withUOIs, POIs...

Ta

skM

anag

er

Syn

chron

izatio

n

TrackingApplication

Location Server

Lo

catio

nS

ervices

TrackingHandler

TrackingDatabase

Po

sition

Ga

tew

ay

MFFM Data

GISDatabase

Map Data

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Architectural Solution 2

Stand-Alone Task Management

Client Appliance

PositioningAPI

Mo

bile

Tra

cker

Tracking Data

NavigateTo

Coord.

MF

FM

Clie

nt

MFFM Data

Task Management

MFFM TaskMangager

MFFM Server

ApplicationDatabase

Tra

cking

Co

nn

ector

Request maps withPOIs (x,y), UOIs (x,y), etc…

Ta

skM

ana

ger

Syn

chro

niza

tion

TrackingApplication

Location Server

Lo

catio

nS

ervices

TrackingHandler

TrackingDatabase *

MFFM Data

Mo

bile

Ma

pp

ing

GISDatabaseMap Data

Sig

na

ling

TrackingDatabase *

* Interchangeable

Maps withUOIs, POIs...

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Comparison of the Solutions

Feature Solution 1 Solution 2

Location data path Separate form MFFM data path Partly common to MFFM data path

Location of the Tracking DB

Location server Location server or MFFM server

Security Requires 2 different authentications and authorization methods of terminal users

Authentication and authorization of terminal users handled in one spot

Changes required to MFFM product

Few changes in database, logic for handling the POI and UOI requests

Changes in database, logic for handling the POI and UOI requests, support for sending location information form MFFM client to server, logic for forwarding the location reports or adding Tracking DB

Complexity More simple More complex

Ongoing administration work

Double administration of terminals and terminal users

User and terminal data only once

Support for reviewed products

Maporama, Indadon, (MapPoint with large restrictions)

Maporama, MapPoint

General support for distinctive tracking products

Worse Better

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Positioning Methods

[http://www.tekes.fi/julkaisut/paikannus_mobiilipalveluissa.pdf]

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Pilot Integration

Indagon Leader tracking solution is integrated to Fujitsu mProcess field force management solution

Based on architectural solution 1 -> Fast to implement and only one point of integration with mProcess

Offers proof of concept

Most of the defined functionality was implemented -> Enables evaluation of defined requirements

Will be taken to production, after enhancements

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Screen Shots

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Conclusions

LBS can be used to enhance mobile personnel management

Defined functionality is sufficient, but further research should be done as new requirements emerges

GPS positioning is sufficient for most of the use scenarios. For greater accuracy, enhanced GPS or hybrid positioning is required.

Based on pilot integration feed-back, it is possible to take the concept to production after some technical enhancements

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