Mobility in Supply Chain Management: The Growing Significance
The primary goal of supply chain management is to fulfill customer demands on time. And the core components of the supply chain are final customers, retailers, warehouses, transporters, manufacturer & supplier. Smartphones and tablets are now widely used to handle various operations across all industries and supply chain is no exception. The advancing mobile technology helps this industry to get real-time visibility in all its functions. Today, functionalities of smartphones and expanding mobile data networks are well beyond the legacy management systems which were used conventionally. The most basic mobile devices also include GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and applications functionality. At the same time, the cost of mobile devices has dropped significantly, mobile data coverage has increased, and the broadband speeds are increasing with 3G, 4G, LTE ( long-term evolution).
Previously, the communication between the base office and the remote workforce was limited to conveying task updates or discussing serious problems encountered in the field. Thanks to mobility, supply chain managers can communicate, exchange resources, and troubleshoot device issues with the field-force in real-time.
Mobility in Logistics
In logistics, the manager needs to have up-to-date information about where the cargo is, at any given point in time. With mobile device management for logistics, tracking cargos fit with managed mobile devices in real-time is feasible. Moreso, identifying and mitigating performance gaps, increasing process speed and addressing roadblocks is streamlined with the use of mobile devices.
Mobility in Inventory Management
In inventory management, having accurate information about the inventory for its efficient management is always a challenge. Mobility plays a critical role in transportation optimization, load planning, load management and other functions. Specialized inventory management software is a valuable resource in meeting these challenges. For instance, utilizing Ollie, a brewery inventory control software, allows to access real-time data on stock levels, track shipments, and manage deliveries from any location.
Bluetooth Technology in the Supply Chain Industry
With mobile devices, Bluetooth technology also plays a crucial part in redesigning the operations and experiences of the supply chain industry. Here’s how:
- Secured data transfer within a short radius: Depending on the requirements of the organization, Bluetooth enabled technologies can provide a secure environment to transfer data & critical information about products and shipments at any time.
- Low battery consumption: Bluetooth does not require internet data to communicate information about shipments/cargo, Bluetooth consumes less battery than an internet connection, thus reducing the data costs.
- Configuration with other management apps: The data received or transferred can be integrated with other business apps for the e.g. inventory management app.
- Connection with IoT devices: With the help of Bluetooth on a mobile device, it can be seamlessly integrated with the IoT system of the enterprise.
With the market gearing for Industries 4.0 which comprises of IoT, AI and Big Data, Bluetooth technology, along with mobility is set to transform the supply chain management processes.
Mobility in Supply Chain Management
Mobility in supply chain management (SCM) helps companies focus on improving processes, cutting costs, and increasing efficiency. Supply chain employees use mobile devices to access critical data and information in the office or even when they are working at remote locations. They may need to access customer details, and other details related to channel partners, business associates, and vendors. Some of the employees are working on the go, making monetary transactions on mobile devices, while some of the employees are working within a particular geographical area. Implementing automated supply chain solutions can further enhance these benefits by streamlining operations and reducing manual intervention.
Mobile Device Management for Supply Chain Management: The Need
There are several challenges and risks associated with the above scenarios. IT teams need to consistently provision mobile devices used for work, monitor device health and performance and have an iron-grip on the data security.
To successfully implement mobility in the organization’s SCM and leverage it for business benefit, companies need a Cloud-based Mobile Device Management (MDM) Solution.
Mobile Device Management for Supply Chain Management: The Significance
A mobile device management solution brings forth an array of capabilities that can be immensely beneficial for supply chain management companies to streamline mobile device operations.
The top capabilities which a mobile device management solution should offer include:
- Over the air policy enforcement
- Configuring devices to run into selected business application
- App management & private app store
- Live location tracking & geofencing
- Security features for DLP such as remote lock and remote wipe-off
- Content management to facilitate business resources on mobile devices
- Application/website blocking to control data usage
- Remote troubleshooting of device issues
- Automating security alerts and compliance checks
- Provisioning of employee-owned devices (BYOD)
Scalefusion helps supply chain management organizations to leverage mobile technology to increase productivity, improve processes and provide flexibility to employees to work at any location at any time.
