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Part 1: Information Systems in the Digital Age
INTERACTIVE SESSION: PEOPLE Meet the New Mobile Workers
How much of your job can you do from the palm of the iPad to make sure he's getting the correct pieces.
your hand? Probably more than you think. There are The iPhone and iPad have become so indispensable
many job functions today that can be performed using that the company outfitted its entire workforce, from
an iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android mobile customer service, to design, to quality control, with
device, both for rank-and-file employees and their iPhones. Many have iPads as well.
managers. Businesses large and small are benefiting. Using handhelds to run the business is not limited
The BlackBerry used to be the favorite mobile to small companies. PepsiCo manufactures and sells
handheld for business because it was optimized for brands including Pepsi, Gatorade, Mountain Dew,
e-mail and messaging, with strong security and tools Tropicana, Quaker, and Frito Lay worldwide and has
for accessing internal corporate systems. Now that's over 300,000 employees. The company uses a complex
changing. Companies large and small are starting to web of interlocking distribution systems to move its
deploy Apple's iPhone and iPad as well as Android products from its manufacturing and warehouse facili-
devices to conduct more of their work. They are ties onto trucks and then into stores in time to meet cus-
enhancing their security systems so that mobile users tomer demand, PepsiCo runs about 17,000 distribution
can remotely access corporate systems with confi- routes each day. The iPhone and iPad help employees
dence. And they are developing more far-reaching of PepsiCo's North America Beverages division ensure
applications to take advantage of the stunning mobile that the right products arrive in the right locations as
and graphic capabilities
quickly and efficiently as possible.
Many of the recent mobile applications have been In the past, PepsiCo drivers and merchandisers
for e-mailing, or for supplementing existing workplace began each day by picking up printed schedules with
tasks, like digital flight manuals for airplane pilots order quantities and tasks to be performed at each out-
on iPads or checking in guests at hotels. But now, as let, from unloading cases of soda to setting up new
mobile technology becomes more affordable and easy product displays. It was difficult to accommodate
to use, it's spreading core work functions as well, such last-minute changes in orders because communicating
as marketing materials for pharmaceutical reps, cus- with the delivery drivers was difficult when they were
tomer account software for service technicians, and on the road
apps for farmers to test the quality of cow's milk. PepsiCo North America Beverages created a cus-
Jackson Kayak is the leading whitewhater kayak tom in-house app for the iPhone called Power4Merch,
manufacturer. Its president, Eric Jackson, is a cham- which immediately notifies merchandisers when
pion kayaker who spends half of each year following a driver has arrived at a store. The merchandiser's
competitions and events throughout North America. iPhone has an electronic timecard, and he can see his
Eric's job requires that he participate in athletic events, schedule, the store details, the account profiles, and
monitor industry trends in the field, and meet directly everything he needs to know to service the store.
with dealers and customers. With the iPhone and PepsiCo managers use iPads with custom
iPad, Jackson claims he can run the entire 120-person applications to monitor their teams' performance;
company from afar
pull up pricing, planograms, and contracts; and
Jackson's Wi-Fi-equipped RV connects wirelessly help coordinate deliveries with merchandising. The
to company headquarters in Sparta, Tennessee. When Manager's Briefcase app provides territory sales