Swedish Armed Forces: Modernizing Inventory Management Technology with SAP Mobile Platform

Transcription

1 Picture Credit Swedish Armed Forces, Stockholm, Sweden. Used with permission. Swedish Armed Forces: Modernizing Inventory Management Technology with SAP Mobile Platform The Swedish Armed Forces are the country s ultimate line of defense. When this organization decided to implement a mobile solution to increase warehouse efficiencies, it chose SAP Mobile Platform and mobile apps from SAP, deploying them in partnership with IBM. Investing in a mobile solution has resulted in moreaccurate data, less manual labor, and significant cost savings.

2 Company Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters Stockholm, Sweden Industry Aerospace and defense Products and Services Defense, armed combat, national security Employees 51,000 Budget US$4.8 billion Web Site Partner IBM Corporation BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION Objectives Increase efficiency of inventory management in warehouses Maintain accurate stock records and eliminate manual, error-prone tracking processes Adopt a solution adaptable to future demands Rolled out a mobile solution that gives fully functional offline support to warehouse staff With help from IBM Corporation, deployed the SAP Inventory Manager mobile app integrated with the back-end warehouse management solution from SAP and SAP Mobile Platform Enabled bar-code scanning for automated tracking of physical inventory Benefits Faster input and reduced manual labor due to automated processes More-accurate inventory figures and reliable tracking thanks to improved data quality Time saved by tracking inbound and outbound deliveries on mobile devices at the time and place of shipment Read more The efficiency and productivity gains are already clear. We expect the benefits to multiply as more and more users adopt the solution. Captain (A) Karin Henriksson, Solution Manager, Swedish Armed Forces 800,000 Different item types stored in warehouses 800 Staff members in 40 warehouses and service centers 400 Handheld devices in pilot rollout 2 / 6

3 Leveraging technology for improved process efficiency Three core values guide the Swedish Armed Forces on their missions: openness in cooperation; creating and delivering results; and giving, taking, and demanding responsibility. For over 50 years, Sweden has engaged in cooperative efforts with various multinational organizations to work toward global peace and democracy. As threats continue to arise and the security policy situation continues to evolve, the Swedish Armed Forces adapt and develop their capabilities to continue to meet the country s needs. The Swedish Armed Forces track and manage millions of individual pieces of crucial inventory. But their tracking processes were becoming inadequate for the massive management task. Warehouse workers manually entered tracking information into the system, a time-consuming process that was prone to error. The warehouse staff would print out or write down the material numbers and take the paper with them to retrieve parts. When they came back, they would input what they had done into the legacy system to update the inventory, said Captain (A) Karin Henriksson, solution manager for the Swedish Armed Forces. Sometimes, if they input the data three to four days later, it might not be the same person entering the numbers and they might not be able to read the information that was written down. You then get the wrong figures, and mistakes are made. Eventually the cost of not having critical items on hand when required became exorbitant, and delays had a significant effect on personnel at all levels of the organization. The Swedish Armed Forces decided to engage IBM and SAP to help them create more efficient processes. 3 / 6

4 Improving processes with a future-ready mobile platform As a part of a continuous improvement strategy based on SAP technologies, the Swedish Armed Forces found that SAP Mobile Platform provided the versatility required to adapt to future demands. It also offered ease of maintenance and native application integration to facilitate continued optimization. IBM, the Swedish Armed Forces technology implementation partner, supported the choice of SAP mobile technology. Working with mobile can sometimes feel a bit risky, but SAP Mobile Platform was the best way forward for mobilization and back-end processes, said Peter Durrant, senior managing consultant at IBM. The platform s stability, scalability, and security further cemented confidence in the choice of SAP. Swedish Armed Forces service centers and warehouses implemented SAP Mobile Platform along with the SAP Inventory Manager mobile app. Throughout the project, SAP subject-matter experts helped ensure that the organization s unique needs were met. The pilot implementation, which included the purchase of 400 handheld devices, began in a few select locations and will be rolled out to an additional 40 warehouses and service centers throughout Sweden soon. Some 800 staff members are expected to use the mobile solution after the final rollout. The SAP software gives fully functional offline support to warehouse staff who are working in locations running the warehouse management solution from SAP or SAP Inventory Manager. The mobile solution supports bar-code scanning for automated tracking of physical on-hand inventory, and it maintains high security through encryption. This better equips the Swedish Armed Forces to monitor inventory and effectively support the troops in the field. 4 / 6

5 Experiencing the benefits of mobile technology Since the implementation of the mobile solution from SAP, automated processes allow for faster input, less manual labor, and fewer resourceintensive tasks. Furthermore, improved data quality and financial reporting have led to more-accurate inventory figures and a more reliable tracking system. Workers also save time with the ability to track inbound and outbound deliveries on mobile devices at the time and place of shipment. A detailed cost-benefit analysis performed prior to implementation revealed significant expected long-term savings due to the SAP solution. The employee adoption rate is rising as the solution is being rolled out across the organization. Users are pleased with the new automated bar-code functionality and the modern, easy-to-use application interface. Smooth implementation was crucial since the new technologies were distributed to workers with various levels of familiarity with handheld devices. SAP played an important role in ensuring a harmonious migration by maintaining bar-code prefixes from the legacy system to help ease the transition. There were several reasons that we favored SAP Mobile Platform. Among these was that it was future proof and supported Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5, which was the only available platform for ruggedized devices. Peter Durrant, Senior Managing Consultant, IBM Corporation 5 / 6

6 Swedish Armed Forces Continuous growth with mobile strategies (15/12) The Swedish Armed Forces hope to continue to refine their processes by taking advantage of cutting-edge mobile technologies throughout the organization. The current priority is to continue rolling out the handheld devices to storage locations and increase the number of users. In the future, however, the Armed Forces plan to implement additional SAP technologies, including SAP Fiori apps. The Swedish Armed Forces have further committed to additional mobile solutions from SAP geared toward maintenance workers. Maintenance of fleet vehicles as well as other sea and air assets using the SAP Work Manager mobile app is a key use case that is currently being implemented. The combination of SAP Inventory Manager, SAP Work Manager, and SAP Mobile Platform more than meets the organization s mobile inventory management and maintenance needs. The Swedish Armed Forces continue to look to SAP and IBM for guidance and expertise in future mobile advancements. 6 / 6 Picture Credit Swedish Armed Forces, Stockholm, Sweden. Used with permission.

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