Mash-apps

What is a mash-app?

A mash-app is a composite mobile application that weaves together elements from:

• enterprise software
• carrier infrastructure
• mobile widgets

in a workflow to support one or more business processes.

The term composite application refers to an application built by combining multiple enterprise web services.

Mash-apps go beyond composite applications to integrate carrier infrastructure and mobile widgets usefully in support of mobile business workflows. By adding functionality from these carrier-delivered sources, applications can provide significant added value to mobile workers beyond simple access to data.

As an example, consider how a mash-app substantially expands the capability of a common composite application for store merchandising job dispatch.

For the typical composite application, the job would draw information from an inventory management system, a customer relationship management system, and an enterprise resource planning system to schedule a particular worker to visit a sequence of stores to stock shelves. Using the basic data services provided by a carrier, the job may be accessed by the worker on an expensive Windows Mobile device.

In the mash-app version, the application draws upon the carrier-delivered GPS-enabled location based services and runs on a range of carrier devices including inexpensive BREW-based flip phones more appropriate to the high-turnover typical among store merchandisers. Additionally, the mash-app version taps several mobile widgets including turn-by-turn navigation, weather, and traffic data.

With the additional functionality, the mash-app enables a location-driven workflow. The worker, on the way to a mega-store, gets directed by a sales rep to visit a disgruntled owner of a nearby convenience store. He follows turn-by-turn directions to the store. As he enters the store, the application notes his location and automatically creates a merchandising job for the worker appropriate to the convenience store he’s visiting, drawing upon data from the inventory, customer relationship, and enterprise resource planning systems. Upon leaving, the application notes his departure and reminds the worker to enter the number of cases stocked on the shelves while automatically clocking the time spent at that particular type of store. This real-time, accurate information feeds into the corporate data warehouse where, later, it is mined to update the KPI upon which the division is judged. As the worker returns to travel to his original assignment, he receives a severe thunderstorm alert and is provided a different route to avoid flooded roads.