Does art imitate life? In practice, many recent innovations mimic science fiction inventions. Star Trek’s fictional communicator inspired the flip phone. The mobile handheld computing device used by many laundry customer service reps (CSRs) or Route Sales Reps (RSRs) facilitates similar tasks envisioned for Starfleet’s away-mission transporter, communicator and tricorder units. Today’s mobile devices expand your operation’s physical boundaries via unfettered, instantaneous communication and invoice delivery, while collecting accurate operational data. The ever-expanding technology produces new applications.

CSR/RSRs have used mobile computing for years. Some operators consider handhelds “old news.” Other operators continue exploring new system horizons to meet competitive ...