With 5G networks around the corner, what do you need mobile supply chain technology to accomplish for you?

There’s An App For That

Everyone has a smartphone. Mobile applications are ubiquitous, and mobility in the supply chain has grown beyond the debates about the best way to use an RFID chip.

SupplierGATEWAY supports an app… because we know that’s how people do business today. Consider the value of providing single-use security credentials to a client based on their physical location, or instantly pulling up warranty information on a broken tool, or finding a specialized supplier while out backpacking on a camping trip.

Change seldom arrives without apprehension and resistance in tow. We had a recent experience with a client who worried that their users wouldn’t have faith in a smartphone app to conduct critical procurement business.  Fortunately, they are finding their fears to be mostly misplaced. Still, the intelligence of a system living in the cloud and not on a device remains hard to grasp at times.

The technology faces other challenges. Mobile security – particularly in a Bring Your Own Device environment – may be the most serious issue. Maintaining quality of service can be dependent on outside factors. Discovering and provisioning web services over traditional networks remains a challenge. However, the advent of 5G mobile networks will dramatically reduce these problems.

Insights

• “Anything I can do on my desktop, I need to be able to do on my phone.”