Mobility in ERP 2011

Mobility in ERP 2011

May 2011
Kevin Prouty, Nick Castellina

Page 2

Executive Summary
Organizations want to use as much of their Enterprise Resource Planning Research Benchmark
(ERP) investment as possible. But ease of access to ERP information, both at Aberdeen’s Research
the direct labor level and the indirect labor level, has inhibited many Benchmarks provide an
organizations from getting the maximum benefit from their investment. in-depth and comprehensive
With the explosion in capabilities of consumer-grade mobile devices and look into process, procedure,
apps, top performing companies are looking to mobility to extend and methodologies, and
expand the use of ERP. This research finds that Best-in-Class companies technologies with best practice
implement their ERP systems and their business processes to take full identification and actionable
advantage of the capabilities that mobility offers. recommendations

Best-in-Class Performance
Aberdeen used the following five key performance criteria to distinguish
Best-in-Class companies:
• 25% of the work week spent trying to access information,
compared to almost 40% for all others (the Industry Average and
Laggards combined)
• 97% complete and on-time delivery, compared to 89% for all other
companies
• 30% improvement in time-to-decision over the past year, compared
to 7% for all other companies
• 98% inventory accuracy, compared to 90% for all other companies
• 2.2 days average cycle time between service completion and
invoicing, compared to almost 10 days for all other companies
Competitive Maturity Assessment
Survey results show that the firms enjoying Best-in-Class performance
shared several common characteristics, including:
• more than three times as likely as all others to make mobility
strategy an inherent part of their ERP implementation
• 68% more likely than all others to notify decision makers
immediately if exceptions in business processes or occur, regardless
of time or location
• twice as likely to be using mobile devices to automatically collect
data for ERP data entry
Required Actions
In addition to the specific recommendations in Chapter Three of this
report, to achieve Best-in-Class performance, companies must:
• Have a mobility strategy deeply integrated with your ERP strategy
• Automatically deliver process and KPI exception alerts and
notifications to key decision makers
• Deliver role-based home pages for mobile users to provide simple
and concise information from the ERP system

This document is the result of primary research performed by Aberdeen Group. Aberdeen Group's methodologies provide for Telephone: 617 854 5200
© 2011 Aberdeen Group. objective fact-based research and
represent the best analysis available at the time of publication. Unless otherwise noted, the entire contents of this publication are copyrighted by Aberdeen Group, Inc.
www.aberdeen.com Fax: 617 723 7897
and may not be reproduced, distributed, archived, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent by Aberdeen Group, Inc.

Page 3

Table of Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................... 2
Best-in-Class Performance..................................................................................... 2
Competitive Maturity Assessment....................................................................... 2
Required Actions...................................................................................................... 2
Chapter One: Benchmarking the Best-in-Class.................................................... 4
Business Context ..................................................................................................... 4
The Maturity Class Framework............................................................................ 4
The Best-in-Class PACE Model ............................................................................ 5
Best-in-Class Strategies........................................................................................... 6
Chapter Two: Benchmarking Requirements for Success................................... 8
Competitive Assessment........................................................................................ 9
Capabilities and Enablers......................................................................................10
Chapter Three: Required Actions .........................................................................19
Laggard Steps to Success......................................................................................19
Industry Average Steps to Success ....................................................................19
Best-in-Class Steps to Success ............................................................................20
Appendix A: Research Methodology.....................................................................21
Appendix B: Related Aberdeen Research............................................................23
Figures
Figure 1: Top Business Drivers Impacting ERP Strategy...................................... 4
Figure 2: Strategic Actions of the Best-in-Class..................................................... 6
Figure 3: Mobile Access to ERP ................................................................................. 7
Figure 4: Process Improvements .............................................................................11
Figure 5: Organizational Initiatives ..........................................................................12
Figure 6: Knowledge Management Capabilities....................................................13
Figure 7: Mobile Technology ....................................................................................14
Figure 8: Role-based Mobile Applications .............................................................15
Figure 9: Performance Management Capabilities.................................................16
Figure 10: Who Has Mobile Access........................................................................17
Figure 11: Rugged or Consumer .............................................................................18
Tables
Table 1: Top Performers Earn Best-in-Class Status.............................................. 5
Table 2: The Best-in-Class PACE Framework ....................................................... 5
Table 3: The Competitive Framework..................................................................... 9
Table 4: Top 12 ERP Modules with Mobile Access.............................................15
Table 5: The PACE Framework Key ......................................................................22
Table 6: The Competitive Framework Key ..........................................................22
Table 7: The Relationship Between PACE and the Competitive Framework ......22

© 2011 Aberdeen Group. Telephone: 617 854 5200

Page 4

Chapter One:
Benchmarking the Best-in-Class
Business Context
Fast Facts
As Aberdeen showed in ERP in Manufacturing: Measuring Business Benefit and
Time to Value, ERP is a key component in helping drive cost reduction Best-in-Class companies have
through continuous improvement. Figure 1 shows that the top pressure the following performance
indicated by this report's respondents is the need to reduce the cost of advantages over Laggard
operations. companies:
√ 90% less time spent looking
Figure 1: Top Business Drivers Impacting ERP Strategy for information
√ 7 times faster time to
Must reduce cost of operations 44% decision

Increasingly mobile workforce inside and √ 19% better inventory
outside company facilities
39% accuracy
Delays in decision-making from lack of timely At the same time, they turn
33%
information around services to invoices
Volatile business environment forcing a need almost five times faster
28%
to be more adaptable

Must improve customer retention and service 27%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Percentage of Respondents, n=99

Source: Aberdeen Group, April 2011

But as we look more closely at the pressures that drive mobility in ERP, we "Mobile devices connected to
see that access to ERP for mobile workers is second only to reducing costs. our ERP have provided us with
Mobility is not just defined simply as the delivery of ERP access to mobile better receiving, picking, and
knowledge workers outside the four walls. It is also defined as any worker put away accuracy in our
that must have access to the ERP system, but must be able move around warehouses. It has also
within a facility. This is tied directly to the third most important pressure, improved our productivity and
inventory accuracy across the
timely decision-making. Getting the right information to the right people, for
board."
the right decisions is a driving force behind mobilizing the workforce. Much of
this is also related to volatility - the need to be able to react as quickly as ~ John Ring, Business Process
possible to customer and market issues without being tethered to a desktop. Analyst, PCC SPS Fastener
Division
The Maturity Class Framework
Aberdeen used five key performance criteria to distinguish the Best-in-Class
from Industry Average and Laggard ERP implementations (Table 1). These
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were influenced by both the desire to
select metrics that are common across industries and to measure success in
multiple dimensions. To that end, the selected KPIs reflect both effectiveness
and efficiency in both back-office and customer facing metrics, as well as
metrics which can be greatly affected by an effective mobile ERP strategy.


Page 5

Table 1: Top Performers Earn Best-in-Class Status
Definition of
Mean Class Performance
Maturity Class
25% of work week spent trying to access
information
Best-in-Class:
97% complete and on-time delivery
Top 20%
30% decrease in time to decision over the past year
of aggregate
98% inventory accuracy
performance scorers
2.2 days average cycle time between service
completion and invoicing
information
Industry Average:
Middle 50%
of aggregate
performance scorers
information
Laggard:
Bottom 30%
of aggregate
performance scorers
The Best-in-Class PACE Model
To achieve the full benefits of an ERP solution in the pursuit of corporate
goals, a combination of strategic actions, organizational, knowledge and
performance management capabilities, and enabling technologies are
required. These can be summarized as shown in Table 2.

Table 2: The Best-in-Class PACE Framework
Pressures Actions Capabilities Enablers
Must reduce Provide visibility to Data entry at the point of Mobile devices have the ability to operate
cost of business processes activity as bar code or RFID readers
operations and information Mobility strategy is an Automated alerting system that can
across functions and inherent part of ERP strategy distribute alerts through email, text, SMS,
departments and implementation etc. to mobile devices
Provide front-line Decision-makers are notified Mobile apps for warehouse users that
workers with mobile in real time of exceptions in include pick, put away, etc.
information to make order to react immediately, Mobile app for field service to manage
decisions regardless of location orders, schedule, and inventory
Process to determine and Mobile home pages and dashboards for all
prioritize which ERP key roles including, finance,
capabilities are mobilized manufacturing, scheduling, sales,
ERP users have immediate executive, etc
access to any needed job- Event Management (Triggers & Alerts)
related information Mobile access and integration to process
workflow and event management


Page 6

Best-in-Class Strategies
Fast Facts
Looking at Figure 2, we see some fairly significant divergence regarding
mobility and ERP between Best-in-Class companies and all others (the √ Best-in-Class companies are
Industry Average and Laggards combined). While most other companies are twice as likely as all others
focused on standardizing their business processes, Best-in-Class companies to focus on visibility to
business processes through
are more focused on providing visibility into their business processes. The
mobile devices
reason for this is that most Best-in-Class companies have already established
some form of standardized business processes, as we will see in Chapter √ Laggard companies are
Two. twice as likely as all
others to still be focused on
standardizing those business
Figure 2: Strategic Actions of the Best-in-Class
processes
Provide visibility to business processes and information 45%
across functions and departments 30%

Provide front-line workers with mobile information to 35%
make decisions 11%

30%
Extend and expand usage of ERP in the organization
32%

Provide timely information on critical decision making 25%
data to front-line employees 22% Best-in-Class

Create standard business processes across all work All Others
25%
locations, departments, and functions 47%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%


One key strategy that companies across maturity classes have in common is
to provide information for decision-making to employees. But another area
of large divergence is providing that information in a mobile form. Best-in-
Class companies are over three-times more likely to focus on getting critical
information to frontline workers on mobile devices.
From Table 1, we see that Best-in-Class companies spend only a quarter of
their week looking for information. Contrast that with Laggard companies
using up almost half their week in trying to acquire the right information.
This shows that Best-in-Class companies are better prepared to make ERP
information available, while also having it configured properly for quick
access. Using mobile devices can be a large part of a strategy to get that
information to the right people at the right time.


Page 7

Aberdeen Insights — Strategy

Best-in-Class companies are further down the road for mobilizing their "Mobilizing our quality staff and
sales forces have allowed us to
work forces. As Figure 3 shows, 40% of Best-in-Class companies already
quickly react to customer
provide mobile access to ERP information, while only 25% of Laggard issues in the field by rapidly
companies give mobile access to ERP. connecting as- built data to
customer issues. We have gone
Figure 3: Mobile Access to ERP from weeks to respond to
corrective action issues to
45%
40%
Best-in-Class Industry Average Laggard hours. We couldn't have done
it without getting the

40% 38% 38% 38%
information to and from the
35%
30% 31% 30% 31% ERP system to the mobile
30%
25% devices."
25%
~Director of Customer
20% Service, Heavy Truck
15% Powertrain Manufacturer
10%
5%
0%
Yes No, but planning to No
implement


Interestingly, if the companies that planned on providing mobile access to
ERP actually followed through, Laggards and Industry Average companies
would not be very far behind in giving access. From this we can see that
providing access is not enough. This report will later show that aligning
mobility strategy and ERP strategy, standardized processes, alerting,
mobile workflow, and other related capabilities are necessary to take full
advantage of mobile ERP. But at 40%, even Best-in-Class companies have
significant room for improvement in just providing basic mobile access.

In the next chapter, we will see what the top performers are doing to
achieve these gains.


Page 8

Chapter Two:
Benchmarking Requirements for Success
The integration of ERP along with the complementary applications which
extend its core functionality that process industries require, enable these
Fast Facts
businesses to execute their strategies and attain their goals of effectively
serving customers, reducing costs, and growing their businesses. Best-in-Class companies out-
perform all others in
Case Study — Furniture Manufacturer information and decision-
making capabilities:
Take, for example, a manufacturer of furniture, storage, and architecture. √ 4 times as likely as all
The company’s Vice President of IT is tasked with making sure that the others to report a reduction
company is able to implement the technology and processes that will allow in time-to-decision
it to continue to run the business effectively. Before the company
implemented an ERP solution they were having trouble keeping track of √ Over 60% less time looking
the millions of different combinations of certain storage units that they for specific information
make, among other products. Since the company’s products are built to
order, it was important for the company to be able to produce products
to specifications as quickly as possible in order to please customers. The
company needed a parametric system that would help them to do analysis.
It is important to the company to be able to project demand as well as
costs for large projects. The company needed a fair amount of
customization for its manufacturing operations. Finally, it needed
integration with desktop based solutions. As a result, over the past 10
years, the Vice-President has implemented five plants worth of ERP at the
company.
With ERP, the company has been able to re-examine its process flows and
enable itself to run more effectively. All workers are able to access job
instructions in order to avoid mistakes. According to the Vice-President,
“80% to 90% of our engineering knowledge is now in our models. This has
helped us to cut what was a 23 day production cycle down to 10 days.”
These improvements have had a significant impact on the company’s
customer satisfaction. Outside of the shop, the company’s receivables have
been cut down to 10 days from around a month. The company is able to
see these benefits because it is making sure that its employees are getting
the full use out of ERP. The Vice-President says, “We scan product 6-
times throughout the manufacturing process, ERP is pretty well used by
90% of the company.” Clearly, ERP has had a significant impact on the
company, but the company plans to increase that impact in the future.
Right now, senior management has access to ERP from their phones. They
are using it to see events in the business as they occur. This has allowed
them to make decisions no matter where they are or what time of day it
is. This increased visibility has increased reaction times and minimizes
adverse effects to the business.
continued


Page 9

Case Study — Furniture Manufacturer

This increased usage has caused the company to seriously consider moving
forward with a broader mobile strategy for ERP. This includes consumer
grade tablets for employees. The Vice-President listed the reasons that
these devices were enticing as: “Size, and replacement of paper, can be
used as a supervisory device, rugged cases that can be used to protect
them, and improved battery life.” The company is receiving emails now
with data, but this will take access to a whole new level. The Vice-
President says, “We see this as an enabler to our employees, not a
detriment.” By adding a broader mobility strategy to its ERP strategy, the
company will be able to continue to grow.

Competitive Assessment
Aberdeen Group analyzed the aggregated metrics of surveyed companies to
determine whether their performance ranked as Best-in-Class, Industry
Average, or Laggard. In addition to having common performance levels, each
class also shared characteristics in five key categories: (1) process
(standardization of business processes and the ability to respond to a recall);
(2) organization (continued commitment to training and implementation);
(3) knowledge management (providing visibility and supporting
exception management); (4) technology (automation through features of
ERP and complementary solutions); and (5) performance management
(the ability of the organization to measure results to improve business
performance). These characteristics (identified in Table 3) serve as a
guideline for best practices, and correlate directly with Best-in-Class
performance across the key metrics.

Table 3: The Competitive Framework
Best-in-Class Average Laggards
Process to determine and prioritize which ERP capabilities
are mobilized
"Refinery is a continuous
35% 19% 8% process. If you have an upset
condition, the faster you react,
Process Standardized work instructions are defined and maintained
the less lost profit opportunity
75% 70% 48% you are going to leave on the
table. This can be very
Data entry at the point of activity significant."
70% 56% 56%
~ Director of IT, Large Oil
Mobile devices, apps, and mobile infrastructure strategy Refinery
tied to ERP strategy

Organization 50% 19% 18%
Standards and guidelines for mobile devices and access
55% 33% 29%


Page 10

Best-in-Class Average Laggards
Decision-makers are notified in real-time of exceptions in
order to react immediately, regardless of location
47% 30% 25%
Knowledge
ERP users have immediate access to any needed job-
related information
68% 38% 32%
Ability to secure mobile device and ERP mobile
applications
74% 48% 39%
Mobile devices have the ability to operate as bar code or
Technology RFID readers
68% 38% 22%
Mobile access and integration with process workflow and
event management
50% 15% 15%
ERP usage is benchmarked before and after mobility
rollout
37% 13% 11%
Performance
Ability to measure productivity of indirect labor such as
managers, technicians, and sales
42% 19% 21%

Capabilities and Enablers
Based on the findings of the Competitive Framework and interviews with Fast Facts
end users, Aberdeen’s analysis demonstrates that significant benefits can be Mobility in ERP Best-in-Class
gained from an integrated ERP solution. The Best-in-Class have reported the companies have the following
following quantifiable business benefits gained through the implementation capabilities over Laggard
of the following capabilities: companies:

• The Best-in-Class are 120% more likely than all others to report a √ 5 times more likely than all
reduction in operational costs others to prioritize what
should be mobilized
• The Best-in-Class are almost 200% more likely than all others to
report a reduction in inventory costs √ 2 time more likely than all
others for users to have
• The Best-in-Class are 173% more likely than all others to report an mobile access
increase in profits
√ 3 times more likely than all
• The Best-in-Class are over three times as likely as all others to others to have established
report an increase in revenue benchmarks for mobile
rollouts
• The Best-in-Class are over three times as likely as all others to
report growth without an increase in headcount


Page 11

Process
One of the hindrances of a traditional ERP implementation is that it forces
direct labor users to be tethered to fixed workstations and laptops. It is
important for businesses to know just where this hindrance is having the
greatest impact on the organization. The Best-in-Class are 133% more likely
than all others to have a process to determine and prioritize which ERP
capabilities are mobilized (Figure 4). Most organizations are implementing
data entry at the point of activity, but the Best-in-Class are differentiating
themselves in that almost three-quarters of the Best-in-Class have
implemented this capability in comparison to just over half of all others.

Figure 4: Process Improvements
Best-in-Class Industry Average Laggard
80% 75%

70% 70%
70%
60% 58%
60% 56% 56%
48%
50% 43%
40% 35%

30%
19%
20%
8%
10%
0%
Data entry at the point of Standardized enterprise- Standardized work Process to determine and
activity wide processes for instructions are defined and prioritize which ERP
operational activities maintained capabilities are mobilized

Additionally, ERP is instrumental in helping to enable standards across the
organization. Standards ensure that best practices are followed and that the
business is being operated to its full potential. The Best-in-Class are more
likely to implement standardized enterprise-wide processes for operational
activities. These organizations are providing access to standardized work
instructions that are defined and maintained for all workers. Mobile access
allows employees to reference work instructions and follow standard
business processes from wherever they are performing their tasks.

Organization
Aberdeen's ERP in Manufacturing 2010: Measuring Business Benefit and Time to "As we utilize a network of
Value report, found that ERP implementations are most successful when ERP contract manufacturers, the
has the continued commitment of senior management throughout selection, additional advantage of mobility
implementation, and beyond. As an extension to this point, Aberdeen allows for better coverage of
advises that when management is devising its ERP strategy, the mobility the 24 hours in a day that sites
are working."
strategy be considered in conjunction. The Best-in-Class are over 3-times
more likely than all others to make their mobility strategy an inherent part ~ Staff, Large Mobile
of ERP strategy and implementation (Figure 5). This alignment of strategy Technology Company

Page 12

and design gives organizations increased benefits from their ERP
implementation and lays the groundwork for an easier mobile deployment.
The Best-in-Class are almost 3-times as likely as all others to tie mobile
devices, apps, and infrastructure to ERP strategy. This strategy includes the
availability of standards and guidelines for both mobile devices and access.
These standards lay out the best practices and ensure that the right
employees are being given access and the tools that are selected are
compatible and secure.

Figure 5: Organizational Initiatives
Best-in-Class All Others
60% 55%

50% 50%
50% 45%

40%
32%
30% 25%

16% 18%
20%

10%

0%
Mobility strategy is an inherent Mobile devices, apps, and Standards and guidelines for IT has dedicated support staff
part of ERP strategy and infrastructure strategy tied to mobile devices and access for mobile devices, mobile
implementation ERP strategy are set and available infrastructure, and ERP apps


Of course, a mobile strategy is ineffective if employees do not have the
support that they need in order to use these tools. In any organization,
there are going to be issues with technology that can become road blocks
on the way to efficient work. Many employees may not have the technical
knowledge on how to truly make ERP work for them on a mobile device.
With a wide range of consumer-grade devices that are able to access ERP,
there are many different standards and checks that need to be carried out.
This is why the Best-in-Class are 80% more likely than all others to provide
IT with a dedicated support staff for mobile devices, mobile infrastructure
and ERP apps.

Knowledge Management
ERP provides decision makers with visibility into their business that can
assist in strategy execution. It is important for this information to be as
accurate and timely as possible. A decision may be wildly inappropriate if
based on obsolete information. When critical business events occur,
decision makers need access to timely and accurate information so that they
can react accordingly. Mobile access ensures that this information is getting
to the right people at the right time. With Best-in-Class companies 68%
more likely than all others to be notified in real time of exceptions, those


Page 13

companies are more likely to react immediately, regardless of location
(Figure 6). In Laggard companies, less than a third even distribute ERP
information through emails, texts, and calls of ERP alerts. Once again this
puts Laggard companies at a significant disadvantage in reacting to business
and market events.
In order to make sure that orders are fulfilled and schedules are adhered to,
it is important to aid employees with real time access to inventory of raw
materials, work in progress, parts and tools, and finished goods. The Best-
in-Class are 45% more likely than all others to deliver this capability to their
users.

Figure 6: Knowledge Management Capabilities
Best-in-Class Industry Average Laggard
90%
79%

80% 74%
68% 68%
70%
60%
60%
47% 48% 48%
50% 44%
38% 39%
40% 32% 32%
30%
30% 25%

20%
10%
0%
Decision-makers are ERP users have Work instructions are Distribution of Real time access to
notified in real time of immediate access to accessible from information through inventory of raw
exceptions in order to any needed job-related anywhere in the emails, texts, calls, etc. materials, WIP, parts
react immediately, information organization of ERP alerts and tools, and finished
regardless of location goods

As mentioned above, it is important to arm employees with the knowledge
that they need to efficiently complete their job. Some workers have tasks
that are wide-ranging, yet require access to work instructions. Best-in-Class
companies are 89% more likely to give ERP users immediate access to any "[Mobilizing ERP] has opened
needed job-related information. Seventy-four percent (74%) of them can up possibilities to make ERP
data more accessible in real
access work instructions from anywhere in the organization.
time during routine business
activities, increasing efficiency
Technology and planning effectiveness."
Mobile access to ERP gives workers the information that is essential to ~ Manager, Mid-Size, Laser
running the business wherever and whenever it is needed. In the current Equipment Manufacturer
business world, employees are increasingly mobile and this increased access
gives them the freedom to carry out tasks right away no matter where they
are. Of course, with valuable information being contained in ERP, it is
important to ensure that information is secure. Exposing corporate ERP
information on a device that could be lost or stolen outside the four walls
of the enterprise means that companies need the ability to secure the

Page 14

information, as well as secure and monitor the device. The Best-in-Class are
almost 2-times more likely than all others to have the ability to secure
mobile devices and ERP mobile applications (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Mobile Technology
80%
68%

70% Best-in-Class Industry Average Laggard

60% 56%
50%
50% 42% 44%
38%
40%
30%
30% 22% 21%
20% 15% 15%
11%
10%

0%
Ability to secure mobile Mobile devices have the Automated alerting system Mobile access and
device and ERP mobile ability to operate as bar that can distribute alerts integration to process
applications code or RFID readers through email, text, SMS, workflow and event
etc. to mobile devices management

Automation and technology play significant factors in ensuring that business Fast Facts
processes are properly followed. Having mobile-capable workflow allows One of the key aspects of
workers and decision-makers to be part of the process workflow. Best-in- mobility is integration into
Class companies are three times as likely as all others to have mobile access disciplined business processes.
and integration to process workflow and event management. Also, with an Best-in-Class companies are
automated alert system, decision makers can be notified of exceptions to well ahead of other companies
business processes and have visibility into appropriate business processes. in that they are:
Fifty-six percent (56%) of the Best-in-Class companies use alerting systems.
√ 56% more likely than all
Of course, in order for ERP to have accurate data, data must be input others to have alerts to
accurately. By assisting this process with technology, data is ensured to be exceptions
accurate. The Best-in-Class are aiding their employees with the ability for √ 3 times more likely than all
mobile devices to operate as bar code or RFID readers. They are over others to business process
twice as likely as all others to implement this technology. workflow tied to their
mobile device
ERP systems have traditionally been notorious for providing too much
information at once to workers. Only recently have role-based homepages
become common. These pages provide all the needed information someone
in a specific role needs to do their job. The Best-in-Class are over 3-times
more likely than all others to have role-based dashboards and homepages
redesigned specifically for mobile devices (Figure 8).


Page 15

Figure 8: Role-based Mobile Applications

45% 42%

40% 37% 37%

35%

30% 26%
25%
19%
20% 16%
15% 12%
10%
10%

5%

0%
Role-based dashboards and Mobile app for warehouse Mobile app for field service Mobile home pages for all
homepages are available on users that include pick, put to manage orders, key roles including, finance,
mobile devices away, etc. schedule, and inventory manufacturing, scheduling,
sales, executive, etc
Figure 8 and Table 4 show how well companies have deployed mobile
applications to support two key tasks, warehouse operations and field
service. Mobility is especially important for warehouse users and field
service workers because of the interaction they need with the ERP system,
while having to constantly be on the move within the facility or in the field.
The Best-in-Class are two to three times as likely as all others to roll mobile
ERP out to these workers.
Table 4 shows that companies, even the Best-in-Class, do not implement
mobile ERP access all at once. The table shows exactly where companies
prioritize their mobility rollouts. All other companies lag well behind in
mobilizing almost all modules and business processes. Also note that Best-
in-Class companies are twice as likely as other companies to have workflow
and event management mobilized. This allows more of the workforce to
have visibility into business processes.

Table 4: Top 12 ERP Modules with Mobile Access
Best in Class All Others
Mobilized ERP Module (% Access to (% Access to
Mobile) Mobile)
Sales & Marketing 62% 19%
Inventory Control 43% 23%
Order Management 40% 21%
Project Management 33% 15%
Event Management 33% 17%
Workflow 33% 13%
Accounts Receivable 31% 13%
Fixed Asset Management 31% 12%

Page 16

Best in Class All Others
Mobilized ERP Module (% Access to (% Access to
Mobile) Mobile)
Job or Project Costing 31% 13%
Shop Floor Control 31% 10%
Purchasing 31% 15%
Enterprise Asset Management 30% 6%
Performance Management
Finally, it is extremely important for businesses to measure the performance Fast Facts
of their ERP implementation. Aberdeen's ERP in Manufacturing 2010: Mobility enables companies to
Measuring Business Benefit and Time to Value report, found that the Best-in- measure worker productivity
Class were four times as likely as Laggards to measure the business benefits like never before. Best-in-Class
from the implementation of ERP. These measurements lead to increased companies are:
benefits from ERP implementations. Since the Best-in-Class are over three √ 49% more likely than all
times as likely to measure ERP usage before and after mobility rollouts they others to measure direct
are able to tell if the organization is getting the most value out of their ERP labor productivity
implementation (Figure 9). The Best-in-Class are 163% more likely than all
others to monitor and measure mobile ERP usage. √ 110% more likely than all
others to measure indirect
Figure 9: Performance Management Capabilities labor productivity

70%

58%
60%

50%
42% 42%
37% 39%
40%

30%
20%
20% 16%
12%
10%

0%
ERP usage is benchmarked Ability to measure Ability to measure direct Ability to monitor and
before and after mobility productivity of indirect labor labor productivity measure mobile ERP usage
rollout such as managers,
technicians, and sales


In addition to measuring the impact on ERP usage that mobility brings, the
Best-in-Class are also arming themselves with the ability to measure the
productivity of their employees. Because of the disruption in process labor
collection can generate, this is a measure that would be almost impossible
to get without significant task disruption if mobility was not available. The
Best-in-Class are 49% more likely than all others to measure direct labor
productivity and 110% more likely to measure labor that is indirect.


Page 17

Aberdeen Insights — Technology

As mentioned above, the Best-in-Class companies have processes to
determine and prioritize which ERP capabilities are mobilized. Different
roles have different needs that ERP helps to address. All companies have
a distinct bias for mobilizing knowledge workers (e.g. management and
sales) over operations workers (e.g. quality control) as seen in Figure 10.
But Best-in-Class companies have pushed mobility out in all roles at a
significantly greater pace than any others. In Best-in-Class companies,
almost all management and three quarters of sales have been mobilized
with ERP. While in all other companies only around half of each maturity
class possesses any mobile capability. Interestingly, quality control in Best-
in-Class companies is 2.5-times more likely than all others to have mobile
access to ERP. This shows that even in operational roles, Best-in-Class
companies far outstrip all others in mobilizing ERP.

Figure 10: Who Has Mobile Access

84% "What is becoming very
Management
56% important is how you work
with the information in ERP.
When events happen what do
74%
Sales you do with it? ERP systems
42%
have the capability to run 24x7,
mobility now allows businesses
Quality control
26% to extend this outside of the
10% organization by providing alerts
to the appropriate people, on
21% Best-in-Class the appropriate device at the
Other
19% All Others
appropriate times."
~ Michael Klemen, Enterprise
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Thought Leadership,
Percentage of Respondents, n=99 Automotive Industry Western,
Cisco
continued


Page 18

Aberdeen Insights — Technology

One of the key distinctions for deploying mobile ERP into specific roles is
the type of device deployed. Figure 11 shows how Best-in-Class
companies deploy devices. A consumer-grade device is one that you
could typically pick up in any mobile phone store. A rugged device is one
that has been built to withstand drops, moisture, dirt, and extreme
temperature. A rugged device could also be a consumer device converted
to rugged standards. As would be expected, they are two to three times
more like to deploy a consumer-grade device versus a more rugged or
hardened device for management or sales. As we get to operational
workers, using the warehouse as an example, we see that Best-in-Class
companies are six times more likely use a rugged device.

Figure 11: Rugged or Consumer

Management 60%
20%

Sales 50%
20%

Manufacturing operations 15%
15%

Other 15%
5%

Field service 10%
15%

Quality control 5%
20%

Maintenance technicians 5%
10% Consumer Best-in-Class

5% Rugged Best-in-Class
Warehouse employees 30%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%


Page 19

Chapter Three:
Required Actions
Fast Facts
While there is a lot of talk about mobility, most companies are both old
users of the technology and new users of it. They have traditionally used √ Best-in-Class are 3-times as
rugged devices in operational tasks like barcode scanning for warehousing likely as all others to
and shelf stocking. But newer consumer technology is putting pressure on benchmark the impact of
mobility
companies to give ERP access to more and more users, as well as have a
mobility strategy that is closely aligned with the ERP strategy. Whether a √ The Best-in-Class companies
company is trying to take its mobile ERP strategy from Laggard to Industry are 2-times more likely
Average, or Industry Average to Best-in-Class, the following actions will than all others to
help spur the necessary performance improvements. continuously measure
productivity and the impact
of mobility
Laggard Steps to Success
• Have a mobility strategy that is part of your ERP strategy.
Fifty percent (50%) of Best-in-Class companies have aligned their
mobility strategy with their ERP strategy compared to 16% of
Laggards. This has allowed Best-in-Class companies to implement
mobile devices capable of accessing ERP with less effort and cost "Using mobile devices for our
than an ad hoc approach. Those same companies can to better senior management finally
makes them feel connected to
service their end users by making sure users are following
the ERP system. Before, all the
corporate guidelines for mobile usage anywhere they are operating. ERP system was to them was a
• Implement even a simple email alerting system. Almost all phone call to a business analyst
modern ERP implementations enable the generation of an alert on to run a report. Now, we have
exceptions or through a workflow. But Best-in-Class companies are senior executives constantly
reviewing critical information
twice as likely to have, at a minimum, automated email and
on their own and make fast
exception alerting capabilities. Start with that basic ability to alert decisions."
senior management to significant exceptions in operating metrics
through an email. As they become dependent on those alerts, it will ~ Terry Lecander, Business
become easier to justify rolling out more proactive applications for Analyst, Waukesha Bearings
their mobile devices.
• Standardize on standardization. One of the key strategic
actions for increasing operational efficiency is establish standard
business processes. Over 50% of Laggard companies are focused on
developing standard processes as a strategic action, but staying the
course and getting that done should be a priority. Compare this to
75% of Best-in-Class companies that already have standard
processes.

Industry Average Steps to Success
• Prioritize mobile access to ERP. Best-in-Class companies are
twice as likely to have set priorities on what roles and functions get
mobile access to ERP. This allows resources to be applied to only
the most critical mobile rollouts and ensures that those rollouts
have greater chance of being successful. Don't let your mobile ERP


Page 20

strategy be the Wild West. Maintain control of the pace of the
rollout.
• Take a step beyond email alerts. Email alerts are a good first
step, but going beyond that and giving the user the ability to see a
snapshot of their operations on a mobile device is a critical next
step. Best-in-Class companies are twice as likely as Industry Average
companies to provide access to job-related ERP information on a
mobile device.
• Set mobile device guidelines. Have a corporate-wide set of rules
and guidelines about what types of devices can be used where.
Almost twice many Best-in-Class companies as all others have done
this, which makes mobile ERP rollouts much smoother and more
consistent. Also, the fact that only about half of management and sales
are using their mobile devices to access ERP data should be a warning
sign that more needs to be done to take advantage of those devices.
Best-in-Class Steps to Success
• Get more people in the workflow. Even though Best-in-Class
companies have significantly better access to business process work
flows, only 42% actually have this capability. Extending business
process approvals, reviews, and other decision points out to mobile
devices will significantly improve response times to exceptions and
improve productivity. Not doing it will continue to let decisions
languish on people's desktops while they are away from the desk.
• Focus visualization and presentation on role-based
information. Even though better than everyone else, just over a
third of Best-in-Class companies provided a role-based homepage on
the mobile device. One consistent challenge to getting people to use
mobile ERP is oft-attempted straight port of a desktop ERP screen to
a mobile screen. Feedback from users has been fairly resounding in
that they only want to see and act on information on the issue at
hand. Role-based homepages clean out extraneous information and
provide a clear and concise view of the issue at hand.
Whether a company is trying to move its mobile ERP strategy from Laggard
to Industry Average, or Industry Average to Best-in-Class, following these
steps will ensure that mobility and ERP do more than just meet by chance.

Aberdeen Insights — Summary

Mobility in ERP is almost as old as ERP. But companies are transitioning
from very focused and dedicated mobile systems loosely linked to ERP to
mobile systems tightly aligned with accessing ERP capabilities. Having the
right device, for the right role, with the right ERP access will lead to
improvements beyond a typical ERP implementation. Best-in Class
companies consistent outperform in both operational metrics and mobile
ERP capabilities. Aligning your organization, your ERP system, your
mobile strategy, and your business processes will lead to Best-in-Results.


Page 21

Appendix A:
Research Methodology
Between March and April 2011, Aberdeen examined the use, the Study Focus
experiences, and the intentions of 99 enterprises using mobile ERP
strategies in a diverse set of enterprises. Responding executives
completed an online survey
Aberdeen supplemented this online survey effort with interviews with select that included questions
survey respondents, gathering additional information on ERP strategies, designed to determine the
experiences, and results. following:

Responding enterprises included the following: √ The degree to which ERP is
deployed in their
• Job title: The research sample included respondents with the organizations
following job titles: CEO / President / CFO / CIO (26%); EVP / SVP /
√ The availability of access to
VP (10%); Director (22%); Manager (24%); and other (18%). ERP throughout the
• Department / function: The research sample included respondents organization
from the following departments or functions: corporate √ The effect to which mobile
management (10%); finance / administration (4%); information access has enhanced existing
technology (35%); manufacturing and operations (13%); logistics / ERP implementations
supply chain (8%); and other (30%).
√ The structure and
• Industry: The research sample included respondents from a wide effectiveness of existing ERP
cross section of industries. The sectors that saw the largest implementations
representation in the sample were manufacturing (49%);
√ Current and planned use of
professional services (20%); wholesale / distribution (8%); and
ERP
financial services (3%).
√ The business benefits that
• Geography: The majority of respondents (69%) were from North have been derived from ERP
America. Remaining respondents were from South / Central initiatives
America and Caribbean (5%); the Asia / Pacific region (10%); the
Middle East and Africa (3%); and Europe (13%). The study aimed to identify
emerging best practices for
• Company size: Twenty-six percent (26%) of respondents were from mobile ERP usage and to
large enterprises (annual revenues above US $1 billion); 30% were provide a framework by which
from midsize enterprises (annual revenues between $50 million and readers could assess their own
$1 billion); and 44% of respondents were from small businesses management capabilities.
(annual revenues of $50 million or less).
• Headcount: Twenty-two percent (22%) of respondents had less than
50 employees; 29% had between 50 and 500 employees; 11% had
between 500 and 2,500 employees; 14% had between 2,500 and
10,000 employees; and 24% had more than 10,000 employees.


Page 22

Table 5: The PACE Framework Key
Overview
Aberdeen applies a methodology to benchmark research that evaluates the business pressures, actions, capabilities,
and enablers (PACE) that indicate corporate behavior in specific business processes. These terms are defined as
follows:
Pressures — external forces that impact an organization’s market position, competitiveness, or business
operations (e.g., economic, political and regulatory, technology, changing customer preferences, competitive)
Actions — the strategic approaches that an organization takes in response to industry pressures (e.g., align the
corporate business model to leverage industry opportunities, such as product / service strategy, target markets,
financial strategy, go-to-market, and sales strategy)
Capabilities — the business process competencies required to execute corporate strategy (e.g., skilled people,
brand, market positioning, viable products / services, ecosystem partners, financing)
Enablers — the key functionality of technology solutions required to support the organization’s enabling business
practices (e.g., development platform, applications, network connectivity, user interface, training and support,
partner interfaces, data cleansing, and management)

Table 6: The Competitive Framework Key
Overview

The Aberdeen Competitive Framework defines enterprises In the following categories:
as falling into one of the following three levels of practices Process — What is the scope of process
and performance: standardization? What is the efficiency and
Best-in-Class (20%) — Practices that are the best effectiveness of this process?
currently being employed and are significantly superior to Organization — How is your company currently
the Industry Average, and result in the top industry organized to manage and optimize this particular
performance. process?
Industry Average (50%) — Practices that represent the Knowledge — What visibility do you have into key
average or norm, and result in average industry data and intelligence required to manage this process?
performance. Technology — What level of automation have you
Laggards (30%) — Practices that are significantly behind used to support this process? How is this automation
the average of the industry, and result in below average integrated and aligned?
performance. Performance — What do you measure? How
frequently? What’s your actual performance?

Table 7: The Relationship Between PACE and the Competitive Framework
PACE and the Competitive Framework – How They Interact
Aberdeen research indicates that companies that identify the most influential pressures and take the most
transformational and effective actions are most likely to achieve superior performance. The level of competitive
performance that a company achieves is strongly determined by the PACE choices that they make and how well they
execute those decisions.


Page 23

Appendix B:
Related Aberdeen Research
Related Aberdeen research that forms a companion or reference to this
report includes:
• To ERP or Not to ERP: In Manufacturing, It Isn't Even a Question; March
2011
• ERP in Complex Manufacturing; February 2011
• SaaS ERP: Trends & Observations 2010; October 2010
• ERP in SME: Fueling Growth and Profits; August 2010
• ERP in Manufacturing 2010: Measuring Business Benefit and Time to
Value; June 2010
• SaaS ERP: Trends and Observations; December 2009
• Beyond the Total Cost of ERP Ownership, June 2009
• Enterprise Solution Strategies: The Value of an Integrated Suite;
September 2009
• ERP in the MidMarket 2009: Managing the Complexities of a Distributed
Environment; August 2009
• Measuring the ROI of ERP in SMB: Keeping ERP Projects Alive When You
Need Them the Most; March 2009
• Enterprise Applications: The Cost of Keeping Current…Or Not; January
2009
Information on these and any other Aberdeen publications can be found at
www.aberdeen.com.

Authors: Kevin Prouty, Research Director, Enterprise Applications,
(kevin.prouty@aberdeen.com)
Nick Castellina, Research Associate, Enterprise Applications,
(nick.castellina@aberdeen.com)
For more than two decades, Aberdeen's research has been helping corporations worldwide become Best-in-Class.
Having benchmarked the performance of more than 644,000 companies, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to provide
organizations with the facts that matter — the facts that enable companies to get ahead and drive results. That's why
our research is relied on by more than 2.5 million readers in over 40 countries, 90% of the Fortune 1,000, and 93% of
the Technology 500.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen’s research provides insight and analysis to the Harte-Hanks community of
local, regional, national and international marketing executives. Combined, we help our customers leverage the power
of insight to deliver innovative multichannel marketing programs that drive business-changing results. For additional
information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 854-5200, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call
(800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.

This document is the result of primary research performed by Aberdeen Group. Aberdeen Group's methodologies
provide for objective fact-based research and represent the best analysis available at the time of publication. Unless
otherwise noted, the entire contents of this publication are copyrighted by Aberdeen Group, Inc. and may not be
reproduced, distributed, archived, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent by
Aberdeen Group, Inc. (2011a)


Mobility in ERP 2011

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Similar to Mobility in ERP 2011 (20)

More from Wirehead Technology (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Mobility in ERP 2011