Mobile solutions in combination with tailor-made ERP systems improve production planning and optimize the entire value chain: workers can call up the activities for an order from anywhere on the store floor. Production times, quantities and project completions are reported back as well as external services or transportation. Mobile solutions also help to track production orders in real time and display machine utilization.

Many workers rarely sit at a fixed PC workstation, but are constantly on the move in production and need mobile information on material stocks or production orders. Sales and customer service depend on detailed information about their customers and the products used on site. Stock management, order picking and stocktaking are also faster and more precise with mobile solutions. And with self-service portals, customers and suppliers can be integrated into the business processes.

In order to deliver orders on time, every process step in the supply chain right through to the warehouse must function smoothly. This starts with the mobile connection of suppliers. They can view inquiries, submit offers and confirm orders via a special portal. Each supplier can also see which products are to be delivered at what time. Portals that display the stock of delivered products in the manufacturer's warehouse go one step further in terms of digitalization. Depending on the framework agreement, subsequent deliveries are then taken over independently by the supplier. This relieves the burden on purchasing and improves transparency and collaboration in the process.

Reliable inventory data in the warehouse

In many medium-sized production companies, incoming goods are still posted manually in the warehouse - incorrect postings due to input errors are inevitable. However, incoming deliveries can be booked directly into the ERP via mobile devices - even unplanned receipts and issues are recorded without media discontinuity. The inventory-managing ERP system manages the scanned serial or batch numbers as well as variants, such as different colors or sizes of a part.

A mobile logistics solution also eliminates time-consuming reworking, for example when transferring stock, as a stock withdrawal is immediately recorded in the ERP. At this point, however, it is important that the withdrawn goods are posted to a transfer stock until they arrive at the target storage location. This avoids inadvertent reorders due to a supposed decrease in stock.

Modern ERP systems also provide mobile picking orders for warehouse picking. For this purpose, scanners or sensors record the labels in picking zones, on containers or individual parts. The data is then immediately transferred to the ERP system by radio. Until the goods arrive at their destination, they can also be tracked online at any time.

Mobile production monitoring

Mobile technologies not only optimize processes in intralogistics. The mobile recording and direct processing of operating data also ensure error-free production processes: workers use mobile devices to call up their next activities for a production order from anywhere on the shop floor. The application shows them all the necessary details on orders and articles - along with the associated parts and stock information, series and batch data. Material withdrawals are reported back on the move. An easy-to-understand application that focuses on the task at hand simplifies orientation and helps to avoid errors. It records times and quantities as required - both good quantities and rejects. Current ERP systems are also able to define retrograde bookings. All of this helps to make detailed planning more precise and speed up post-calculation.

Mobile solutions help to track both planned and unplanned production orders. For example, a real-time tracking system can locate workpieces or workpiece carriers in a factory hall with an accuracy of up to 10 centimetres. The respective position can be used to determine whether a particular order is in the semi-finished product stage or already in the final assembly stage. If this status is continuously reported back to the ERP system, the sales department is always up to date and can provide customers with information at any time - without having to make inquiries in production.

A mobile solution for optimizing intralogistics is of great importance to Spier GmbH & Co. Fahrzeugwerk KG. The medium-sized system supplier offers a diverse range of manufacturing and services relating to truck bodies and transport solutions. The ERP manufacturer ProAlpha has been supporting the manufacturer from East Westphalia for over 20 years.

Spier usually only has 20 working days from the delivery of a chassis to the delivery of the desired complete vehicle. Without digitalization of the warehouse, such a short lead time would not be possible. For dynamic warehousing, all items, areas and zones are marked with barcodes. The warehouse staff book material receipts and issues in real time using mobile devices. This speeds up the flow of information. In the past, the extensive company premises and the size of the bodies produced made this flow of information more difficult. Today, all employees know the actual stock and can see whether a particular part is already on its way to assembly.

Mobile solutions in warehouses are also at the heart of an optimized flow of goods at Schwank GmbH. The long-established Cologne-based company develops and implements systems for heating and cooling sports, industrial and logistics halls. The ERP system is the central data hub for all processes along the distribution chain. "In the past, our colleagues used to go through the warehouse with pen and paper and had to document every action by hand afterwards," says owner and Managing Director Oliver Schwank, describing the changes in his intralogistics processes. "Today, we do everything by scanner and in real time". The advantage: the "warehouse interface" is no longer an unknown quantity. All parts, material and movement data is recorded immediately and the current stock level is immediately displayed in the system.

Data quality thanks to mobility

Mobile technologies in combination with an ERP system designed for mobile application scenarios optimize logistics and production. But not only these processes. Today, mobile solutions also support sales, service and company management. The close integration with ERP as the digital backbone and the seamless capture of information help to optimize the quality of the data stream and thus also the basis for derived actions and strategic decisions. A basic prerequisite for further steps towards Industry 4.0-compliant production.

Daniel Schüllner, Product Manager Usability and Mobile at ProAlpha / ag