Optimize the value-added chain with mobile ERP processes link by link
The ERP system has always been considered a company's backbone. No surprise as it creates a uniform data basis and supports all business processes as a data and process integration platform. Furthermore, it establishes a stronger network between the departments and optimizes communication with suppliers and customers as well. Neither fast and reliable decision-making at C level nor the efficient handling of resources would be possible without a strong ERP system in combination with the right BI tools. But if you think that the integration and application of an ERP solution is enough, you're wrong. The world keeps on turning and the market is constantly changing. Companies are faced with new challenges and disruptive changes time and again.
The best example of this is the COVID-19 pandemic, which had most employees relocate their place of work from the office to their homes – and often enough from one day to the next. The mobility factor moved to the center of attention at once, also to that of ERP users in mid-market manufacturing.
Besides the crisis, the digital transformation also fuels this development. A survey by Bitkom e.V. shows that already 73% of all ERP users are using the ERP system on a notebook, 51% on a smartphone and 36% on a tablet. Mobile and hybrid working with the ERP system will continue to play an important role in the future, making it a basic requirement for many companies.
Production processes: more mobility, accuracy, velocity
Mobile solutions will become a crucial factor to a company's competitiveness since mobile technologies offer numerous possibilities to improve production planning and optimize the entire value-added chain. Mobile working on any end device adds transparency and productivity to all business processes throughout the company, from stock receipt through to maintenance. As there will no longer be any disruptions in the information flow across locations help you significantly accelerate processes in administration, production, logistics and service.
However, standardized apps often reach their limits in light of the variety of tasks and processes. You therefore might want to use customized mobile solutions for the ERP system to get the most out of your core processes. In the following, we show you the benefits of mobile data entry and processing and explain to you why every mid-market manufacturing company should integrate mobile ERP solutions.
Production: mobile monitoring, strategic improvement
Mobile data entry and immediate processing are not only beneficial to intralogistics, but also ensure error-free production processes. Since many workers rarely have a stationary workplace and are rather out and about at the production site, mobile solutions offer a great advantage. Mobile devices give the workers quick and easy access to important information, like the material on hand, production times, production quantities, work orders and the project closures. This means that they can retrieve their next operation in the work order at any time and from anywhere in the production hall and have all necessary details immediately display-ed, like the relevant part and stock information, series and lot data.
For an easy navigation and reduced error risk, companies should rely on an application that has been designed for the respective tasks and is user-friendly. If required, times and quantities can also be entered in the application. Moreover, modern ERP systems are also able to handle retrospective postings. All of this ensures more precise finite planning and thus quicker actual costing.
Thanks to mobile solutions, you can track both scheduled and unscheduled work orders at any time. A real time tracking system allows you to locate workpieces in the production hall with an accuracy of 10 centimeters, which lets you derive the production progress. You can then easily determine whether the order is already in final assembly. Since the progress is permanently fed into the ERP system, the sales department is also always up-to-date and can pass on the latest information to the customers without having to contact the production department.
End device: The right choice for the greatest success
To achieve the aspired production development and benefits, your company has to meet certain requirements. On the one hand, you have to choose the right end device, taking into account your needs and weighing the functions according to the cost-benefit principle. In Production and Logistics, in particular, it is recommended to use robust and shock-resistant devices, while Sales is often well served with a tablet. On the other hand, you should provide for continuous WiFi or mobile coverage on your company's premises so that the data are fed into the ERP system in real time and the employees can access them at any time.
