Subject: [NEXTEL-1] TileMaster Remote Job Management System

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 14:51:45 -0500

Walstad Tile Smiles As They Go High-Tech; A-propos Delivers
TileMaster Remote Job Management System
Source: Business Wire
Publication date: 2003-03-18

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 2003--A-propos, a software
and systems development company that delivers applications on-time and
on-budget, today announced the completion of a remote job management
system for MN-based Walstad Tile. The application was developed in order
to streamline management of more than 30 field tile installers.

Prior to development and installation of the TileMaster(TM) solution, Walstad
tile installers worked unmanaged in the field, 8 hours each day, which made
managing productivity a challenge. Now with the TileMaster(TM) solution,
developed by MN-based A-propos, field tile installers punch in and out via
cell phone as they start and complete each job.

"Now, our tile installers log the time it takes to lay tile in each room and
then we upload their timesheet data to our corporate database." said Mike
Walstad, president of Walstad Tile. "After implementing the system we
definitely saw that our labor to percentage of sales had improved. I don't
know anybody else in the trade that is doing this."

Walstad tile installers are also more encouraged now to document
change-orders in the field. For example, if a job called for 8 hours to lay tile
on a straight pattern and the job was changed in the field to a diagonal
pattern, the installer now calls the corporate office in order to be allocated
more time via their "cell-phone timeclock". Prior to the development and
installation of TileMaster(TM) these types of field changes would be easily
missed and never billed.

"Due to the A-propos development process, dubbed OnTarget (SM), we
were able to complete the entire TileMaster(TM) application within a 2 month
timeframe." said Olivier Meyer, president of A-Propos. "By implementing the
Walstad Tile corporate database and integrating with AirHours, through
Nextel, Walstad Tile can now estimate jobs more accurately, monitor
productivity more closely and conduct billing more precisely."

Walstad Tile and A-propos are now planning the next phase of the
TileMaster solution - a PDA based solution designed to completely
eliminate paper work orders.

The TileMaster(TM) remote job management system was built with industry
standard technologies and platforms including WML/WAP, Microsoft
Visual Basic, SQL and Microsoft Access.

About A-propos, Inc.

A-propos is a software and systems development company committed to
delivering solutions on-time and on-budget through its unique development
process-- OnTarget(SM). With a tenured team of applications and
development professionals, A-propos brings a unique mix of development
and product management skills to its clients who include Gelco Expense
Management, AIR-Serv Group, Sprint and General Mills. Contact A-propos
at 612-435-2120 or at www.a-propo.com.

About Walstad Tile

For Nearly 10 years, Walstad Tile & Stone has been recognized as one of
the Twin Cities' leading tile, stone and hard surface provider. In addition to
completing more than 150 Parade of Homes installations, Walstad Tile &
Stone is the hard surface flooring provider of choice for the area's top
builders. They provide high quality flooring solutions for any home price level.
Contact Walstad Tile & Stone at 763-519-1444.

Publication date: 2003-03-18
http://cnniw.yellowbrix.com/pages/cnniw/Story.nsp?story_id=37437550&ID=cnniw&scategory=Business+and+Finance&

--
    "NEXTEL-1 IT'S NOT JUST NEXTEL"
  Note The New address
Subscribe to Nextel-1: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL-1

  "NEXTEL2 FOR iDEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS"
Subscribe to Nextel2: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL2

  "WIRELESS FORUM HOMELAND SECURITY GROUP"
     The Complete Resource for Wireless Homeland Security.
Subscribe to WFHSG:  http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WFHSG

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Your own Online Store Selling our Overstock.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/rZll0B/4ftFAA/46VHAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/