DC Velocity - October 2018

BY BEN AMES, SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

MOBILE TECH
Technology

IN THE DECADES SINCE THEY WERE INTRODUCED INTO warehouse operations, mobile computing devices have virtually transformed the business of data collection, making pencils and clipboards a thing of the past. But it’s not just the warehouses that have experienced a transformation; the devices themselves have undergone a wholesale evolutionary change over that period, morphing from the clunky scanners of yesteryear to today’s smart, sleek multifunctional devices.

And there’s more change ahead. This time, the catalyst isn’t so much technological advances as a business decision by the market’s dominant software provider. In February 2017, Microsoft Corp. announced that it planned to “sunset” its support of its popular Windows CE and Embedded Handheld operating systems (OS), the versions of its Windows OS used in nearly all brands of handheld devices. The move is widely expected to trigger a rush among warehouse users to replace what will soon be obsolete devices.

So what does all this mean for the market? Will users make wholesale technology replacements? Or will they take a wait-and-see approach? And if they decide to swap out their equipment, what will they look for in their next-generation devices?

To get a better understanding of mobile computing in the warehouse—both where it stands today and users’ plans for the future—DC VELOCITY teamed up with ARC Advisory Group, a Dedham, Mass., management consulting firm, to conduct a study. The research, which was conducted among 34 logistics professionals, looked at topics such as respondents’ current use and future plans for use of various mobile operating systems (OS), the relative importance of mobile OS capabilities, the value of various scanning capabilities, and their use of consumer-grade versus ruggedized equipment. What follows is a look at some of the key findings.

A fresh read on mobile computing in the warehouse

With the market at a crossroads, our exclusive survey offers an inside look at the state of mobile computing today and the outlook for the future.

The “Mobile Computing in the Modern Warehouse” study was conducted by ARC Advisory Group in conjunction with DC VELOCITY. ARC analyst Clint Reiser oversaw the research and compiled the results.

The 24-question survey explored the current use of mobile devices in the warehouse as well as users’ plans for the future. The findings reported here are based on 34 responses. Respondents included logistics professionals from a variety of industries, who completed an online questionnaire in July 2018. As for the demographic breakdown, the respondents included manufacturers ( 47 percent), wholesalers ( 21 percent), third-party logistics service providers ( 15 percent), retailers ( 6 percent), and “other” ( 12 percent).

A report containing a more detailed examination of the mobile device survey results is available from ARC. To find out how to obtain a copy, visit https://www.arcweb.com/products-services.