# How to add a mobile app to Made2Manage

> Source: https://netray.co/integrations/made2manage-mobile-app
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Integrations

## Short answer

Classic Made2Manage is a Windows desktop client, so a mobile app is a separate layer: a small server that reads M2M data and accepts scans, labor and moves, with a web or native front end on tablets and handhelds. Writes need a supported route, since there is no widely documented modern API.

## System

Made2Manage

## Capability

mobile-app

## Intro

Made2Manage plants usually have a mix of fixed shop-floor terminals, the data collection module where it is licensed, and a lot of paper travelers. The desktop client is fine at a desk, but a stockroom clerk, a shipping lead or a supervisor on the floor wants to scan a bin, check a job or approve something without walking back to a PC.

Mobile on an older ERP is mostly an architecture question. The app is the easy part. The real work is deciding how it reads fresh data, how it writes transactions without corrupting the ERP, and what happens when Wi-Fi drops in the back of the plant.

This page lays out a realistic design for tablets and rugged handhelds, with the trade-offs between a lightweight web app and a native one.

## Use Cases

### Barcode inventory lookup and cycle count

**Description:** Scan a bin or part label to see on-hand, allocations and location, and capture cycle count entries for reconciliation by inventory control.

### Stock moves and putaway

**Description:** Record bin-to-bin moves and putaway after receiving by scanning part and location, posting through a controlled transaction path.

### Job labor and status reporting

**Description:** Operators scan a traveler barcode to start and stop an operation and report quantity complete and scrap, where a data collection module is not already in place.

### Receiving against PO

**Description:** Scan a PO barcode, confirm lines and quantities, capture lot or heat numbers and a photo of the packing slip.

### Shipping confirmation

**Description:** Scan packed items against a packing list, capture carrier and tracking, and trigger the customer notification.

### Supervisor approvals and lookups

**Description:** Check job status, past-due operations and open holds, and approve overtime, requisitions or scrap from a phone.

## System Surface

Read side: SQL Server (or Visual FoxPro tables in older installs) for jobs, operations, inventory and PO data, queried through views you control. Verify tables like Jomast, Joitem, Inmast, Inloc, Pomast against your version.

Data collection: some M2M versions offer shop floor or data collection components. Ask what your license includes before building labor reporting from scratch.

Write side: no broadly documented REST API for classic M2M. Options are vendor-supported import interfaces, a stored procedure you own and have validated, or a staging table that a reviewed process posts.

Barcodes: travelers and labels can be generated from M2M reports; scanners in keyboard-wedge mode work with web apps with no extra drivers.

Network: plant Wi-Fi coverage, VPN or reverse proxy for remote access, and an offline queue on the device for dead spots.

## How It Works

### Choose web versus native

**Detail:** A progressive web app on tablets covers most screens and scanners in wedge mode. Go native only for camera scanning at speed, offline-first needs, or device APIs.

### Build a middle tier

**Detail:** Put a small API server between devices and the database. It authenticates users, enforces roles and exposes only the actions you design, never raw SQL.

### Design the staging write path

**Detail:** Devices post transactions into a staging table with a unique client ID. A validated process posts them to M2M, reports errors back, and prevents double posting.

### Handle offline

**Detail:** Cache the item, location and job lists, queue scans locally, and sync with conflict rules, such as rejecting a move if on-hand changed meaningfully.

### Authenticate

**Detail:** Use badge or PIN login mapped to M2M users, and restrict actions by role and by device.

### Pilot in one area

**Detail:** Start with stockroom lookup and cycle counting, which are low risk, before moving to transactions that affect cost and inventory.

## Example Flows

### Cycle count on a handheld

**Trigger:** Inventory control assigns a bin range for the week.

**Steps:**

- Clerk loads the assigned list on the device.
- Scans bin then part, keys the counted quantity.
- Entries queue locally if Wi-Fi drops.
- Variances above a threshold go to a supervisor for a recount.
- Approved adjustments are posted by the controlled process.

**Result:** Counts are done in less time and adjustments carry an audit trail.

### Operator reports a completed operation

**Trigger:** An operator finishes operation 30 on a job.

**Steps:**

- Scans the traveler barcode and selects the operation.
- Enters good and scrap quantities.
- Server validates against remaining quantity.
- Staged transaction posts and the supervisor view updates.

**Result:** Job status reflects the floor in near real time without paper.

## On Prem

The whole stack can run on your network: the middle-tier API on a server near the M2M database, devices on plant Wi-Fi, and remote access only through your VPN or a hardened reverse proxy. No cloud service is required. If you add voice or natural-language lookup on the device, run the language model on a local server so shop-floor queries and job data never leave the building, which also keeps behavior consistent when the internet is down.

## Security

- Never connect devices directly to the database; always go through an authenticated API.
- Use per-user login with role limits and short sessions; avoid shared generic accounts.
- Encrypt traffic and use mobile device management on handhelds, with remote wipe.
- Validate every transaction server-side, including quantities, locations and job state.
- Keep an immutable log of every posted transaction with device and user.

## Options

### Vendor data collection module or third-party shop floor product

**Fit:** Fastest if your license or a known add-on covers labor and inventory.

**Effort:** Weeks, license and hardware costs.

### Custom web or native app

**Fit:** Specific workflows not covered by add-ons, with a developer on hand.

**Effort:** Two to four months for a solid first version.

### Partner build such as Netray

**Fit:** Mobile front end plus AI lookups and an on-prem model with a safe write path.

**Effort:** Pilot on one workflow first.

## Pitfalls

- Posting inventory transactions twice after a retry is the classic failure; use idempotency keys.
- Wi-Fi dead spots in metal buildings break online-only apps.
- Direct table writes bypass costing logic and can corrupt inventory valuation.
- Rolling out to the whole floor at once guarantees chaos; start with one cell or the stockroom.

## Faq

### Does Made2Manage have a mobile app?

**Answer:** The classic product is a Windows desktop application. Some versions or add-ons offer data collection tools, but I am not aware of a general mobile app. Ask your vendor or reseller what is current for your version.

### Can a mobile app write inventory transactions safely?

**Answer:** Yes if writes go through a supported interface or a validated process with idempotency and validation. Writing directly into tables can bypass costing and integrity logic, so avoid it.

### Do we need a native app?

**Answer:** Often no. A web app on tablets with scanners in wedge mode covers many shops. Native helps for camera scanning, heavy offline use and device features.

### What about offline use?

**Answer:** Cache reference lists on the device, queue entries with unique IDs, and sync when connected. Define conflict rules in advance, such as flagging moves where stock changed in the meantime.

### Can we add AI to the app?

**Answer:** Yes, for example natural-language lookups or photo-based label reading. For shop data, run the model on-prem so queries and job data stay inside your network.

## Search terms

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