Syclo Blog >> How to Build the Mobile Business Case – Part 1

[Former Member]

Mobile is here and your users want it now.  However we don’t live in fantasyland.  Just like any IT initiative, you need to build a business case that is based on reality before you spend time and resources.  This series will focus on how to quantify the value of mobility for your asset management, inventory management and field service operations.

Luckily we now have access to the Value Engineering resources at SAP.  This series will be built on our experience working with customers as well as tools the SAP Value Engineering team has to quantify.

First lets discuss top executive issues you may hear.  How do I better manage my operations to reduce excessive inventory and maintenance costs? How do I increase profitability while maintaining the highest quality of service delivery? How do I enable an increasingly mobile workforce with the right tools to get the job done?

Above visually shows you what your world could look like from a Line of Business  – Value Scenario focus viewpoint.  This allows us to identify the desired outcomes and key benefits for each aspect of the value scenario that solves the issues.  You will want to do this with your business case so that it will help you clearly communicate at a high level what areas are impacted and desired outcomes with your team and executives.  You will want to ensure key stakeholders are represented.  Also use metrics and examples that are highly relevant.  If you can add explanatory facts and figures, it will enliven discussion.  Finally, make sure you focus on business elements, not technical because our end goal is to solve business issues.

In the next set of articles, we will cover the details on business processes and how they can be improved with mobile in a number of areas.   All this will help you build a quantified business case.