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Fast Lean Smart (FLS) is helping to cut down travel and admin time for British Engineering Services, enabling field engineers to be more productive by up to 15% each day.

Paul Hirst, Managing Director Engineering Inspection, says “FLS have proven an outstanding partner since we began together in 2015. The FLS VISITOUR advanced scheduling solution is at the heart of our business strategy for field engineering efficiency whilst delivering the best customer experience.”

British Engineering Services is the UK’s biggest independent engineering inspection, testing and certification company and has a long history dating back to 1859. Customers include all kinds of businesses, from factories to nuclear power plants, from hospitals to schools. Until 2015 it was part of RSA, one of the world’s leading insurance groups and a FTSE 100 company, but is now established as a privately owned company.

Today, British Engineering Services employs 450 highly trained and qualified engineer surveyors and consultant engineers who perform 2.8 million inspections per year. Its customers benefit from state-of-the-art technology and excellent online reporting systems that can deliver information quickly and efficiently.

 

Never standing still

“We constantly review our performance and look for ways to exceed customer expectations,” says Stephen Doyle, Operations Development Leader for British

Engineering Services. “We pride ourselves on having some of the best people in the industry working for us. Many of our staff have been involved in engineering inspection and certification for decades. It is this deep knowledge and understanding of our customers’ requirements that has shaped our business and led us to working with FLS.”

 

The right engineer for the right job at the right time

FLS’s flagship solution, FLS VISITOUR, helps to match availability with customer demand. The software automatically schedules inspections for the entire engineering team and selects the right engineer with the right skill set for the right job. Through

customisable variables, the FLS solution consolidates multiple inspections due at one site into a single visit. It also uses advanced mapping software to choose the most efficient routes to each appointment, including consideration of traffic at the time-of-day. FLS VISITOUR will ensure that each appointment is the best fit for the customer, the engineer and British Engineering Services as a whole.

 

"The initial findings from FLS VISITOUR clearly demonstrated a significant reduction in travel time but also the added benefit of reduced admin time for the Engineers..."

 

Stephen explains, “We looked at lots of different scheduling solution providers, but none of them gave us the flexibility that we wanted. Then we found FLS, who offered a highly configurable system and made every effort to understand our company, our data, and deliver what was right for us and our customers. They also demonstrated what their software could do with initial data tests and a ‘try before you buy’ trial. This was a big reason why we chose them.”

The initial findings from FLS VISITOUR clearly demonstrated a significant reduction in travel time but also the added benefit of reduced admin time for the Engineers by enabling the introduction of a central planning team to arrange the inspections.

Stephen says, “The trial proved the efficiency and productivity-fuelling benefits of FLS VISITOUR, but it also helped us prepare for the full implementation. We learnt what to do, who to involve, and how to make the transition as smooth as possible for our people.”

 

Inspection timing and risk management

British Engineering Services take safety and compliance very seriously and have unsurpassed engineering inspection certification accreditations and memberships. Inspections are planned in advance to give the customer notice and allow any access issues to be addressed before the day.

One of the business challenges is that inspections performed too early would bring subsequent inspections forward which increases costs, but overdue inspections could create a safety and compliance risk. The fact that FLS VISITOUR manages this timing and enables the coordination of multiple inspections in one visit is not just beneficial in reduced travel time and costs, it is also less disruptive for its customers whilst ensuring safety standards are met.

 

Working in partnership

“We’ve found the whole team at FLS really helpful and approachable and feel this is a genuine partnership that continues to improve our efficiency and quality of service.” Stephen explains. “They’re always available when we need them and regularly review the rules and settings within VISITOUR to ensure we are meeting our own customers’ expectations in the best possible way. I cannot recommend FLS highly enough.”

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Columbus, the global digital business services provider, has today announced the launch of a fully connected and mobile Field Service solution. Columbus has created an end-to-end intelligent Field Service solution that utilises the full Dynamics 365 platform.

This includes seamless integration between Dynamics 365 for Field Service and IoT sensor reporting, predictive maintenance and advanced business intelligence to enable customers to make real-time, data-driven decisions on operations. Completing the field service scenario is Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, the mixed reality heads-up display technology delivered via HoloLens devices.

Columbus has drawn on over 25 years of manufacturing industry experience to develop the new solution, which enables medium and large enterprises to quickly adopt and leverage emerging technologies to take full advantage of digital disruption and develop a competitive advantage. The Columbus Field Service offering introduces greater operational visibility by connecting the entire service supply chain to deliver a personalised, customer-focused experience and reduce operational costs.

For organisations looking to tailor a field service solution around existing systems, Columbus also integrates out-of-the-box with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations to optimise additional processes such as work orders and invoicing.

By consolidating data streams to provide businesses with a holistic view of operational performance, the solution helps boost scheduling efficiency, first-time fix rate, engineer punctuality, on-site productivity and engineer billable time, while enabling engineers to identify more opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell services and products.

Mary Hunter, Managing Director at Columbus UK commented “As customers become increasingly connected, businesses must evolve accordingly to maintain a high level of service and meet rising expectations. Columbus helps organisations such as Orangebox, Handicare, and Capital Solutions add value to their businesses and support a customer-centric experience. The new Columbus Field Service solution extends this ability even further to introduce greater business intelligence, end-to-end business process automation and drive cost efficiencies.”

Chris Mean, Chief Operating Officer at Columbus UK added “We are dedicated to supporting organisations throughout every step of their digitisation and servitisation journey, and the Columbus Field Service solution coupled with the extensive expertise of our consultants allows them to enhance and modernise their field service offering at any stage. Our new solution will provide organisations with the ability to harness the full potential of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 portfolio and extend their value stream accordingly.”

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Service management thought leader Sarah Nicastro joins IFS to drive recognition and growth in service

IFS, the global enterprise applications company, announces that Field Technologies Online Editor-in-Chief Sarah Nicastro will join IFS as Director of Service Business Development and Field Service Evangelist.

Sarah brings to IFS over a decade of experience covering the trends, technologies and business drivers that most impact end users of field service solutions. During her tenure at FTO, Sarah’s mission has been to help field service customers tell their stories. In her new role, Sarah will add to the in-house expertise to translate how IFS solutions address the challenges and pain points of savvy field service companies.

Marne Martin, President of IFS Service Management Business Unit and CEO of Workwave, an IFS company, shares her excitement, “With this appointment, IFS will be yet one step closer to our customers, as part of Sarah’s responsibilities include directly tuning into our customer community. Sarah will play a pivotal role in helping us achieve our growth targets, which are ambitious but entirely attainable considering the mix of great products, clients, talent and customer care at IFS.”

Commenting on her appointment, Sarah added, “I am very excited to join IFS, which is one of a small number of companies in the service management space I would consider working for. I know IFS as a strong technology vendor with an unmistakable passion for service management. I look forward to contributing with my expertise to help the company achieve its growth goals by focusing on the needs of the field service community.”

Read more about how IFS’s suite of service management solutions supports service organizations here: www.ifsworld.com/corp/industries/service/.

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Syncron™, a provider of cloud-based after-sales service solutions focused on empowering the world’s leading manufacturers to maximise product uptime and deliver exceptional customer experiences, has recently announced a $67 million minority investment from global growth equity firm Summit Partners. The partnership with Summit Partners will support Syncron’s continued development of its category-leading enterprise SaaS solutions and further expansion of its global operations.

Servitisation – where organisations transition from selling one-off products to selling the output or value that products deliver – is leading manufacturers to evolve their after-sales service operations from reactive, break-fix models focused on repair execution, to a new paradigm focused on dynamic repair prevention and maximising product uptime.

Syncron offers a fully integrated SaaS platform to optimise the performance of the after-sales service supply chain and enable global manufacturers to evolve to subscription-based uptime service models, which is critical on the journey to servitisation. The Syncron Service Cloud applies machine learning to multi-echelon logistics and IoT data designed to deliver predictive insights and drive enhanced customer experiences, greater efficiency and brand loyalty.

[quote float="left"]Syncron powers the after-sales service organisations of many of the world’s leading manufacturers, including Electrolux, Hitachi, JCB, Mazda, Siemens and Toyota[/quote] Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Syncron powers the after-sales service organisations of many of the world’s leading manufacturers, including Electrolux, Hitachi, JCB, Mazda, Siemens and Toyota. Syncron has more than 330 employees across 10 global offices and is a recipient of the Great Place to Work^® award.

“We are delighted to partner with Summit Partners to support Syncron’s next chapter of expansion and our path to IPO readiness,” said Anders Grudén, CEO of Syncron. “Summit’s deep experience collaborating with high-growth, enterprise SaaS companies will add valuable support to our vision of leading the transition from reactive, break-fix after-sales service to intelligently maximising product uptime and customer loyalty.”

“We believe Syncron is uniquely positioned to support global OEMs on their journey towards servizisation,” said Antony Clavel, a Principal at Summit Partners who will join the Syncron Board of Directors. “Across automotive, industrial machinery, high-tech, aerospace and many other industries, sophisticated manufacturers are working with Syncron to drive after-sales service excellence.”

“Syncron is an impressive technology company serving some of the world’s most respected manufacturing brands,” added Han Sikkens, a Managing Director with Summit Partners who will also join the company’s Board of Directors. “The Syncron team has delivered strong, profitable growth on a global scale and we look forward to supporting the company’s continued market leadership.”

Summit Partners manages over $14 billion in capital and has invested over $2 billion in European-headquartered growth companies. Syncron represents Summit Partners’ first investment in Sweden.

 

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simPRO has made another splash in the United Kingdom’s job management technology sector by strengthening the relationship between contractor and customer through an ‘on-the-job’ quoting and sales module.

With simPRO’s Quote and Sales module, engineers will gain the ability to conduct previously office-exclusive tasks on the job site, with an emphasis on field sales capabilities.

The module provides detailed information on goods, services and materials which customers can select from an aesthetically pleasing layout. Engineers can then provide accurate real-time estimates for customers to act upon in their own time or on the spot.

The module will also sell customers membership options which can influence the price of every option offered within a quotation.

simPRO’s Quote and Sales module is the first of many services available through the company’s new simPRO Mobile line, which was developed to allow job management tasks to be conducted from previously inconvenient locations.

simPRO Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Eastgate said the module’s function would help businesses across the UK extend service offerings and bring new efficiencies to mobile sales and administration.

“With our new Quote and Sales module, engineers can present multiple options for their customers before quoting and can even upsell on products and services. They can also then show images of catalogue items, play videos and display supporting materials such as manuals to customers which makes the whole quoting process very interactive.”

Mr Eastgate said the ability for engineers to make efficient on-the-job sales and to cut through red tape without the need of a desk is not just a win for businesses that use simPRO.

“Our clients’ customers also benefit from the drastic reduction in logistical stress. Imagine a world where you can immediately receive an on-site sales consultation, select what you need from a range of options, receive and sign for a quote and then see the work begin straight away.

“Often what gets in the way of this is the need to add that administrative step – to stop what’s happening on the job site and take an administrative step to place orders, generate quotes or make additions or alterations to a job,” he said.

“What matters most is the work done by those who use simPRO and the benefits that are felt by all parties involved. We want businesses throughout the UK to succeed and their customers to receive the best service.”

Successfully integrating with external systems like Quickbooks, Xero, Gmail and Outlook, simPRO will also provide Quote and Sales module users real-time office-to-field connectivity with technical support available 24 hours a day, six days a week across the world.

The Quote and Sales module will be available to the UK’s current field licence-holding simPRO Enterprise customers at no extra cost, giving simPRO’s mobile users the ability to take to the road immediately for free.

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WorkWave a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for the field service and last-mile delivery industries, today announced that it has been awarded a Brandon Hall Group Bronze Award for Excellence in the Best Advance in Talent Management Technology Implementation category for its rollout of Caliper and Caliper Analytics.

WorkWave partnered with Caliper to implement Caliper Analytics to guide its talent management decisions.

As a result of WorkWave’s rapid growth at all levels of the company, its leadership became aware of a clear need to facilitate objective conversations around development processes and ways to support its managers to have more constructive conversations with their direct reports. The Caliper Analytics platform enables WorkWave to leverage detailed personality data to develop new and existing employees, help managers have more effective conversations and fill roles in a rapidly expanding organization.

“As WorkWave continues to place an emphasis on becoming the leader in field service management technology, it is critical that we hire and develop passionate and talented employees who possess the right skill sets for the right positions,” said Marne Martin, CEO of WorkWave. “Through the use of Caliper Analytics, our talent team has been able to take a data-driven approach to WorkWave’s recruitment and development, allowing us to ensure that each person we hire is a great fit.”

“We are thrilled that our partnership with WorkWave has been recognized by the Brandon Hall Group, as we continue to provide them with a scalable, data-driven solution to support the company’s growth and market strategy through its valuable employees,” said Jacque Casoni, Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Region at Caliper.

The award entries were evaluated by a panel of independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives based upon the following criteria: fit the need, design of the program, functionality, innovation and overall measurable benefits.

“Excellence Award winners personify innovation that drives business results. Our winners embrace the future and embrace change and the challenges that go with it,” said Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer of Brandon Hall Group and head of the awards program. “It is amazing in reviewing these entries how organizations – both large and small – work across functions to make human capital management a valuable asset that enables business success.”

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TomTom Telematics has launched a new version of its fleet management Software-as-a-Service solution WEBFLEET 3.3 which allows fleet operators to review combined vehicle data from different sources in one easy-to-use interface.

The WEBLEET Plugin functionality allows a third party to generate notifications within WEBFLEET to draw the user’s attention to an event or a specific vehicle. This will highlight, for example, when a cold chain trailer temperature is out of range or a vehicle has maintenance issues which need to be addressed.

Using the company's award-winning WEBFLEET.connect open API functionality, the software enables flexible and easy back office integrations to bring all information into one system.

For customers with bespoke software needs, this means faster and easier fleet control, integrating such services as safety cameras, temperature monitoring, alcohol testing, routing optimisation or ERP information within their WEBFLEET management system.

The technology is already being used by mutual customers of TomTom Telematics and VisionTrack to view vehicle camera footage directly from WEBFLEET.

"Our customers who also use TomTom Telematics can now pull up incident footage instantly and review via the WEBFLEET interface, without having to open up the VisionTrack software independently," said Richard Lane, Commercial Director at VisionTrack.  "Having access to both visual proof and telematics data gives the clearest picture possible and helps to mitigate insurance costs. We’re excited to bring this new partnership to our mutual customers."

Beverley Wise, Director UK & Ireland for TomTom Telematics, added: “This new capability gives our customers an easier user experience, with faster and more convenient access to the management information they need to make smarter decisions.

"Having real-time third-party information in one interface makes WEBFLEET the hub for optimal fleet control."

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Tieto announced recently that it is one the first Nordic companies to join the European AI Alliance, a newly-formed forum for artificial intelligence (AI) stakeholders to come together to push European competitiveness on AI research and development and its impacts on industry and society.

The AI Alliance, established by the European Commission, brings together a diverse set of leading AI actors, including companies, consumer organizations, trade unions and other representatives of civil society bodies across Europe to share best practices. The AI Alliance aims to directly contribute to the European debate on AI and impact the Commission’s AI policy-making.

To achieve that, the AI Alliance works in close collaboration with the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI HLEG), a group the Commission has also established, with 52 members from academia, business and civil society such as Bayer, BMW, Bosch, Fraunhofer Institute, Google, IBM, Nokia, Siemens, Telenor and University of Oxford. The AI HLEG advises the Commission on AI’s opportunities and challenges, and supports it in the implementation of the European strategy on AI. The AI HLEGwill also prepare AI ethics guidelines covering issues such as fairness, safety and transparency as well as the impact on our fundamental rights, including privacy, dignity and consumer protection.

The AI Alliance will complement and support the work of the AI HLEG in particular in preparing AI ethics guidelines and ensuring Europe’s competitiveness in AI. Tieto and other members of the AI Alliance can provide direct feedback on specific questions and draft documents prepared by the AI HLEG.

“As one of the first Nordic companies involved in the AI Alliance, this is a great opportunity for Tieto to facilitate the development of artificial intelligence in Europe. We are excited to join forces with other AI Alliance members to foster AI innovation while also ensuring the highest ethical and sustainability standards in the development of AI. We will work alongside other leading members to build strategies that accelerate AI research and industrial applications,” says Dr. Christian Guttmann, Vice President, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at Tieto.

“As a Nordic leader in AI, we have already established a Tieto wide AI ethics certificate and are already recruiting new talent in this area, including AI ethics and transparency engineers and AI Trainers to teach our AI systems,” Guttmann continues.

AI and advanced data analytics are an integral part of Tieto’s vision for future growth and success, and Tieto has recently developed several innovative AI and data-driven projects, including the trial with the City of Espoo. Tieto will have six representatives in the AI Alliance, each with deep scientific and industrial experience in AI, including AI’s sub-categories such as machine learning, deep learning, multi-agent systems, knowledge representation, machine perception and AI ethics.

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