The MSB Offline Module enhances the application range of Mobisys solutions, starting with company-internal logistics, as well as plant maintenance, services, etc. In particular, this is important for areas where there is no actual or potential network connection to the SAP system. With respect to the hardware/software prerequisites, the MSB Offline Module is very economical. On the handheld device of field workers, Windows Mobile or Windows CE must be installed starting with Version 5.0. If you want to work with SAP data in an offline manner, all you need is sufficient storage capacity on the mobile device. Most current models of mobile Windows devices already have sufficient storage space included, or can be easily upgraded to get more storage space using commercial memory cards.

Range of applications

The MSB Offline Module makes it possible, for example, to transfer data from the SAP system to the mobile device of a maintenance technician, so that this data is available locally at a later date. Data for a service order can also be entered without a permanent connection to the SAP system and can later be synchronized with the SAP system and processed there.
MSB Offline for the mobile use of the SAP system is available for the following applications:

• Service and maintenance orders
• Asset and warehouse inventories
• Entering of measured values and counter readings
• Mobile Sales or CRM processes
• Complaints and warranty management
• Confirmation of deliveries

Offline Applications

For the creation of MSB Offline applications, the MSB Screen Designer and the MSB Offline Script Editor are used.

• The MSB Screen Designer is a WYSIWYG design tool for the graphical optimization of screen layouts.
• Using the MSB Offline Script Editor, you can create Offline scripts, which are compiled to DLLs and stored on the SAP NetWeaver Application Server. From there, both the screens and the DLLs are distributed to the mobile devices using a synchronization function.
• As an alternative to the MSB Offline Script Editor, you can also use the Microsoft Visual .Net development environment for the creation and testing of the offline PBO and PAI scripts.

Connection to the SAP system

Mobile end devices can be connected to the SAP system using the MSB Offline Module via network (LAN / WLAN) or via telecommunication services (GSM/UMTS), in order to - for example - load current service orders or a required customer history to the handheld device. The connection is effected through the http- or secure https protocol. Data entered offline can be synchronized with the SAP system at the push of a button, either manually or automatically in predefined intervals or at specified times. The frequency and time of the synchronization can be configured as desired.

If necessary, the offline MSB solution programmed in ABAP and C# can also easily be adapted or enhanced to suit changing business processes. The data volume to be synchronized is only limited by the storage capacity of the mobile end device. In the case of the commonly used Windows-based mobile devices, memory cards of several GB can be used. In this way, several million master records can be loaded onto the mobile device. Projects of up to 2 million data records have been implemented and are being used successfully.

MSB Offline product flyer (PDF)