Originally enterprise mobility was all about providing workers with access to collaboration tools and documentation from anywhere. Whether that was accessing an email on the go, or accessing maintenance documentation, the concept was very much the same. Now though, enterprise mobility encompasses a lot more.
The latest cloud-based and user experience technologies have allowed us to access enterprise information from any device, from anywhere, at any time. Now we can erase paper from most of the enterprise processes, and businesses can make more informed decisions based on the most up-to-date information from a connected workforce like never before.
So, what does the future hold for enterprise mobility?
A recent report by McKinsey suggested that COVID-19 was acting as a key factor in increased investment in automation and AI, especially in sectors that currently require close and regular physical proximity amongst staff. In the report, McKinsey surveyed 800 senior executives and 2 thirds said that they would be stepping up their investment in this area, either significantly or somewhat.
What this means for enterprise mobility is increased adoption of mobile apps to replace paper processes so that processes are streamlined. Within the context of enterprise mobility, AI and machine learning can carry out and facilitate data mining, predictive analysis, and automated reasoning.
How we access mobile information, and how we track it is changing too. Wearable technology, such as smartwatches and smart glasses will initially augment but slowly replace smartphones. Wearables allow employees to receive and access information and communicate with colleagues on the go while keeping their hands free. Take maintenance processes as an example, a manager can easily ping, buzz, or message staff to help with a maintenance issue and can even do a live video call with them. What’s more, with integrated location information, management can find the maintenance crew closest to the incident.
In the not-too-distant future, we’ll start to see the adoption of other wearable technologies. From smart glasses to bracelets to exoskeletons (that could ensure someone is carrying out a procedure safely and reduce injuries.
What’s more, we will see less and less paper on the horizon. As organisations move towards net-zero a simple change will be adopting paper-free practices. And with enterprise mobility solutions already geared up to support paperless forms, paperless job allocation and sign-off, it is a change that can be made now.
Moving forward we will also see collaboration along the entire end-to-end chain. From manufacturers, solution providers to operators – end-users – to the customers they serve. This will create a feedback loop which means processes are executed at a much faster pace and products improve based on an ongoing feedback process. This is particularly exciting for plug-and-play options, as development teams will have access to real-time data that they can integrate into system updates. SAP Intelligent Asset Management is one example of such a collaboration network.
It’s been estimated, that by 2030, the number of Internet of Things (IOT) items will have tripled to 24.1 billion. These objects, fitted with sensors are able to process information, be embedded with software, and send updates to the whole network. In short, it will enable objects to send messages to the workforce. What this means for enterprise mobility, is that the physical object will be able to request maintenance support, ask to be fixed, or report itself as broken. It is yet another way that we will see more and more digitisation in the very near future.
One good demo to showcase how IoT can work with mobile technology is this video from our team.
So how can the enterprise mobility of now help my business in the future?
Enterprise mobility is a mature market and ready-to-deploy solutions from ODS can help you get on the journey quickly. Investing in building something that will soon become outdated is counterintuitive. Why spend time and money on a system that will not support AI, or wearables, for example?
At On Device Solutions we have a number of plug-and-play mobile solutions available for SAP. As your partners, we will ensure that our solutions move with you into the future. As experts in enterprise mobility, we pride ourselves in always striving to learn, to achieve, to grow, and to always have our finger on the pulse.