Retail salespeople, tradespeople working in private homes, maintenance workers in industry, delivery drivers, municipal police officers on the streets, cleaning staff, and home helpers... more than just a name, frontline workers are everywhere. Their work is essential, with a constant flow of information. One thing is certain: digitalization has profoundly transformed their work.
Firstly, by making it easier, by bringing together numerous tools in a smartphone, such as shared calendars and intervention reports, and of course by enabling simple communication anywhere. While this trend is an asset, it has also brought a reality to light. Very often, the smartphone used is not suited to the reality of its use. The result: irregular availability of equipment, breakages, missions not carried out and therefore not billed, not to mention the impact of frustration on customers, users, and those handling complaints and after-sales service. For Crosscall, this comprehensive approach covering the entire life cycle of a piece of equipment is central. The goal is to optimize the cost of this equipment throughout its entire life cycle.
COMPARE WARRANTIES AND THEIR DURATION
Most countries around the world require electronic equipment manufacturers to provide a minimum two-year warranty. However, studies show that users keep them for longer. This means that part of the usage will no longer be covered by the warranty in the event of a breakdown. This will therefore increase the cost of ownership. By guaranteeing its products for five years, and above all by including the battery in this coverage, Crosscall is innovating, as it is the only manufacturer on the market to commit to such a long period.
ROBUSTNESS FOR EVERYDAY USE
When working with customers—whether outdoors, in a retail setting, or at a client’s home—bumps and drops are inevitable. Equipment must meet these requirements, as exemplified by STELLAR-X5 is used by the SNCF, among others. Its durability largely depends on design details that often go unnoticed, such as a screw-on rather than glued-on intermediate shell. At the time of purchase? Visually, there’s no difference. Over time, however, this is a major advantage, offering greater resistance to external impacts, shocks, and dust infiltration.
"A Crosscall smartphone can replace up to 5 devices."
EXAMINE THE NUMBER OF DEVICES THAT THE SMARTPHONE CAN REPLACE
The best purchase in terms of savings is the one you don't make. The lightest equipment is the one you don't carry. Based on these two common-sense observations, the French brand has developed a product called Crosscall-In-One. The approach? Streamline the amount of equipment needed by simplifying everyday use. A Crosscall device can replace a walkie-talkie, a handheld scanner, or even a PC, with its X-SPACE interface.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE RIGHT USES
Wi-Fi 5 or 6/6E, 4G or 5G, VoWi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 or 5.2, MIMO, SISO... it's difficult to make the right choice. However, every decision has an impact on the mission of a frontline worker. Take Wi-Fi 5 compared to Wi-Fi 6/6E, for example. 5 is more than enough for people who mainly use cellular data. On the other hand, someone working in a warehouse covered by a modern private network would be better off with Wi-Fi 6/6E with ultra-fast speeds. The strength of the Crosscall range? It ticks a lot of boxes for frontline workers, always with the aim of adapting products to real-world uses, not the other way around.
TAKE USER EXPERIENCE INTO ACCOUNT
One of the questions to ask yourself early on is how the equipment selected for a fleet will be perceived by its future users. If their initial reaction is rejection, the investment will be completely counterproductive. If, on the other hand, the user is involved at a very early stage, including the design phase, then you're onto a winner. This is how Crosscall won a major contract with Leroy Merlin, equipping 30,000 employees.
IDENTIFY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONALITIES
What sets Crosscall apart are likely the small details, each of which has been carefully considered by the product teams. For frontline workers, these details are real assets in their daily work. In terms of comfort, the strap loops allow you to wear the smartphone around your neck. The ultra-hardened screen protector prevents scratches. The battery life is designed to ensure worry-free use throughout the day. It lasts 25 hours and 48 minutes for the CORE-M5 2G/3G networks. It’s no coincidence that Crosscall products are used by many firefighters and the BRI.
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE COST OF ACCESSORIES
When you think of smartphones, you also think of an ecosystem of accessories. This comes down to two key points. First, the breadth of the product range, which caters to a wide variety of uses—such as mounting devices on different stands or charging your equipment. Another possibility is reducing the number of devices you use by streamlining your setup, such as with an X-SCAN optical scanner, which eliminates the need for a traditional barcode scanner. The second point is crucial: price. And here again, Crosscall products have two major selling points: durability and reliability! Since they’re rugged by design, they don’t need a case. This represents an indirect cost savings with an immediate financial benefit.
