For years we’ve had to put up with, well frankly an awful user experience (UX) when using ERP systems.
But a shift is happening. Baby boomers are beginning to retire and Millennials are becoming today’s supply chain managers. They’re seeking a new generation of monitoring tools to make their job easier, faster and more accurate.
Millenials are using yesterday’s supply chain tools
However what they are inheriting is software that was designed and built for yesterday’s world, UX was a fluffy add-on. Baby Boomer-era ERP systems are rather complex, to say the least.
And why wouldn’t they be? Some of today’s millennial supply chain managers responsibilities include: product planning, cost and development, manufacturing, service delivery, marketing & sales, inventory management, shipping and payment… the list goes on and on. And all that data means hundreds and thousands of data sheets and screens to go through. And on top of this is their customer tweeting about their late home delivery – pity the millennial supply chain manager.
Today’s supply chain technology: more focused on UX
But is there a better way emerging? The latest generation of monitoring tools is focusing on UX to improve efficiency, productivity and use. In a world where millennials can shop, email, video conference and crunch numbers from any device, anywhere, anytime, supply chain has no excuse.
These solutions deliver an on-screen experience akin to the most popular consumer applications today – while running on easily configurable cloud platforms – reducing the complexity of serving their customers’ ever-demanding needs without all the clutter, expense, and frankly awful experience of traditional enterprise software.
The world doesn’t stop when a supply chain manager is away from their desk, and neither does their business. Whether they are in a taxi or boarding a plane, the latest generation of platforms have native mobile apps that allow managers to keep on top of their supply chain performance with optimised screens, including intuitive navigation and alerts. It’s technology that keeps up with them.
If you want to hear about how Gravity is embracing millennials, get in touch.
