Content created in partnership with Financial Post 

You probably can’t find a better company to test the toughness of the Samsung Galaxy Rugged lineup of tablets and smartphones than Kruger Construction of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. And you likely won’t find someone more willing to test the limits of the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro than owner Murray Kruger.

The Samsung Galaxy Rugged lineup was developed in response to the needs of industries that required mobile devices that are dependable, durable and functional under a wide range of working conditions, even the most demanding environments. A 2022 survey of Toronto Construction Association members by Samsung Electronics Canada revealed that more than 40 per cent of respondents felt their current mobile devices are not built to withstand their job environments.

Kruger Construction specializes in insurance repairs and renovations — possibly one of the harshest construction environments, offering smoke, ash, flooded basements, toxic fumes and temperatures far below freezing. Kruger has been in the business for 22 years and launched his own contracting company in 2012.

What’s the number one tool used in his contracting business?

“A mobile phone is our most important tool and also our most-used tool,” Kruger says. “We use it to take calls from clients, schedule work, talk to suppliers, perform calculations, take pictures, take measurements, check our calendars and browse the web on the go.”

Both the Galaxy XCover6 Pro and Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro have earned an IP68 rating[1] and meet MIL-STD-810H[2] standards for durability in harsh environments. Resistant to scratches, water, and dust, these devices can also withstand drops of up to 1.5 metres as well as function at extreme altitudes and temperatures. Enhanced Glove mode allows the screens of both devices to remain touch-responsive, even when the user wears leather gloves[3].

“We’re hard on our phones,” Kruger says. “We throw them in our tool belts and tool bags. Responding to an emergency, the phone is sitting on your lap and when you hop out of your vehicle, it falls on the ground. At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro looked like a slim, top-of-the-line phone without a huge, molded case, but it was tougher than we ever expected.”

During the two-month testing phase, the device was subjected to the routine abuse of dirt, falls and moisture. Then the construction crew got creative.

“We got so rough that I was thinking we might need a backup phone ready to go,” Kruger says. “We sprayed sawdust on it and splashed it with water, then dropped it off sawhorses and worktables. We even dropped the phone in a snowbank at minus 23°C and the battery held out fine — the screen wasn’t even lagging.”

With the speaker volume being very loud, Kruger used the device in speaker mode while leaving it on top of a ladder. Then he accidentally bumped the ladder.

Passing every test with flying colours, Kruger next introduced the smartphone to the company’s secret weapon… Dave.

“Dave is definitely hard on all our tools, and he goes through smartphones like paper towels,” Kruger says. “He figured the screen was so massive he would break it right away. After dropping it over and over, he gave it back to us caked with dust, dirt and drywall mud. When we washed it off, it was good to go.”

Kruger also put the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro through its paces. He tends to use a tablet in the sheltered cab of his truck to write emails or fill out forms using the embedded S Pen where the bigger screen is welcome. But he dutifully repeated the same range of tests on the jobsite — drop, splash, and drop it in a snowbank.

“We bashed that thing around and it came up just as clean,” he says. “But one feature that really stood out for us in a cold Saskatchewan winter was how easy it was to swap batteries. Instead of having to recharge, we just kept an extra battery charged on hand, popped off the back and swapped. We found that this was just as easy with the Galaxy XCover6 Pro. It’s the same type of ease we expect with all our power tools.”

The crew also noted that both devices provided excellent connectivity, even behind steel barricades or in flooded basements. The Galaxy XCover6 Pro in particular supports 5G[4] as well as Wi-Fi 6E[5] for hyper-fast connectivity.

“I sometimes get worried when I test a new tool that it’s going to fail quickly and this will end the trial straight away,” Kruger says. “Not only did we not break these devices — their performance exceeded our expectations.”

For more information on Samsung Galaxy Rugged devices visit the Samsung Canada website.

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[1] IP68 rating: Water resistant in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes and protected from dust, dirt and sand. Rinse residue/dry after wet. Not advised for beach or pool use.

[2] MIL-STD-810H Certification: Altitude, Humidity, Immersion, Salt Fog, Dust, Vibration, Drop, etc. MIL-STD-810H is a standardized form of testing designed by the US Military to accurately assess device limitations.

[3] Touch Sensitivity increases responsiveness for leather gloves thinner than 2mm or less in thickness, based on internal laboratory test results.

[4] 5G network connection available in select markets. Download and streaming speeds may vary based on market, carrier, content provider, server connection and user environment. Check with your carrier for availability and details.

[5] Wi-Fi 6E network availability may vary by market, network provider and user environment. Requires optimal connection. Will require a Wi-Fi 6E router.

Canadian construction workers face some of the harshest conditions of any industry. Yet too often, they go without mobile devices to match their own toughness, according to a new survey sponsored by Samsung Electronics Canada.

Extreme weather conditions like snowstorms, exposure to dirt, dust, and water along with the kinds of everyday shocks and bumps associated with construction work require devices built to withstand them. However, according to the Samsung survey, more than 40% of the 713 respondents from the Toronto Construction Association said none or less than half of the mobile devices used at work are built for the extreme environments that come with the territory.

“This is an industry that builds our communities and keeps them growing stronger, but durable technology to support the work remains a blind spot. This is the exact issue that Samsung is equipped to support,” said Paul Edwards, Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Mobility at Samsung Electronics Canada. “This survey demonstrates the need for increased adoption of rugged mobile devices across all construction environments.”

More than two thirds (67%) of respondents reported they spend up to half of their workday in the field, with nearly half (46% ) saying the most prevalent condition they face is dust and dirt. About one quarter of respondents said they face wet environments or deal with extreme temperatures that could potentially lead to device breaks.

These environments are detrimental to mobile technology that is not fit to handle them. As a result of current deficient technology, close to one in every three (31%) respondents said up to five mobile devices are broken or damaged every year on the job, with nearly 10% estimating that number to be closer to 10.

“It goes without saying the unwelcome financial burden that comes from having to deal with repeated device breaks and damage,” Edwards says. “Not only in the costs spent to repair or replace the devices themselves, but also in lost productivity on the work site.”

Galaxy Rugged technology for the construction sector

The current Samsung Galaxy Rugged lineup – the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro and Galaxy XCover6 Pro  – have set a new standard for technology that withstands the rigours of doing business on the frontline. Serving the varied needs of field workers across Canada, Galaxy Rugged devices are built to match the grit and resilience of the construction workers who need them most.

Survey respondents were also asked to report on the key features they’re looking for in their mobile devices. More than two thirds (64%) of respondents said that a device able to withstand drops would better support their productivity. Exactly half of respondents (50%) said they would benefit from having a mobile device that’s resistant to dust and water.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Rugged devices address these needs and more with their military-grade certification[1] that provides protection against drops, knocks, and vibrations. The devices themselves are also IP68[2]-rated against dust and water damage – a rating that extends to the S Pen accompanying the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro, allowing construction workers to take notes, mark-up documents and capture digital signatures without incident in wet and dusty conditions.

A further 41% of respondents reported a need for a replaceable battery to help them power through their workdays uninterrupted. This was another need that Samsung anticipated with the Galaxy Rugged line up. Both the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro and Galaxy XCover6 Pro come with a replaceable battery[3] that can be easily swapped out with a fully charged extra battery.

While today’s construction workers have a clear need for technology that is up to par with their working conditions, there is fortunately a solution that exists presented by the Galaxy Rugged lineup. To learn more about the Samsung Rugged range for business and its applications for the construction sector, visit samsung.com/ca/business/mobile/rugged

[1] These devices passed U.S. military specification (MIL-STD-810G/MIL-STD-810H) testing against a subset of 21 and 23 specific environmental conditions, respectively, including temperature, dust, shock/vibration, and low pressure/high altitude. Real world usage varies from the specific environmental conditions used in MIL-STD-810G/MIL-STD-810H testing. Samsung does not guarantee device performance in all extreme conditions.

[2] IP68 rating: Water resistant in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes and protected from dust, dirt and sand. Rinse residue/dry after wet. Not advised for beach or pool use.

[3] Extra replaceable battery sold separately.

There are few business tasks more critical for retailers than inventory management. When done right, the efficient management of inventory makes cost savings possible, prevents the accumulation of dead stock, and ensures customers’ needs are met. As the inventory needs of retailers grows more complicated with supply chain pressures, the need for technology to streamline this process has grown.

Barcode scanning and data capture technologies are integral to the inventory recordkeeping process, and despite its criticality, barcode scanning has been known to be time-consuming and cumbersome for store employees. This was one of the main reasons that Scandit, the leader in smart data capture, and Samsung partnered to merge their complementary technologies and streamline the inventory management process.

Scandit enables smart devices to capture data from barcodes, text, IDs and objects with speed and accuracy using the camera of the device. This allows retailers to increase productivity and provide retail associates with access to actionable insights on the state of their inventory – allowing them to make more informed decisions with better intelligence. However, the data capture process hasn’t always been this intuitive.

The limitations of dedicated scanning technology

While the technology to support inventory management has evolved from error-prone and labour-intensive processes like paper and pen, even the more pervasive technologies of today have their limits. Many storerooms still manage inventory using a shared pool of dedicated scanning devices. These devices can be costly to purchase, which means they are limited in quantity, forcing store associates to solve issues offline. This is a method that is prone to human error, often leading to stock loss or other inventory inaccuracies.

Not only that, but dedicated scanning devices are inflexible when it comes to optimizing workflows. For example, dedicated devices might scan single barcodes, while innovative smart data capture technology scans multiple barcodes on a pallet or shelf at one time – and even visually highlight which barcodes have been scanned or display inventory information on screen via augmented reality (AR) overlays.

“Store managers are dealing with reduced productivity due to the scarcity and inflexibility associated with these dedicated scanning devices,” said Nitin Gupta, VP of Partnerships & Customer Success, Scandit. “Without a smart mobile device from which to access store insights and updated inventory numbers, store employees are also left grappling with a lack of information.”

“I recall learning from a major European retail client of ours, that store associates would actually hide from customers for fear of being asked a question they were unequipped to answer, fuelled by a lack of tools to access the correct up-to-the-minute information,” said Gupta. “Another retail customer said associates often logged 20,000 steps per shift because of the need to go back and forth to look up information on fixed terminals, or even to the storeroom itself.”

“Enterprises of today need solutions that are intuitive, mobile, durable and cost-effective,” added Gupta. “It’s one of the reasons why we partnered with Samsung years ago, with the merger of Galaxy rugged devices with Scandit Smart Data Capture technology, to deliver optimized scanning performance and ergonomics to the market.”

Smart data capture technology meets Samsung Galaxy devices

Galaxy rugged devices, including the latest Galaxy XCover6 Pro smartphone, are well-suited device for Scandit to integrate their technology into. For one, Galaxy rugged devices are designed for employees working in crowded, dusty warehouses and storerooms because they are built to withstand drops and are both water and dust resistant^[1]. Secondly, the devices are built to be used while wearing gloves, which are commonplace in the warehouse, thanks to the devices’ enhanced screen sensitivity^[2]. Gupta also makes note of their programmable hard keys which can be used to program scanning via a button on the side of the device. “This makes it incredibly easy for employees to initiate a scan,” he said.

Apart from its rugged, durable features, the Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a multi-functional device which lends to its increased versatility when compared to a dedicated, single-function scanner. “The XCover6 Pro powered with Scandit Smart Data Capture Solutions enables associates to complete a number of critical retail tasks and customer-facing workflows all with the same device,” said Gupta. Activities like in-store order picking, product look-up to help with customer enquiries, and back-of-house shipping and receiving are among some of the critical tasks that are made possible with Galaxy rugged devices.

Perhaps what is most compelling for IT administrators responsible for deploying company devices, is the straightforward integration of Scandit via Samsung Knox Capture. “Samsung Knox Capture, powered by Scandit, is an off-the-shelf scanning solution that requires no software development – easily turning a Samsung device into an enterprise-grade scanning device,” said Gupta.

River Island’s streamlined solution

To help illustrate the transformative power of the Samsung and Scandit solution when it comes to streamlining operations, Gupta references the case of fashion retailer River Island.

“Before adopting Samsung and Scandit technology, River Island had just one hardware-based scanning tool for each location, forcing up to four store associates to share the same device,” said Gupta. When it became clear that the worker experience and store operations could be improved with newer technology, IT decision makers implemented the Scandit solution.

After making the switch, River Island found the cost benefits of deploying Samsung smartphones with Scandit technology were so significant, that they were able to provide an individual device to each store associate. “Newly equipped with Galaxy XCover5 smartphones, each store associate can now obtain real-time information on the retail floor, streamlining operations and improving communications from back of house to front,” said Gupta.

Stories like these are just the tip of the iceberg. The Samsung and Scandit solutions are being used to deliver unmatched speed, accuracy and intelligence to retailers across the globe. In fact, Scandit is trusted by five of the top Fortune 500 brands in the world.

Automation is the new industry watchword

It’s been close to a decade since the Samsung and Scandit partnership was established, but there is still a lot the two partners wish to tackle.

The companies’ future goals include optimizing the use of Galaxy rugged devices in combination with Scandit Smart Data Capture to expand into sectors beyond retail, delivering value to the healthcare and manufacturing sectors. Galaxy rugged devices with smart data capture will drive process innovation with advanced capabilities such as ID scanning or scanning multiple barcodes for cycle counting or receiving processes.

“Automation has become the new watchword in all industries, and our smart data capture solutions are going to enable automation as the demands of our joint business customers evolve,” said Gupta.

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^[1] The device is protected against harmful ingress of dust and static fresh water at up to 1.5 m for up to 30 minutes, under certain defined test conditions. According to accredited test results, individual results may vary. Note: IP68 rating does not mean that the device is waterproof.

^[2] Touch sensitivity may vary depending on glove material.