In the coming year, how important will it be for  small to mid-sized companies to access real-time business information quickly and securely via a smart phone or other device?

In a word: very.

The companies we work with are finding it necessary to move beyond the confines of their desk, warehouse, workstation or production line.

A company’s personnel are finding it increasingly more convenient and appealing to use their mobile devices to monitor what’s happening in real time throughout the entire enterprise.

BYOD

You’ve likely seen the acronym – BYOD – or Bring Your Own Device.

BYOD reflects the widely adopted practice of employees who bring their own Smartphone’s, tablets, laptops and other devices to connect to a corporate network.

In the case of ERP, data sensitivity and security must be considered.  That’s why we see companies grappling with security issues, even as they seek convenient real-time mobile access to ERP system data.

Data integration, mobile access to BI reporting,  mobility-enhanced interfaces all come into play here.  The question to consider for 2013 is: how can vendors effectively bring ERP onto mobile devices?