ERP on the tablet screen
A few years ago analysts and experts predicted that expansion of opportunities for mobile access to them and gradual leaving from the traditional on-premise model will be the main vector of development of technologies of ERP systems. They were right: today the mobile functionality is offered by all key vendors of ERP, it is actively used by many enterprises for remote control resources. The directory of ERP solutions, integrators and implementations is available on TAdviser
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"There passed those times when access to ERP was possible only from one computer - now employees use phones and tablets as much if it is no more, than the computer or the notebook", - he notes.
According to him, vendors cannot but consider it and offer attractive and safe methods in order that it became possible, so, in the future we are waited by wider use of mobile solutions, he draws a conclusion.
The research of influence of more and more wide circulation of mobile devices on business processes of the companies conducted[1] in April, 2013 showed: 94% from among respondents consider that mobile devices do their work to more effective. Also 89% use mobile devices for work, and 69% of respondents believe that the company will lose competitiveness without use of mobile devices.
The German Softselect in the report for 2013[2] notes that a quarter of the polled IT managers believe: in the next three years mobile applications will play very important role in a business intelligence. About 60% of respondents consider that mobile applications will allow heads to trace quicker KPI and to get access to the latest data on development of the company "in the movement".
One more important factor influencing development of mobile tools of ERP systems is a universal distribution of mobile devices. Today most of managers have one or several mobile devices with Internet access, and their quantity will grow. Let's remind, analysts of IDC in the forecast of development of the world market of smartphones till 2018 estimated its volume in 2014 at 1.2 billion devices. Really for the first three months 2014, according to the same IDC, them 281.5 million were shipped. As experts of the company note, India, Indonesia and Russia, and China by 2018 will contribute significantly to market development will claim to a third of all smartphones released in the world. For the end of 2014, believe in IDC, will also come about 245.4 million tablets and their hybrid modifications to the world market.
Advantages and shortcomings
For heads and owners of business use of mobile applications allows to have remote access to reports in real time and also to receive and approve requests (in the field of purchases, distribution of financial resources, etc.), being in every spot on the globe.
Also employees whose specifics of work do not mean permanent presence at office – sales representatives, technical and service specialists will highly appreciate convenience of using of mobile services. Access to the CRM block of functions for merchandisers gives the chance not only in real time to trace stock remainders, but also significantly simplifies work with clients on phone – at the entering and outgoing calls made through mobile application, the card of the client in which his last orders are considered automatically is unloaded, the prices, discounts and other important information are recorded
For those employees who spend in business trips much time and should report on the expenses, use of mobile application will allow to save time and to simplify process of leaving of the reporting. Using mobile tools of ERP systems it is possible to configure automatic sending all expenses using the smartphone or the tablet.
The similar system of reports allows to analyze expenditure and also to perform more flexible control system over expenses of those employees which often go beyond a limit available to them. If there was earlier a need to collect and store paper checks, then now it is enough to link the corporate credit card to the application, and all data will be considered right after payment. It will allow to avoid a set of the problems connected with a human factor – when checks and receipts are lost or employees forget them to consider.
Great opportunities are opened by use of mobile ERP applications in logistics and on production. If the load was delayed in way or there was any breakdown, managers can obtain information on these problems without delay and not just when are near the computer. Use of mobile terminals (for example, for accounting of goods by personnel of a warehouse, operation of cargo component parts of commands, etc.) became a norm in the large logistic centers long ago. Accounting of receiving and accomplishment of replaceable tasks becomes regulation at many large plants.
It is worth referring insufficient security of data which cannot be so reliably protected how many and on the corporate information network to the main shortcomings of the mobile ERP tools. It creates additional risks for data, critical for business, and the financial information processed in mobile ERP applications that involves need for additional resources of security.
Besides, work of ERP on the screen of the smartphone or the tablet seriously depends on stability of the mobile communication used for data exchange with head offices. Such connection can be slow or insufficiently stable depending on opportunities of network of the mobile operator servicing the company. Nevertheless, these difficulties in practice are surmountable.
World market
According to Aberdeen Group for 2012, among the companies conducting in the industries 43% already used mobile access to ERP systems, 36% were going to begin its future reference. On average in the companies (without selecting leaders in sectors) this proportion was distributed as 23% to 40%.
Prevalence of work for ERP from mobile devices
Aberdeen Group, 2012
According to IDC, 10% of the companies allocate funds from the IT budget for development of mobile opportunities of the ERP system, and about a half more of respondents noted that their companies plan use of the mobile ERP tools in the near future. Universal distribution of smartphones and tablets stimulates the largest world vendors of ERP - SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, to create applications for mobile devices. Today each of these companies proposes to users solutions for mobile access to functionality of the system.
The largest player in the world market of ERP systems, SAP company, offers the application for managers of retail chain stores of SAP Retail Execution. With the help of this application managers get access through mobile devices to corporate systems, such as SAP CRM and SAP ERP, and can use information in real time.
In April, 2014 Oracle announced mobile version of the Oracle EPM System platform (Enterprise Performance Management) which expands a scope of applications of performance management.
Oracle Hyperion Planning allows managers to execute normal transactions of budgeting, planning and forecasting on iPad tablets iliandroid. Mobile opportunities are provided by accomplishment of ordinary functions of Oracle Hyperion Planning, such as access to the task list, the approval of budgets, viewing reports, data entry and calculation of different planning scenarios via the web browser. Besides, users can make and provide plans, budgets and forecasts irrespective of location using the simple and user-friendly interface optimized for tablets.
At the end of 2013 Microsoft provided several mobile applications for work with the ERP system of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012: they offer the functionality suitable for many employees in the company, for example, expense control, time management, analytical means. Also Microsoft gives to the companies an opportunity for independent application development using the Microsoft Project Siena system. The Siena project presented in the beta is simple in use Wednesday for application development. It is intended for business experts, business analysts, consultants. With its help it is possible to create applications for modern mobile devices, without having special skills of programming.
Russian market
As Yefim Phish noted, the director of business development of Microsoft Dynamics AX Tops Consulting (Tops Consulting), in Russia mobile functionality of ERP systems is relevant for those employees who are in traveling, and is used on different sections. It is possible to give management of warehouses, retail, management of repairs and also application of mobile ERP applications for work with the reporting as examples and operational approval of documents.
If to speak about the Russian market of ERP systems, then in addition to the western vendors whose solutions in the majority are available to domestic customers, It should be noted efforts in development of mobile tools for resource management of the 1C Companies enterprise. The version of the 1C:Enterprise 8.3 platform provides an opportunity for work on mobile devices that gives the chance for creation of the different independent applications including which are actively offered the franchisee.
In March, 2014 1C Company also released mobile application – 1C: Orders (for iPhone and Android). The application is intended for employees who generally work "in the field" - merchandisers, sales representatives and sales managers. It allows to conduct base of clients, the history of customer interactions (calls, email, the SMS), the directory of goods with the prices and stock remainders and also to take orders from clients. The application can be used independently, and it is possible to synchronize with office 1C system: Trade management or 1C ERP.
Among the franchisee First BIT works on mobile solutions, for example: the applications developed by it are available both to iOS, and to Android. In a line of the company there are applications for monitoring of reports, operating control of activity of the company, management of small firm, for sales representatives, for service engineers and document flow.
Also mobile application for a commodity and inventory control was released in 2012 by an online service of MyWayhouse (in 2011 1C Company was a part of owners Lognex - MyWayhouse developer, having redeemed a share from the former investor). Mobile application works based on Android OS. The application provides full access to the main systems capabilities. Its opportunities include use of the camera of the smartphone or tablet for scanning of barcodes. Also in the application the possibility of creation of the main warehouse documents is implemented: acceptance, shipments, movements and inventories of goods.
One more mobile application from the Russian developer, AND Project company, functions based on Microsoft Dynamics AX. The application provides to top managers mobile access to corporate business data. These are, in particular, approval processes of payment documents and agreements. The application allows to browse the reporting and to analyze KPI using the developed interface elements of visualization: indicators or usual diagrams and KPI panels. As data there can be, for example, an analytics on costs, the calendar of payments and also the reporting under sales with detailing on certain managers, product lines, branches.
The number of projects where the mobile functionality of ERP systems is used, steadily grows, confirmed to TAdviser in The First BIT company. The important trend is also that the ERP system is often used with BI solutions which are initially ground for work on mobile devices. In this case the ERP system is used as data source for creation of analytical and managerial reports.
Dmitry Chernykh, the chairman of the board of Galaktika corporation, considers that mobile technologies remain extremely demanded, and along with distribution of broadband wireless access (Wi-Fi, LTE) use of mobile applications becomes a necessity for modern business."We actively develop the functionality in this direction, and we will provide a new product to the market soon", - he told TAdviser.
See Also
ERP (determination of TAdviser)
Enterprise management systems (market of Russia)
Main trends of the market of ERP systems (Russia)
Notes
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