SAP AG and Sybase, Inc. have announced a series of new mobile apps built on Sybase Unwired Platform aimed at mobilizing business processes and business information. These new mobile apps join the Sybase Mobile Sales application for SAP CRM and the Sybase Mobile Workflow application for SAP Business Suite released in 2010. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE NOW, being held in Orlando, Florida, May 15-18, 2011.
According to a survey of IT decision-makers by Forrester Research, in 2010 over 60 percent of companies will make mobile applications a priority over the next 12 months. Around 75 percent of organizations deploy mobile applications to increase worker productivity, and overall improved customer satisfaction is an important driver of mobilizing applications for 42 percent of firms.
The following new mobile apps are designed to drive short-term, bottom-line results for businesses and employees across key industries.
As field service engineers are required to make more informed, timely decisions, the new SAP Field Service mobile app is designed to enhance customer satisfaction by bringing the right data resources, knowledge and information to the point of issue resolution. Built on Sybase Unwired Platform, the field service app will provide full online and offline access to assignments, service orders and service confirmation. With out-of-the-box functionality for mobilizing and customizing the SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) application, field service engineers will be provided with valuable mobile app features that provide:
- Instant field assignment alerts on mobile devices to notify representatives of new assignments
- Enhanced service order management provides representatives instant access to a single view that includes the information required to complete an order
- Map visits with integration to mapping service, enabling field technicians to clearly view a day's assignments
- Service order debriefs that enable technicians to create service order confirmations and enter time, material and expenses incurred to complete the order
With the new SAP Retail Execution mobile app, not only will consumer product companies be able to provide their sales representatives with the data required to help maximize productivity, but the companies will be able to facilitate return on brand and promotion investments by increasing promotional compliance and monitoring success of new products. Built on Sybase Unwired Platform, the retail execution app is planned for full integration with native device functionality while providing online and offline access to accounts, contacts, visits, surveys and products. Planned mobile app features include:
- Retail visit management to execute visits, reschedule them as needed and provide access to history of previous visits, notes and attachments -- all on a mobile device
- Ability to complete surveys and audits to perform critical merchandizing activities such as promotion compliance and planogram checks
- Customer (account) management through customer lists, contact information and detailed history of previous interactions
- Product management through detailed product lists with identification data and categories
Field technicians rely on up-to-date information to perform their jobs efficiently. The new SAP EAM Work Order mobile app is planned to help empower companies to gather, assess and share the relevant information from the moment it is needed or identified. Built on Sybase Unwired Platform, the work order app is intended to address the requirements for plant maintenance operations staff for enterprise asset management. Planned highlights of the mobile application features include:
- Work orders with access to view and update relevant information regarding tasks, operations, planned time and material
- Technical object management to give access to view and update critical information about functional location and equipments to increase asset uptime
- Inventory information to help field workers track and manage the parts without any delay or overhead
- Business partner information available to the technician to get an enhanced view of customer history and critical contact information
New employee productivity mobile apps are in development with the goal to enable employees to remain highly productive -- whether traveling or in the office -- through one-click access to key capabilities for completing routine activities, such as travel and expense capture, approving HR-based requests, entering sales orders and approving or rejecting purchase orders. With the new employee productivity mobile apps, the plan is for users to be able to act on workflows and access from their mobile devices critical business information stored in the SAP ERP Human Capital Management and SAP ERP Financials solutions and SAP Supplier Relationship Management and SAP CRM applications, among others. These simple mobile apps, built on Sybase Unwired Platform, are being designed with consumer-grade usability and for employee use with minimal training.
