Palm Handhelds are First to be Certified for Use in Petro-chemical Industry
LPG Central Now Can Extend Mobile Solutions to Potentially Dangerous Petro-chemical Environments
21-May-2002
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 20 The
Palm(TM) m500 and m505 handheld computers are the first
handheld Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to be certified as free from any
possibility of igniting flammables that may be present in petro-chemical
environments. The two Palm handheld models, which were certified by
Underwriter Laboratory, will be labeled with an electrical-classification
rating for Class 1, Division II Groups A, B, C, D environments, which include
most refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities.
This classification clears the way for companies such as LPG Central, a
Tulsa, Okla.-based solutions provider for the petro-chemical industry, to
extend their software solutions into these environments for the first time on
a truly mobile platform. By combining the Palm m500 and m505 handhelds with
LPG Central's applications, petro-chemical businesses can streamline
operations, reduce paperwork and improve efficiencies while ensuring the
highest level of safety. LPG now can expand its mobile solutions into those
environments where previously it was limited due to the possible presence of
flammables, thus providing their customers with new ways to work efficiently
and safely.
LPG Central -- Delivering Gas, Oil and Propane More Efficiently
Today, LPG Central, which sells a route-optimization solution to
commercial and industrial oil, gas and propane distributors, already is
reducing operational costs for its customers with Palm handhelds. LPG's
customers use Palm handhelds and LPG Central's custom SmartFill software to
automatically generate a driver's delivery route and optimize the order of
deliveries, minimizing the distance traveled by each delivery truck.
Drivers record delivery information on Palm handhelds and generate
invoices onsite using a Monarch printer. At the end of each day, delivery and
invoice information is downloaded from the Palm handheld to the office
computer via HotSync(R) operation. Previously, LPG Central customers were
required to generate invoices from handwritten logs, which then were mailed
from the main office.
When compared to the paper-based process previously used by LPG Central
customers, the Palm handheld-based process of generating and submitting
invoices onsite during a delivery speeds cash flow, reduces clerical mistakes
and eliminates data-entry labor costs. The use of handhelds has cut
operational costs for LPG Central's customers by an average of 20-30 percent.
With the cost of delivery trucks averaging $2 to $4 per mile, LPG Central's
route optimization is generating a large part of this savings.
LPG Central, already a global leader in wireless oil, gas and propane tank
management, plans to update its handheld solution so that data can be sent
wirelessly from Palm handhelds to the office throughout the day as deliveries
are made. The company also is working on a handheld application for field
service calls that optimizes service routes and allows technicians to perform
onsite billing.
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