Next-Generation Mobile Resource Management (MRM) Spurs Growth in the Mobile Market

Frost: Next Generation Mobile Resource Management (MRM) solutions encompass far more than just fleet tracking and asset management tools. A new breed of MRM solutions is now integrating multiple technologies -- including global Positioning Systems (GPS), wireless carrier systems and Internet communications—into on-demand mobile applications that strengthen the ability to manage a mobile workforce.

These offerings, combined with either in-vehicle or hand-held hardware, help measure and better manage overall mobile workforce performance, reduce operating costs and maximize the ability to deliver high-quality customer service in the field.

Combined revenue in this industry totaled approximately $720 million in 2005 and expects approach $2 billion by 2012.The winners in the MRM space will enable field service businesses to optimize their operational expenditure through highly efficient and agile field service resources that offer more than simply basic tracking & dispatch software. Although application adoption will vary by industry, the broad categories expected to fall under the MRM ‘umbrella’ are Field Force Management (FFM), Field Service Automation (FSA) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM).

A new breed of MRM solutions involving on-demand hosted services will initially drive market growth allowing smaller companies to gain the same business process advantages as larger players, without the huge price tag. The business case for adopting MRM solutions is becoming significantly more compelling as capital and operational costs decline and performance improves with integrated location monitoring services and on-demand mobile applications. The ability to track, locate, and manage assets can be critical to a company’s overall performance and bottom line.

Transformations in business processes necessitate changes in the continuous integration of MRM. These changes can interfere with the smooth adoption of MRM within enterprises during such transition periods, thus affecting the efficiency of the field service teams. The interface with systems integrators during transition phases also delays the realization of benefits from the newer, upgraded solutions.

Complexities associated with the inputs from multiple teams from various geographies and integrating the emerging needs into the newer systems may impact the long-term total cost of ownership of the mobile MRM solution. Such concerns, however, are offset by higher efficiency and effectiveness of the field service teams.

Companies in the transportation, utilities and field services industries leading adoption in Next Generation MRM and believe that competitors will need to follow suit for their very survival. By reducing costs through fewer lost assets, enhanced equipment utilization, reduced out-of-route miles and 'just-in-time' inventory availability, MRM expects to transition from a premium service to a standard component of most fleet businesses.

US Mobile Resource Management (MRM) Markets Publ 20060313