As mobile devices continue to shape the industry, businesses are incessantly finding ways on how to maximize the potential to change and enhance their entire processes. Mobile ERP becomes the revolutionary solution many companies have been looking for to encourage productivity, increase production, and decrease their costs. It is designed to offer a secure way of encouraging employees to work even while they are away from their desks through apps and software that connects them with their files.
However, merely having a platform to collaborate on doesn’t guarantee success for businesses. Companies need to create an effective mobile ERP strategy to guarantee its success.
Read on below to find out the most important factors to consider when developing a mobile ERP strategy.
Functions and features
Similar to when using ERP software on computers, businesses will have to consider that there are significant differences when it comes to the functionality and features of mobile devices. There is a huge disparity between the processing power of PCs and laptops to that of smartphones and tablets, which leads to a reduction in functionalities and features that users can access. It’s ideal to set expectations on the limited functionalities of the platform beforehand. Based on an expert’s advice featured on Toolbox.com, decide ahead what you want to do with your mobile ERP. It pays off to consider functions to include, OS support, system compatibility, and the integrated features to be taken from the ERP PC software.
User experience
The success of the ERP solution will be mostly based on its overall user experience. Most employees have inflated expectations on the performance of their mobile tool, especially when it comes to its loading speed. Decide ahead whether to adopt a native or a web application. Both have their own pros and cons. Native apps offer direct interaction from the back-end systems to the mobile device, which guarantees better processing and speed than its counterpart. However, it requires more software development and coding to build. Meanwhile web apps have very limited access to features, but offer less development work in creating the application.
Internet connection
Another factor to consider when developing a mobile ERP strategy is connectivity. Businesses, especially those working with overseas partners, will have to consider that some clients may not have the same internet speed. Even though there are mobile devices that now offer better internet connectivity, which is said to be more ideal for worldwide roaming, some countries continue to experience slow Wi-Fi and mobile data speed than developed nations. The best approach is to allow users to have the option to save their data locally to their devices and apps even with the absence of internet, then automatically submit the information to the back-end system when the connection is restored.
Security
Lastly, the software’s data security should be of paramount importance. Employees have the freedom to access the apps from different devices and use unsafe connectivity when away from the office which puts the whole system at risk. While some companies use third-party providers to ensure the security of their apps, others are more diligent in working with their apps and its security features internally. Ideally, there should be a list of corporate policies in place that clearly explains to employees the repercussions of accessing the apps on unsafe networks.
While there are risks in using mobile ERP, it’s evident how important this tool can be in the success of a business. Educating employees on the proper usage and security of the platform and its data will result in a more functional and effective mobile ERP environment for the whole business.
Author: JBTechnology
