Select the Right SAP Mobile Data Capture Method
- by Chris Moose, Partner, IBM Global Business Services
- June 1, 2006
How nimble is your supply chain? The answer depends more on one factor than any other — data. Learn how to best apprehend the mobile data you need at its sources to make the best use of it in your operations.
Key Concept
Radio frequency (RF) devices allow you to capture or create data quickly and accurately from any location and transmit it directly into your SAP system. Usually small and handheld, they are integrated with SAP’s Warehouse Management (WM) system and Task and Resource Management (TRM). The SAPConsole method of connectivity uses a standard SAPGUI-based screen environment, which is reduced in size and uses buttons and plain text stripped of formatting embellishments. WebSAPConsole and SAP NetWeaver Mobile offer more elaborate, graphical, character-based interfaces that feature touch screens. In warehouse environments, RF devices are typically useful for goods receipt, goods issue, putaway, picking/replenishment, interleaving, packing and unpacking, inventory counting, loading and unloading, serial number capture, inquiries, movement by storage unit, and posting changes.
Competition among companies used to focus on products
and marketing — winning one, or hopefully both,
of those battles generally equaled market success.
Now, however, there are many additional dimensions
and one of the most important is supply chain execution.
A responsive, dynamic, and accurate supply chain
system that can place a product where it is needed
at the right time is crucial. A critical enabler
for this is data.
However, data that enables a responsive supply
chain expires quickly. Analyzing it within a few
days is not nearly as useful as acting on it within
a few hours. Therefore SAP has provided a variety
of mobile technologies to capture data real-time,
where it happens, allowing companies to make faster
and better decisions.
It is first important to consider the
types of processes that may be beneficial
for your company. Some common candidates
for mobile data capture technologies
include:
• Order capture/direct store delivery
scenarios
• Warehouse/shipping operations
• Production processes/confirmations
• Quality management/usage decisions
• Mobile asset maintenance
Once you identify the scenarios for
which mobile data capture can benefit
your enterprise, the next step is to
establish what SAP technology is right
for the situation. The most pressing
question is whether the person capturing
the data will have a connection to SAP
available or if the data needs to be
queued and sent to your SAP system later.
When a real-time connection is available
to SAP, you can use SAPConsole, WebSAPConsole,
or SAP NetWeaver Mobile (formerly known
as SAP Mobile Infrastructure). When you
need an offline solution that synchronizes
with SAP, the best choice is SAP NetWeaver
Mobile. These solutions are summarized
in Table 1, and I will
discuss each in detail.
Would you like to see this full item?
If you are already a subscriber, please login.
Or contact us to
speak directly with a licensing specialist.
Chris Moose
Chris Moose is a partner in IBM's Global Business Services organization where he is the sponsor of SAP warehouse management and transportation management offerings. With worldwide responsibility for these offerings, he has helped expand IBM's delivery capabilities globally and has personally delivered projects on four different continents. His specific interests include the use of technology to address the historical fixed cost nature of supply chains enabling flexibility and then quantifying that business value with a benefits realization focus. In addition to his practice management and delivery focus, Chris is a frequent speaker at industry events as well as an author for industry magazines.
See more by this author
