Which mobile solution are you using? Everyplace, Anywhere or Maximo Mobile ? My company, Vetasi has been working with Heathrow Airport on their implementation of Maximo Mobile and I have been personally involved in planning mobility projects around Maximo for many years. Based on my experience I'd say there are three critical success factors:
1. People: You must engage and satisfy the end users expectations. Mobilie technology is a tool to help them work more efficiently or effectively. People won't use the tool if it doesn't work properly or simply.
2. Process: Understanding the problems that mobility is going to solve - there is unlikely to be a one size fits all solution. A Service Manager inside the terminal needs a different type of mobile device and solution to a Technician checking the runway lighting system. Simple solutions like putting all the technical documentation onto eReaders can be surprisingly cheap and effective. Pick the processes where mobility can have most impact and expand gradually
3. Technology: Having the appropriate wireless network and mobile device management infrastructure in place. Even if If the software solution you have chosen supports offline working e.g. Maximo Anywhere it will still need to connect to the Maximo Server frequently. Installing and updating software on the mobile device also requires network connectivity. Your IT team are probably struggling to keep up with frequent changes in mobile technology and the security issues mobilite working raises. Technology is an enabler for process and people
Navigating through this minefield requires careful planning and inevitably some compromises but it is possible.