How to add a mobile app to QAD Adaptive ERP
Short answer
A mobile app for QAD should call QAD services or QXtend for every transaction, scan barcodes for items, locations and lots, and queue actions when the network drops. Start with what QAD already offers for handhelds and mobile, then fill gaps such as approvals, inspections and tailored shop floor screens.
QAD shop floors often depend on RF terminals, character-based sessions or a browser interface on a rugged tablet. Those work, but they are rigid: a picker follows a fixed sequence, a supervisor cannot approve a purchase from the floor and a quality inspector fills in paper before keying results later.
A modern mobile layer closes these gaps, with barcode scanning on the phone camera or a Zebra-type device, short task-based screens and offline tolerance. The key discipline is that the app is a client of QAD, not a new database of record.
QAD also has its own mobile and shop floor offerings, including products from its Redzone acquisition on the workforce side, so check what is licensed before building. Build only where the gap is real.
What teams use it for
Inventory moves and cycle counts
Scan item, from-location, to-location and lot to post inventory transfers, and run cycle counts with variance prompts before submission.
Receiving against PO
Scan the PO or packing slip barcode, enter quantity and lot, capture photos of damage and post the receipt.
Work order issue and completion reporting
Operators scan a work order, report quantity completed and scrap with reason codes, and issue components by scan.
Labor and downtime capture
Clock on and off operations, record downtime reasons and push to QAD labor reporting for costing and OEE.
In-process and receiving inspection
Show inspection plans, collect measurements and pass/fail, attach photos and trigger a nonconformance when limits are breached.
Manager approvals
Approve requisitions, POs and engineering changes from a phone, with enough context to decide.
QAD Adaptive ERP integration surface
- QXtend and QAD web services for transactional calls such as inventory transfer, receipt, work order backflush and labor reporting. The coverage and names depend on release, so catalogue what your environment exposes.
- QAD's own browser UI and RF/handheld options (for example the QAD mobile and shop floor interfaces available to your edition) which may already cover core scanning transactions.
- Reads from the Progress OpenEdge database for lookups: ld_det for inventory by location and lot, wo_mstr for work orders, pod_det for PO lines, with a read-only user and tight timeouts.
- Label and barcode formats: item, location, lot and serial labels generated by QAD or a label printing tool. The app needs to parse your existing barcode symbologies, such as Code 128 or GS1.
- Authentication: QAD user credentials via the services layer, or single sign-on with Entra ID and an integration that maps to the QAD user.
- Device layer: Android or iOS app, progressive web app or a vendor handheld platform, plus MDM for device management.
How it works
- 1
Audit what QAD already gives you
List current RF or mobile transactions, licensed modules and gaps. Interview operators. The best first app solves a measurable pain, such as receiving delays or inventory accuracy.
- 2
Define the service contract
For each screen, define the QAD call, inputs, validation and error messages. Prefer QAD services that run business logic. Document idempotency rules.
- 3
Pick the app approach
A progressive web app is quick to roll out and update. A native or cross-platform app is better for camera performance, scanner hardware SDKs and offline storage. Choose by device fleet.
- 4
Build a mobile gateway
A small API layer between the app and QAD handles authentication, throttling, retries, logging and translation of QAD errors into operator-friendly messages.
- 5
Design for offline
Cache item, location and open order data. Queue transactions with unique IDs, replay in order on reconnection, and show conflicts, such as stock moved by someone else, for resolution.
- 6
Pilot on one area
Choose one warehouse or cell, run in parallel with the current method for a week, compare transaction times and error rates, then roll out.
- 7
Support and update
Manage devices, app versions and QAD release changes. Retest after every QAD patch or upgrade because service behavior can change.
Example flows
Receiving with lot capture
Trigger: A truck arrives with a packing slip.
- The receiver scans the PO barcode and the app lists open lines.
- Quantity and lot are scanned or typed for each line.
- The app flags an over-receipt beyond tolerance.
- On confirmation the gateway posts the receipt to QAD and prints putaway labels.
Result: Receipts are posted at the dock within minutes instead of at the end of shift.
Cycle count with variance check
Trigger: Inventory control assigns a count list.
- The counter scans a location and counts each lot.
- The app compares with QAD on-hand and prompts a recount for large variances.
- Final counts are submitted for approval before adjustment.
Result: Accuracy rises and adjustments carry a recount trail.
Offline work order completion
Trigger: An operator in a poor-signal area reports completion.
- The app stores the completion with a unique ID and timestamp.
- When the network returns, the gateway submits to QAD.
- If a conflict occurs, such as the order being closed, the supervisor is notified.
Result: Operators are never blocked by connectivity, and conflicts are visible.
Keeping data on-prem
A mobile app for an on-premises QAD installation talks to a gateway inside your network, reached over Wi-Fi on the plant or through a VPN or zero-trust access for remote users. Do not publish the database or QXtend endpoints directly. If the app includes AI features, such as voice entry, photo defect recognition or natural-language lookups, run open-weight models on local GPUs so images of parts and production data stay in the plant. Plan for degraded mode: the app should keep working with cached data if the gateway or QAD is unavailable.
Security checklist
- Authenticate every request, use short-lived tokens and bind them to the QAD user and site access.
- Use MDM, device encryption and remote wipe for shared and personal devices.
- Keep the gateway as the only path to QAD, with request logging and rate limits.
- Do not store credentials or sensitive data in app storage beyond what offline operation needs, and encrypt that data.
- Make transactions idempotent with unique IDs so retries cannot double-post receipts or moves.
Ways to get it done
Use QAD's own mobile and shop floor products
Effort: Configuration and rollout, weeks
Standard transactions such as receiving, moves and labor reporting are your main need and your license covers them.
Third-party warehouse or MES mobile app with a QAD connector
Effort: 2 to 4 months including integration and training
You want a ready WMS-style experience and a vendor supports your QAD version.
Custom app or PWA with a partner such as Netray
Effort: Scoped after discovery; a pilot screen set often takes weeks
You need tailored screens, approvals or inspections, or AI features running privately, and have a QAD team to validate the transactions.
Pitfalls
- !Rebuilding transactions that QAD already offers well on RF or browser screens, adding cost with little gain.
- !Posting to tables or bypassing QAD logic, which breaks costing and inventory integrity.
- !No idempotency, so a retried receipt posts twice after a network blip.
- !Underestimating device and label management: scanners, printers, label formats and MDM.
- !Skipping regression tests after QAD upgrades or patches, when service behavior or required fields change.
Frequently asked questions
Does QAD Adaptive ERP have a mobile app?
QAD offers browser-based and handheld options and has workforce and shop floor products, but what you have depends on your edition, license and hosting model. Review what is licensed first. Build custom mobile screens only for gaps such as inspections, approvals or tailored workflows.
Should the app write directly to the QAD database?
No. Always go through QAD services or QXtend so business rules, costing, GL integration and history are applied. Direct writes to Progress tables risk corrupting inventory and financial data and complicate upgrades.
How does offline mode work with QAD?
The app caches reference data and queues transactions with unique IDs. On reconnect, the gateway replays them in order and reports conflicts, such as stock that has moved. Design which transactions may be offline: counts and labor are easier than receipts against changing inventory.
Can we use phones instead of dedicated scanners?
Yes for light use, and camera scanning is acceptable for labels in good condition. For high-volume receiving and picking, rugged handhelds with hardware scanners are faster and more reliable. A cross-platform app can support both.
Can the app use AI on the shop floor?
Yes, for tasks like photographing a defect, dictating a note or asking where a lot is located. For a plant that restricts data, run the models locally and have them call the same QAD services under the operator's permissions, with confirmation before any transaction.
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