Mastering Mobile Inventory Management for Oracle SCM Cloud: The Ultimate Guide

OVERVIEW:

Overview of Mobile Inventory Solutions

What Problems Does Mobile Inventory Solve?

Benefits of Mobile Inventory for Oracle Cloud SCM

The Role of Mobile Apps in Mobile Inventory

Offline Inventory Control for Oracle Cloud SCM

How to Preserve Legacy ERP Functionality

Industry-Specific Mobile Solutions

Finding the Right Mobile Inventory Solution

Future Trends and Innovations

Mobile Inventory as a Best Practice

In today’s fast-paced supply chain, effective inventory management is crucial to success. With the growing reliance on digital technologies and reliable data, Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM has emerged as a powerful platform, enabling organizations to optimize their inventory control practices.

However, having the ERP in place doesn’t automatically equip your workers with critical inventory data. High-performing operations require instant, on-demand access when and where employees need it. The ability to update Oracle Cloud as work occurs is an essential best practice for accurate tracking and reporting.

That’s why companies running Oracle are increasingly turning to mobile solutions to maximize accuracy, efficiency, and the benefits of their ERP investment.

In this guide, we will explore mobile inventory solutions for Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM & Manufacturing, its uses, benefits, and best practices for evaluating possible solutions and vendors.

Overview of Mobile Inventory Solutions for Oracle Cloud SCM

While Oracle Cloud SCM is an innovative, next-gen ERP platform, getting maximum value from it requires mobile inventory management.

Mobile inventory solutions use a combination of mobile devices, barcode scanning, and software to automate manual processes.

One such solution is mobile barcoding, which extends the power of Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM to point-of-scan. Equipping frontline staff with mobile software gives them the ability to update Oracle Cloud in real time, wherever they work.

With the right mobile tools in place, you can create a truly mobile supply chain while driving critical KPIs like accuracy, efficiency, quality, and more. The end result is an agile, resilient supply chain operating at optimal performance.

Implementing mobile barcode software for Oracle Cloud SCM can enhance multiple areas of supply chain management, such as:

Demand planning and forecasting

Sales and operations planning

Inventory management and optimization

Supplier collaboration and performance management

Manufacturing planning and execution

Quality management

A variety of other advanced mobile solutions exist as well. Such solutions use mobile apps and backend process automation to further streamline operations. For instance, RFgen Mobile Edge uses both to enable quick and easy-to-configure automation for unique and complex business needs.

What Problems Does Mobile Inventory Solve?

Companies looking into mobile solutions for inventory management are often seeking to solve a problem or set of problems. While mobile is not a cure-all, it can help alleviate bottlenecks, free up manpower, and automate otherwise laborious tasks with cost-effective solutions and fast ROI.

If any of these problems sound familiar, then mobile inventory could be a good fit for your operation:

Inefficient inventory/warehouse processes

Lack of visibility or reliable data

Labor and cost challenges

Lost or expired materials

No offline inventory control

Benefits of Mobile Inventory for Oracle Cloud SCM

For operations to be nimble and efficient, a mobile supply chain is needed. By using widespread familiarity with mobile devices, you can put much-needed information in the hands of your workforce. Material handling becomes easier, faster, and more efficient.

Some of the immediate benefits of mobile inventory for Oracle Cloud SCM include:

24/7 visibility

99.9%+ accuracy

+30% efficiency

+30% productivity

+80% faster training

An effective mobile inventory system also generates larger operational benefits, such as:

Reduced operational costs

Enhanced business alignment

Elevated customer service

Better demand planning and forecasting

Streamlined order management and procurement

High-quality data for reporting and decision-making

Scalability of operations

The Role of Mobile Apps in Mobile Inventory

While mobile inventory solutions do most of their automation work in the background, warehouse workers will use mobile apps to interact with the software and your ERP.

Mobile apps give end-users a simple, intuitive interface that only shows them the forms and fields they need to do their job, increasing productivity. Combined with instant transactions with Oracle Cloud, inventory control accelerates into real-time with pinpoint accuracy.

Mobile Apps for Oracle SCM Cloud

Pre-built mobile applications provide a framework or template to facilitate fast, low-effort configuration. Instead of conforming your business practices to your software, you can mold your mobile applications to match your exact processes.

For example, RFgen Mobile Edge for Oracle Cloud provides ready-made mobile apps for:

Inventory Management: cycle counting, inquiries, issues, subinventories, physical inventories, and transfers.

Order Management: picking, wave packing, sales orders, work orders, and ship confirm.

Purchase Orders: receiving, line inquiries, inspections, put-away, returns, and RMA returns.

Manufacturing: completes, OPM completes, issues, and OPM issues.

Additional apps for security, fixed assets, maintenance, and time tracking are also available.

Native or Web-Based Mobile Apps?

Oracle Cloud can be extended with native mobile applications or web-based applications. Both have advantages.

Web-based mobile apps are simpler to deploy since the only compatibility requirement for mobile devices is the ability to use a web browser. Unfortunately, web apps can be slow to interact with Oracle Cloud (up to 50 seconds per transaction) and lack offline capabilities. Overall functionality is limited.

Native mobile apps enable maximum use of each device’s capabilities, including processing power, camera, GPS, and more. Transactions with your ERP are much faster. But native apps can be challenging since compatibility across different devices requires tweaking.

Solutions like RFgen give you the best of both worlds. The built-in Mobile Development Studio enables you to leverage the full potential of native apps without the compatibility headaches. Not only do you get transactions that update Oracle in just milliseconds, but automated scaling capabilities allow for cross-device compatibility, regardless of screen size or device type.

You also have several options for offline inventory control.

Offline Inventory Control for Oracle Cloud SCM

A common gap in inventory management is offline control. When your mobile device doesn’t have access to Wi-Fi or Oracle is offline for maintenance, data collection stops. Materials stop moving.

Having an offline component becomes essential to ensure the continuous flow of goods without loss of productivity.

Offline inventory control solutions for Oracle Cloud can be part of your mobile environment. Equipping workers in the field or in specialized areas like freezers with offline data collection ensures 24/7 continuity. Data doesn’t get lost—and doesn’t need to be reworked—when connectivity drops.

Depending on the needs of your operation, one or more offline inventory solutions may be helpful:

Batch Offline Solutions: Enables the device to store data until Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity is restored. Ideal for freezers and offsite tasks.

Continuous Availability: A highly reliable offline solution that maintains data collection capabilities while connectivity with Oracle Cloud is unavailable. Very effective for mission-critical operations and at remote sites.

Field Mobility: Similar to batch mode, field mobility also leverages additional capabilities for signature confirmation, GPS integration, and periodic connectivity with Oracle Cloud.

How to Preserve Legacy ERP Functionality

If you’re one of the many organizations that use multiple ERP platforms, then you may be worried about losing functionality when one of your legacy ERPs is retired. The same holds true for companies seeking to migrate to Oracle Fusion Cloud.

Unlike last-gen ERPs that were primarily on-premises, Oracle Cloud’s core code cannot be customized. Although beneficial in the long run, this could mean reconfiguring your business processes to match the way Oracle Cloud operates.

You may lose custom code or essential features for unique and complex business processes when leaving that old software behind.

Mobile inventory solutions like RFgen cater to this exact need. Highly adaptable and customizable, your Oracle Cloud mobile solution can be designed to preserve legacy functionality or augment current Oracle capabilities. Having the solution in place before pulling the plug will help prevent disruption.

With a decades-long history of mobile integrations, RFgen senior consultants are able to integrate multiple enterprise systems for two-way data exchange. Enterprise organizations running other major ERP platforms like Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle’s JD Edwards, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and even Deltek Costpoint, can tie these disparate systems into a single holistic data ecosystem.

This approach empowers you to harness the full power of Oracle Cloud SCM without sacrificing existing capabilities.

Industry-Specific Mobile Inventory Solutions

Mobile inventory covers material handling of all types. Therefore, any industry that handles large amounts of inventory or fixed assets can benefit from mobility. Wherever your operation needs to track or transact inventory, Oracle-connected mobile apps can make it happen.

Mobile Solutions for Manufacturing

In particular, manufacturers have much to gain from mobile inventory solutions. Real-time tracking of raw materials, WIP products, finished goods, fixed assets, spare parts and consumables, and other types of materials helps reduce shrinkage and increase efficiency.

Fewer stoppages on the production line due to insufficient inputs translate to lower overhead and greater profits.

With mobile, you can enhance production for discrete, process, and mixed-mode manufacturing. Track materials across production flows using lot, batch, and serial numbering, as well as license plating (advanced pallet labels).

Other industries that make or process goods stand to benefit as well:

Aerospace & Defense

Automotive

Chemicals

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)

Electronics

Food & Beverage

Industrial Manufacturing

Medical Devices

Oil & Gas (and companies supporting the industry)

To name a few.

Mobile Solutions for Distributors

Distributors and wholesalers need speed and accuracy to ensure orders go out the door on time—and they don’t come back. For distribution centers using Oracle Cloud SCM, mobile inventory is an essential component of efficient operations, from retail to wholesale.

Mobile apps greatly accelerate pick/pack/ship as well as their accuracy. RMAs become simple, fast, and efficient.

Mobile Solutions for Other Industries

If your business handles large quantities of equipment at multiple locations or campuses, mobile inventory can help you track fixed assets more effectively.

RFgen mobile barcoding solutions for Oracle have delivered proven benefits to companies in:

Hospitals

Mining

Municipal governments

University and corporate campuses

Utilities

Finding the Right Mobile Inventory Solution

Once you have gained a firm understanding of your internal business needs, the next step is to find the right mobile solution for Oracle Cloud SCM.

Consider some of the following criteria:

Integration: Does the mobile solution have certified integration with Oracle Cloud?

Functionality: Will the solution expand operational capabilities?

Flexibility: Can the software be configured to your specific business processes?

Usability: Is the mobile UI/UX simple and intuitive for end-users?

Offline: Does the potential solution include seamless offline inventory control?

Self-Ownership: Is there an option to manage or configure the solution in-house with low-code?

Implementation: How long will it take to reach go-live and will you have support along the way?

Look for Experienced Experts

Beyond the software itself, you will want to look for a vendor that can provide nuanced, expert guidance during the buying, implementation, and post-implementation processes. Some providers may use junior consultants that lack adequate experience to help you solve your problems satisfactorily. Opt for a company that can offer experience and best practices to get the best possible outcome.

Consider Managed Services

Some companies may wish to offload as much technical maintenance burden as possible, especially when IT bandwidth is limited. In this case, ask potential vendors if they offer managed services. Although there is an additional expense, managed mobile services remove the worry and resources that would otherwise be required to manage the solution with in-house personnel.

Future Trends and Innovations in Oracle Cloud SCM

As mobile technology continues to advance and Oracle Cloud SCM gains more functionality, we can expect continuing value from both. Investing in mobile solutions for Oracle Cloud will be one way to future-proof your ERP ecosystem. This is especially true for mobile platforms that can be easily expanded or modified with built-in low-code tools.

Expect new innovations in emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and robotics as well. Integrating these high-potential technologies into automatic data collection software will further enhance supply chain operations.

Regardless of which solutions you bring into your warehouse or production plant, barcoding remains a mainstay for inventory management. Without perfect data collection, accurate reporting is impossible, leading your organization to less-than-optimal decision-making. The future of your business could be at stake.

Mobile Inventory is a Best Practice for Oracle Cloud SCM

Companies using Oracle Cloud SCM already enjoy digital operations. Mobile inventory solutions allow businesses to leverage mobile barcode scanning and real-time inventory tracking to make informed decisions, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency.

Equipping frontline workers with mobile devices and barcode scanners isn’t optional in the modern supply chain. It’s a necessary but beneficial value-add proven to provide upticks in key performance metrics.

Making Oracle Cloud SCM mobile provides a powerful, flexible means for optimizing supply chain processes and addressing unique challenges faced by each industry. Without it, Oracle Cloud users are bound to struggle with inefficiency and unreliable data.

Stop wasting time and resources when mobile inventory can help you elevate agility and profitability, while ensuring scalability for long-term growth.

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