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As the ServiceMax Max Live event draws near an exciting name has been added to the agenda that is sure to make the event a true highlight in the field service calendar this year....

Held in Paris from the 2nd to the 4th of November, the event brings together field service professionals to discuss how technology is driving field service, what are the key trends that are emerging and how can we harness them to drive further efficiencies in our own field service delivery.

At last year's event Field Service News Editor Kris Oldland was impressed by the varying range of professionals and experts both speaking and in attendance.

"What has really struck me about the group here," Oldland commented, "is that firstly it is a really broad mix, with companies as large as Sony through to small family run companies with less than ten engineers, yet they are often facing similar challenges and those challenges are as real for a local SME as they are for your household name multi-nationals"

"What has been really impressive about the ServiceMax approach, that has been really evident here at MaxLive, is that they are listening to their client's pain points, whether they be SME or Enterprise, and are reactive to that. There is a real community feel amongst the companies here, and with a fantastic list of guest speakers, there is a very positive vibe amongst the delegates as we look to what the future holds for field service."

 

At this year's event however, there is now one added name to the speaker list that will surely drive interest even higher. That is Kevin Ashton, often referred to as the Father of The Internet of Things, who will be giving a keynote presentation.

Of course IoT is predicted to have a huge impact in a number of different industries, but perhaps none is more keenly anticipated than in how it will impact field service, so Ashton's experience and insight is sure to be extremely well received and it will be also provide an interesting backdrop to the recent research project being undertaken by ServiceMax, PTC and Field Service News which is exploring the impact of IoT in the field service industries.

This research is still open so if you haven't taken part yet you can enter the survey here 

As a thank you for your time there are five signed copies of Ashton's book How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation and Discovery up for grabs too!

 

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Cognito and Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) have combined their respective flagship products to offer Cognito iQ’s Electronic Proof of Delivery (EPOD) capabilities as a fully integrated module for the latest release of K8, the KCS Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

This initiative further strengthens a long-standing partnership between the two firms.

For the many traders who still rely on paper-based proof of delivery and collection, upgrading to an EPOD system can have significant business benefits. Electronic manifests and signatures at point of delivery can greatly reduce invoice disputes and stock loss, and help to manage branch transfers and collections.

Pushing delivery schedules to drivers on handheld devices not only increases efficiency, but also gives them access to any information they or the customer may need, increasing satisfaction or even enabling them to up-sell.

 

Ian Bendelow, CEO at KCS says: “Cognito iQ’s EPOD capabilities are a great complement to K8, which is designed to help customers source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably and service competitively. We have worked very hard together to ensure that the integration is seamless, and we know that our joint customers in the distributive trades will be excited about the enhanced product.”

Cognito CEO, Laurent Othacéhé adds: “Our relationship has always been strong, and we share a culture of innovation and development expertise. This new offer reinforces our partnership and adds an important dimension to KCS’s ERP system, giving users access to vital delivery and collection information.”

As well as the integration of Cognito iQ, the latest version of K8 has more than 180 enhancements in several key areas. Notable changes include browser client functionality, an improved hire management application, superior graph and charting capabilities, additional facilities to handle returns and tools to streamline user management.

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Leading mobile workforce management company ServicePower Technologies Plc has launched Nexus FS, an enterprise-class  cloud-based field service management solution for any sized service business that incorporates comprehensive mobile dispatch functionality.

NEXUS FS (Field Service) is designed to provide service businesses of any size an enterprise-quality cloud-based field service management solution with a comprehensive mobile application. It incorporates work order management, mobile dispatching to field based resources, real-time schedule monitoring through an interactive Gantt, timesheet reporting, location monitoring and reporting, asset and parts capabilities, and user configurable maintenance, all in the cloud, with fast and easy data set-up and a modern and easy user interface.

The NEXUS FS mobile dispatch component has new features such as rules-based, user configurable forms delivered on a job-by-job basis, allowing organisations and technicians to quickly adapt to job conditions, improving both efficiency and productivity, while enhancing the customer experience.  It also incorporates the latest release of ServicePower's  ServiceMobility providing job and activity management, scheduling, inventory management, parts information, schematic diagrams, note-taking, timesheets, signature capture, photograph capture, collaboration with office-based resources, navigation, estimates and payments, and customer surveys.

For those requiring real-time optimisation, Nexus FS can be integrated with ServicePower’s ServiceScheduling module, and later this year it will also be available with the company’s patented field service optimisation algorithm Optimisation on Demand.

NEXUS FS also will offer connected global third party contractors the ability to manage their own business while receiving work from our ServiceOperations global client base, aggregating all jobs into one software platform, reducing costs and improving operational efficiencies.

Marne Martin, CEO, ServicePower, commented "ServicePower are investing in rapid development of our mobile workforce management platform adding in new features and new products that further connect the service supply chain, provide improved efficiencies and productivity, and enhance the customer experience.  NEXUS FS changes the field service market. It's not simply another disparate mobile dispatching solution. It provides small, medium and even large enterprise organisations with an economical, cloud-based solution to manage their business and fully mobilise their field operations with access to real algorithm-based optimisation, connectivity to multiple job sources and the ability to file claims for work performed, through our connected platform and offerings, providing an unmatched, single vendor solution to any business."

 

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In a development that strengthens its leading position as a provider of  secure mobile enterprise solutions,  BlackBerry has announced that it is buying mobile device management vendor Good Technology for $425 million in cash.

BlackBerry might have a dwindling share of the mobile handset market, losing its once dominant position to Apple and Android-powered smartphones, but it still has a strong presence in government and in enterprises where security of devices and data is an overriding priority. Good Technology is a leading player in the mobile device management sector, with expertise in multi-OS management. By acquiring the company, BlackBerry will expand its ability to offer a unified, secure mobility platform with applications for any mobile device on any operating system.

Good Technology serves more than 6,200 organizations, including commercial banks, aerospace and defence firms, and leaders across healthcare, manufacturing and retail. BlackBerry is the mobility partner of all G7 governments, global banks and law firms, and is strong in managed healthcare, investment services, and oil and gas sectors.

The company will bring complementary capabilities and technologies to BlackBerry, including secure applications and containerisation that protects end user privacy. With 64 percent of activations coming from Apple iOS devices, Good complements BlackBerry’s own OS. The proven Good Dynamics platform provides app-level encryption, advanced data loss prevention and secure communication between applications. The platform has more than 2,000 independent software vendor and custom applications.

“By providing even stronger cross-platform capabilities our customers will not have to compromise on their choice of operating systems, deployment models or any level of privacy and security,” said John Chen, BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO. “Like BlackBerry, Good has a very strong presence in enterprises and governments around the world and, with this transaction, BlackBerry will enhance its sales and distribution capabilities and further grow its enterprise software revenue stream.”

“Joining forces enables customers and partners to benefit from the combined decades of secure mobility expertise and deliver the most comprehensive portfolio at global scale. The Good Dynamics platform and broad application suite remains at the heart of the joint solution, and combined with BlackBerry’s enterprise portfolio and trusted global network, will enable us together to deliver a unified secure mobility platform spanning the widest array of endpoints – from smartphones, tablets, PCs, wearables through IoT – to power business productivity any time, anywhere," said  Christy Wyatt, Chairman and CEO, Good Technology.

 

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Investment in new smart mobile technology pays off for Kings Security Systems with improved productivity and service levels and elimination of over half a million paper records.

Kings Security Systems, the large Bradford-based independent national security services provider, has boosted efficiency and performance of its field service technicians by deploying Field Link, the scheduling and mobile workforce management technology from mobile network operator EE which incorporates Aeromark's Optimatics technology.

Kings has increased the productivity of its 300 field-based service engineers by 25%, improved customer service levels by 30% and  replaced over half a million paper records with automated electronic documentation.

The company had already been using automated scheduling and mobile applications for over 5 years, but in January 2014, it decided to investigate what improvements could be gained by using the next generation of technology.
After a comprehensive selection process to upgrade its existing systems and improve performance, Kings chose EE Field Link, powered by Aeromark's Optimatics mobile workflow management solution, to replace a number of legacy systems used by its field service division.

Kings’ Engineers cover a wide geographic area, and the reach and reliability of EE’s mobile network combined with the offline capabilities of the Mobile app ensures total system availability. EE Field Link provides Kings with a single platform for dynamic real-time job scheduling, integrated mobile workflows, vehicle tracking and seamless integration with engineers’ devices. This system allows planners central visibility of engineers and jobs, meaning planners can manage the workforce quickly and efficiently. The system shows how many jobs are outstanding and closed, allowing greater visibility and helping Kings to keep its service level agreements with their customers.

Previously, King’s workforce was managed using a variety of solutions from different providers that proved unreliable, and prevented planners having full control over outstanding jobs and locations. The smart mobile technology provides a comprehensive solution that not only integrated with Kings’ existing business processes, but also allowed Kings to launch new processes and features that were previously undeliverable using the old systems.

"Before we started using the Field Link solution from EE and Aeromark, we had a similar system for dispatching calls electronically to engineers’ PDAs. However, Field Link has completely changed the way we work in that we can now see outstanding jobs at the site, or within a radius, improving our planning and boosting efficiency as we deliver an excellent service to our customers." Said Kerrell Cronly, Service Manager at Kings.

 

Within 3 months, Field Link has already helped reduce operational costs and enabled a quicker service delivery. "Since we have been using Field Link, we have seen an increase of over 1 job a day per engineer and a 30% increase in SLAs which is not a result of working longer but by working smarter," said Kerrell.

Steve Evans, Chief Operating Director at Kings said; "Our investment in this new technology was an essential part of our strategic plan. It will enable us to grow significantly with automated and streamlined processes that ensure the service we offer to our customers and our cost base are fully optimised. As a result of the success that the system has delivered for our service division, we have already rolled out the solution to all other divisions within the business."

Anthony King, Chief Executive Officer at Kings said; "EE and Aeromark have a unique technology and agile approach which not only delivered in the agreed timescales and costs but the results exceeded our expectations. That’s almost unheard of with large IT projects and credit goes to the combined team at EE, Aeromark and Kings who have dedicated their time to this project."

 

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When business growth meant ENWA Water Technology UK had outgrown its existing service management software software,  it turned to Tesseract to chart a new course. 

ENWA Water Technology UK (EWT UK) specialises in water treatment systems for heating, cooling and process water applications, are charting a new course with Tesseract’s service management software.

The company distributes and services all kinds of water treatment technologies within the UK, with clients ranging from Heathrow Airport to Great Ormond Street Hospital to Imperial College London.  The company established a marine department in 2011,  supplying water treatment solutions to large oil tankers, rigs and offshore storage and production platform, and has grown significantly over the last five years.

This growth brought challenges for the service management software package that EWT UK already had in place. They realised they needed a more efficient, streamlined system in order to be as productive and profitable as possible. “Our previous software didn’t fail; we just outgrew it,” says Glenn Simpson, Manager of EWT UK. “We decided to look for the right software to enable us to move forward and grow, and that’s how we found Tesseract.”

A high degree of organisational efficiency in the servicing department was a particular need. For that reason, the ability to integrate Tesseract’s user-friendly Remote Engineer Access solution with EWT UK’s existing systems was essential. The flexible software is also capable of being integrated with the company's Sage accounting software, another important advantage that drew the company to Tesseract.

“Tesseract came in and demonstrated that, essentially, their software has just what we require,” says Simpson. “Actually they came in twice, which was good because it takes time to get your head round these sorts of things. We’re looking forward to a very rewarding partnership.”

 

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Replacing a manual paper-based job scheduling system with JobWatch software from BigChange Apps, has enabled Sheffield based DP Doors to achieve greater productivity across its 23 strong mobile team. Revenue is up 25%, there is a doubling of first-time fix rates, fuel savings of £5,000 and a 15% reduction in adminstration. 

DP Doors is an industrial door specialist. It  manufactures, install, maintains and repairs fire doors, roller shutters, steel security doors, PVC strip curtains and crash doors. The family run business employs 42 employees, including 23 field based engineers, serving a nationwide blue-chip customer base. Projects come in all shapes and sizes, including huge doors that are 14m high and 6m wide.

The company prides itself on delivering the highest levels of service and response. Industrial doors are mission critical for customers including food companies who need to separate frozen and chilled areas and maintain the integrity, safety and security of their products.

DP doors were looking for a mobile workforce system to address two key issues within their operation. One was to achieve higher first-time-fix rates. Secondly the business wanted to eradicate the excess paperwork that was hindering productivity.

The company chose JobWatch from Big Change, after careful comparison against two other solutions. “We chose JobWatch as the team at BigChange really understood our business. They had something out-of-the-box that really fitted with our requirements. Plus the overall system offers great value - combining mobile, back office and real-time workforce tracking,” said Managing Director, Alan Bolsover.

Paper work reduction

The company used to take several sheets of paper to every single job (a method statement, risk assessment, vehicle check and job card). In addition drivers had to visit the office to collect job information, adding extra travel time to each day. JobWatch has simplified the workflow, replacing paper job cards with electronic worksheets on rugged mobile tablet. Engineers can access job information instantly wherever they are and travel from home straight to the first job of the day.

 

“At times we were were overwhelmed with paperwork and the manual admin that goes with it. It’s time that we could be spending selling, marketing and developing the business. Admin isn’t adding value,”  pointed out Bolsover.

Smarter scheduling

Smarter scheduling has eased the challenge of planning work for the 23 engineers to locations nationwide. It’s maximising billable time, avoiding unnecessary travel and making the back-office team far more productive. Real-time visibility is avoiding multiple calls to the mobile team to check on status or location.

JobWatch is also helping DP Doors with Health & Safety compliance - an area that’s crucial in this industry and at the top of the agenda for blue-chip clients. Engineers were failing to complete or return their daily driver checks to the office. The JobWatch mobile app now makes it easy for drivers to do their checks at the beginning of each day - and the app won’t let them start work without it. Faults or defects can be logged instantly, ensuring that the maintenance manager is alerted to manage them to resolution. In addition JobWatch is ensuring that risk assessments and method statements are just a click away on the mobile tablet.

Integrated invoicing

Integrated invoicing is invaluable, says Bolsover. It enables jobs to be invoiced as soon as they are completed. Engineers can capture photos on-site for proof-of-service and can be shared with customers.

“We were waiting days for job cards to come back. If a job was on a Monday, we wouldn’t get the paperwork back till Friday. This could have a real knock-on effect on cashflow. With JobWatch we don’t have to wait for anything to be returned to the office - there are no documents that could get lost. Plus we’re able to bill accurately for time spent on site. We’re also looking to start using JobWatch for our invoicing too.”

Finally, JobWatch is helping DP doors to reduce their fuel use, one of the highest costs incurred across the entire business. Drivers are receiving a tailored de-brief at the end of each working day, with friendly encouragement towards safe and responsible behaviours. Line managers can see which drivers are achieving the best MPG and can reward the team accordingly.

 

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The installed base of wireless M2M devices in the oil & gas industry will reach 1.25 million by 2019 according to latest report from analysts Berg Insight:  M2M Applications in the Oil and Gas Industry

The number of devices featuring cellular or satellite connectivity deployed in oil & gas applications worldwide was 0.5 million at the end of 2014, says Berg, and  is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 20.1 percent and expected to reach 1.25 million units by 2019.  Of these, 0.99 million are predicted to be cellular units, with the remainder satellite based.

The oil and gas industry is characterised by remote and inaccessible facilities where wireless communication in many cases is he only viable option for transferring M2M data. Pipeline monitoring and tank monitoring are the top two M2M applications in the midstream and downstream segments, reports Berg, while on-shore well field equipment is the most common wireless application in the oil and gas upstream segment.

Wireless M2M solutions have become increasingly popular in oil and gas applications in the past few years. The main drivers for adoption are safety and environmental concerns, regulatory compliance and demand for improved operational efficiency.

“In 2014, M2M solutions in the oil and gas market experienced very healthy growth levels before slowing down at the end of the year when oil prices reached half of previous levels”, said Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight. North America is the leading region for wireless M2M in oil & gas and energy producers in the region were particularly affected by the price drops which resulted in halted investments. This change in the market has however led to an increased focus on cost savings and efficiency. He adds that new technology and solutions with a demonstrated high ROI are prioritised, especially when combined with Solution-as-a-Service business models which minimise the initial investment. Automation, remote control and monitoring are extra important in order to make it cost effective to extract, transport and distribute unconventional resources such as shale gas and tight oil.

Sierra Wireless, Digi International, Orbcomm and Numerex are major M2M players that deliver solutions to a wide range of industries including oil & gas.

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Facility management and construction specialists, Oakley Industrial Services, reports  improved vehicle utilisation and more accurate job scheduling since fitting the routeMASTER tracking system from AGM Telematics.

“We started with the system about a year ago with the aim of improving the way we allocate vehicles to particular assignments," says director Natalie Clarke. "Previously we would spend quite a lot of time trying to locate drivers and would have to calculate when they could get to the next job.”

Now, Natalie and the team can monitor each vehicle’s movements in real time from the moment they switch the engine on until the end of the day.

“We have the ability to switch vehicles from job to job with no uncertainty regarding the optimum route to take. We can also keep tabs on individual driving history and always know how long each driver has been behind the wheel. “

This, according to Natalie, helps to maintain cost effective journey plans, reduce time wastage and save fuel. Furthermore, the traffic office can provide customers with accurate and instant ETA information at any time.

“For every project” concludes Natalie Clarke, “we provide detailed risk and method statements along with safety planning and security provision. Accuracy and safety lies at the heart of what we do and it makes good sense to bring our fleet control in line with general policy. Certainly, the routeMASTER system provides a number of benefits in this regard and it fits well with our overall approach of supplying a reliable and efficient backup service in the field.”

Oakley Industrial Services is based in the Midlands and provides a nationwide service which covers all aspects of facility management including roof maintenance and gulley clearing, fall protection, drain jetting, general façade maintenance and wall cladding.

 

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