AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Kris Oldland

The Internet of Things has been positioned as the key technology that will lead to a true evolution of field service delivery. Bill Pollock, President of Strategies for GrowthSM looks at the challenges revealed in his latest benchmarking research and explains how IoT will help field service organisations meet these...

The Convergence of the IoT and Field Service Management (FSM)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is not a new concept.

To a growing number of services managers, the two are inseparable as they have been integrally linked together for as long as they have been heading their organisation’s services operations.

This is especially true in an environment where an influx of millennials are rapidly replacing baby boomers in virtually all aspects of the services sector; where the “marriage” between Field Service Management (FSM) and the IoT is generally seen as a “given” with respect to providing the organisation with the ability to satisfy the total needs, requirements and expectations of their respective customers.

As such, this “marriage” is somewhat analogous to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, or taking “tried and true” favourites like chocolate and peanut butter, integrating the two together, and coming up with something “new” that the marketplace simply cannot live without. The big difference, however, is that the IoT is much more than just a tasty morsel - it is transforming the very core of field service management.

However, the IoT, in and of itself, cannot transform a poorly run Field Service Organisation (FSO) into an efficient operation; nor can it turn an unprofitable one into a cash cow.

 

However, it can clearly help to re-position an already well-run organisation for accelerated growth, heightened market position, improved effectiveness, improved customer satisfaction and increased profitability. For a growing number of FSOs, the greatest determinants of their commercial viability – and profitability – are the efficiency, functionality and effectiveness of their IoT-based Field Service Management (FSM) solution.

There’s FSM, and Then There’s the IoT-powered FSM

For most field service organisations (i.e., Gartner estimates roughly 75%) FSM solutions are no longer “new” to the services industry – they are a fact of life. What is still news, however, is how easy they now are to implement, as Cloud technology has essentially normalized the playing field so that FSOs of all types and sizes, and serving any geography, can benefit from its implementation.

The results of Strategies For GrowthSM‘s (SFGSM) 2016/17 Field Service Management Benchmark Survey report that the top opportunities, or benefits, cited by FSOs with respect to acquiring and integrating new technology (i.e., the IoT, among others) are:

• 44% Ability to run a more efficient field service operation by eliminating silos
• 39% Improve customer satisfaction
• 35% Ability to provide customers with an end-to-end engagement relationship
• 30% Establish a competitive advantage
• 26% Improve field technician utilisation and productivity
• 25% Reduce Total Cost of Operations (TCO)

The survey data also suggest that the opportunities and benefits significantly outweigh the challenges for a clear majority of FSOs – but, they still exist.

However, the IoT helps to make it all possible by allowing the new technology – in most cases – to easily integrate with existing FSM systems.

This is particularly true for FSOs whose FSM solutions are already built on a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, where the addition of field service management functionality may be as easy as simply adding a module to the existing system. This is an important factor – and it should be – for FSOs as they make their decision to acquire a specific FSM solution.

The SFGSM survey research also reveals that, for a near majority of FSOs, this decision is “impacted mostly” by:

• 50% Prefer a solution that interfaces with CRM
• 47% Prefer to work with a single provider of Field Service functionality
• 47% Prefer a solution that is intuitive and easy to train on
• 45% Integrating new technologies into existing FSM solution platform

Another 35% also prefer to invest in a solution that fosters collaboration between Sales and Service as a top decision-making factor.

What the Future Holds for the Convergence of the IoT and Field Service Management

The “future” of field service is already here!

Today’s IoT-powered FSM solutions already provide FSOs with the ability to monitor equipment remotely, and transmit data into the business’ database in real-time.

 

The greatest manifestations of this pervasive technology may be best described in the providing FSOs with the capabilities to:

1. Collect whatever data that are needed to improve a process, or improve a product, based on its measured, monitored and tracked usage
2. Switch to a lower-cost predictive model vs. the more traditional – and more expensive – preventative maintenance model
3. Determine which services to offer to customers that the organisation cannot offer today (e.g., a next-level guarantee against downtime, which can be turned into a premium service, etc.)
4. Sell, cross-sell and upsell new services, packaged as competitive differentiators
5. Create a more effective KPI program that can measure, monitor and track both the still-relevant traditional KPIs, as well as the “new” KPIs that are being created through the use of the IoT

The IoT technology is readily available; the market demand is here; and the positive impact on the bottom line of an FSM solution, powered by the IoT, is quite compelling. Just like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, the market does not really care how the chocolate and the peanut butter are engineered into the final product; they just know that it tastes good, and the two ingredients work exceptionally well together – just like the Internet of Things and Field Service Management.

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

Geerings, one of the South East of England's leading providers of MPS and print management services, is upgrading its service management capability with the installation of 2serv. 

Developed by Purpose Software, this market-leading software solution will provide the Geerings management team with faster access to real-time information to enable data-driven decision-making and streamline billing processes.

According to Jon Killengray, Service Manager at Geerings:  “We selected 2serv after an extensive review of available solutions as we wanted to work with a company that really understands the needs of resellers in this market sector and is able to deliver the highest level of service and support.  Purpose Software also offered us the ability to install the software on a subscription basis allowing us to pay for the system as we use it without major up-front capital expenditure.”

The new service management system will enable Geerings to achieve considerable time-savings across the business. In particular, it will streamline and enhance the billing process by tightly integrating with Sage200.  This will provide a single point of access and eliminate the need for manual batch transfers, making invoices immediately available in Sage after being created in 2serv.

 

Further savings will be achieved by enhancing the toner management process including the automatic checking that consumables have achieved the correct usage.  2serv also provides rapid access to informative management reports that can be run at a press of a button without impacting on overall system performance.  These reports present up-to-the-minute data in formats that are easier to interpret for better decision-making.

“Purpose Software is providing us with a service management system that will deliver lightning speed performance no matter what we throw at it, unlike the previous system which often struggled during the generation of complex reports,” continued Jon Killengray.  “The 2serv system is fully future-proofed providing us with access to all enhancements, as they are released as part of the subscription programme, ensuring that it will continue to meet the evolving needs of the business.”

Geerings is also installing 2roam, a mobile application that empowers engineers equipped with tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices to access and update 2serv from any location.  It will increase the productivity of the company’s field service team by enabling them to make more efficient use of their time.

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

Paul Whitelam, VP Product Marketing, ClickSoftware answers questions put to him by the audience of a Field Service News webinar on Cloud computing and it's role in field service management.

Questions include:

• How do you feel about transferring data between third party specialists and how moving to the Cloud may facilitate that?
• You mentioned briefly in the webinar the additional computation powers of the Cloud - would you be able to explain exactly how that works in details (but please use layman's terms)
• Is there any particular type of organisation moving to the Cloud?
• Security aside - is there any other reason why a company would not want to move to the Cloud? [/unordered_list]

The full webinar itself explored data from over three years worth of research into the topic of Cloud computing as a platform for field service management systems, with Whitelam and Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News discussing the key findings of the data and exploring the trends it reveals.

---

 

To download a copy of the full webinar please click here

---

Be social and share this feature

The rise of the connected fleet has been discussed as an emerging technology with huge potential to change field service operations for some time now. However, we are now reaching the point where the discussion must move from theoretical to practical - so just what will the impact of the connected fleet be for field service organisations?

As more and more fleets become connected with on-board equipment straight from the OEM, is there still a need for companies operating a mobile workforce to work with traditional telematics providers?

Field Service News spoke to sector experts to understand how the fleet management industry is evolving and what the impact this rapid period of technological change will mean for field service organisations.

So just what exactly does the rise of connected vehicles mean for the fleet management sector?

“Ultimately, the rise of connected vehicles means both telematics suppliers and customers will benefit from a higher quality of vehicle information and reduced operational overheads,” explains Sergio Barata, General Manager, Telogis EMEA.

“It should be viewed as an opportunity for telematics providers to refocus their solutions so they leverage the new possibilities these technologies will bring. For different providers this may mean different things, but at Telogis our focus has been to develop a single connected platform that expands the value of our proposition beyond the vehicle and focuses on improving the operational processes within the enterprise, such as integrated route planning and mobility tools,” he adds.

However, John Gorbutt, Regional Sales Leader, Greenroad highlights that alongside the new opportunities that these latest technologies present, new challenges are also emerging.

“The incredibly accelerated growth of the connected fleet vehicle presents challenges, as well as opportunities,” he begins.

 

“First, for all fleet operators, both dispatched and un-dispatched, the driver’s function will be drastically different sooner than anyone imagines.

The driver will be at the focus and responsible for their own productivity and safety while behind the wheel. Essentially, as new, non-telematics based solutions enter the market the driver is now more connected than ever.”

“They will not only use their mobile device as the centre of their work day, they will have access to their own driver behaviour data along with various contextual information to make them as productive and safe behind the wheel as possible. These new systems are now coming onto the market at a fraction of the cost of traditional telematics systems but still provide all the same and better functionality.”

Meanwhile Stephen Watson, Microlise Director of Product believes that there is now an onus on fleet management solution providers to harness the technologies and drive the solutions forward for the industry as a whole.

“Any significant change in an industry is always a threat to the existing suppliers in that market, however where there are threats there are of course opportunities!” He comments.

“Provided organisations acknowledge the changes that are starting to happen, the changing requirements of the operators and use the expertise gained within the industry to their advantage, there is no reason to fear the rise of connected vehicles.

More it is an opportunity to embrace the evolution and provide greater value in an exciting area that touches us all.”

So what enhancements can field service organisations expect to see in the not too distant future in terms of their fleet management tools?

Barata believes that fully connected fleets will bring “new levels of data quality and accuracy not seen today, as the connectivity revolution continues apace.”

“We’ve already seen with partnerships, such as ours with Ford, that increased connectivity helps drive new business outcomes, based on data delivered through a holistic, connected vehicle approach,” he asserts.

“Through the integration of more data points –  such as seat belt usage data for example – we can help improve the safety of fleets, and we’re already seeing an increase in the use of preventive maintenance on engines to reduce downtime, thanks to Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) diagnostics data.”

However, when questioned on what fleet management will look like as fleets become fully connected across the next five years Watson thinks that we may be getting slightly ahead of ourselves “5 years seems ambitious!” He begins.

“I think we are still a way off fully connected fleet operations. There are a number of EU and UK government innovation schemes designed to support organisations in the enormous R&D costs that come with the technology, however there are still significant legal and regulatory hurdles to be overcome before fully connected vehicles becomes mainstream.”

Yet, Gorbutt insists that the telematics sector as a whole is well overdue when it comes to ultimately delivering the return on investment it has always promised.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that the promise of track and trace telematics didn’t provide the long term value most fleet operators expected,” he asserts.

“When weighed against the cost of the system, the ROI is minimal at best. So over the year’s telematics providers have raced to provide more and more features to supplement the high cost of live tracking. This has resulted is millions of customers paying outrageous sums for a system grounded in technology from 2001 or earlier.

“With new systems coming on board every day that are based on cheaper, high quality networks and mobile devices, any fleet operator can get an entire fleet up and running on a mobile based system that includes everything from live tracking to driver behaviour at a fraction of the cost.”

However, whilst the promise of improved fleet management tools at a reduced cost is one that will appeal to all field service organisations, it is also worth considering how this will change the role of the fleet manager.

“With this new mobile technology, security will be key,” Gorbutt explains.

 

“Hence there will be an evolution in the role of the new fleet manager, who will become more of a chief mobile officer in charge of everything from mobile deployment of solutions or cyber/mobile security and will encompass the productivity and usage of everything included in the new smart mobility ecosystem.”

Indeed, as we begin to discuss fleet management solutions that are mobile centric the lines between field service systems and fleet management systems are becoming increasingly blurred. Is there still a need for field service organisations to invest in both sets of tools?

“I guess this depends on the definition of field service management software,” Watson comments.

“It’s fair to say that concepts of engineer location, performance, planning and resource management are all now widely available, however there are a number of functions of field service management that would not currently feature in a standard fleet management software solution.”

“From an investment perspective then maybe M&A activity will see customers able to purchase a suite of products from a single supplier and these products will be more broadly integrated. But with the high levels of API integration available from suppliers like ourselves, companies have the opportunity to get best of breed solutions and services from the organisations most able to support their current and ongoing needs.”

Gorbutt echoes this sentiment commenting that he doesn’t “think there will be a decisive divide between the two technologies.”

“There are a few companies that will continue to try and cater to both fleet based companies and field service companies but field service based organisations are so specialised and their needs are so diverse that I don’t think they can get everything they need from one provider.”

 

He is also in agreement with Watson’s thinking when it comes to the belief that continued integration will be a highly important part of the wider ecosystem of field service technologies as technologies continue to evolve.

“What will be most important is the ability for these different systems to “talk” to each other.” He comments.

“For instance, the fleet management system must be able to send live tracking data to the field service customer location and routing system and all must work seamlessly with the driver safety application that ensure the driver is arriving safely. Connectivity is the new world and any service provider that doesn’t have all their systems sending and receiving data from one another will be obsolete in a matter of 5 years.”

However, Barata holds a different view, believing that as these lines blur it is those organisations that utilise a platform-based approach that will see the greatest benefits.

“The need for enterprises to adopt these solutions will continue to increase rapidly in the coming years, and soon they will become ubiquitous, leaving those who choose not to adopt them behind,” he explains.

“The good news for them is there are already suppliers like ourselves out there who can provide a platform which meets the needs of both their fleet and service operations. The previous challenges they faced in integrating data produced by separate technical, operational and strategic systems – often provided by different suppliers - can be avoided by partnering with suppliers that can deliver a single solution.”

The exact role of fleet management for field service organisations in the near future maybe uncertain, but we can be certain that is set to change.

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

For fourteen years technological giant SCCI Alphatrack has relied on Tesseract’s service management software to run a lean, fit and growing operation. Today periodic and reactive maintenance for over 195,000 customer sites falls within Tesseract’s remit.

SCCI Alphatrack is one of the leading providers of TV, media, security and life safety systems in the UK. These include multi-point TV systems, access control, CCTV, fire and smoke protection, emergency lighting and a wide array of internet access solutions. The company’s clientele ranges from Premier Inn and Center Parcs to Ladbrokes and HM Prison Service, along with numerous housing authorities, developers and financial institutions.

Pre-2003, SCCI Alphatrack used a cumbersome, manual and paper-heavy system to run its operations. In order to move forward, the company sought out a streamlined system that could take care of everything — customer records, call control, scheduling, engineer reporting and invoicing — and found Tesseract.

An all-encompassing system — with some helpful integrations

Since 2003, SCCI Alphatrack has managed installations and maintenance work using Tesseract’s all-encompassing suite of services including Customer Assets, Call Control, Remote Engineer Access and Parts Centre. The system enables customer, contract and site data to be compiled and managed; materials to be distributed to engineers in the field and stock to be replenished; and engineers to log in remotely and generate service reports. More recently, SCCI Alphatrack has incorporated Tesseract’s Remote Customer Access module, enabling customers to log in, report faults and track progress and response times.

SCCI Alphatrack uses non-Tesseract systems for accounting, customer relationship management and time recording. Tesseract has provided various interfaces so that its software can communicate with and feed data to these systems. This has eradicated several error-prone manual processes and allowed the company to run a seamless operation.

 

Richard Spencer, IT Consultant for SCCI Alphatrack, says, “With over 195,000 sites to look after, managing our data and service work would be a real challenge if it wasn’t for Tesseract.”

Health and safety management

One of the priorities for SCCI Alphatrack is the health and safety of its engineers who are often working at height or in dangerous areas. Therefore, managing and maintaining the vehicles and equipment they use is of the utmost importance. Originally, equipment inspections were paper-based processes. Last year, SCCI Alphatrack decided to bring its inspections activities under the same umbrella as its service work: Tesseract.

“Our inspections management has now gone completely paperless,” says Richard Spencer. “Before, there was scope for error or records going missing. We are now treating our kit and vehicle inspections like any other planned maintenance work we do for our customers. We schedule inspections so that they appear in engineers’ diaries and can be actioned. This creates a central electronic record and helps us keep our equipment safe and in proper working order.”

SCCI Alphatrack also monitors health and safety by way of Tesseract’s Checklist System. This is a custom-built list of questions that an engineer will need to answer before he or she can proceed with a job, e.g. are you signed in; are you working at height; have you got the right equipment; does your equipment need inspecting; and so on. The client sets the questions and the Tesseract system configures them to respond dynamically to the user, so that how a question is answered determines what question comes next. The Checklist System is designed to enable service organisations to adhere to their health and safety obligations.

A flexible and secure system

SCCI Alphatrack has experienced powerful efficiency gains since implementing Tesseract, which is why their partnership remains so strong fourteen years on.

Richard Spencer explains, “Tesseract has been a key part of our business process. By replacing our manual and paper-based procedures, it has enabled us to grow the business without taking on additional staff. From our customers’ point of view, they can rest easy knowing that we have a flexible and secure system in place to manage their information safely.”

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

As the availability of vehicle tracking equipment continues to improve, it's not just transport operators who are interested in the information it provides, but increasingly their customers too - especially at the blue-chip end of the market.

 

That's exactly what happened for Reading-based waste management and disposal specialists, A Better Service, when as part of their continuing growth, they won a contract to serve public water supplier Thames Water.

“We're a family-run business” Director and Transport Manager Darren Bicknell says. “My father started it 36 years ago, then my brother and I came on board, growing it vehicle by vehicle up to the 33 trucks we now operate.” The company's main occupation is tanker services, including gully-emptying, the servicing of septic tanks and cesspools, dealing with blocked drains and sewage disposal.

 

We used another system before going over to AGM routeMASTER but as our fleet grew, ease of use became a much bigger consideration and that's what won us over

 

“We used another system before going over to AGM routeMASTER but as our fleet grew, ease of use became a much bigger consideration and that's what won us over” Bicknell adds.

 

Periodically, Thames Water audit their suppliers, asking for tracker reports for a certain vehicle covering a certain period and it's this which he now finds so much easier to do. “Visually AGM's system is brilliant” Bicknell explains. “You just have to look at it and everything's there and easy to use, which is one of the reasons why we went with them. We needed next to no training either – it's simple from the off.”

Now the cloud-based routeMASTER system is up and running, Bicknell and his staff can use it as a failsafe record of just where their vehicles were at any given time, and because it also shows when the PTO on the tankers is engaged, he can prove what they were doing too. “As well as enabling us to periodically double-check the hours our drivers are booking and thereby avoid costly discrepancies, Thames Water also need the loading and disposal times entering on their tickets” he explains. No human is perfect, however, and every now and again a driver may miss one of these. “Now I can just check it and put it in myself, which is really handy” Bicknell says.

Add to all that the ability to advise customers of ETAs at a glance and you really can't go wrong, especially not, he says, when AGM also provide good, solid back up. “We're really pleased with the routeMASTER system and the AGM team” Bicknell concludes. “I can't fault them!”

 

---

 

Be social and share this story

Social enterprise organisation First Ark has saved £210,000 by collaborating with Fleet Operations on a series of fleet initiatives, aimed at increasing value for money. These savings contribute to the commitment First Ark makes as a social enterprise to re-invest back into the local community.

First Ark’s partnership with Fleet Operations has helped to eliminate vehicle ‘spot hiring’ and has led to significant lease and insurance cost efficiencies across the company’s facilities management and refurbishment services division, Vivark.

[quote float="left"]Operational efficiency is paramount for First Ark as we strive to maximise our investment in local community initiatives

“Operational efficiency is paramount for First Ark as we strive to maximise our investment in local community initiatives,” said Angela Coffey, First Ark Value for Money and Procurement Manager.

 

“With Fleet Operations, we have exceeded expectations in terms of our fleet performance and have seen significant gains related to value for money.”

Following a reduction in the size and profile of Vivark’s fleet, from 176 to 132 vehicles, an internal widespread communications campaign was delivered to promote the new value for money initiatives and address vehicle ‘spot hiring’.

“The success of this campaign, which included one-to-one briefings with contract managers, was remarkable with efficient vehicle utilisation realised within just three months,” added Coffey.

“Our mobile Vivark staff now have access to a dedicated ‘helpdesk’ number for Fleet Operations, who now communicate regularly with them. Considerable time and financial and savings have been realised as a result.”

In addition, Vivark’s fleet risk policies have been reviewed by the fleet specialist and risk assessments have been carried out to ensure the organisation remains compliant with the latest health and safety regulations. A ‘permit to drive’ scheme, involving regular licence checks, has been rolled out across all grey fleet drivers while driver risk profiling, using telematics data, is set to deliver further improvements in road safety standards.

 

---

 

Be social and share this story

Leading digital retailer Argos is implementing a new transport management solution from Microlise.

The tool gives their transport teams live visibility of vehicles and expected estimated times of arrival so they can take action to maximise their on-time performance, as well as proactively keeping customers informed of any delays to their deliveries.

In addition, contact centre representatives will gain access to precision live delivery information letting them accurately respond to queries from customers.

Argos, whose parent company Home Retail Group PLC was bought by Sainsbury’s in September 2017, is currently installing telematics hardware across the entire two-man UK home delivery fleet.

[quote float="left"] “We are constantly looking to new and innovative tools to help us improve our customer experience -Laurence Garnett, Head of Home Delivery at Argos

“Delivering a positive customer experience is an absolute priority for us and customers tell us that being on-time or informing them of any change is really important,” said Laurence Garnett, Head of Home Delivery at Argos.

 

“We are constantly looking to new and innovative tools to help us improve our customer experience. Microlise will be a very powerful solution to help us further improve our high standards for on-time delivery as well as keep customers up to date with the very latest delivery information.”

Fleet Performance enables driving performance to be monitored through an A to G rating system. Via an app on their smartphone drivers can monitor their performance against benchmarks on a whole range of criteria including idling, acceleration, braking, cornering, cruise control usage and speed.

This information enables driver trainers to target training where it will be most effective and will help Argos to be more fuel efficient.

“Argos is a brand that has thrived on the high street since 1973, not least by always staying ahead of competitors and delivering excellent service. It’s great to be working with the company as it implements incremental improvements to continue to perform at the vanguard of retailers in terms of cost control and customer experience,” added Nadeem Raza, Chief Executive Officer, Microlise.

 

---

 

Be social and share this story

Manitowoc Foodservice UK have been relying on the service management software supplied by Tesseract for 20 years. Now they have decided to further automate their systems with one of Tesseract’s most useful tools – Diary Assist.

With customers like Debenhams, Wetherspoons and the Ministry of Defence, Manitowoc are the world leaders in manufacturing, supplying and maintaining cutting edge kitchen equipment, as well as designing and refitting kitchens.

From ovens, grills, fryers and steamers, to ice machines, refrigerators and beer coolers, Manitowoc produce equipment for numerous renowned and award-winning catering industry brands. These include Garland, Frymaster, Convotherm and Merrychef – the world’s number one designer and supplier of pioneering accelerated cooking systems.

More than 80,000 Merrychef ovens are in use around the world. Frymaster, another of Manitowoc’s leading brands, is a familiar name in catering establishments worldwide, with sales and service capabilities in over 100 countries. Manitowoc employ a consistent commitment to research and development and innovation-led strategies and boast highly advanced manufacturing facilities.

 

With keen eyes for revolutionary technology and efficiency and smooth operation in even the busiest kitchens, Manitowoc are not only concerned with food facilities, but with food itself. Their global team of development chefs can help venues compile creative, innovative menus to suit their customer base and achieve greater success, drawing on their immeasurable experience of the catering industry.

It’s this desire to make their customers’ establishments better and more efficient that sets Manitowoc apart from other food service companies.

No room for error

Manitowoc’s high status and market-leading position mean they cannot afford to let any of their customers down. This is why, 20 years ago, they turned to Tesseract for help in the revolution and modernisation of their service management.

For all of their kitchen installations, Manitowoc have a committed team of engineers who carry out planned and reactive maintenance. Manitowoc use Tesseract to log calls from customers when a piece of equipment incurs a fault, as well as assigning jobs to the engineers, invoicing, parts ordering and reporting. Service requests are transmitted to engineers’ tablet devices using Tesseract’s Remote Engineer Access technology.

Engineers close down jobs on their tablets, at which point the information is transmitted back to Manitowoc instantaneously. Finally, all of Manitowoc’s service activities can be monitored using Tesseract’s fully customisable Crystal Reports, which allow Manitowoc to design and schedule any report they want at any time of day or night. This makes for much better ownership of data.

 

However, choosing which engineers to deploy for both planned maintenance work and reactive tasks was always done manually. Now, in order to further automate their systems, improve efficiency and save huge amounts of time, Manitowoc have integrated Tesseract’s Diary Assist software for both planned and reactive maintenance tasks.

Before the integration of Diary Assist

Manitowoc used to rely totally on a manual system for scheduling engineers for reactive jobs and diarising them for planned maintenance tasks. They used mapping software such as AA Route Planner and the now discontinued Microsoft MapPoint and would assign particular engineers based on location, skill set and fair division of work.

Manitowoc’s manual process for deployment not only took a lot of time, much more than an automated process would, but it also introduced a human element to the decision-making that wasn’t always consistent.

“Before Diary Assist, the deployment of our engineers relied on human intervention and scheduling typically consumed 3 – 4 hours a day,” says Manitowoc. “We had staff trying to ensure that the division of work was fair according to engineers’ skill set and geographical location. A side effect of this was that sometimes it would be unfair and inconsistent.”

How has Diary Assist changed things for Manitowoc?

Diary Assist is a dynamic, centrally hosted web service for call optimisation. It’s designed to handle both planned appointments and reactive service calls and is capable of scheduling 200 hundred calls in just 20 minutes.

The software allocates jobs to engineers based on their skill sets, availability, travel time, work time and shift patterns, as well as call response time and customer site cover times. Manitowoc used to have staff making evaluative decisions about which engineers were most appropriate to allocate; now an automated program does it for them.

Manitowoc says, “We are already seeing the long-term benefits of using Diary Assist. The service provides consistent logic to our scheduling process and saves us 3 – 4 hours a day of manual manipulation, whilst eliminating the potential for human error.”

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature