The Mobility Revolution
Is Here

What’s in this guide?

1. Introduction
2. The Benefits of Mobilizing Your Sage ERP
3. Activating Mobility in Sage
4. Getting Started with Mobility
5. Use Cases For Mobility
6. Why Do Sage Customers Work With Scanco?
7. Scanco Mobility Apps
8. Summary
9. Additional Resources

Topic: Sage Mobility

For Distributors and Manufacturers using Operations Management (JobOps), and Production Management.

Today’s customer expectations are transforming warehouse & manufacturing operations. Speed and efficiency are now more critical than ever. Inventory and materials need to turn around quickly as distributors and manufacturers try to keep up with today’s ‘need it now’ culture. Accuracy and visibility into operations are also paramount. Requiring nothing less than complete order accuracy with visible tracking will do if you want to retain your customers and reputation.

Mobility for Sage can help you tackle these challenges, from day one. How? Mobility apps utilize familiar mobile operating systems that are on modern mobile devices, so your workers already know how to use the intuitive interface. Simple UI means less training and onboarding. Secondly, your Sage system includes the Mobility for Barcode Module, which will enable your Sage 100 the ability to connect to mobile devices and mobile applications. The benefit is that existing Sage users at all levels can adopt mobility quickly. This natural starting point opens the gates to improved efficiencies and turnaround times through some impressive mobile innovations.

Maybe you are new to the concept of Mobility? Alternatively, perhaps you require a refresher. Either way, we put together The Definitive Guide to Mobility as a way to help get you and your organization ready for The Mobility Revolution!

Ready to Learn More About Mobility? Let’s Get Started!

Introduction

Today’s warehouse has become the core of business operations—all day long, raw and finished materials are moving in, through and out of this central hub. The efficiency of your warehouse processes is key to many business metrics—affecting the number of orders shipped to order accuracy, inventory availability, and customer service levels. Many organizations have implemented Sage’s Accounting Systems (100, 100, 500), and are enjoying the many benefits of this ERP solution, from the improvement of business accounting to an increase in order accuracy and improved customer service.

Today’s distributors are facing a myriad of complex and competitive challenges. Profits are being pressured by rising labor costs, offshore manufacturing challenges, and the difficulties associated with managing across the supply chain. Organizations today are tasked with ensuring that each area of the business is running as efficiently as possible. Business owners have an urgent need to offset shrinking margins in addition to improving and protecting their profitability.

In this guide, we will discuss the impact of these challenges as well as the benefits gained when extending the reach and functionality of your Sage 100 ERP system with mobility solutions. We’ll also examine how mobility can give your organization the ability to leverage data already captured in Sage. All of this will enhance the efficiency of your warehouse operations significantly. In closing, we’ll detail why partnering with a mobility solutions expert like Scanco will get your mobility initiatives deployed successfully.

The Benefits of Mobilizing Your Sage ERP

With the Mobility for Barcode Module, workers on the shop and warehouse floors can execute operational activities and process transactions in real-time. This data capture is sent back to Sage, via Mobility for Bar code, unlocking the full value of the data contained in the warehouse. All your core warehouse activities are positively impacted—from receiving and put-away to replenishment, picking, packing, and shipping.

With the Mobility for Barcode module activated, you extend the capabilities of your Sage system into the warehouse. Mobility enables data capture to occur at the point-of-activity in the warehouse or shop floor, incrementally improving operational and process efficiency while reducing errors, all while reducing costs in your warehouse. Overall, this benefit enhances customer satisfaction and retention levels through the increased accuracy and speed of order fulfillment and shipments.

• Mobility facilitates a new level of automation of warehouse processes by replacing paper-based manual systems with a mobile device, eliminating manual reconciliation of shipments against purchase orders, paper-based pick tickets, and more.
• Mobility provides the flexibility to fit any business process flow you have in place today. It can quickly adapt to any changes in the future, such as to cost-effectively meet regulatory and customer compliance requirements—or generally improve employee efficiency.
• In addition to the typical warehouse functions, such as order fulfillment and inbound logistics, Mobility enables support for manufacturing and production business flows. The result is the extension of materials management best practices into other areas of the enterprise, expanding productivity improvements and other benefits well beyond the warehouse.
• Instant availability of data reduces worker travel time: workers no longer need to travel to a workstation or printer to pick up orders; picking is no longer restricted to a linear process, enabling employees to fulfill more orders per day; workers can receive directions for the most optimal route for put-away, replenishment, let-down, and picking tasks.

Improved resource utilization

• Real-time inventory visibility enables the further reduction of stocking inventory levels, which not only improves inventory turns but also enables optimal use of valuable warehouse space.
• Asset utilization is maximized through more efficient use of warehouse equipment, as forklift and pallet jack operators minimize travel time while maximizing the number of tasks performed in a day.

Improved inventory management with real-time visibility

• A reduction in carrying inventory, significantly impacting capital expenditures
• A significant reduction in out-of-stocks
• Rapid replenishment of production lines and forward pick locations, reducing costly delays in order processing and production line shutdowns

Activating Mobility in Sage

Step 1: Activating the Sage Mobility for Barcode Module

Regardless of whether you are using Sage 100, going mobile is easy. The included Mobility for Bar Code Module and Mobility Remote Setup activates mobility in a matter minutes, without a substantial technology investment or significant IT involvement.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Mobility Apps

Choosing the right mobility app that will help you realize your goals is paramount for achieving success for your mobility initiatives. To help you get started with mobility, Sage & Scanco have partnered together to provide Sage 100 users access to mobility applications. These apps are designed to help your need to manage your supply chain quickly and conveniently, using the latest mobile technology—whenever you want, wherever you are. 

Step 3: Scanning Hardware 

Throughout your warehouse, different users performing different tasks may require different devices to maximize comfort, usability, and productivity. For example, at the loading dock, workers will need rugged scanning devices that can withstand the wide temperature swings as workers move from outside to indoors. Workers picking smaller items or handling packages could benefit from wearable scanners that provide hands-free comfort and convenience—and even voice-directed picking.

Workers using forklifts, pallet jacks, and other material handling equipment also need mobile devices that can be mounted on the vehicle and are designed to handle all-day pounding and vibration. Workers involved in simple scanning operations need barcode scanners that are designed for the rigors of the warehouse environment.

In order to maximize user productivity, you need to match the device that is best designed for a specific warehouse or shop floor task. Scanco can help you find the right hardware options for the unique challenges of your environment.

Getting Started with Mobility

We understand the challenges in getting a new mobility intuitive off the ground. For 30 years, Scanco has helped thousands of distributors and manufacturers adopt mobile automation solutions. Mobility is in our DNA. To help organizations take advantage of the tremendous benefits mobility has to offer, Scanco and Sage have included user licenses to two of our applications that are sure to get you and your teams excited about mobility and automation. 

Kickstarting your mobility initiatives with mobility apps from Scanco and Sage 

Scanco WMS Essentials

Automate your cycle counting and year-end physical count. The application seamlessly integrates with Sage 100, eliminating the need for paper counting and data entry. With countless hardware accessory options, users can scan barcodes, look up items, and send counts real-time into Sage 100.

• 5 FREE Mobility App user licenses for Sage 100 users
• Compatible on Scanco certified mobile devices running iOS and Android 
• Access to online user guides and help portals

Scanco Mobile Sales

Scanco Mobile Sales will automate your sales order processing and increase your bottom line by letting your sales force take orders with their most used asset; their iPhone or Android phone. The application is not only designed to input sales orders from anywhere in the country—Scanco Sales also has an integrated CRM tool for your salesforce.

•  5 FREE Scanco Sales Licenses for Sage 100 users
• Compatible on Scanco certified mobile devices running iOS and Android 
• Access to online user guides and help portals

Use Cases For Mobility

Using Your Scanco Mobility and Sales Apps 

Scanco WMS Essentials and Scanco Mobile Sales were designed to be used immediately. No complex installs or lengthy onboarding. To help get you started, we have two use cases that demonstrate the ROI potential of mobility apps.  

Why Do Sage Customers Work With Scanco?

In addition to offering a complete portfolio of products designed for mobility, Scanco also offers the right experience, the right partners, and the right services. As a developer of automation and mobile apps, we offer a depth of supply chain knowledge. Through countless enterprise mobility deployments in some of the world’s largest enterprises, we offer a wealth of understanding of the needs in the distributor, the manufacturer—and beyond. Our robust partner channel brings the services you need right to your door. And proven mobility solutions combine with outstanding support services and superior manageability to deliver a low total cost of ownership for your organization. ​

Scanco Mobility Apps

Summary

When it comes to maximizing the value of your Sage 100 solution, mobility delivers. With minimal investment on the Sage side, you can extend your Sage warehouse transactions to wherever work is performed—in the warehouse aisles, on the loading dock, at the receiving desk, and more—achieving higher levels of automation, efficiency, and throughput throughout the warehouse.

And when it comes to selecting a mobility provider, Scanco delivers. Scanco offers a complete mobility suite, built from the ground up to simplify and minimize the cost of mobility, with Scanco-only features that deliver real value—superior manageability and ease of use, a robust mobile solution your workers can count on, in apps that easily expand to accommodate new features, standards, and functionality, as well as capacity.

Together, Sage and Scanco can provide you with the simplicity and fast deployment you need to achieve a rapid realization of benefits and return on investment for your mobility solution—for real business value and real business advantage.