The ERP applications are of extreme importance for businesses seeking to control daily activities such as incoming / outgoing stock material, price variations and / or product descriptions, etc. An ERP application can vary depending on the necessities of each business. Below is an example of a company which needs a new ERP system in their property and plants. The example relates to a fictitious company named Thard which sells hardware.
Thard uses an obsolete ERP system and wishes to modernize this structure due to the drawbacks it presently causes. The main reason for them to be willing to modernize their ERP is because, for a simple task that is performed repeatedly within a day, the personnel lose many hours of work.

Presently, the personnel at Thard have to verify that the prices for their products in the shelves agree with the ones in their ERP system. The workers continually have to move from the shelves to their main computer and verify the prices, and if an error exists point it out so that the correction can be made in the future.

Our firm would offer them a mobile solution. Such a solution would consist in integrating software which would communicate directly with their ERP. By doing this, the personnel would carry a mobile device (Pocket PCs in this case) from which they could perform instant verifications and would directly send information about possible errors to the ERP server.

Benefits delivered by an ERP system based on Mobile Technology

Economizing in Labor Hours

Each item is scanned by the Pocket PC and inserted in the ERP system, assuring that the information is correct and being able to balance the stock instantly. Implementation of this product yields an increase in productivity of 50%.

The store workers can now attend the customers in a more efficient way, informing them of product availability. If there is a case in which a product is unavailable, the worker, from his or her Pocket PC can send out an order to the warehouse describing the need for more units of such a product.

The Pocket PCs are able to connect to the ERP system from any point in the store, enabling the workers to avoid going to the ERP system, accessing the information and returning to the client. This process saves up to 70% of their time and eradicates any possible human error.

Speedy Investment Recovery

It is estimated that these systems save a total of 4,050 yearly hours, which is equivalent to an amount close to 64,800 €. The workers are more productive, which eliminates the need to incorporate new personnel.

Ease of Use

The ERP systems based on Pocket PC technology are very user-friendly, which makes their use extremely simple. With the former ERP system, the workers had to acquire a prior formation due to its complicated use. With the new system, the worker barely needs formation due to its ease of use.

Mobile devices are a perfect tool for CRM applications. These applications are designed in order to sell products a company owns. Representatives of a firm can carry out sales in clients' homes and automatically send all the information about the order to their server. These applications are able to incorporate a full listing of a company product, displaying its price, description and picture.
As an example of the CRM application process, we will center ourselves in a company supplying vehicle spare parts, named Recar.

Recar has a series of employees who, with catalogues, visit clients during the whole day. The employees annotate the order a client makes, and go on to their next client. Once the working day is over, they deliver all the orders to the firm. Recar wishes to receive each order instantly and be able to deliver the products earlier than usual.

Recar needs a solution which would allow its employees to send all the data regarding the orders when these are placed. Our company would offer Recar a CRM solution. This application would provide each representative of the company a complete catalogue with a sales system. The client would be able to select the quantity of each product needed and once finalized, receive a printed copy of the order. In that instant the employee would be able to send the data to the server, where such data would be automatically stored, allowing it to be visualized.

This system eliminates a certain number of steps that contribute to big savings in time for the whole company. The representative will not have to go to the company to deliver all the orders. The employee in charge of applying the order to the system will not be present since the process is entirely transparent. This way, any human error is eradicated while introducing the data for the orders.

Benefits supplied by a CRM system based on Mobile Technology

Economizing in Labor Hours

The advantage supplied by the CRM systems based on mobile technology have allowed Recar to minimize the time required for their employees to process the orders. The order has been instantly received and Recar can now prepare the order whenever it is suitable for them.

Ease of Use

The employee will not have to carry a catalogue since all the information about the products is found in the CRM. He or she will not have to annotate each product the client needs, the CRM will be in charge of processing and calculating the sum of the order and applying the discounts the employee would find appropriate.