Homeless Helper App Video

 

My video is based on my Homeless Helper Application.  The Homeless Helper is an application that is used to help homeless individuals and low-income families connect to available services and resources using the internet and mobile devices.  This application allows needy people to have access to resources right at their fingertips.  This application can communicate in any language, and it can be used anywhere at any time.  The application is meant to support people who might not otherwise have access to this information to be connected with various resources.  The Homeless Helper application also has built in technology that can provide healthcare assessments and then connect you directly with the correct healthcare provider.  Additionally, the application allows organizations that are doing community service events to list their events so that can add and manage their services through the application, and also allow needy individuals to see what services are being offered.  Organizations that have shelters that are offering beds for the homeless can list the number of beds that they have available.  The application provides a direct connection between service providers’ technology and the people that need to utilize their services.

The Homeless Helper connects needy people with the services that they need.  Some of the features that they have is that the application is offered on most mobile platforms, the internet, Google Play Store, and the Apple Store.  It offers a unique design; its simple design allows users to intuitively list their services and the software provides a map view of the location of the service that is being offered.  It is easy for users to find and connect to the service that they need.  Users can easily narrow down their searches by using the filtering capability.  This application can communicate in any language, and it can be used anywhere at any time.  It also has built-in technology to support homeless people who are blind and hearing impaired.  It does not matter where individuals are geographically located, the application communicates in any language and provides resources at any location, nationwide.   The application is meant to support people who might not otherwise have access to this information to be connected with various resources.  The Homeless Helper application also has built-in technology that can provide healthcare assessments and then connect you directly with the correct healthcare provider.  The application can use infrared technology to scan an individual’s vital signs to determine if they have any mental conditions or if they have any other healthcare concerns that need to be addressed.  After the individual’s vital scans are completed, they will be automatically referred to the nearest healthcare provider in their immediate area.  Additionally, the application has a built-in feature that provides emergency support, by providing crisis line contact information.  Users can easily connect with various national hotlines which can help users with emotional support.

I used the online video creation tool to create my 30-second video.  The video highlights the homeless helper’s features.  The video helps to demonstrate how intuitive it is and how easy it is to use the Homeless Helper application.   The video shows the easy-to-use layout, and further, it shows how the technology is connected with the users.   Here is the direct link to my video;

HH App Video

Learning From Failure & Having a Sociotechnical Plan

 

There is great wisdom in learning from our failures, yet there are not too many businesses that can actually do that well.  It is essential that businesses learn from their failures in an effort to improve future performance, however, many businesses do not seem to implement strategies for real change.  There are several businesses that had good strategies in place, but they failed to stay operational due to unforeseen circumstances.  For example, Tower Record was a music store that was primarily based in California.  Tower Records allowed its customers to access their favorite music by simply taking a trip to their record store.  Whenever you hear the name Tower Records you associated it with buying music.  At its peak, the company operated over 200 stores in 15 different countries.  The company reported a net income of $1 billion in 1999.  However, in 2006 the company filed for bankruptcy.  The company had expanded very quickly and had to compete with smaller record shops that were selling music at half price.  As online music purchases advanced with technology, more companies started selling music online.  MP3 players began to appear on the market, and then the iPod was introduced, and this completely changed the industry.  The evolution of online music sales also led to piracy and Tower Records was not spared, illegal music was being made available for free almost everywhere.  This drastically decreased their sale and ultimately led to the company’s demise.  Even businesses that start off with a well-thought-out plan can fail if they do not stay modernized and adapt to changing strategies.

            It is essential for businesses to forecast change and vision their future state and engage in scenario planning.  Businesses have to be prepared for the changes that lie ahead.  Businesses need to anticipate change and be prepared to handle it.  They must have a team that is consistently doing trade studies and continuously observing the market to stay on top of what the next hottest thing may be.  Therefore, making companies more adaptable will help companies to have continued success despite the impediments that they may be forced to encounter along the way.

            Customers contribute to the design of sociotechnical systems because they provide key feedback on how to implement continuous adaptations and system improvements in collaboration with the system developers (Carayon, 2006).  This is important because sociotechnical is about connecting society with technology.  Sociotechnical refers to the connection of social awareness and the technical aspects of an organization.  It is all about technical performance and the quality that it brings to people’s lives.

            There is always an economic impact that has to be considered as well.  In order to remain competitive and to compete with prices, companies will need to consider offering memberships and plans that will allow customers to receive enhanced perks and rewards with continued membership and a promise that the company will always offer the latest convenience in technology and the best social platform to deliver the service for their needs.  Another force to consider is political impacts, which can drive new policies and laws.  This is also what impacted Tower Records, at the time there were different laws on piracy and now those have changed, and music can be sold online and even shared. 

            It is important to ensure that your systems can interact and behave well with human interaction, businesses are implementing a more holistic approach.  It is important to evaluate the entire sociotechnical system to avoid any potential impacts which make it easier to evolve and respond to change.  Having a sociotechnical plan is an effective way to bring technology and people together while managing risk and improving the human experience with the latest technology.

References

Carayon, P. (2006). Human factors of complex sociotechnical systems. Applied

ergonomics, 37(4), 525-535.