Mobile Data Collection Tools: 5 Considerations

With the recent announcement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for the next fifteen years, it’s clear that there will be more intense scrutiny on organizations to deliver work which yields strong, quantifiable results. This means it’s now more important than ever to make sure you’re using the right mobile data collection tools. However, there are so many tools out there that it can be overwhelming to decide on the right one. At TaroWorks, we speak to lots of organizations at the early stages of looking for tools, and want to share 5 major themes that come up consistently, so that you can find the most appropriate one that allows you to focus on making an impact.

1. What will the data be used for?

Field research: Generally one-time projects spanning over a few months, where you don’t need heavy mobile data collection tools and general mobile data collection tools should be adequate

Impact monitoring & evaluation over time: If you need to track results over time for a specific entity, make sure the tool allows for that. If you sample and don’t need to track specific entities, then a general mobile data collection tool can work.

Managing business operations: Monitoring ongoing transactions in order to make business decisions. This entails managing field operations and supply chain activities, and may require tools that go beyond simple data collection.

Intrigued?  Read the entire piece as published in ICTworks here.