Mhlnews 4614 Supply Chain App 1

Supply Chain Mobile Offerings Not That Good Says Survey

July 27, 2016
 Just 15% of respondents to new study rate their mobile offerings “excellent.”

While a majority of companies have a mobile presence, either a website or app, the experience is less than optimal.

A new report, “The State of the Mobile Experience”, which surveyed nearly 300 key influencers and decision makers across supply chain industries, retail, insurance and finance, reveals that nine in 10 companies already have a mobile website, and eight in 10 currently use a mobile app. However, just 15% of respondents rate their mobile offerings “excellent.”

But companies are willing to invest in their mobile offerings. On average, 91% of companies plan to invest in mobile in 2016, and of those, 86% plan to spend more than $100,000.

Mobile will also remain a top priority in the years to come. On a ten point scale, 69% of respondents rank mobile as an eight or above in terms of importance over the next three years.

The study, conducted by PointSource, revealed that supply chain leaders are most interested in using mobile devices to improve processes such as:

  • Logistics management (88%)
  • Barcode scanning and storage (73%)
  • Inventory optimization software (69%)
  • Field service software management (58%)

Highlights of the survey include:

User expectations are a key motivator behind mobile investments: Of companies planning on investing in mobile in the next year, the top reasons included wanting to meet customers’ expressed desires for mobile (71%), wanting to expand current products or services (61%), and wanting to prepare for a mobile-driven future (59%).

Companies are ready to spend to meet employee and customer demands: Of those investing in mobile in 2016, 32% say their companies plan to spend between $100,000-$250,000, 29% plan to spend between $250,000- $500,000, and a quarter plan to spend more than $500,000.

Companies will focus on creating mobile experiences that tie in new and emerging technologies: For those respondents planning to invest, mobile payments (64%), social commerce (52%) and video marketing (49%) will be areas of focus over the next year.

Supply chain organizations must focus their efforts on tailored mobile offerings: Seventy percent of supply chain respondents with a mobile app tailored to their company report improved customer satisfaction, 63% report stronger connections with customers and 59% report improved internal processes.

• Retailers have an opportunity to further enhance the user experience with applied mobile analytics: A third of retail decision makers do not currently track purchasing history via mobile, and more than half are not tracking loyalty metrics. Only 38% currently track app opens.

Latest from Technology & Automation

#177137895@Mustsansar Syed| Dreamstime
AI's Role in Developing Resilient Supply Chains
#146171327 © Kittipong Jirasukhanont| Dreamtime
Warehouse Market to Increase 24% By 2030