How Can Equipment Dealers Harness the Benefits of Mobile Technology?

Because most of your day-to-day equipment business operations take place in the field, developing a mobile strategy is a sound solution especially if you want to empower your staff on the go and stay ahead of the competition.

It’s high time you implement equipment enterprise resource planning (ERP) software with purpose-built features if you’re still using a legacy system that doesn’t support mobile integration, or much worse, if you’re still using pen-and-paper for record-keeping that’s prone to human errors.

As someone in the equipment industry, you need to have a thorough understanding of your business so you can identify what the key areas are in your operations that can benefit from mobile technology in your ERP. For example, your entire staff can harness the benefits of mobile technology helping them become more productive in the field—taking your business to the next level.

An equipment ERP that supports mobile integration can help you improve accessibility, visibility and efficiency in your business. Implementing equipment ERP technology can also help address business challenges like having too much inventory, which can cut into your profits.

Before we launch in on the specific ways mobile technology can empower equipment dealers, consider the fact that mobile devices are an everyday carry (EDC); we know something significant is missing when we forget our smartphones at home. And, like a Swiss Army Knife, mobile devices have a variety of tools and functionalities, many of which can be utilized for equipment dealer operations.

That should help impress upon you just how transformative mobile functionality can be for your business. Let's get started.

Utilize the Camera and GPS Functionality of a Mobile Device for Increased Visibility

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have become increasingly popular because of their high-resolution camera functionalities. Gone are the days when you had to carry a separate camera device to take pictures for documentation, download the files to a laptop and then send them through email.

Nowadays, your field technicians can conveniently use their mobile devices to take pictures of before-and-after equipment repairs and make them visible to key persons in your organization in real-time. Once the photos are uploaded, service managers and field technicians can access and share them with customers if necessary.

Global positioning system (GPS) is also a standard functionality of mobile devices that can help you increase visibility in managing your assets. A customer in need of a service, for example, will highly appreciate your swift response as your dispatchers can deploy the closest technician available located through GPS coordinates.

Another benefit of integrating mobile technology with your ERP is that it allows you to access critical data in telemetry devices installed in your assets. Let’s say you’re using telemetry devices in your new, used, rental or customer-owned equipment. In that case, equipment managers can easily access all data without having to plug into the device because new readings are automatically sent to their mobile devices, allowing them to make data-driven decisions wherever they are located.

Leverage Mobile Functionalities of Cloud ERP Software for Increased Accessibility

With mobile devices at your employees’ fingertips, they’re not tethered to the office. Your team can access your cloud data from a desktop application or web browser anywhere, as long as they have internet access.

Boost your sales team’s productivity by providing remote access to important information, allowing them to create quotes and manage billing with great accuracy. With mobile technology integrated with equipment ERP designed for the cloud, all your departments can access a single version of the truth from their mobile devices.

Suppose you’re considering upgrading your legacy system. In that case, it’s ideal that you choose an equipment ERP vendor that can provide you with a solution that seamlessly integrates with mobile devices, giving you a centralized database that unifies your entire organization and provides you with the specific functionalities your business needs.

Respond to Important Matters On-the-Go for Increased Efficiency

When you combine mobile technology and automation, you can increase efficiency in your day-to-day business processes. With the right information in their hands, your staff can do more on the go using their fully connected mobile devices.

• Dispatchers can conveniently monitor technicians, warehouses and service vans even if they’re not in the office. They can even create, assign and update work orders based on status, date, location, technician, equipment or customer on the fly.

• Service managers can implement automated alerts, including work order status updates, capture employee performance data and leverage real-time data to make informed decisions.

• Technicians can use their mobile devices to access work orders, warranty information, timekeeping records and customer data, as well as parts and inventory.

Successful equipment businesses have decided to implement an industry-specific ERP to help them manage their complex operations.

This is true for Equipment Depot, a trusted brand in material handling, who chose Aptean Equipment ERP to handle the complexity of their operations. The implementation resulted in effective management of more than 5,000 pieces of rental equipment, and their technicians have become more efficient in fulfilling service requests.

Even if your staff is in the field, they can simply use their phones to search your parts list, with quantities on-hand and on-order by location. After all, it’s only with real-time data that your employees can most effectively and efficiently manage inventory.

Enforce Workplace Safety When Using Mobile Devices

Increased productivity, convenient access to critical information and geolocation functionalities are some of the benefits of mobile technology in the workplace. However, it’s vital that you implement workplace safety when using mobile devices.

While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identified the “Cranes & Derricks in Construction” and “the operator’s reception of signals must be by a hands-free system” as the only federal standards that prohibit the use of cell phones while working, it’s ideal for promoting responsible mobile device use in the workplace.

When developing a mobile strategy, consider implementing preventive measures to mitigate the negative consequences of improper use of mobile devices in the workplace. Understanding the positive and negative implications of mobile use in the workplace can help provide a conducive work environment for your staff.

Setting internal policies on using mobile technology in the workplace promotes responsible use of technology and helps protect the “greatest asset” of your company—your workforce.

Integrating Mobile Technology Can Help Streamline Business Operations

Integrating mobile technology with your equipment ERP platform is a smart move if you want to increase the aforementioned visibility, accessibility and efficiency across your organization while also affording your team greater convenience and flexibility in serving your customers wherever they are. It can facilitate better results across multiple operational areas, from inventory management to customer service.

Not all ERPs on the market can integrate with mobile technology, and only a few vendors can offer industry-specific solutions that are truly built to tackle the unique challenges of your equipment dealership. If you’re ready to implement an equipment ERP or replace your old legacy system, choose a partner with decades of solid experience in providing tailored solutions designed for your unique industry challenges, like Aptean.

Aptean Equipment ERP seamlessly integrates the benefits of mobile technology, providing a unified platform across your organization.

Contact our team of equipment ERP experts to learn more about Aptean’s purpose-built solutions or you can reach us today to request a personalized demo.