Mobile Technology - 3 Things to Consider When Purchasing

As ERP consultants, we see the 21st century going down in history as a time of the age of mobility.  So what’s the big deal with that, you say?  One notable revolution today is the trend toward taking our personal and professional lives mobile with mobile technology.  Smart phones, tablets, surfaces, and cloud services give us the opportunity to utilize some of these new age mobile wonders in your business.

Maybe you have a teenager who is constantly checking Facebook on their phone or your employees send text messages to each other when they are running late for meetings.  What about you and your business, though?  Is the ever changing technology market providing the right solutions today to allow you to integrate mobile technology into your business?  The market is ever changing and the problem with that is that smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices are also constantly changing.  Since mobile technology development is rapidly improving, it’s more difficult now than ever to pinpoint when the investment is right and how do you calculate ROI on items that may depreciate in under 2 years?  However, most business operations depend on technology, so it is important, if not imperative to attempt to integrate the most efficient and best utilized technology into your business. With that being said, where does one begin with an evaluation?  Let’s review 3 things to consider if you are evaluating how your business can take advantage of mobile device technology to become more efficient and profitable.

3 Things to Consider for your Business When Purchasing Mobile Technology

1. Evaluate your day-to-day interface and interaction with your customers.  Will mobile technology allow you to provide better customer service?  Better yet, is it possible to provide a higher quality of service?  For example, most ERP systems these days have begun offering mobile billing and payment offerings.  You may have noticed that when you go to the Apple Store, any employee can complete a sale for you anywhere in the store on their iPad or iPhone.  Gone are the days when registers are a means of receiving cash.  There are opportunities to utilize devices that plug into your smart phone to process credit card payments.  These credit card payments are then brought into an ERP system as a cash receipt batch.  Keep your eye out for mobile Point of Sale Systems, as the Wall Street Journal highlighted in an article, roughly half of retailers are looking into replacing their cash registers with mobile Point of Sale.
2. Evaluate how you communicate.  When out on sales calls, do you have the ability to pull up real time data for your prospect on a tablet?  If you did, would that seal more deals than a PowerPoint?  Mobile Technology has the ability to provide real time data, whether that’s available inventory, budget information for a recent project, or even financials.  Your promptness and ability to communicate effectively can be impacted by the channel of communicate as well as the tools you use to get a message across.  Whether it’s a board meeting, sales pitch, or team rally, having information readily available at your fingertips can make a difference.
3. Evaluate your industry and determine where technology belongs.  Are you in the manufacturing industry?  If so, you are part of an industry that’s one of the fastest adopters of mobile technology.  Now you can say goodbye  to paper stacks and tree killing, there is a green path that is more economical and efficient .  How about job costing?  Have your employee’s clock in and out of jobs from a mobile device instead of tracking it on paper?  You are more likely to get real time accurate data capture with mobile technology.  Every industry has it’s own set of questions to evaluate, what’s important is that you determine where it can best be utilized.  It is possible to have an ROI on technology if you place it right.  Chances are your Controller won’t be making adjusting journal entries from his/her smart phone.  If they could, would you really want them too?

There are several important things to consider when evaluating how to utilize mobile technology.  Things will change, it is inevitable, so do your research before you buy.  Don’t like IT stuff you say?  You may ask your IT people to educate you on the options on the market.  It will pay to know what is out there.  It’s worth talking to your ERP Consultant or ERP Reseller, they will know the options of what’s available with your ERP system.  Even if your current system doesn’t have any mobile options for manufacturing, CRM, etc, chances are, it’s coming. Follow the guidelines above before investing and work with your IT and ERP reseller to come up with a good plan for securing your data.  It is possible to keep your data protected with mobile technology, but that does not mean it comes out of the box.  Practice risk mitigation and come up with a dynamic technology plan for your company.  Keep in mind that mobile is the future when you look at Windows 8 coming out.  If you’re buying a new PC, keep in mind that’s what you’ll be getting.  The reviews about Windows 8 are a reflection of the mixed feelings about going mobile.  It is a system designed to give a user the same experience on a mobile device as on their desktop.  One thing to keep in mind though, wouldn’t it be nice to only have to train an employee once how to use an application?  Because the goal of Windows 8 is to allow that user to use that application on their mobile device like they do on a desktop.

Regardless, it’s better to be prepared for the future.  Embrace the option for mobile technology and do your homework before you invest.  There are people out there who want to make this a good experience for you and your company, so reach out to the professionals who can help.

Jenn is an ERP Consultant who brings to our team at Accounting Systems, Inc. (ASI) a unique background in accounting and business.  Jenn has fundamental knowledge of all the phases of an implementation project not only technical and functional experience but project management skills as well. She has worked as an end user as well as a consultant, giving her the perspective to understand system “pain points” and know how to analyze and present solutions.  Her project expertise includes:  Software Implementations and upgrades, Distribution/Inventory, Client Server Applications, Business Process Reviews and Optimization, as well as System Analysis and Design.  She also has experience in logistical project planning as well as technical experience with Crystal Reports and SQL.  Part of Jenn’s upgrade experience also includes upgrading Sage 100 ProvideX clients to Sage 100 SQL.  Please contact Jenn at jennifer.christon@asisucceed.com or find out more about what her team at ASI can do for your business visit www.ASISucceed.com.