Don’t forget the mobile app!
As you gear up to integrate new mobile devices into your supply chain operations, it's crucial to address two fundamental questions early in the architectural design stage:
What applications will be running on the mobile devices?
What enterprise systems and/or data will the mobile devices be accessing?
Picture this familiar scenario: Your team is in discussions about introducing new mobile devices to enhance operational efficiency. You’ve identified a group of workers that require an improved mobile experience to support the organization effectively. You've explored form factor options, assessed pain points related to coverage, security, and access, and even discussed strategies to prevent the loss of these valuable devices post-deployment.
Then comes the pivotal moment: someone raises the question, "What applications will be running on these mobile devices, anyway?"
<Cue silence, accompanied by a series of deer-in-headlights looks, followed by someone acknowledging,> "That's an excellent question."
Indeed, it is! Both this question and its counterpart, "What enterprise systems/data will these mobile devices be connecting to?" are critical inquiries to make early on. Surprisingly, it's not uncommon for organizations to find themselves uncertain about these answers even as they release RFPs for mobile devices.
Several factors contribute to these fundamental questions getting overlooked. For instance:
In-House App Development: When organizations plan to build mobile apps in-house, it might seem that the specific apps are irrelevant at the early planning stage. However, it's essential to recognize that these apps will have operational, maintenance, and security requirements similar to any other enterprise application.
Using Standard Enterprise Systems: Some may dismiss the importance of identifying mobile applications, assuming that the mobile device will run standard enterprise systems like Microsoft Teams, Workday, or SAP. Nevertheless, understanding the complete environment at the architectural stage is vital for the success of the deployment.
Stove-Piping and Departmental Separation: Stove-piping issues often arise when the team specifying the devices is separate from the team handling app development. It's easy to assume that as long as the device meets certain specifications, everything will be fine.
The significance of addressing these two questions lies in their impact on your overall rollout and Mobile Device Management (MDM) plan. While MDM platforms excel at configuring hardware requirements and pushing down packages, (the “load”), a comprehensive view of the apps to be deployed is crucial for effective app management on deployed mobile devices. This goes far beyond “package load” management.
We strongly recommend proactively asking and revisiting these questions early and often throughout the planning stages. Understanding what will be running on the mobile devices and what systems they will be accessing is key to a seamless and successful deployment.
