msc mobile emerging technologies blog

How To Automate the "Cordova prepare" Command

Posted by Alexander Ilg on May 27, 2018 2:27:12 PM

The SAM Smart Asset Management client is based on the Apache Cordova framework and SAP UI5. This ensures that the application is platform independent and runs on iOS, Android and Windows.

When you are familiar with Cordova you know that you need to run a cordova prepare statement every time you change one of the files in the www folder and you want to test it.

The following short tutorial shows how you can automate this processes so that it happens without interaction in the background

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Topics: Cordova, SAM

Custom Look and Feel for SAM Smart Asset Management

Posted by Alexander Ilg on May 24, 2018 2:45:57 PM

The demands for enterprise software has changed since the user experience of the iPhone has spoiled us all. Especially when it comes to mobile applications, companies demand to use their own corporate identity. This is even more important when the application is customer facing, for example in a customer service scenario.

SAM allows to change the basic look and feel of the mobile client within minutes. This short tutorial will show you how.

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Topics: UI5, SAM

Introducing SAM 2.0

Posted by Alexander Ilg on May 24, 2018 11:48:10 AM
Today I would like to introduce you to SAM 2.0, where we did a lot of improvements over version 1. This blog will highlight the new features and changes.
 

SAM Scenarios

In the last year we had implementation projects with customers that have different user groups, different roles and need therefore different frontends for them. Because of this we introduced SAM Scenarios, which allows us to deploy different client UI's with different data model and different data distribution logic on the same middleware.
 

Hot Deployment of Mobile App

With SAM 2.0, the client user interface based on SAP UI5 can be deployed on the middleware. It is downloaded into the Apache Cordova container during the initial synchronization.
While in the past, the user had to download a new IPA or APK when the client UI changed, in SAM 2.0 the UI is automatically updated when the user is synchronizing. Only in case the core of SAM is changing, an update of the app is required.
 

SAM Sync Model Creation

The middleware of SAM is built around SAP MobiLink, the in our eyes best middleware technology in the market. In the past we used the SQL Central tool that comes with MobiLink to create the synchronization model and all the filter logic for our customers. This was not ideal, and we have not been happy with it.
In SAM 2.0, the synchronization model of MobiLink can be created and deployed directly on in the SAM Cockpit. Now we have all functionality in one central place and accessible via the web browser.
 

Enhanced Monitoring and Logging features

We enhanced the monitoring and logging features in the SAM Cockpit, making it much easier now to view synchronizations and their status.
 

Enhanced Role Concept in the SAM Cockpit

With more functionality in the areas of monitoring and development, the SAM Cockpit became really powerful. At the same time, it can now be used by different roles like administrators, consultants and developers. Because of this, we now allow different user roles in the cockpit and restrict the access to functionality based on the assigned role.
 

Improved performance on Android

We invested heavily in improving SAM on Android. While Android is in general slower can iOS or Windows devices, we tuned the client in a way that we now reach a great performance even on weaker Android based industrial devices.

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Topics: MobiLink, SAM, smart asset management

SAM launch in the Netherlands with Ideo - Prepare for the Future

Posted by Alexander Ilg on Jun 19, 2017 4:29:14 PM

On 15. June 2017, I went to Utrecht for the SAM Smart Asset Management launch in the Netherlands. The event was organised by our partner Ideo, who selected a nice location. This blog shows a few impressions of the meeting.
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Topics: SAM

Up- and Download of large binary Maintenance Data to SAP

Posted by Alexander Ilg on May 23, 2017 9:18:40 AM

If well maintained, your SAP Plant Maintenance system should be the central point to get all information about your technical objects. General equipment data, characteristics, measurement points and their documents, notification and order history. But that is not all, some of the information that you want to store are binary data - issues are documented by making pictures or by taking a backup of the equipment’s software. For making the live of service technicians easier you want to provide documentation, technical drawings and other attachments. 

When users access the SAP PM functionality via a mobile device - especially in an offline scenario - they need an efficient way to send these binaries both ways. With MobiLink, SAP offers a great tool that allows just that. It can be used to synchronize database tables, but also binaries independent from the database. This blog explains the basics of the FileTransfer feature and shows a customer example how it is used to synchronize large binaries in a customer service scenario.

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Topics: MobiLink, SAP, Maintenance, offline, SAM, smart asset management

Introducing our new SAM Reseller and Implementation Partner Ideo

Posted by Alexander Ilg on May 17, 2017 3:00:19 PM

/'s-Hertogenbosch, 18. May 2017 - msc solutions, a German expert in plant maintenance and customer service software, announces today that the Dutch SAP partner Ideo from 's-Hertogenbosch is becoming the first international reseller and implementation partner of SAM Smart Asset Management.  

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Topics: MobiLink, SAP, SAM

Testing Offline Mobile Enterprise Apps for SAP

Posted by Alexander Ilg on May 4, 2017 4:27:18 PM

Testing is an important part of every software development project - unit tests, integration tests, user acceptance tests and so on. In this blog, we want to discuss the testing of mobile enterprise apps, especially the ones for offline use.
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Topics: Enterprise Mobility, SAP

SAP and Apple - a critical look at the new iOS SDK

Posted by Alexander Ilg on Apr 19, 2017 1:55:11 PM
SAP and Apple finally released their SDK for iOS. So, what does it bring for SAP, Apple, partners and customers? I want to share my opinion in this blog.
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Topics: MobiLink, SAP Mobile Platform, iOS, SAP

Proper sizing for Mobile Offline Field Service Applications

Posted by Alexander Ilg on Apr 18, 2017 11:18:59 AM

One of the questions we hear a lot at the beginning of our projects is the one about the sizing of the mobile system landscape. In this blog, we want to discuss which factors are important for the answer. 

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Topics: Enterprise Mobility, Maintenance, offline, SAM

SAP PM/CS, Checklists and the curse of MS Excel

Posted by Alexander Ilg on Apr 14, 2017 2:51:22 PM

Most of our customers see the benefit of having checklists in SAP to support their inspection and maintenance process. There are different ways how these checklists can be set up in SAP, all with their pro’s and con’s. But the real challenge starts before you come to that point, when you try to fit all the puzzle pieces together.

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Topics: Checklist, SAP Work Manager, SAM, smart asset management, MAM