Optimizing mobile applications for logistics

In logistics, SAP Fiori apps have to control and handle a large number of processes that are essential for smooth operations. These include, for example, inventory management in the warehouse, picking and packing materials or posting warehouse movements. "In-house developed Fiori apps, which are specially tailored to a company's requirements, often have the task of supporting processes that cannot be mapped using standard solutions," explains Sebastian Wachter, Manager at Quanto Solutions. The SAP and IT consultancy specializes in the design of optimal logistics processes with Fiori apps and their sustainable optimization. "In practice, however, performance, usability and functional errors must be monitored and managed on an ongoing basis."

Challenges in use

When problems occur, they often involve long loading times, data loss and transmission errors when switching between offline and online mode or poor usability, which limit the effectiveness of Fiori apps. This is where a monitoring and optimization tool comes in, which systematically records and analyses usage data in order to identify problems before they have a serious impact. "This targeted analysis enables companies to identify and rectify the causes of performance problems and usability weaknesses at an early stage," says Wachter.

A tool such as Quanto Analytics from Quanto Solutions is specially designed to monitor the performance and user behavior of SAP Fiori apps. It collects data from the backend via the SAP gateway and Fiori Launchpad (or workzone) to the actual app, aggregates this data and analyzes it. This gives companies the opportunity to optimize their apps and, if necessary, the underlying processes in a targeted manner.
A key feature of the tool is its ability to carry out in-depth error analyses. For example, it uncovers slow response times, failed service calls or authorization problems. In particular, apps developed in-house or clumsily extended often reveal that complex code or unnecessary data processing impairs performance. The analysis and management tool provides valuable information for the effective further development and improvement of apps.

Inventory management in the warehouse with mobile applications

A practical example shows how Quanto Analytics can be used to optimize inventory management in the warehouse. In a large warehouse, a company uses a mobile Fiori app that enables warehouse employees to manage current stock levels in real time. Employees scan barcodes of packaging units and items to record goods movements and make stock adjustments in the SAP system. However, the app has been extended to also interact with a third-party warehouse management system (WMS) specifically designed for the automated management of fast-moving items. This WMS is responsible for highly automated areas of the warehouse where conveyor belts and storage and retrieval machines are used. The app should now ensure that stock movements are recorded correctly in both the SAP system and the WMS and that stock levels remain consistent in both systems. In practice, however, the problem repeatedly arises that the stock movements for fast-moving items are incorrect, even though the employees have carried out the processes correctly.

Quanto Analytics is used to investigate the problem by monitoring the app's behavior in real time. It turns out that the long response times of the service calls when processing certain materials are the cause, partly due to an inadequate implementation of a BAdI (Business Add-In) in SAP. Especially with a high number of simultaneous requests, the calls are sometimes aborted, which means that certain goods movements are not posted. The analysis shows that unnecessary data is aggregated and transferred, which significantly impairs the performance of the system. After refactoring the code and scaling the infrastructure, the problem can finally be resolved. The app now runs stably, the stock movements are posted correctly and the number of error messages is significantly reduced.

Another problem uncovered by Quanto Analytics is the lack of visibility of error messages for employees. It turns out that although the error messages are generated, they are displayed outside the currently visible area of the app. This is a recurring usability problem with mobile applications. This leads to employees not noticing the messages and continuing to try to get on with their work. The solution is therefore to integrate the error messages into the booking workflow as a pop-up overlay so that they have to be actively confirmed by the employees. This allows transmission errors to be detected and rectified at an early stage.

Reduce errors, increase productivity

The combination of performance monitoring, usability analysis and error documentation can make optimization tools such as Quanto Analytics an important tool for companies that want and need to optimize their Fiori apps in the field of logistics. The targeted analysis of performance problems and usability hurdles, the early identification of errors and the continuous monitoring of the apps help to increase productivity, reduce errors and increase user acceptance.