The Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) and Web and Mobile Solutions (WMS) request the development of a Pocket Card mobile application. Currently, many Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff members carry printed “pocket cards” with them as they work. Staff members use these pocket cards as quick reference tools for information that they need to access frequently and easily. A variety of programs, offices, and facilities publish pocket cards; however the cost to develop, print, and distribute these cards could be greatly reduced and in some cases eliminated with the development of an application that enables VA staff to view pocket card content on mobile devices.
The Pocket Card mobile application will be a new, standalone application enabling users to view pocket card content and download content to their mobile devices. Many pocket cards, for example OAA’s Resident Supervision pocket card, are printed and distributed every year; however yearly edits are generally minor and do not require major formatting changes or rewrites. Therefore, it would be much more efficient and cost-effective to provide an application that would allow VA administrators to make minor changes to pocket card whenever required via electronic means, eliminating the need for costly printing and distribution of revised pocket cards.
Additionally, users of pocket cards will benefit as they will be able to access the most up-to-date pocket cards on a single device instead of carrying printed copies of various pocket cards with them. Readers will no longer have to replace lost, damaged, or worn out pocket cards. Readers will also be able electronically to search for content within pocket cards, access additional information via HyperText Markup Language (HTML) links, and place phone calls using telecommunication-enabled devices. Eventually, the user base of the application could expand to members of the general public, including Veterans who may be interested in certain pocket card content.
There are no laws, policies, or other external forces mandating completion and deployment of this application within a specific time frame. Project stakeholders envision that once the Pocket Card mobile application is deployed, VA offices will continue to print pocket cards for those staff members who do not have access to the mobile application. After a transition period, printing of pocket cards could be completely eliminated, representing a major reduction in printing and distribution costs.