When real-time information became readily available to manufacturers, the first application began outside the four walls of the factory. Providing the field sales force the ability to complete transactions at their point of location greatly improved productivity. Simultaneously the ROI on the investments in hardware and software was very quick.

Mobility moved inside the plant using the same processes and is taking many forms including asset tracking, maintenance and safety, not to mention providing improved visibility into plant or company performance through applications such as executive dashboards.

"Mobile communication technologies are a critical enabler of intelligent and rapid decision making vital to serving customer needs while optimizing assets to create maximum shareholder value," explains Mark George, senior executive, operations consulting for the Accenture Process & Innovation Performance service line. "They support real-time monitoring of an ever increasing number of key performance indicators, and they are enabling prudent, timely decision making that is so critical in today's complex manufacturing environment."

By using a mobile device to communicate real-time data, plant personnel can track key metrics for enabling rapid decision making. Mobility is a key enabler of lean manufacturing, says Motorola's June Ruby. For instance, e-kanban solutions with a wireless call button placed at work stations allow workers to request inventory through a handheld device while remaining focused on the job at hand.

The key to manufacturers adopting this technology was the ability to use a single platform, a mobility middleware, says Igor Glubochansky, director of Industry Solutions for AT&T. "Good coverage of connectivity throughout the facility provides critical information which is then presented in a way that's easy to read," Glubochansky says. "We have the ability to create an application and then deploy to a variety of mobile devices."

Safety applications are increasingly popular avenues of utilizing this advanced technology, says June Ruby, director, Manufacturing Solutions Group, Motorola Mobility Solutions Business. "I see a lot of opportunity in the chemical, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors," she says. "A mobile operator is able to maintain visibility using a single mobile rugged device that allows for both real-time data collection and analysis. For example in the chemical industry, it allows operators to record and report on tanks levels while on location and away from the control room."

According to the "Motorola Enterprise Mobility Manufacturing Barometer" study, while 25% of manufacturers are investing in inventory/materials management and sales force applications, the trend is toward more use of mobile devices and applications on the shop floor.

Inventory management, materials management, WIP tracking, quality/control assurance and even human machine interface (HMI)/operator interface applications are receiving budget allocations. Since this technology improves processes and thus efficiency in operations, it has become a key factor in remaining competitive in the current climate.

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