Modernizing Supply Chain and Logistics with Mobile Technology

Supply chain industry is about moving materials from point of origin to finally the point of consumption. To remain competitive in today’s economy, it has become inevitable for establishments to incorporate mobile technology in their operations.

Introduction of mobile devices increases efficiency, cuts cost, helps in making better decisions and streamlines operations in supply chain. For example, mounted touch devices in trucks, help drivers communicate, access corporate information while on the move, accept jobs and optimize route planning that ultimately brings down the fuel consumption costs.

Introduction of mobile devise has reduced expensive errors and increased customer satisfaction through customer centric operational activities and timely delivery of shipments.

Impact of Mobile Devices on Logistics and Supply Chain

1.      Uninterrupted and smooth communication between field forces

A few years back, it would have been hard to imagine organizations giving away handheld devices to their employees and drivers for efficient delivery of goods and shipment. But now, the scene has changed drastically with the availability of low cost devices which has resulted in uninterrupted and smooth communication between field forces.

2.      Real-time visibility in supply chain

Suppliers today are integrating their commercial applications on handheld devices. Real-time updates from the field enables the backend/central office to perform a systematic analysis of data, thereby directly helping business. Leveraging data collected by mobile devices helps in collaborating across numerous supply chain management functions. This seamless connectivity help organizations execute processes and transactions and allow them to track their assets.

3.      Consumers leading the charge

Today’s consumers are very demanding and they are willing to pay that extra buck for a better service like faster delivery time and hassle-free process of returning the products if they do not like it. To fulfil these demands, companies are now improving the visibility over customer orders and they are turning to mobile devices, applications and other tools to achieve data synchronization.

Challenges

Smart devices are powerful general purpose devices. They can do a lot more than what is intended. Therein lies the challenge. Users can access applications that are not business related, thereby losing focus and productivity. This may also cause unnecessary data usage cost. With offices, warehouses and remote employees spread across different locations it becomes difficult to resolve a device issue if the IT support team is housed in just one location. Many times malfunctioning devices due to loss of battery power or change in settings cause loss of productive hours.

Solutions

The solution lies in securing the devices from user misuse. There are solutions available today for securely controlling, monitoring, tracking and supporting devices. With such solutions organizations can rest assured that their workforce will remain focused and productive.

42Gears is a leader in dedicated-device management space. It is one of the leading device lockdown solutions provider and helps organizations benefit from the incorporation of mobile technology in logistics, transportation and supply chain.