Enterprise Resource Planning Users Want More Mobile Access
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When choosing database integration software, also known as enterprise resource planning software, the majority of manufacturing executives said being able to access it from mobile devices is among the most important factor, according to new research.
In a study conducted by IFS North America, 13 percent of respondents said the mobile interface was the most important consideration when selecting enterprise software and another 68 percent said it was as important as other software features.
Enterprise resource planning software allows businesses to integrate all the company’s departments into one database — creating a single, uniform system that holds all of the organization’s data and information. The goal is to save time and money by allowing for better efficiency.
Despite their desire for mobile access, less than one-third of the 281 manufacturing executives who responded to the survey said they’re currently able to access their enterprise resource planning software from their smartphone or other mobile device.
The study also found that such access could increase overall productivity in the workplace by encouraging employees to work during their personal time. Nearly 50 percent of respondents said mobile access would drive them to work beyond normal business hours.
IFS is among the companies offering mobile access to enterprise software with its Touch Apps initiative.
“The goal is to offer a series of applications that facilitate the type of tasks that people really need to perform while they are ‘on the go’ — in taxi cabs, on airplanes, between appointments and in other situations where logging into an enterprise application with a laptop is impractical," IFS AB Chief Technology Officer Dan Matthews said in a prepared release.
The research was conducted collaboratively with consulting firm Mint Jutras.
