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Lincoln Property Solutions Ltd, a Properties Management Service company in Basingstoke, Hampshire, has selected Tesseract Service Centre to manage its Properties Portfolio and related maintenance and cleaning schedules.

Lincoln Property Solutions provides facilities management to improve efficiency and to ensure the buildings in their care provide the environment and services that will satisfy not only the business needs but also residential requirements of their workforce. The company relies on an experienced workforce of operatives who follow a set of schedules. These schedules used to be managed using spreadsheets, into which data would be entered manually, until Lincoln Property Solutions decided it needed something more efficient, more automated and more centralised.

Enter Tesseract, a service management software company that has already revolutionised the systems of more than 300 businesses worldwide. Lincoln Property Solutions came across Tesseract at SME14, the service management exhibition at the Facilities Show 2014 in London. Tesseract has an exhibition stand at SME every year, and this year managed to persuade Lincoln Property Solutions that utilising the facilities of Tesseract Service Centre would be hugely advantageous.

“We are looking forward to Tesseract providing us with a system to enable us to work smarter,” says Des O’Neill of Lincoln Property Solutions. “We anticipate that it will be a very successful partnership.”

The Service Community’s Manchester Event attracted over thirty delegates from a broad spectrum of small, medium and large organisations with guests travelling from as far afield as Brazil and the USA. The growth of The Community by more than 75% since the Special Event in June underscores that this clearly taps into the real desire to share best practice, debate relevant issues and network with like-minded professionals...

The generous host on this occasion was Siemens Industry GB&I coordinated by Graeme Coyne, who personally welcomed all guests in the impressive ‘Sir William Siemens House’ facilities in the outskirts of South-West Manchester.

Aston Business School’s Professor Tim Baines opened with a truly engaging and interactive key note presentation focused on “the challenges faced by UK Manufacturers as they adopt Servitisation as a Growth Strategy”. This insight into some of the pitfalls that face an organisation as they adopt advanced service offerings, supported by pertinent academic research and analysis, was both a warning and highly educational. This fabulous opening set the standard for an informative and entertaining afternoon.

[quote]In the spirit of topical content, the audience was treated to an innovative view of the potential of remote servicing equipment and the Internet of Things

In the spirit of topical content, the audience was treated to an innovative view of the potential of remote servicing equipment and the Internet of Things. John Pritchard of MAC Solutions explored the trends in device connectivity, leveraging the revelation that the number of connected devices exceeds the number of people on the planet. With this point in mind, John described techniques and cost savings in a forward thinking delivery that included a live software demonstration.

 

Both these opening presentations generated great interest from the audience, and led to a lively networking break that enabled guests to further explore their questions more personally with the speakers.

The networking break seemed to pass as a fleeting blur; however, the promise of further insights lured back the eager delegates. Martin Hottass rose to the challenge as he laid down the gauntlet that the Field Service Industry is facing the retirement of a quarter of engineers in the next 10 years! Martin, responsible for Skills & Professional Education at Siemens Energy didn’t just leave us worried about this startling demographic certainty but went on to explain techniques and government funding options available to organisations to help build apprenticeships and graduate recruitment programmes within the industry.

The final keynote offered a case study delivered by Daniel Kingham from Elekta (manufacturers of medical equipment). The fascinating study illustrated how migrating from a solely field based operation to a jointly managed remote and field based service operation transformed the customer experience. Daniel’s empirical expertise was evident and he smoothly handled an abundance of questions which truly demonstrated his knowledge and left the audience satiated.

Once again, The Service Community delivered on its objectives. The content of the meetings remains the life-blood of The Community, followed closely by the generosity of community members to host events and volunteer time to keep The Service Community alive. To this point, the next event is proposed for March 2015 – date and location to be confirmed.

Want to know more about the Service Community? Click here for more information and resources including presentation slides!

Toshiba’s European retail and sales and service support division has increased fleet mpg by 27 per cent following an investment in TomTom Telematics’ WEBFLEET system.

Toshiba TEC Europe Retail Information Systems introduced the fleet management platform to improve employee safety by monitoring their driving behaviour and to compare the fuel performance of 25 new hybrid cars with its older fleet vehicles.

Vehicle and driving behaviour data is available for Toshiba managers in WEBFLEET. An OptiDrive indicator combines fuel efficiency information from the onboard ecoPLUS diagnostics device, with speeding, idling and braking data to score drivers out of 10 in a column stack chart. This can be used to benchmark drivers across their fleet.

“This has not only meant reduced fuel consumption but also means we can focus and report on CO2 reduction,” said Jonathan Barber, Retail Service Director, Toshiba TEC Europe Retail Information Systems.

“An overall 27 per cent increase in miles per gallon is a great result, which we hope to improve further with time.”

TomTom WEBFLEET has been integrated with Tesseract, Toshiba’s job scheduling software, enabling data to be sent, immediately and seamlessly, from the office to the transport teams in the field.

“This technology has proved to be second to none and instrumental in ensuring we provide the best possible service to our customers,” Barber added.

 

Steam technology at Norfolk’s Bure Valley Railway has received a 21st century upgrade thanks to a Panasonic communication system. 

Eastern Voice & Data, a Panasonic Focus Dealer, has installed a new communication system that has helped the tourist attraction provide better customer service, increase on site efficiency and cut costs.

The previous fixed position phone system restricted communication between staff on the platform and in the ticket office and Bure Valley Railway (BVR) wanted a solution that would increase mobility, so more time could be spent attending to their customers.

All staff can now be reached via ruggedised mobile handsets or desk handsets allowing staff to be quickly located along the route from Aylsham to Wroxham. The phone system has also been integrated with the Public Address, allowing the train guard to announce arrival and departure information using the handset. 

Andrew Barnes, Managing Director at BVR, said, “We welcome up to 1500 passengers a day, so good internal communication is essential. The new system has drastically improved communication between the platform and the ticket office - helping us improve the speed and accuracy at which we can evaluate customer demand and react to it.” 

The move to SIP has enabled BVR to dispense with telephone lines that were no longer required, ultimately giving a more cost-effective solution.

“Customer service is vital in the tourist industry and from the first conversation with BVR, we recognised that this was a driver for a new communication system.” said Russell Marriott, Managing Director of Eastern Voice & Data. 

“Previously there was limited communication with staff on trackside. What we’ve managed to do is provide them with full communication for all staff on trackside which means they can provide a better service to their customers.” Marriott continued.

Using IP technology has enabled the station 9 miles (15 Km) away to be connected to the main site system using a VPN extension, making communication with the signal box easier, and demonstrating how IP technology can be employed to connect telephones installed anywhere.

 

Mobile workforce experts Oneserve are inviting clients and their customers to take the Efficiency Hunter Challenge.

The challenge involves completing a quiz based on Oneserve’s four components of efficiency: Cost, Workflow, Workforce and Customer Satisfaction.

After answering a set of specially designed multiple choice questions participants are revealed as one of four efficiency heroes; Cost Crunching Hero, Workflow Warrior, Team Power Trooper or Satisfaction Supremo.

The Efficiency Hunter campaign is the brainchild of Oneserve Chairman Mark Tincknell, who said:

“We wanted to do something different, an engaging campaign that would resonate with business people everywhere.  Customers are at the heart of every business, but inefficiencies can undermine the customer experience and send costs soaring.”

Beyond the light-hearted approach of the quiz, participants are encouraged to take a serious look at efficiency by downloading a free white paper. The paper goes into detail about how to achieve efficiency in their field operations and how mobile workforce management software could help.

Mark added

“Through the power of analytics Oneserve gives business leaders transparency, veracity and the ability to understand and transform the performance of their business”.

The Efficiency Hunter campaign launches on 1st October. Find out what kind of efficiency hunter you are by clicking the link: http://www.oneserve.co.uk/efficiency-hunter

Trimble announced last week the launch of Trimble Field Service Management (FSM) Connect, an advanced development environment and a standard set of Web services and APIs that can enhance field service business processes by allowing access, use and sharing of data across a variety of different systems.

Following the recent announcement of Trimble Horizon, the new cloud-based platform for FSM solutions, FSM Connect is the third in a line of new features and solutions announced this week as part of Trimble's spotlight on empowering mobile workers.

"Most companies have multiple solutions that collect data, which has to be manually interpreted and checked against the same or similar data from other solutions," said John Cameron, general manager of Trimble's Field Service Management Division. "FSM Connect is a package of Web services for Trimble customers and partners that provide a comprehensive and reliable way to enable a seamless information flow between Trimble FSM solutions and back-end or third-party systems. This means the value of data can be realised across an organisation and the most up-to-date information can be shared instantaneously, a vital requirement for organisations with mobile workers out in the field."

"The amount of information a field service organisation needs to operate successfully can be daunting and one of the biggest challenges it faces is the lack of integrated data to provide a consolidated view of their processes. With FSM Connect, we can enable them to solve this challenge," said Cameron.

FSM Connect enables organisations by providing a single point of access for their field service information. In addition, it allows users to feed the integrated data into business analytics and reporting systems to make more-informed decisions about their field work that can drive productivity and enhance knowledge management.

Other benefits of FSM Connect include:

 

• Decreasing manual data entry by automatically sending data to other applications
• Increasing operational efficiency by centralising and streamlining data views
• Providing bidirectional flow of data that allows full integration across the organisation

 

Trimble will be hosting a Webinar with Aberdeen Group on Thursday, 30. Oct. Aly Pinder, senior research analyst of the Aberdeen Group, will discuss the key emerging technologies empowering workers out in the field, including the use of mobility. To register for the Webinar, or to sign up for a recording, click here.

 

As Trimble's mobile empowerment week continues they yesterday  introduced FieldMaster Technician, a downloadable mobile application that empowers mobile workers in the field with advanced collaboration tools and the ability to access and update information in real-time for improved effectiveness.

FieldMaster Technician allows service organisations to optimise workflows and improve service delivery by getting technicians to the right place at the right time with the information they need to do their job correctly the first time.

Following the announcement of Trimble® Horizon, the new cloud-based platform for Trimble's Field Service Management (FSM) solutions, FieldMaster Technician is the second in a line of new features and solutions announced this week as part of Trimble's spotlight on empowering mobile workers.

"Field service organisations are constantly looking to be more efficient," said John Cameron, general manager of Trimble's Field Service Management Division. "Mobility solutions that provide field teams information at their fingertips are vital to that pursuit. Real-time knowledge allows workers to make better, more intelligent business decisions while in the field. The result can enable increased productivity, reduced operating costs and improved customer satisfaction-three ongoing goals in field service."

FieldMaster Technician is integrated into Trimble FSM's cloud-based solutions and offers key features including:

• Allowing mobile workers to instantly locate and contact nearby co-workers for assistance
• Enabling mobile workers to find the fastest route and navigate to key locations
• Allowing mobile workers to manage their time and log activities throughout the day
• Allowing mobile workers to view historical job information
• Permitting photos and signatures to be captured on site to document work

 

"FieldMaster Technician essentially puts better control in the hands of field personnel," said Cameron. "By integrating powerful mobile apps into our solutions that already help manage workers, work and assets in the field, we can continue to enhance field service excellence for our customers."

Trimble will be hosting a Webinar with Aberdeen Group on Thursday, Oct. 30. Aly Pinder, senior research analyst of the Aberdeen Group, will discuss the key emerging technologies empowering workers out in the field, including the use of mobility. To register for the Webinar, or to sign up for a recording, click here: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=qhxelxfmvubx

 

Trimble have just introduced a new, enhanced version of Trimble® Work Management, a cloud-based solution that improves the productivity of mobile workforces through intelligent scheduling tools, mobile apps and state-of-the-art performance analytics.

Following the recent announcement of Trimble Horizon, the new cloud-based platform for Field Service Management (FSM) solutions, Work Management 3.0 is the first in a line of new features and solutions announced this week as part of Trimble’s spotlight on empowering mobile workers.

In addition to Work Management’s best-in-class scheduling and performance management analytics capabilities already available, key enhancements added to Work Management 3.0 include:

 

• The ability to enable dispatchers to manage capacity by optimising resources and routes for a day, week or even months in advance
• The ability to hard-set customer-agreed appointment windows and preferred workers into the schedule to ensure all future commitments are met
• The ability to plan preventative maintenance work around jobs in the same area to minimise travel and maximise productivity
• The ability to take advantage of a new mobile app – FieldMaster Technician. It allows mobile workers and depot based technicians to receive and update tasks on their smartphones as well as access and capture vital job information on the go

 

“For any organisation that operates a mobile workforce there are multiple businesses challenges to manage. From scheduling and dispatching work and tracking its progress throughout the day to empowering workers in the field for resolving issues—it is all about ensuring that service commitments are met,” said John Cameron, general manager of Trimble’s Field Service Management Division. “Service excellence continues to be a priority for businesses as they recognise its importance in both maintaining and attracting customers.”

“The latest enhancements to Work Management focus on eliminating these challenges to transform service delivery for all parties. Customers benefit from more choice and flexibility while the business has a heightened ability to manage capacity, empower technicians in the field and make decisions based on real-time visibility to ensure the promised service is delivered each and every time,” said Cameron.

Trimble will be hosting a Webinar with Aberdeen Group on Thursday, 30. Oct. Aly Pinder, senior research analyst of the Aberdeen Group, will discuss the key emerging technologies empowering workers out in the field, including the use of mobility. To register for the Webinar or sign up for a recording, click here: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=qhxelxfmvubx.

 

 

 

Trimble yesterday introduced its new cloud-based platform for field service management—Trimble® Horizon. Trimble Horizon will be the core platform for its Field Service Management (FSM) suite of solutions and services. Built upon Trimble’s robust hosting and infrastructure framework, Trimble Horizon supports the following capabilities:

• Solutions – Trimble’s cloud-based solution suite which includes Work Management, Fleet Management and Driver Safety

• Mobility – Mobile applications and tools for better empowerment, data sharing and collaboration in the field

• Connect – Web services to enable seamless integration

• Insight – Business intelligence and analytics tools

Trimble Horizon offers customers an extensible, flexible platform allowing them to depend on Trimble as a single provider for all their field service needs. Cloud-based and modular, Trimble Horizon enables organisations to drive an agile, dynamic field service operation.

“We are delighted to introduce Trimble Horizon,” said John Cameron, general manager of Trimble’s Field Service Management Division. “In a world where technology is so fast moving, we wanted to provide our customers and businesses globally with a foundation for innovation. Trimble Horizon will allow them to add, extend and integrate technologies as their needs change, providing them with the agility to adapt and innovate. Trimble Horizon will couple our best-in-class field service management solutions with integration opportunities and the ability for customers to configure and utilise specific modules across the platform’s global infrastructure.”

Trimble Horizon is a key element of Trimble’s FSM global strategy to continually focus on solutions and tools to better enable organisations around the world in driving service excellence and empowering the mobile workforce.