Apr 17, 2017Anyone using GPS data on their phones know it can sap their batteries, which can pose a significant challenge for those using that data throughout their workday. Motus, which makes an app that tracks mileage for individuals and their employers automatically, has developed a solution using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
The system employs small beacons to enable the Motus app to detect when a user needs the GPS tracking capability, and when he or she does not. A global biomedical device company piloted the technology four two and a half months recently, with approximately 75 sales representatives, and found that the beacon-based system spared users about 80 percent of their battery consumption.
Beacon-based data provided them with another benefit as well. Because the beacon, placed within a user's vehicle, can enable the app to identify when that user exits and returns to the vehicle, the Motus app can also identify how long that individual was at a specific meeting or customer site. That data enables billing, payroll and inventory management to replace devices or products that may have been sold during that visit.
Motus has offered its iOS- and Android-based Motus App since 2015 to help employees and employers track mileage, says Craig Powell, the compamy's CEO. "Our core business is managing reimbursement programs for people who drive for work," he says, "with a specific focus on those that drive more than 2,000 business miles per year." For instance, a biomedical device company may have thousands of representatives on the road at any given time, visiting hospitals or other customers to replenish their supplies, or to oversee the use of a product—such as the implantation of a medical device during surgery.
Without the app, employees must manually record the mileage they travel, the business purpose of the trip and the destination visited, and then seek reimbursement for expenses. Drivers may use paper-based notes and manually input information, such as how long they spend at each customer visit.
With the Motus app, Powell says, individuals "can use GPS data to automate tasks that would otherwise be manual." By enabling the app on his or her phone, a worker can begin using the GPS navigation technology built into the phone to collect and store his or her movements throughout the day. However, Powell adds, the app (like any location-based app) is power-hungry. If an individual is at a three-hour meeting at one site and does not manually turn off the app, the GPS data could consume the life of the battery. Remembering to plug the phone into the car charger, or to turn apps on and off during the workday, creates more hassles for busy sales reps or other mobile employees.
So Motus looked to beacon technology for a solution. It developed a gumball-sized BLE beacon that is being built by a partner company. The battery-powered beacon transmits its signal at regular intervals. New users receive the beacon in the mail. To launch the system, a user downloads the Motus app, pairs the beacon with his or her phone and then puts the beacon in the glove box or other safe receptacle within the vehicle he or she drives for work.
When the individual enters the vehicle at the beginning of the day, the phone's app captures the beacon transmission, which prompts the app to turn on its GPS data-collection functionality. The app then tracks where the phone is as that person begins driving to the first client. Accelerometers in the phone and in the beacon identify when the vehicle has come to a stop, and that location is linked to that event.
When the individual steps out of the car, the phone no longer receives beacon transmissions, and the app is prompted to switch off the GPS function. It also stores the time stamp with that location, indicating that the individual has arrived at the client site and is proceeding to a scheduled visit. When the employee returns to the car, the phone again receives beacon transmissions, relaunches the GPS functionality and stores a time stamp, thereby indicating the visit's completion.
The app also uses the location-based data to determine the customer for each particular stop, along with typical product usage. It then prompts the worker to respond if he or she would like to reorder a product that might have been used at that site. Employers can then view this data as well, in order to determine when client visits took place, by whom, and the mileage for which the worker may need to be reimbursed.
The Motus beacon and app saves workers considerable administrative time, the company reports. Instead of filling out paperwork about mileage, as well as the amount of time spent at each visit, a user can simply let the app and the beacon data provide that information automatically.
According to Motus, the biomedical device company's employees found that their administrative task time was reduced from about 30 minutes per visit to ;less than 90 seconds.
The battery savings were also a convenience for users. In fact, Powell says, "The big takeaway was an 80 percent preservation of the battery." That savings was especially notable in Apple iPhones. Those who found that their battery was completely consumed before a workday was completed discovered that only 20 percent of the battery life was consumed with the Motus beacon.
Motus is currently developing other solutions that will employ beacon technology, Powell reports. For instance, the company is testing beacon technology to assist drivers with the fueling and maintenance of vehicles. Some companies, he adds, are interested in deploying beacons within the facilities of some of their customers, to provide more granular location data or to connect users or colleagues with each other. For instance, if a user had multiple visits within a large hospital, beacons in specific areas could help the app track which department or offices the individual had entered or left, or to help identify a colleague who is also onsite.
Additionally, Motus is working on a function that might enable the system to use beacon data within a car to determine where within the vehicle the person's phone is located. This information could be of value to employers for safety purposes. For instance, if the system were to detect that an individual was using the phone while in the driver's seat, and in the vehicle was in motion, a safety violation could be identified.
Several customers have placed orders for Motus beacons, Powell says. The biomedical device company that tested the beacons intends to launch the system on a permanent basis durig the third quarter, he adds.
