Toughing it out

When Nokia announced its intention to hook up with Microsoft last month, the news caused a hubbub in the technology media. In case you missed it, the Finnish mobile phone giant is partnering with Microsoft and will in future use the Windows phone operating system for its smartphones, rather than Symbian, the system that Nokia established more than 10 years ago with Psion, Ericsson and Motorola. Some may revel in the frenzy surrounding Windows, Android, BlackBerry, Apple et al, but for most people working in the manufacturing environment, their interest is less about platforms and more about practicality – how smartphones or handheld devices can improve communication, efficiency and productivity. Better still, profitability. Irrespective of underlying technology, key to the argument against smartphones is their fragility, or lack of robustness. Despite what many of the device manufacturers would have us believe, there are few that can make the transition from consumer to industrial use. One device manufacturer that is courting industry buyers is Research In Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry. Offering manufacturers much more than wireless email access, RIM says its BlackBerry Business Solutions portfolio, with which it targets the manufacturing sector, "can extend your existing investments in enterprise applications and put ERP, MRP, SCM, SFA and CRM applications in the hands of your mobile employees so they can record at the point of performance – giving them instant access to the information they need to improve productivity, streamline operations, increase revenue and decrease production costs". Okay, so it's not proclaiming that its device can be used to chart movement of materials across the shopfloor, but it can link with ERP software to provide manufacturing-specific data to managers – even dashboard information, for example. Steve Tattum is manufacturing product manager for ERP specialist Sage. He says that while mobile solutions do offer access to business systems – even business intelligence data – on the move, "when it comes to the role that mobile technologies and wireless communications tools play within the industrial environment, there is plenty more to consider". Many of Sage's UK manufacturing customers are already deploying its mid-market ERP solutions through a range of mobile devices, he says – including iPads and smartphones. But he warns against snap judgments when it comes to hardware: "With such a vast selection of mobile devices available, it's critical that manufacturers invest the time to question exactly where mobile technology can add value to their business, which devices are most appropriate for the job in hand and which can deliver the best return on investment." It's certainly not technology for technology's sake, he urges; instead it's about getting the right tool for the right job. Many manufacturing businesses have been using handheld wireless devices for years, for barcoding and even RFID – notably automotive and other high-value/high-tech sectors – and Tattum says these technologies are unlikely to be replaced by smartphones. "You have to look past the devices themselves and consider how best to maximise the functionality they bring," he says. "While iPhones, iPads and BlackBerrys may not offer the level of robustness required for use on the shopfloor, they are an effective tool for giving managers and factory supervisors accurate, at-a-glance insight into the operation of people, machines and jobs." Undoubtedly, the smartphone is here to stay. "But the secret of success for businesses, particularly those in manufacturing, is to question where the added value is in adopting these technologies," adds Tattum. Despite the obvious functionality attraction of smartphones and similar devices, if they are designed for consumer use, they are likely to have a very short life expectancy on a typical industrial shopfloor, agrees Keith Sherry, general manager of BT Supply Chain Solutions. He points out that the lure, of course, is price, with smartphones costing a fraction of the cost of a rugged handheld device. But the price will be paid, sooner rather than later, warns Sherry. "We have some customers who, because of a lower cost of entry, have enabled their blue collar workforces with smartphone devices – in this instance HTC Devices – and who have realised to their cost that the devices are simply not robust enough and break more frequently and quickly. You can't easily ruggedise a consumer device," he states. So, while using consumer devices in an industrial environment could potentially look attractive from a lower cost of entry point of view, the equipment will not last long before it needs to be replaced. Another point to bear in mind, he says, is that the manufacturer's warranty for some devices is only for product defects, not breakages – unlike rugged devices, which come with a full warranty. There have been several recent announcements regarding business applications for mobile devices. Information from Solarsoft's ERP, for example, is available on iPads for managers on the move, in dashboard format. Workforce management specialist Kronos has just launched a suite of mobile applications for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and iPad, which enable connection to the Kronos Workforce Central suite. Keith Statham, MD of Kronos UK, says: "There are more mobile phones in the UK than people, and 75% of all phones sold in 2010 were smartphones. It's therefore essential that we provide tools for mobile devices to ensure that managers and employees are able to interact with Kronos in a way that fits with their chosen way of working." And high-efficiency motor supplier WEG now has a BlackBerry app to give businesses a mobile tool to calculate energy savings, return on investment and carbon reductions – and the means to report on all electric motors within the operation. The app, says WEG, enables the user to compare payback time for a premium versus standard motor efficiency. So it's clear the industrial market is starting to open up to the smartphones. And the market could be even greater in the near future, as BT's Keith Sherry predicts the gap between rugged, semi-rugged and consumer devices will continue to narrow as most of the device manufacturers target the market that crosses between consumer and business: "This market is immense and could be very profitable," he says. safe in the knowledge The increasing array of smartphones and tablet devices could compromise business data security, particularly if employees are using their own devices for work purposes. That's the warning from Neville Briggs, MD of software firm CFC Solutions, who says that while the smartphones can boost employee productivity – not least for those on the move – they can present a risk: "Many of the devices currently being used are bought, owned and operated by the employee and fall outside of any employer security measures. This can present a risk – for example, some smartphone software gathers all kinds of information about the user and this could potentially be misused." Briggs predicts an increasing number of viruses and spyware: "Most of these devices have only been around for a relatively short time and there are few pieces of malicious software around. However, the numbers are rising and will continue to do so. "It would be surprising if smartphone spyware didn't appear at some point in the near future that could, for example, learn the login details for the user's work email account and then access the mailbox." "Software that accesses the GPS function in smart phones and tablets could even tell a third party the current location of an employee and track their movements. There are all kinds of worrying possibilities." He concludes: "Companies should look now to adopt policies that control use of these devices. Each one is different and needs different rules but to ignore the issue is to take a considerable security risk."