A recent survey by IDC of 650 European firms shows that the majority of CEOs are planning to provide their mobile workforce with automated links into existing IT infrastructure. Providing mobile workers with the ability to access and update the centralised ERP and CRM systems allows organisations to cut costs while delivering significant process improvements.
In partnership with Celesta mBusiness Oy, a SAP Certified Software Partner, Lerumo has launched a technical solution that allows easy real-time integration into the SAP environment. This differs from most competitive solutions which are based on data replication.
The single biggest benefit to the client is that the mobile component is based on a standard SAP Netweaver interface and requires no SAP modification. This allows the client to focus on the business process to be automated. Previously, SAP mobile solutions required configuration to the SAP BAPIs in addition to any mobile configuration.
The new architecture reduces technical and commercial barriers for customers looking to mobilise their SAP investment as it is significantly quicker to implement. The architecture is flexible, supporting both Pocket PC and Symbian handheld devices, and offers support for various third-party devices such as scanners and GPS. This allows clients to rapidly deploy a simple application to drive quick wins, while ensuring that it will scale to meet future needs.
"Lerumo has been delivering mobile solutions for SAP clients since 1999," says Sales and Marketing Manager, Gary Allemann, "but these solutions were based on the traditional SAP architecture. The new platform offers significant benefits to SAP clients considering mobility and should be evaluated by any SAP clients with significant mobile workforces."
For example, Kaba Gilgen AG, a Swiss supplier of automated doors, selected the solution to improve the Field Service processes. Before deploying the solution, the dispatchers at Kaba Gilgen`s call centre contacted the installation technicians in the field by phoning them and informing about the next work order. Afterwards, the technicians` reports were scanned from paper to the company`s back-end system, SAP R3 v4.6B. Now the Job Ticket, captured in SAP R3, is automatically dispatched to the technician in the field and technicians` reports are logged back into SAP without duplication of effort. This has assisted Kaba to drastically reduce turn around times on installations, improve the quality of the data and cut administrative costs.
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Lerumo is a BEE business consultancy with offices in Centurion and Cape Town. Lerumo entered the mobile applications market in 1998 after recognising that significant business benefits could be driven through extending key internal processes to field workers. Lerumo defines project success based on the project meeting the agreed business objectives - technical success is expected. Our clients include major corporates in government, telecommunications and manufacturing.
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