To meet its mobile business needs, Amway partnered with G Mobile to develop a PDA platform to extend the online services of the company. Amway chose to deploy Windows Mobile 5.0. This mobile applications operating system effectively extends the company's comprehensive website services to a PDA platform.




When considering the operating platform for front-end users, Amway selected Windows Mobile due to user familiarity with the Windows operating system, the convenient functions of the platform, and the rich software resources provided by Microsoft.

”More applications and functions will strengthen the effectiveness of our m-business,” states Liu. “Therefore, in order to develop more killer applications for m-business, there must be an open operating system and rich resources for software development. Our Microsoft mobile platform solution provides exactly the advantages we are looking for as well as great value.”

Amway selected the most important information from its website and transferred this to its PDA portal, so that IBOs equipped with PDA phones can now easily access product and company information, and complete important time-relevant tasks while they are on the move.

The Amway PDA portal, developed by G Mobile, has 10 major functions, which enable users to view the latest company news, meetings, products currently available, product catalogues, and terminated or temporarily suspended product supplies. IBOs can complete rapid ordering and order cancellations, update sales performance, and answer order queries and information requests from subordinates.

Acknowledging that many IBOs have basic IT familiarity, Amway has assisted them in their use of e-Business and m-Business tools to help achieve their sales goals. To further streamline the use of m-Business processes by IBOs, Amway plans to move slow transmission information into functions that can be viewed offline by PDA phones. This information includes product price listing, e-books, commercials, product introduction videos, and customer information.

The PDA solution is available internally to senior executives, salespeople and IBOs, and is available externally to logistics service partners. Amway also provided its partners with industrial PDA phones with bar code scan functionality. These work with a mobile network-integrated shipment tracking system developed by G Mobile. As a result, logistics service drivers are able to immediately report shipment status, resolving the time lag experienced in the past when they could only report the status after returning to their companies. Now Amway IBO use this information to check the real-time status of deliveries online.

Improved Access to Information

Amway has extended its real-time business information access to its mobile IBOs by developing and deploying a stable PDA platform. With users being able to transfer documents between their desktop PC and their Windows Mobile powered Pocket PC or PDA, as well as enable slow transmission information to be viewed offline by PDA phones, the company has provided its IBOs with multiple avenues for accessing, updating and viewing important company data.

Increased Productivity

In using a Windows Mobile powered device that accesses the PDA platform, IBOs have increased their productivity when working away from their home or office, simply by using mobile versions of the Microsoft Office programs they already use. They can also respond more effectively to customer questions and be more efficient in placing and receiving orders, and keeping up to date with the latest company announcements. This increased productivity improves their revenue streams and boosts confidence.

Reduced Errors

In the past Amway relied on paper processes and verbal conversations for collecting and managing data, especially from its highly mobile and less technically savvy IBOs. By moving to a mobile platform using Windows Mobile Amway has reduced data collection times and improved accurate data flow, resulting in faster business and better revenue reporting.

When considering a mobile operating platform for front-end users, Amway Taiwan selected Microsoft Mobile 5.0 Pocket primarily because of the convenient functions of this platform, supported by rich software resources and open environment provided by Microsoft.

“Microsoft operating systems amount to the most open environment, with which users are the most familiar,” said Liu. “Our ongoing use of the Windows environment requires no unnecessary learning and, on the other hand, achieves the best integration and interoperability for the most effective information synchronization, because both PC and PDA are based on the Windows environment.”