ERP as a mobile app - pros & cons

Everything, always, from anywhere - the demand for ways to conduct day-to-day business via mobile devices is high. The range of numerous ERP provider to use their system on smartphones, tablets etc. via a mobile app. Especially in the area of Mobile applications (apps) the potential uses are promising from the user's point of view.

Per ERP mobile app:

Whoever has his Emails The business messages are also received via the smartphone. The Flexibility of an ERP solution that can be used from any location via a mobile device is therefore conceivable. A survey of 600 European business people found that 90 % can work more productively on the move than in the office. Business trips are particularly popular for gathering information and business ideas.

Field Service - More than just field service and maintenance

Flexibility makes you productive. A study by the Aberdeen Group even found that the use of mobile devices alone can increase operating profits by 17 %. By utilising the application options, the aim is to Productivity in the long term and retain customers. Ergo: the Competitiveness of the company is growing.

Another advantage is that in some sectors it will be possible to move the workplace to the "Field service" or to the home office. Here too, the focus is on the flexibility that the user gains. However, this can also save on any rent for office space or equipment. The mobile workplace also leads to shorter response times and therefore faster process throughput. Fast and mobile access to customer data is also guaranteed. This also increases the Customer satisfaction.

And it's not just the company or customers who can benefit from a mobile ERP solution. Because in contrast to the more complicated User interfaces of the systems, the operating concept of ERP apps more adapted to applications in private use. This makes mobile ERP more attractive to users, as it is quick and easy to use.

Contra ERP app:

Apart from the many advantages that this mobility brings, it also has its disadvantages. Almost 40% out of 3000 employees surveyed can be contacted by colleagues and superiors outside of working hours (study by the German Employee Health Insurance Fund in 2012). This constant availability, which makes flexibility possible in the first place, increasingly blurs the boundaries between work and leisure time. This often leads to mental illness, the "Burn-Out", as a result.

Particularly critical when using a mobile APP is the issue of Data protection.
This is because the use of additional hardware makes it easy to manipulate, which in turn makes it easy to spy on data. This is how Maintenance or repair work a threat to data security. A device's internal memory is quickly read and written to. For example, with an application that records the user's other actions. In addition, mobile devices are often used by third parties, which leads to additional security-related problems, such as the Installation of malicious programmes.

Conclusion on the Mobile APP

The possibility of mobile ERP offers a lot of advantages for companies. A user-friendly application for mobile devices is also attractive for users - but limits must be set. For example, some companies switch off their mail servers at night.
Caution is required when it comes to data protection. However, no more and no less than usual when important data is made accessible via networks.

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