There are three main factors that drive the demand for mobile technology in the construction industry: leadership request, an increasingly mobile workforce and the growing need for real-time information. According to a recent study, more than 80 percent of construction professionals surveyed said that mobile capabilities are “very important” in improving their workflows.
Read on to get insight from our CEO, Russ Taylor, in AGC’s Constructor Magazine on how the construction industry is maximizing mobile technology to create efficiencies in the workplace, and how they are integrating technology into existing processes.
The rapid growth of mobile technology combined with changes in modern retailing trends is making a large impact on consumer buying habits. Did you know that 80 percent of a mobile consumer’s time on his or her device is spent using apps?
Today’s retailers are not just building their marketing around the products or services they are selling, but also around customer’s interests and habits. Many have developed a mobile strategy as part of their marketing to reach consumers on their preferred platform.
A retail mobile application should go beyond just an online shopping experience. For retailers, mobile apps can shape the in-store experience, empower the purchasing process, and create interesting and dynamic ways to interact with the customer. And for B2B retailers, a mobile app can revolutionize the way your sales team shares content.
Is your brand using a mobile application? If not, here are six signs that you may need a mobile app to help boost your branding and engagement, cut costs, improve productivity, and generate new revenue. Connect with us today and let us help you find a custom solution for your business needs.
Fusion of Ideas was recently featured again in Construction Executive, the magazine for the business of construction. In this article, we discuss these five essential tips for getting the most out of working with a mobile developer:
To many people, Neiman Marcus and other department stores might warrant the occasional stop when wandering the mall or looking for something in particular. But for an elite circle of customers dubbed the “Chairman’s Circle,” shopping at Neiman Marcus is part of a lifestyle – and one that comes with perks. Members of the Chairman’s Circle (the highest loyalty level under the InCircle Neiman Marcus reward program) must reach a designated annual spend using a private label credit card. Once they’ve met those requirements, customers unlock a treasure trove of exclusive benefits, including in-store dining, salon services, access to tickets for in-demand events, hard-to-get restaurant reservations, and premier getaways.
It was the last item on that list that Neiman Marcus sought to optimize with Fusion’s help. Working with the team at Neiman Marcus, our app developers created a completely custom mobile app for Chairman’s Circle members. When a user opens the application on an iPad (customized of course!), a message is displayed describing the purpose of the app, which is to detail the amenities available at Chairman’s Circle level. The app then shifts its focus to one particularly notable amenity: a complimentary trip to one of eight destinations around the world. Using the navigation at the bottom of the screen, users can tap an icon labeled “Itineraries.” This leads to a selection of clickable photographs with destination names, which users can click to view the details of the excursion and corresponding hotel.
To present this as a gift from Neiman Marcus to Chairman’s Circle members, we created a fully customized package including an iPad wrapped in matte silver Stealth Armor, a sleeve to house the iPad box, and a high-quality box with magnetic closure encasing the entire bundle. It’s the best kind of gift: one that contains another gift inside.
We have worked with high-end retail clients before and we dove into this project headfirst, gathering information from the client until we felt confident enough to build the app they were looking for. “Neiman Marcus knew they wanted to gift their Chairman’s Circle members with a free trip, but they were looking for a truly memorable way to package that information,” said Hollie Go, App Development Project Manager. “Instead of sending a letter or an email, this app is an interactive way for recipients to see full color photos and details about each destination.” With Fusion’s custom branding, packaging, and mobile app services, Neiman Marcus found the level of prestige they were looking for in a gift for their most valued customers.
The mobile application landscape in 2018 is saturated with a dizzying array of apps, ranging from straightforward and simple to complex and colorful. Business owners are faced with the challenge of building an app that is visible, user-friendly, and detailed all at once. At Fusion of Ideas, we’re aware of just how easy it is to gravitate towards a “more is more” solution. After all, there are countless technologies and functionalities available in the app development world. But we also know that an excess of options can lead to a chaotic and overly complicated final product. That’s what pushed our app development team to come up with a much simpler app solution for clients: the Dynamic Content System.
Imagine that you are the owner of a small consulting business. You have a well-designed website with sections to address every topic of your business. But you’ve noticed that most of your competitors have mobile apps in addition to their websites, so you decide to seek out an app development firm. Your mobile app checklist might look something like this:
Simple design
Easy to use
Menu of 6-8 sections, each covering a service your business provides
Sections featuring photos, videos, and text
Ability to add, remove, and change content on an ongoing basis
The DCS approach, our version of what’s known as a CMS (content management system), can check all of those boxes without breaking the bank or overly complicating your app. It’s customizable yet simple – the general concept of displaying content using a list or menu view does not change, but the format, fonts, colors, designs, and logos can all be customized. As the client, you’re equipped with an easy-to-use web admin portal where you can continuously make changes to the content on display. This gives you a streamlined way to create and manage an app without having to hire a dedicated developer. After an initial design and development period with the Fusion team, the app is entirely yours to control. The end result: a cookie-cutter setup process with unique, personalized results.
This is the user view of the Kidd’s Kids DCS App.
One of our clients, Kidd’s Kids, is a nonprofit group that strives to bring joy to kids who are dealing with life-altering conditions and their families by sending them on an annual trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The organization was looking for a way to display event information as well as a photo of each child with their name, hometown, and favorite Disney character. The finalized app features the Kidd’s Kids branding and logo as a backdrop, with a simple menu of options to choose from. Each of the families received an iPad equipped with the app, so they could easily open it up and scroll through the photos or look for event details. The app placed important information at their fingertips, and gave them a simple way to learn about the other recipients on the trip.
This is the admin view of the Kidd’s Kid DCS App.
Fusion of Ideas strives to meet a higher standard than most other companies that offer a CMS-type service. Because our development team (which is entirely based at our headquarters in Lake Forest, California) have gone through several iterations to perfect our DCS solution, your app can be delivered in just a two week time frame. Our designers will also build a custom application icon with your company’s branding, logo, and/or artwork, depending on your aesthetic preference. Your app icon will be yours – not that of a third party app development company. You won’t see any Fusion of Ideas branding within the app either. The focus is completely on your company and your content.
Check out the complete list of what’s included in our DCS package below.
Custom application icon
1 platform (iOS, tvOS, or Android)
Multiple groups and users (5 groups and up to 100 users)
Initial product training
Access to web admin portal to manage content being displayed to groups and users
Fusion customer support
Fusion can also provide additional design and functionalities, along with full custom development services outside the scope of the DCS solution. Contact us today to get started!SaveSave
There are three main factors that drive the demand for mobile technology in the construction industry: leadership request, an increasingly mobile workforce and the growing need for real-time information. According to a recent study, more than 80 percent of construction professionals surveyed said that mobile capabilities are “very important” in improving their workflows.
