Firm says solution is first of its kind and can optimise work for 2.7 billion deskless workers.

The technology company Skedulo who create deskless product software says they have created the "industry's first deskless productivity cloud".

Overlooked

Deskless productivity software, the firms says, has been overlooked by other technology vendors whose digital transformation solutions will cover entire workforces but fail to recognise those in deskless occupations.

Eighty per cent of the global workforce, approximately 2.7 billion people work deskless which can be split into three categories: mobile deskless workers which includes service technicians; hybrid deskless workers - caregivers and facility service staff; and fixed-location deskless workers - retail employees and hospitality staff.

“Organizations are paying more attention to their frontline workforce – i.e., those who deal directly with customers or are closely involved in the production process." said Raul Castanon-Martinez, senior analyst, workforce productivity and collaboration at 451 Research. "These workers have traditionally remained outside the scope of IT and business communications, but increasingly organizations are prioritizing their role to improve business agility. We expect digital transformation initiatives to expand in 2020 where frontline workers will more directly drive business outcomes.”

The platform is underpinned with Dell's Boomi programme enabling flexible configuration with existing workflows and the software is currently experimenting with a dynamic messaging real-time communication tool.

Tim Haines, Senior Product Manager at Sunrun, a solar equipment company, has been able to upscale their operation after using the platform to supercede its manual, ad-hoc scheduling methods. "We can now dial into a specific solar advisor at a specific store ad compare their hours worked and performance against the rest of the time," he said.

 

Thai firm Eko offers TELCOs free use of its workplace platform during outbreak.

In an effort to support TELCOs during the Covid-19 pandemic, employee software provider Eko are offering free use of its virtual workplace platform.

Suite of Tools

Users who sign-up for the subscription-based platform will only be charged when the current situation stabilises and will have access to the virtual workstation's suite of tools including: Banner, a tool for creating visual banner announcements for staff; Broadcast, a way of communicating clear, company wide announcements; a library of documentation covering, health and safety, health insurance and travel polices for example; a real-time catalogue of checklists and attachments; and a real-time chat facility for accurate and instant communication.

As the impact of the virus takes a firmer hold globally, the need for remote technology in enabling business continuity is growing. Companies are requiring solutions that can at the very least offer a semblance of 'business as usual' and assist in continuity strategies.

Korawad Chearavanont, CEO at Eko, hopes the offer can help negate some of the anxiety that businesses are feeling. "The virus outbreak has been a big concern for businesses that are frantically preparing contingency plans," he said. "If our platform can give peace of mind to businesses and help to keep employees informed and feeling calmer during this unprecedented time, then it just seems like the right thing to do." 

Bunzl Catering Supplies sign enhanced contract with fleet solution provider.

Bunzl Catering Supplies have extended their contract with fleet solution provider Microlise and supplemented its existing Proof of Delivery (POD) transport management solution with extra modules.

Modules

The firm, part of international B2B distributor Bunzl plc., have added Fleet Performance, Remote Tacho Download, Journey Management and Health and Safety modules to their current package.

Focused on the catering and hospitality sector where it sources, consolidates and distributes food packaging and hygiene products, the UK-based company conducts seven operating branches and a distribution centre.

In renewing and enhancing the partnership Bunzl hope they will make further improvements in efficiency, customer service and safety around its operational output.

"Extending the solution for us is a natural progression," said Phil Haskew, National Transport Manager at Bunzl Catering Supplies. "We have identified further workflow and customer service improvements we can make by introducing fleet utilisation, planning and health, safety and compliance management solutions."

Commenting on the deal, Nadeem Raza, Microlise's CEO said: "We are delighted to continue to partner with Bunzl Catering Supplies as they deliver a strengthened end-to-end cutsomer experience."

UK-based CAE firm will form part of Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence Division.

Precision measuring specialists Hexagon AB has acquired CAEFatigue, a provider of mechanical fatigue simulation solutions.

Consolidate

CAEFatigue, founded in 2012 and based in the United Kingdom, will be consolidated into MSC Software, Hexagon’s own Computer-aided Engineering (CAE) simulation software arm, part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence Division.

The implementation of CAE simulation during the design phase of manufacturing can replicate and identify potential stresses and fatigue issues of a product. CAEfatigue Vibration, a component of CAEfatigue’s software suite uses frequency-domain response rather than a time-domain alternative which increases accuracy during the simulation. At the moment It is being used in a range of sectors including the automotive and aerospace industries, both key demographics for Hexagon. Currently, MSC provide simulation software for NASA, Boeing and Genera Motors and with the addition of CAEFatigue, Hexagon expect to bring an enhanced CAE offering to existing and new customers.

Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén said Hexagon's portfolio of smart factory and smart industrial facility solutions will feel the benefit of the acquisition beyond its manufacturing processes. "CAEFatigue offers solutions for validating design and manufacturing methods - from choice of material to fabrication - enabling decisions during the design phase that improve quality and product life, while saving time, reducing costs and eliminating waste." 

Webinar will offer advice on how remote service can be achieved through Microsoft's field service solution...

B2B IT firm DXC.technology will host a webinar in April to help firms work remotely by using Microsoft's Field Service Platform Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Reduce Site Visits with Connected Service, takes place on Thursday 16 April at 1230-1300 GMT and will be presented by Tricia Sinclair, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Pre-Sales Architect with over 10 years experience in implementing CRM solutions

Attendees will learn how the Microsoft platform can detect and resolve issues remotely and how data can be leveraged from connected devices to establish when a technician visit is necessary.

As Covid-19 impacts service delivery, attendees can expect plenty of value from the webinar. 

Full details of the event are below:

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Reduce site visits with Connected Field Service

Thursday 16 April 2020 12:30PM - 13:00PM BST

 

What it is and how it works

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service is a complete Field Service Management solution that includes the detection of a field service need, technician scheduling, parts information delivery, and support of field technician interactions including knowledge management and service portals for end-to-end customer service.

Connected Field Service harnesses data from an IoT platform into Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service to help organisations proactively detect, troubleshoot, and resolve issues remotely, dispatching a technician only when necessary.

Learn more in our webinar

Join our 30-minute webinar to find out how you can use Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service along with Connected Field Service to drastically reduce your service costs and improve customer satisfaction.

The webinar will cover how you can:

• Detect and resolve issues remotely, before the customer knows of an issue
• Leverage data from connected devices to send technicians only when necessary
• Improve customer satisfaction with reliable and predictable service delivery
• Service more customers by increasing first-time fix rates
• Meet and exceed SLAs with a 360-degree view of your customer assets.

This webinar is suitable for Operations Managers, Business Analysts, those in Service Delivery, Field Service and Health and Safety roles, IT decision makers and Financial decision makers.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT.

As the most powerful 7-inch rugged mobile data terminal available on the market today, the compact VIKING is ready for the future of fleet management.

RuggON Corporation, a leading provider of rugged mobile computing solutions, has announced VIKING, its next-generation Android-based vehicle-mount mobile data terminal.

Compact

The compact 7-inch VIKING is designed to bring class-leading performance, comprehensive connectivity, industry-specific functionality and modern applications to a wide range of fleet and transportation deployments.

Class-leading Performance

As digitization and automation continue to transform the fleet management industry, high-performance vehicle-based computing devices will play a pivotal role. The VIKING, running Android 9 with Google Mobile Services on a fast, state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor, brings unparalleled system performance in a reliable and productive daily workhorse that fits anywhere.

Designed for Fleets

Built to the highest ruggedness standards, the compact VIKING is designed for use in vehicles ranging from forklifts all the way up to large trucks and heavy-duty machinery. Featuring IP65 ingress protection and having passed pertaining MIL-STD-810H testing procedures, the VIKING can operate in a wide -20⁰ C to 60⁰ C temperature range and withstand the harshest environments. With a wide 9-36V input voltage range, smart power management, ISO7637-2 power protection and CANbus or SAE J1939 support, the VIKING is a flexible tool for implementing a wealth of fleet and vehicle-based tasks such as diagnostics, data collection, route and safety management, navigational tasks, and onboard operations recording.

Ready for Use on the Road and in the Field  

With a high-bright 7-inch PCT touch-display, the VIKING remains viewable in bright sunlight, while the auto-dimming function automatically adjusts to any change in ambient lighting condition. In addition to the comprehensive onboard I/O with legacy support of its MT70x0 Series predecessors, the new VIKING adds convenient reversible USB Type-C functionality with DisplayPort Alt mode support, enabling an extra display where required. Reliable, Comprehensive Connectivity

Staying reliably connected is crucially important to effective fleet management in today’s digital and data-driven transportation era. The VIKING comes with a range of integrated connectivity technologies including 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G LTE mobile broadband, GNSS with support for all the major satellite systems, as well as NFC/RFID reading for identification and similar tasks.

For More Information on the RuggON VIKING click here

Company says its photo and video-based app can help reduce contact between technicians and customers.

XOi Technologies have made access to their Vision app free to new customers until September 1 in an effort to support the service sector during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lockdowns

With lockdowns being implemented globally alongside initiatives such as social distancing the number of physical service calls are being reduced. It means the use of remote technology in the sector is becoming more prominent.

XOi’s cloud-based application uses Vision uses photo and video documentation with real-time remote video support which the firms says can cut down customer and engineer interactions.

“Going completely remote simply isn’t an option for the field service industry, where site visits are just part of the job,” XOi’s CEO Aaron Salow said. “But with technology like ours, it’s possible to reduce the face-to-face interactions that technicians experience on calls. By offering wider access to XOi, we feel like we’re doing our part to keep the industry we serve engaged, connected, and productive during a difficult period.”

As the virus takes a firmer hold on infrastructure Salow hoped the decision to offer their technology free of charge would affirm the wellbeing of the company’s community. “Our top priority is the health and safety of our own employees, workers in the contracting industry, and our customers and partners,” he said. “These are difficult circumstances for the communities we serve. We see an opportunity to reach out to them and offer something that can help their team members and customers stay safe while also supporting their businesses during a period of financial strain.”

 

For details on the offer, visit http://www.xoi.io/xoi-offer/ contact Nick Hughes at nhughes@xoi.io for further information.

Members' community release content covering forecasting, scheduling and flexibility to help companies plan during outbreak.

Business community The Forum have introduced a suite of free digital modules to help businesses with continuity throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Virtual collaboration

The content, packaged as as series of learning academy modules, webinars and a virtual collaboration, will cover homeworking strategies, forecasting, scheduling and flexibility

The programme began yesterday (24 March) and concludes on 16 April with a networking call for members to share experiences.

Paul Smedley, Founder and Chair of The Forum hopes the content can strengthen business' resolve during this period. "It’s during times like this when you need to remember you are part of a community of best practice, so don’t be alone. The Forum is your friendly, safe environment for sharing ideas, top tips and pitfalls to avoid.

"In this time of uncertainty its important that we collaborate and work together, bringing together ideas and use this time as an opportunity to learn and continue to raise standards."

AI firm join list of firms offering free usage of tools during pandemic.

RevTwo have made their AI-powered tool Navigator free of charge for the remainder of 2020 to support field service firms during the Covid-19 outbreak.

 

Avoid call-outs

The Navigator tool uses AI, which the firms says, enables technicians, call center agents and machine operators to resolve service issues faster. It comes at a time when large-scale social distancing and self-isolation means engineers are having to find different ways to complete tasks while avoiding call-outs.

"We believe that empowering end-users to resolve issues can help service and support teams in many important ways," a statement from the company explained. "Especially in these uncertain times, helping service techs avoid making some site visits is even more important."

The outfit have joined an array of companies offering their resources to the service sector during the pandemic including ServiceMax, Augmentir and Safeture.

"COVID-19 will be beaten with the cooperation of millions of hands doing their part," Dale Calder, RevTwo's CEO and Founder urged. "In that spirit, we have decided to make RevTwo Navigator free for customer self-service for the rest of 2020."

Navigator is available today on the Apple Store. You can download it here. Android support will be available March 30.