ERP on Tablet PCs

ERP on Tablet PCs is Now!

ERP on Tablet PCs is here now. Earlier we did an article on ERP on the iPad. With the amazing pace of technology, people can now use mobile platforms for accessing their corporate data. For some people, the iPad is a great tool, but others may have different views on using the iPad. Now there is an alternative. Small form factor Tablet PCs are available. Some of these are Windows-based and others are Android OS-based.

Imagine being a salesperson on the road and being able to review a customer account before the big meeting right from your car. Or during the meeting, being able to check stock on a particular item for the client right in their office! These are now completely realistic scenarios. Allowing the ERP on Tablet PCs to be a reality today.

Of course, it will have to gain support of the IT departments who are holding security as one of the highest priorities. Issues such as security will need to be addressed on a company-by-company basis to ensure that the corporate data is still well protected. But many companies are providing this data already on a web enabled portal, which would be perfect for ERP on a Tablet PC scenario.

We are seeing a lot of iPhone and Android apps being made for the phones, but these apps will also run ERP on Table PCs as well. So within a few years we should see a lot more of these apps available from all the major ERP vendors.

Here is a video review of the ViewSonic ViewPad 7 that will give you an idea of how powerful these technologies are now and it will give you an idea of how you will soon see ERP on the Tablet PCs.

ERP on Tablet PCs – ViewSonic Video Review

Click on the video to find out more information.

File as: ERP on Tablet PCs

The Business Guide to ERP Systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) refers to a management system that is used integrate the various departments and functions of business into a unified system. The single system is composed of various software modules and components that handle all the different processes of each department, from manufacturing operations to finance and human resources. An ERP system will generally require both hardware and software components.

The original ERP systems were integrated monolithic packages, but newer ERP systems are more flexible and can be installed as separate components. While ERP is introduced into an organization as a software solution, it is really a work methodology that requires a great deal of business process analysis and system re-engineering beyond the software.

In choosing to implement ERP you are also committing to a complete change of business processes. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are typically used to replace a disparate set of individual systems strung together in a complex and clumsy manner. ERP packages offer a solution to this while bringing specific and tangible business benefits.* ERP systems make it much easier to integrate systems across multiple locations.* Most ERP systems run on a single database, which means there is only one data warehouse to manage and maintain.

This single database system also means there are fewer points of failure in your system as a whole.* The processes that go into fulfilling a customer order are automated and enhanced by a successful ERP system. It creates a software flow chart for each step in the process to give direction to the whole.* Every employee in the chain sees the bigger picture and becomes more accountable for their role in order fulfillment.* ERP systems can speed up the manufacturing process through automation in areas such as procurement and production planning. This can help reduce the costs of carrying inventory and increase inventory turnover.* Simplified supply chain operations mean you gain more responsiveness in terms of both quality control and timeliness.* ERP systems enable you to remain competitive by taking advantage of the latest technologies in your market segment.

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ERP on the iPad

Mobility is becoming more and more key to managing corporate information. As such, we have seen individual users moving entirely from their laptops to their iPad. This provides easy access to the internet, with information anywhere. This is especially true of cloud computing. With a simple iPad, you can access anything anywhere.

ERP on the iPad can be used in Sales with CRM solutions. In fact, Salesforce.com has a native iPhone app that works on the IPAD, but bother, when you can use it on the web browser just as well? Many ERP solutions now have an html interface, so using the iPad is quite easy.

Apple-iPad-Tablet-NEWEST-MODEL

Examples of ERP on the iPad

Imagine if you will, a manager of a manufacturing plant browsing the production cells and being able to pull up real-time stats on her/his iPad and having the ability to discuss the results with the employees?

Or take an example of an HR Manager in an interview with a candidate in a random conference room, looking up on their iPad the available job postings for other divisions to better suit the candidate at hand.

Working on a campus environment, many times managers are running to meetings between buildings. Carrying an iPad with access to the ERP data is most convenient. These are just a few examples of mobility with ERP on the iPad.

So if these things are now possible, is it possible to run a Terminal Emulation program on the iPad to connect to a legacy ERP on the iPad? As far as we can tell, yes you can do that as there a number of Terminal Emulation programs for the iPhone and iPad. Are these as convenient as a web or even a native iPad app? Probably not, but it can be done.

ERP on the iPad on the Road

What about remote access to the central ERP system? Can you use an iPad while on the road to access your corporate data? Well that really depends upon if you have access via Virtual Private Networking (VPN) to the corporate network. You can setup VPN on the iPad and use it to connect securely to the corporate system. But it does require some setup. If the ERP has a web interface and it is exposed on the public web, then you can log in directly there. This is the easiest for the user, but requires additional layers of security from the IT department.

Security for ERP on the iPad

A key are of concern would be for ERP on the iPad to be able to wipe data for lost iPads. In other words, you’re at an airport. You turn around for a moment and your iPad is gone. You know it was on the seat next to you for a second. You have saved your passwords and access to all your corporate data is gone.

As it is now, the only thing you can do is to set a password and in the iPad’s settings, you can set it to wipe the data after so many bad attempts at the password. Of course, you have a copy on your computer in your iTunes right? So this is one method, but for the release of corporate data being accessible through the iPad, currently, you would probably be using a web browser.

If corporate ERP software providers come out with a dedicated App for their product specifically for the iPad, then they would need to build in some sort of password protection. This will not prevent the iPad from being accessed though, so Apple needs to come out with a function similar to what is available with the iPhone, to wipe corporate data. Without this, there probably won’t be a widespread migration to the iPad until this feature is available.

To summarize, it is possible now to use the iPad for mobile ERP access provided that the ERP is exposed to the Internet or by way of some sort of VPN. But it is probably not the most elegant solution, especially on older ERP systems. Ideally, ERP vendors will start to come out with native applications for the iPad which will ease the complexity for the user. This is already happing with cloud based providers. We hope that it will become more prevalent in the near future.

What do you think? Are you using the ERP on the iPad now? Please post your comments and let us know. Thank you.

Addendum: After posting this, we saw this press release about an iPad Enterprise Development kit for putting ERP on the iPad.

Click here to get great Ipad Training

ERP on the iPad.

AMR Research Bullish on ERP Software Market

Published: July 23, 2007

by Alex Woodie

Worldwide ERP software sales grew by 14 percent in 2006 to $28.8 billion, according to a recent report from IT analyst firm AMR Research. While 2006 was “spectacular,” according to AMR, the good times should continue to roll for the next five years, with an average annual growth rate of 11 percent, a percentage point more than the group predicted nine months ago.

At least once a year, and sometimes more, AMR publishes a report analyzing the past, the present, and the future of the market for ERP and related software, and ranking the top enterprise software vendors by revenues. Because ERP and related products are at the core of most organizations’ IT investments, the relative health of the ERP market can function as a barometer for the overall business IT market.

Read the entire Article Here…