IFS ERP Mobility Survey

Overview and Projections onRemote Access to Enterprise Data

BackgroundIn mid-2011, a study was conducted among manufacturing executives and professionals of middle market to large manufacturers to better understand their interest in and demand for mobile device access to enterprise applications. This study illuminates: • how enterprise software is currently accessed

via mobile devices• what types of mobile applications and

interfaces respondents are most interested in • how mobile interfaces may change the way

we work.

This study was conducted by IFS North America and Mint Jutras , an independent research-based consulting firm that specializes in analyzing the business impact of enterprise applications

Major Areas Explored Which mobile devices are used now and

anticipated replacements Where and how people access (or would like

to access) enterprise software from a mobile device

Priority placed on the mobile interface How much time respondents spend working

remotely The degree to which respondents work

outside of normal business hours How the amount of personal time spent

may increase or decrease with mobile access to enterprise software

Applications included: Enterprise

Resource Planning (ERP)

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)

Business Intelligence (BI)

Key Findings

• Manufacturing professionals view the mobile interface as an important consideration in enterprise software selection

• Few respondents currently rate access to enterprise software from their mobile device highly and many have no access today

• The mobile interface is more important to respondents who regularly work during personal time than to those who work primarily during business hours

Device Preference

Android

iPhoneiPad

Other t

ablet

Blackb

erryOth

er0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

20%28%

11%4%

53%

11%

26%

42%

23%

5%

37%

2%

Currently Use Most likely next device

Survey respondents were screened to ensure that all currently use some type of mobile device as well as enterprise software. Blackberry devices dominate today.

Blackberry Dominates Now…

• More than half of respondents (53%) indicated that the Blackberry was the mobile device currently used (followed by iPhone at 29% and Android at 20%)

• But not for long…• “What mobile device(s) will you likely acquire for work

when it is time to replace your current unit?”• iPhone will take the lead (42%), followed by Blackberry

(37%)• Android gains (26%) but won’t lead

Does Age Matter?Devices Currently Used

Android iPhone iPad Other tablet

Blackberry Other 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

25% 25%

5% 5%

35%

20%20%

28%

12%

4%

52%

8%

18%

25%

9%

4%

46%

9%

18%

27%

12%

5%

52%

13%

18 - 35 36 - 45 45 - 55 55+Age Groups

Does Age Matter?Devices Currently Used

• One might expect the Blackberry would be used more heavily by older respondents and Androids and iPhones more by younger respondents

• True, but even among the 18-34 year age category, Blackberry is still dominant

• This may be due to the fact that Blackberry is still the preferred company-issued smartphone

• Where the choice of device is left to the individual… the Blackberry is less focused on consumer applications and more focused strictly on business use

Blending Business and Personal Time

• The more likely respondents were to work outside of business hours, the more likely they were to use a Blackberry instead of an iPhone or Android

• Think of it this way…– Does your device bring business to your personal life

(often with a Blackberry)? Or…– Do you bring your personal life into the office via an

Android or iPhone?

What about the new tablets?

• iPads dominate over other tablets, but with still a relatively small percentage carrying them for business use

• While the iPad appears to be poised for significant percentage growth, its small initial share among this sample means that even its projected 114% gain still means it lags smartphones in terms of actual use

Accessibility of Application from a Mobile Device

ERP avg 2.0 CRM avg 2.5 EAM avg 2.3 SCM avg 2.30%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

4% 3% 3% 4%

47%

32% 35%39%

% Rated as Excellent % Rated little to none

Applications were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 is excellent and 1 indicates little access or none

Only 27% are currently performing functions in an enterprise application from their mobile device

Limited Mobile Access to Enterprise Applications

• This small percentage (27%) is likely influenced by the limited mobile connectivity of the enterprise applications themselves

• Connectivity requires a modern underlying technology not available on legacy applications and older versions of software

• While a negligible few rate their level of accessibility as excellent, a third to almost one half (varying by application) have little or no access

• Respondents accessing CRM via a mobile device are more likely to have access, but no more likely to rate it as excellent

Relative Priority of Mobile Functions0 (would not use) 1 (would be useful) 2 (must have)

All Respondents

Approvals and authorizations 1.19

Notifications and alerts 1.17

Contact Management 1.17

Business Intelligence 1.07Take photos; attach to records 1.02

Product Information 0.99

Supplier Management 0.94

Work Order Management 0.91

Order/Account Management 0.91

Personnel/HR administration 0.86Acceptance of jobs from a queue 0.78

CRM/SFA 0.73

Voice to text 0.72

Survey respondents were asked to prioritize various tasks that could be performed with enterprise applications using a mobile device. A handful of tasks were rated more highly than others. One thing that these tasks have in common is that they all deliver real time data and facilitate time-sensitive processes and all allow the user to actively participate in business processes using the mobile device.

Relative Priority of Mobile Functions0 (would not use) 1 (would be useful) 2 (must have)

All Respondents

Approvals and authorizations 1.19

Notifications and alerts 1.17

Contact Management 1.17

Business Intelligence 1.07Take photos; attach to records 1.02

Product Information 0.99

Supplier Management 0.94

Work Order Management 0.91

Order/Account Management 0.91

Personnel/HR administration 0.86Acceptance of jobs from a queue 0.78

CRM/SFA 0.73

Voice to text 0.72

Again, the more personal time spent (outside business hours), the more importance was placed on being able to perform these tasks.

Tasks which were lower in priority were those less critical to actually conducting business transactions. While it might be a time saver to approve time off or other personnel requests remotely, there is no direct negative impact in delaying those activities.

Places people are most likely to work from outside the office

I don’t work out of the office, 5%

In a designated home office,

29%

In other places around my home, 30%

On a plane, 12%

Hotel rooms & supplier /cus-

tomer sites, 3%

Public places 14%

Where people work outside the office has a bearing on the priority of mobile access. Those working at home, in hotels or on customer sites may have access to a reliable internet connection in these locations, as well as a suitable place to work on a laptop. But in public places like restaurants, taxi cabs and airplanes, the lack of a stable wireless connection and the lack of a suitable work surface make mobile access more critical.

Priority of Mobile User Interface

Most Important Consideration; 13%

As Important as Other Features; 68%

Not a Top Priority; 18%

No Consideration At All; 2%

The vast majority of respondents indicated that during software selection, the mobile interface for an enterprise application was as important as other features. Overall, 82% said the mobile interface was either the most important feature or as important as other features.

Lifestyle and Productivity Impacts Mobility

• Today the lines between work and private life are blurred, even in a traditional brick and mortar industry

• Mobile access to enterprise software can facilitate this blended lifestyle, but what impact will it have on the way people work, how often they work and where they work?

• Will this drive new productivity for people who spend time in transit or in other locations where a hand-held, mobile device is the only viable tool?

• Will it cause work to increasingly encroach on personal time?

Time Spent Working Remotely During Business Hours

None < 4 hours 4 - 10 hours 10 - 20 hours

20 - 30 hours

> 30 hours0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

3%

26%

39%

25%

4% 4%

Most respondents spend at least four hours per week working remotely. Often this translates into one day a week spent working outside the office, either through travel or in search of quiet time away from the office. Most homes are now connected and reducing the cost of commuting is desirable.

Frequency of Requiring Access “On the Move”

An even larger percentage of respondents indicate they require a connection to enterprise software “on the move” at least once per week. In these situations, sitting down, logging in and working on a laptop is impractical.

0%10%20%30%40%50%

4%16%

47%

21%7% 5%

Working on Personal Time

Every day, 21%

Several days a week; 40.5%

Several days a month, 25%

Once a month, 5%Less than once a month, 6% Never, 3%

Meanwhile, the majority of respondents report working on personal time either every day or several times a week. Work-life balance advocates may wonder about the degree to which always-on connectivity to the enterprise system may cause individuals to work more on personal time and how much this may disrupt private lives.

Would remote access cause you to work more outside normal business hours?

Yes – and it would be more disruptive to have constant

access regardless of where I am, 15%

Yes – and it would be minimally disrup-

tive compared to being tied to a lap-

top, 48%

No – I would save time through this

access, 24%

No – I would not be more likely to work more on my

own time, 12%

Yet only 15% indicate remote access to enterprise data would be MORE disruptive. Easy access through a mobile device, any time, any where, allows a decision maker to connect and act immediately without the disruption of finding an Internet connection and “firing up.”

Conclusion

• Mobile access to enterprise software appears to be a tremendous opportunity to increase productivity given that additional work can be completed while in transit, both inside and outside of work hours

• While mobility is far from a universal feature today of enterprise applications, as software users recognize the value, software providers must necessarily respond with features and functions

• The ability to connect and respond immediately improves productivity and far outweighs the cost of the intrusion of a mobile device

Methodology• This research was conducted collaboratively with Mint Jutras

and IFS North America, the Americas subsidiary of a provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise asset management (EAM) and other enterprise solutions

• The study was executed in June of 2011 and was administered over the Internet among subscribers of Manufacturing Business Technology (MBT). Respondents were pre-qualified for using both enterprise software and a mobile device. Individuals were further qualified for being employed in companies estimating 2010 revenues at $100 million or more.

• In total, 281 corporate, operations, and IT executives and managers in manufacturing companies participated in this study

About the Respondents and Their Facilities

Role % CountSenior IT Management (CIO/CTO, VP of IT, IT Director, etc.)

11.4% 32

Systems Integrator 2.8% 8

Process Control Engineer 3.9% 11Plant Manager 2.8% 8Design Engineer 4.3% 12Senior Corporate/Financial Management 3.2% 9

Senior Manufacturing /Production /Operations Management

15.3% 43

CEO/COO/President 3.6% 10Supply Chain Manager/Executive 9.6% 27Logistics or Transportation Manager/Executive 2.1% 6Sourcing/Procurement Manager/Executive 7.1% 20

Operations Manager 6.8% 19CFO or Financial Executive 0.7% 2

Consultant/Analyst 7.5% 21

Other (please specify) 18.9% 53

Respondents to the study were largely senior IT and manufacturing operations personnel.A broad range of industries were represented and included aerospace/ defense, food and beverage, medical devices, computer systems and peripherals, chemicals, wood and paper, metals, etc.

About IFS

IFS is a public company (OMX STO: IFS) founded in 1983 that develops, supplies, and implements IFS Applications™, a component-based extended ERP suite built on SOA technology. IFS focuses on agile businesses where any of four core processes are strategic: Service & asset management, manufacturing, supply chain and projects. The company has 2,000 customers and is present in more than 50 countries with 2,700 employees in total.

IFS Mobility SurveyContact Information:

Charles Rathmann, AnalystIFS North America

262.317.7419chuck.rathmann@ifsworld.com