improving the working day of public sector field workers...

Improving the working day of public sector Field Workers with Windows 8

www.microsoft.com/uk/COIT

Microsoft UK, 2013


The Field Workers of any public sector organisation are the people who have the most day-to-day contact with the public they and their co-workers serve. Field Workers also gather much of the information used to provide those services and make decisions. As the first line of service, they also make many of the small but significant day-to-day decisions that directly and immediately affect those members of the public they deal with.

One element that can typify such dealings is significant paperwork. For such workers, their managers and, in many cases, the members of the public they deal with, the movement of papers and forms can loom large in any dealing. It is common for public sector Field Workers to still be lumbered with binders and clipboards stuffed with forms, heavy manuals and, on returning from their visits, long office processes and significant paperwork to accomplish tasks.

This state of affairs has gradually improved in recent years, as Field Workers increasingly capture data electronically, which can speed up a lot of the processes of gathering and making use of the information they gather as part of their job. This ad-hoc growth in technology use, both in the hands of Field Workers and in the backoffice environment that supports and draws information from them is positive. But the latest innovations in mobile computing and the advent of Windows 8, can boost the ability of Field Workers to get their jobs done quickly, effectively and efficiently.

Introduction

As the first line of service, Field Workers make many of the small but significant day-to-day decisions that directly and immediately affect the members of the public they deal with.



Buyers have a wide and varied choice of device, from traditional laptops, through tablet PCs to convertible devices that can function as both tablet and laptop.

By moving to a mobile device, Field Workers can be free to collect, process and distribute information quickly, and can use the same device to share information with the people they are helping. This speeds up and streamlines the amount of administrative work they do and maximises the time spent doing practical good as part of their job. Removing the need to send paperwork to and fro to generate printed copies and collect signatures, for example, can reduce processes and decisions that might take weeks due to the need to send documents back and forth in the post down to a few minutes, thanks to secure wireless connections and electronic signing of documents.

Not so long ago, many Field Workers had a limited choice of mobile devices. Digital cameras have, for many, become indispensable, as they reduced the cost and time needed to develop and distribute prints. Dedicated handheld devices were tied to specific tasks or applications and little else. Laptop computers were heavy, insecure, expensive and, for many years, required some technical expertise to send information back from the field. Modern devices are very different from their forbears. Buyers have a wide and varied choice of device, from traditional laptops, through tablet PCs to convertible devices that can function as both tablet and laptop. Built-in cameras, mobile data connections, the ability to read storage cards and connect to printers, mobile phones and other devices to make the job easier – be it a blood pressure monitor or a GPS module.

The right tool for the job



Affordable, lightweight laptop computers have changed how we think about using PCs over the last few decades, but they are not a universal solution to the problems faced by Field Workers. A screen can present a ‘barrier ’ between, say, a carer and their patient. The advent of tablets has demonstrated how a more flexible device can be used to engage with people.

Flexible form factors make for devices that suit the workers’ task and the context in which that task is completed. Sharing a screen with a person be it a patient, applicant for planning permission or social work subject can be a great way to gain trust and show the outcomes of different approaches.

Rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach that consumer tablets represent, users and businesses have the flexibility to choose the ‘right tool for the job’ – be it a laptop, tablet or a convertible device.

More important is the software that both enables this variety of hardware and offers its own benefits to Field Workers. Windows 8 runs on anything from rugged devices to ultra-slim lightweight tablets with a range between and offers unparalleled security, remote access and interface advances. Users can display case folders as Live Tiles on their home screen allowing them to see at a glance the latest updates on the cases they are working. Windows 8 lets them secure their devices from the hardware up and work while mobile like never before.

The role of Windows 8

Rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach that consumer tablets represent, users and businesses have the flexibility to choose the ‘right tool for the job’ – be it a laptop, tablet or a convertible device.



The new start screen in Windows 8 is radically different – it is specifically intended to relay information on the things that matter to the user instantly, without having to open applications or rely on fleeting alerts. This represents a much more efficient way of working for users that may be holding the computer they work on, and who have mobile, peripatetic working days.Live Tiles display information on different cases in a worker’s roster and allow users to track interactions with specific people and keep up to date with their communications. The People Hub collates the latest updates from co-workers, clients and teams in a quickly-digested format, pulling in information from email, Twitter, SMS, Facebook, LinkedIn and other sources.

By integrating with back office systems, Windows 8 gives users faster access to relevant information that was a library request, database query, fax or phone call away before. Thanks to Sharepoint and CRM, information can be cached for fast offline access, too.

Get information instantly

The huge variety of form factors also changes the usual notebook computer from a tool for inputting information into a device that can also be used to share information, collect images and process content. Moving to Windows 8 also allows organisations to retain – and continue to use – Windows 7 applications they have already developed or invested in.


Live Tiles display information on different cases in a worker’s roster and allow users to track interactions with specific people and keep up to date with their communications.


From the very first moment a Windows 8 device starts, it is being protected by built-in security tools.

Mobile devices have, in the past, been a security headache of significant proportions, especially for organisations that use them to retain or process confidential or sensitive information. Managing mobile devices is not just about maintaining overall health, but specifically ensuring that devices that are lost or in danger of being compromised are protected, managed, and do a good job of protecting the data they hold.

From the very first moment a Windows 8 device starts, it is being protected by built-in security tools. UEFI Secure Boot, Measured Boot and ELAM (Early Load Anti-Malware) all ensure that malicious software does not get a toehold on the device as it starts up – a significant benefit for organisations with mobile users who may be away from IT support departments and corporate networks for days at a time. Windows Smartscreen also helps protect against web-borne Phishing and malware attacks, regardless of the web browser used.

Bitlocker and Remote Wipe are more general features that help secure a user’s device in the field. A lost laptop or tablet is no longer a news story – just a piece of now-useless hardware containing no usable information. Bitlocker encrypts the device’s storage drives, while BitLocker2Go protects those users who use WindowsToGo, a USB-stick-based copy of their organisations’ own desktop computer that can be used on shared PCs, or the users’ own home computer. Windows Defender protects against spyware and viruses.

Security on the go



While mobile devices provide flexibility and enhance productivity, they still need to be managed by IT.

DirectAccess means that, if the device is connected to the internet, it can be connected seamlessly to the workers’ databases and backend applications through Windows Server 2012, without the need for a separate, time-consuming, VPN application to provide the secure connection. DirectAccess also allows IT administrators to do another important thing: it allows them to keep mobile devices in compliance by checking and applying the latest updates and applications.

While mobile devices provide flexibility and enhance productivity, they still need to be managed by IT. Previously, this meant buying new management tools and the server hardware to support it. Windows System Center 2012 and Windows Intune allow IT support staff to manage devices their organisation owns and whether connected to the business network or not. Management can be extended to users’ personal computers when running WindowsToGo, also.

All this means Field Workers need to bring their devices in for updates far less frequently; devices can be managed wherever the worker is, provided it is connected to the internet. Applications and updates can be managed and delivered from the cloud, policies enforced, remote support provided and lost or stolen devices can be wiped instantly.

Changing the way you manage



A day in the life of a public sector Field Worker on Windows 8

A day in the life of a public sector Field Worker on Windows 8.

6.30am Charlotte, a Registered Nurse working as a Health Visitor, is preparing for a hectic day of visits. Charlotte checks for updates from the rest of the team while she prepares breakfast. Using the Live Tiles on her tablet PC’s home screen, she has created tiles for each of her five co-workers to track their updates, emails and projects. One colleague in particular appears to have a lot of activity – and it turns out to be significant. David, a fellow nurse, has been involved in a traffic accident. Shaken, but otherwise unharmed, he is out of action for the day. But the worst news is that his work bag, containing a tablet PC with sensitive case notes and patient records, has been stolen from the wreckage of his car.

6.45am Charlotte checks in with IT at the NHS Trust she works for. They’re already aware of the theft, and David’s tablet is now useless – and devoid of patient data. The thief had tried to log on to the tablet, but the team spotted the unusual activity quickly, and locked the tablet down. The team are sending David a WindowsToGo USB stick to his home by courier so he can remain productive while a new pool car and tablet are issued. David is raring to get back to work – but the team needs to rearrange cases so that he can work from home while the rest of the nurses pick up his visits for the day.



7.30am Charlotte joins a conference call with the team. Visits are reallocated – luckily, it’s possible to fit all of them in. David calls round his four visits for the day to let them know the news. Using her home broadband connection and DirectAccess, Charlotte picks up the case file for the patient she has been allocated and assigns it to a Live Tile on her desktop. After a few minutes getting to grip with the case – a three-month old baby with light jaundice – she is ready to go. 10am The main purpose for the visit to the home is a regular keep-fit session for the residents; Charlotte enjoys this part of the week a great deal. One resident has a persistent knee problem and his physiotherapist has suggested a particular exercise. Charlotte looks up a video of the exercise on the internet using her Windows 8 tablet and shows it to the resident so he can get the correct movements perfected.

12pm David’s patient, a baby with light jaundice, is next on the list. She’s showing some signs of improvement. Charlotte sends an information pack and links for the right parts of the NHS Direct site to the child’s parents during the visit, and updates the case file back at the surgery using DirectAccess. The Live Tile for the case shows an update from the midwife; the baby’s blood test results are back from the lab. The parents’ broadband connection is strong, and the midwife is free; Charlotte starts a Lync videoconference so the midwife, who helped deliver the baby and her two siblings, can reassure the baby’s mother. Charlotte suggests an over-the-counter supplement based on the midwife’s guidance, and sends David a brief text update over Lync – his WindowsToGo USB stick has arrived, and he’s expecting a new tablet PC later that day, too.

2.30pm Charlotte’s final appointment of the day is at a local middle school, where she is giving a short class on nutrition to a class of eight-year-olds. On entering the classroom, she plugs her tablet into the room’s smart whiteboard and works through the interactive presentation developed by the health authority’s education team.

3.10pm The class has got really involved with the session, but there are ten minutes to spare. Charlotte digs out her blood pressure monitor and plugs it into the tablet to take a few pupils’ blood pressure and explain what the numbers read to them, resulting in a fair amount more questioning.

4.30pm Back home, Charlotte connects to her home network and the tablet backs up any case notes that weren’t transferred during the day while she makes a cup of tea. A short conference over Lync with her team members reveals that David will be back to work tomorrow afternoon. The team has had a productive day – and because she has been able to file case notes as she goes, Charlotte only has to worry about sending in her expenses for the month. She can log off early and enjoy the rest of the evening.


A day in the life of a public sector Field Worker on Windows 8.


Field Workers in the public sector have often received the worst deal of all when it comes to computing technology that helps them in their everyday working life, not least because of the unique demands the civil service places on such devices. However, the advent of secure, affordable, connected and powerful mobile computing and the wide variety of new types of devices that can offer these benefits has meant the public sector Field Worker can look forward to working more productively and faster than ever before.

Not only does Windows 8 help address the technology needs and challenges of industry, where organisations have made recent investments in a modern Windows desktop infrastructure, it will fit alongside and complement that investment.

Conclusion

www.microsoft.com/uk/COIT© 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

Not only does Windows 8 help address the technology needs and challenges of industry, where organisations have made recent investments in a modern Windows desktop infrastructure, it will fit alongside and complement that investment.


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