Internet access via mobile devices is exploding, and tablets are the devices setting off that explosion. Near the end of 2011, worldwide penetration of tablets was at 1 percent, but by the end of 2013, 5 percent of the worldwide population had a tablet, according to Portio Research. The company also projects that 1 in 6 people will use a tablet by the end of 2018.

All of those tablet users, combined with all the users of other mobile devices, are fueling the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) movement. Many ERP vendors, anxious not to miss out on the latest trend, have rushed to make their applications mobile ready.

Which raises the question of how the use of mobile devices will change manufacturing.

How Technology Has and Will Change Manufacturing

From the time that computerized ERP hit the market in the 1980s, technology has been an important enabler of improvements in productivity and process improvements. But those productivity improvements haven’t stopped people from claiming that computers have no place in manufacturing.

Manufacturing traditionalists scoffed at the manufacturing pioneers of early-stage computerized MRP/ERP systems, claiming that the systems actually increased inventory and merely enabled people to make mistakes faster. When lean manufacturing became an industry standard, people claimed that using lean principles negated the need for computers in general and ERP systems in particular. Today, some people protest that mobile access to ERP is unnecessary in manufacturing companies since it’s necessary to centralize machinery, equipment and materials at the plant.

Nothing could be further from truth. The pace of business has increased to the point where people need real time access to information to support decisions. Global supply chains mean that global visibility is an absolute necessity to compete against agile competitors. Work styles have changed; more people telecommute, work odd hours or work as part of far-flung teams. Users are familiar with computers and the Internet, and they demand that all the applications they use be as simple to work with as their favorite Internet shopping sites.

The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) ERP Movement

As a result, future ERP systems will not rely on a particular device, operating system or user interface. Users will be able to access their ERP system from wherever they are, at any time of day, using any device they choose—as long as they have Internet connection and a browser. ERP systems will be completely device independent.

Since users aren’t tied to their desks or even to a single location anymore, they need better, faster access to their ERP information. ERP vendors have to be able to support this modern business environment. Every successful ERP solution will need a mobile component to survive in the marketplace, but how each vendor chooses to address the mobile solution will vary. Some vendors may go the route of mobile enabling a large portion of their system; others may create apps to address small bits of functionality.

Mobile enabling an ERP system requires an in-depth understanding of the industry addressed as well as the principles of ERP. Smaller screens require completely rethinking screen layouts, security and business processes. The vendor who brings to market the right mix of utility, practicality and value will be the winner in the new generation of mobile ERP.