One of the reasons why tablets have been widely adopted in many industries is because they are easy to carry around and can be used from whichever location. However, in some instances, the users may need to use their hands to perform other tasks and may therefore need to have the tablets mounted. With the right type of mounting solution, you can easily alternate from carrying your tablet around to mounting it back to the desired location when the need arises. This is beneficial because it provides flexibility and increases the productivity of the user.

To get the best out of mounting your tablet, you need to consider several issues. This includes your enterprise operations, work environment, and tablet accessories.

Let’s explore some of the questions you should ask yourself before mounting your tablet.

  1. How does your work environment look like?

Before mounting your tablet, it is important to consider the type of environment you are operating in. Rugged tablets are generally designed to withstand extreme environmental conditions. However, the level of ruggedness differs from one tablet to another. You could be operating in a dusty environment, humid climate, extremely cold temperatures, accident-prone environment, or in extremely hot temperatures. Carefully reviewing the environmental conditions that are prevalent in your operations will help you choose a tablet with the right level of ruggedness.

  1. Where will you mount the tablet?

Tablets can be mounted on different equipment and locations depending on the operations of your industry. For instance, if you are in the healthcare sector, the tablets can be mounted on ambulances, medical carts or IV stands. If you are in logistics and warehousing, your tablets can be mounted on forklifts, trucks, or cargo planes. Tablets can also be mounted on farm equipment, police vehicles, other specialized vehicles, or even on walls. Understanding the equipment or location where you intend to mount your tablet will help you choose the right type of a mount.

  1. Do you want your tablet to be permanently mounted or will you be detaching it from time to time?

This is an important question because it helps you choose the right type of mount. There are different types of mounting solutions. Some require effort and time to install and to remove because the surface on which they are mounted has to be drilled. Other types of mounts are magnetic. They are strong enough to firmly hold a tablet into place and do not require any form of drilling. There are also snap mounts that allow the tablet to be easily mounted and detached. If you want to permanently mount your tablet, you can choose a mounting system that firmly holds the tablet in place. On the other hand, if you want to temporarily mount your tablet, you can go for flexible mounts such as a snap mount.

  1. Do you own the equipment on which the tablets are being mounted on?

Sometimes, an enterprise may opt to lease business equipment instead of buying. This is especially common to businesses that have limited capital or when the equipment needs to be phased out every few years. Other businesses especially those that are well established choose to buy their equipment. Some of the business equipment that can be leased are forklifts, trucks, vehicles, and warehouse equipment.

The reason why this question is important is that it determines the type of mounting solution you can use. Some mounting solutions will require the leased equipment to be drilled while others do not need any form of drilling. Some lease agreements may be restrictive in terms of the modifications you can make. This means that mounting solutions that require the equipment to be drilled should be avoided.

  1. What peripherals will you be using?

Another issue that you need to consider is the type and the number of peripherals you will be using. Some of the most common peripherals include barcode scanners, RFID scanners, voice input, and keyboards. Your tablet should be compatible with the relevant peripherals and should have enough interface ports for connecting the peripherals. Also, if you are going to attach bulky peripherals such as keyboards, you may need to have extra space and additional support materials.

  1. What will be the tablet’s power source?

The batteries of rugged tablets are usually designed to last longer. In most cases, the tablets will be required to run throughout the day processing large amounts of data and running multiple applications. This means that the tablet’s battery will not be enough and there is a need to look for an alternative power source. This problem can be solved by connecting the tablet to a forklift or vehicle’s power source. Being aware of the type power source that you intend to use will help you get the correct power converter to safely connect the tablet to a direct power source.

  1. What is the voltage of the forklift or the vehicle where the tablet will be mounted?

Once you have determined that you will use the forklift or vehicle’s power source to power your tablet, you also need to consider their voltage.

Forklifts generally have different voltage depending on how they are powered. For instance, there are four voltage options for electric forklifts namely: 24 volts, 36 volts, 48 volts, and 80 volts. Each of these voltages will require different power converters when connecting to your tablet.

The voltage of vehicles does not vary as much as is the case with the forklift. To connect your mounted tablet to the power source of a vehicle, you can choose either of these two methods.

  • Connect the tablet directly to the battery of the vehicle
  • Use an adapter to connect the tablet to the vehicle’s power source
  1. What location within a forklift or a vehicle will you mount the tablet?

Another issue that should be considered is the location of the mount within a vehicle or a forklift. Some locations tend to obstruct the driver’s line of sight and should therefore be avoided.

In a forklift, the tablet can be mounted in locations such as the bar, on the dashboard, or the overhead guard. In a vehicle, tablets can be mounted on the dashboard or the center console.

  1. Will the position of the mounted tablet be comfortable for the user?

For a worker to fully productive, the mounted tablet should be in a position that ergonomically sound. This will prevent the workers from having back pains, neck stiffness, shoulder, or arms strain. The screen of the tablet should be large enough to prevent eye strain.

  1. How much does it cost?

The goal of every business is to maximize profits and minimizing costs. Before mounting your tablet, you may also need to consider the total cost of mounting your tablets. Some of the things you may need to think about include: the number of tablets to be mounted, the type of mounts to be used, whether you need to engage an expert to help you mount your tablets, and the type of peripherals and accessories needed. Having a detailed cost breakdown of all the requirements will help you plan your business expenses.

As discussed above, if you are thinking about mounting your tablet, it is important to carefully consider every aspect of your business operations to get the desired Return on Investment.