ipad and Supply Chain?

Certainly the ipad is an extremely innovative product, but how will it influence the supply chain market?  Will it influence application development?  Will users want an ipad interface?  How can an ipad help your supply chain team better collaborate with internal and external trading partners and give you a competitive edge?

Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, said in a recent msnbc contribution ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35161216/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/) - "You can book it right now that it will be the product that kids of this generation grow up with and look back on with affection just like we did with the first video games. Video games changed how we grew up. The iPad will change how kids today grow up."

The entire user interface experience is altering the way we live.  Google maps, web-based mobile phones, personal GPS devices, HDTV news/sports programming are all changing the way we see, search, interpret and expect complex data to be presented to us.  The next generation supply chain managers, supervisors and operational associates are growing up with an entirely new expectation of how to interact with 'systems'.

Are your supply chain applications providing the same level of visualization and granularity and drill down capability?  Let us know what you think lies around the corner for supply chain applications. How can you manage, control and collaborate better with hardware/software capabilities like that of the ipad and other recent technology developments?  The trend is a reality and it's happening faster than any of us are willing to admit.  What are your supply chain application vendors telling you?  How are they reacting to these trends, or is it "business as usual"?

We welcome your thoughts on the future of supply chain applications and user experiences...let us know what you think.