Is the Acceptance of Mobile Devices in the Warehouse Increasing?

December 6th 2013 17:21:05 PM

Smartphones and tablets have made their way into the business landscape. Sales personnel are using iPhones out in the field to close sales and update customer information. Retail stores use mobile phones equipped with credit card scanning devices to speed up the checkout process during busy seasons. Business executives use tablets to stay connected to business activities even while they are away from the office, and customers order products and services through their mobile devices every day.

To say the business world is becoming more mobile is an understatement. In today’s day and age, it is a mobile world. Over the past couple of months, we’ve launched several new products designed to help warehouses and distribution centers all over the country become more mobile. Since then we have received numerous questions about the capabilities of mobile applications (apps) and whether or not it makes sense to incorporate mobile devices into the warehouse. Here are Scanco, we believe that incorporating mobile technology into your warehouse will give you a leg up over the competition and you help improve your overall efficiency.

Understandably, many manufacturers and distributors are cautious when it comes to incorporating mobile devices into the warehouse and distribution environment. As with any new technology, business owners and managers have questions about the sustainability and power these solutions can bring to the warehouse. We’d like to tackle some of the most common misconceptions about smartphones and tablets in the warehouse and highlight the benefits manufacturers and distributors can gain from implementing mobile devices in the warehouse environment in future blogs.

Who is using mobile warehouse management solutions?
Before we begin to examine common misconceptions about using smartphones and tablets in the warehouse, let’s look at some facts regarding mobile adoption in the warehouse. According to a recent study performed by Honeywell, 20% of warehouse and distribution managers are currently using smartphones and tablets in the warehouse and 42% plan to use them in the future. Only 38% of those surveyed have no plans of using smartphones and tablets at this time.

This increased awareness and adoption means many things for the future of warehouse management. Experts predict that those who will be evaluating or adopting these devices will more than double in the upcoming year, and many predict that smartphones and tablets could eventually replace laptops in the warehouse environment.

What devices are manufacturers and distributors using?
In order to truly understand the direction warehouse management is headed, you need to understand the devices manufacturers and distributors are using. Among the products currently in use, Apple’s iPhone and iPad are the most common, with Android-based smartphones following closely behind in popularity. While iPhones are certainly gaining momentum in the warehouse, it’s the tablet that is expected to grow exponentially in the upcoming months.

Experts also predict that many manufacturers and distributors will standardize on either the iOS or Android platform in the upcoming years. More than half are expected to switch their primary operating systems to either Android-based systems and/or the Apple iOS.
Mobile application usage is expected to increase as manufacturers and distributors switch to mobile devices to manage their warehouse processes. We’ve seen the interest in mobile warehouse management and –as a result – have created two new Sage 100 mobile applications specifically designed for iOS and Android platforms – Scanco Counts and Scanco Warehouse. These two mobile apps were created to give manufacturers and distributors complete control over their warehouse. Scanco Counts simplifies the physical count process, and Scanco Warehouse provides users with simple and fast warehouse automation on any device. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about these innovative new products.

Are you currently using smartphones or tablets in the warehouse? If so, what prompted you to consider adopting these mobile devices in the warehouse?