Johannesburg, 01 Jun 2004
The success and rate of adoption of any new technology is dependent on its ability to meet real market needs. This is evidenced by the phenomenal growth in the cellular phone market for voice communications. Now that instant availability, anywhere, any time is an accepted norm, a range of new applications are leveraging off the mobile platform, and delivering real business benefits.
If we look to the short history of mobile communications, there has been a rapid introduction of new applications. Starting from a base of simple voice communications, most manufacturers were quick to introduce new features such as complex ringtones, text messaging, and personal information management (PIM), including calendaring, contact lists and to-do lists.
For many, this is the perceived current state of mobile technology, yet many new applications are available. These include instant connection to back-end systems, delivering updates, news and data feeds, account balances, and extending to the mobile wallet. New protocols and communication technologies such as GPRS have increased speed, coverage and reliability, to the extent that the use of mobile devices is now practical for many line-of-business applications. In Europe, up to 14% of mobile users have adopted GPRS for connection to back-end systems. SA has been slower to use GPRS, but the trend is expected to follow that of Europe, with rapid up-take of new applications.
The demand for mobility has extended to the computer world, to the extent that Dell recently reported higher sales in notebooks than desktop computers, and the worldwide growth in the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) further reflects this demand.
Another trend changing the way we work is the introduction of wireless or radio frequency networks. Increasingly important for companies today is the convergence of many of the above technologies, to the extent that the term mobile must now by definition include a combination of all of the above. A notebook computer without an instant connection doesn`t provide true mobility.
Orders and deliveries
Mobility as described above generally refers to off-premise applications, and companies are using the converged technology in a number of ways to cut costs, improve productivity and customer service levels. Field workers such as sales personnel and support engineers can be contacted immediately with product information and call routes, and can report instantly back to head office. Mobile devices are increasingly being used for orders and deliveries, using electronic forms and signatures to capture information, and allowing for the next step in the fulfilment process to take place immediately.
The ECT Act`s endorsement of electronic signatures and the reduced reliance on paper as a source document are catalysts for applications such as electronic proof of delivery (POD), and track-and-trace systems. Once electronic signatures have been tried and tested in the courts, companies will feel more secure in moving to mobile solutions which reduce the amount of paper in the process.
The next major growth area in business enterprise mobility is expected to be in supply chain improvements. This generally refers to in-premise applications and allows for productivity gains and cost reduction in warehouse and work-in-progress management. This is rapidly becoming the norm internationally, through the use of wireless devices. By extending the network to the point of processing, and the use of barcoding and radio frequency networks, significant savings can be achieved, through more efficient work allocation and real-time monitoring. Accuracy, time saving and better warehouse allocations are all powerful incentives for implementation of in-premise mobile solutions, as they offer immediate return in investment. European implementations with upwards of 2 500 users are proving the value inherent in these systems.
SA has the technology, skills, infrastructure and mindset to be able to benefit from the new wave in mobile applications, especially electronic proof of delivery. GPRS is currently available and cost-effective for those companies with the necessary mobile requirements to take advantage of its speed and capabilities. With the improved rand, mobile technology has become increasingly more affordable, to the extent that organisations should be able to achieve significant returns on investment.
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