Feel the force, improve mobile working with BT Next-Generation Field Apps

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Field engineer, Tomasz Kulawinski, installs and repairs telecoms services over a large urban area. He’s been doing it for more than 20 years. That’s long enough to remember mountains of handwritten reports, lost time spent waiting for new assignments, sitting in tailbacks, and getting lost searching for customers’ sites. Handed an Apple device loaded with BT Next-Generation Field Apps, Tomasz now receives new assignments on the fly, completes reports in real time, and gets to jobs fast using in-built satnav. He gets more work done every week and there’s even an app to swap shifts with colleagues so Tomasz can better manage his work life balance. Mobile engineers and their managers get today’s productivity tools I’m proud of this new Apple device. I pull it from my pocket and pick up new jobs just like that. It improves my working life and speeds things up. And my customers love it too.” Tomasz Kulawinski , Field Engineer, Openreach Openreach Case study

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Field engineer, Tomasz Kulawinski, installs and repairs telecoms services over a large urban area. He’s been doing it for more than 20 years. That’s long enough to remember mountains of handwritten reports, lost time spent waiting for new assignments, sitting in tailbacks, and getting lost searching for customers’ sites. Handed an Apple device loaded with BT Next-Generation Field Apps, Tomasz now receives new assignments on the fly, completes reports in real time, and gets to jobs fast using in-built satnav. He gets more work done every week and there’s even an app to swap shifts with colleagues so Tomasz can better manage his work life balance. You can read more about how to improve mobile employee productivity with robust apps at: http://www.globalservices.bt.com/uk/en/products_subcategory/field_force_automation

Transcript of Feel the force, improve mobile working with BT Next-Generation Field Apps

Page 1: Feel the force, improve mobile working with BT Next-Generation Field Apps

Field engineer, Tomasz Kulawinski, installs and repairs telecoms services over a large urban area. He’s been doing it for more than 20 years. That’s long enough to remember mountains of handwritten reports, lost time spent waiting for new assignments, sitting in tailbacks, and getting lost searching for customers’ sites.

Handed an Apple device loaded with BT Next-Generation Field Apps, Tomasz now receives new assignments on the fly, completes reports in real time, and gets to jobs fast using in-built satnav. He gets more work done every week and there’s even an app to swap shifts with colleagues so Tomasz can better manage his work life balance.

Mobile engineers and their managers get today’s productivity tools

I’m proud of this new Apple device. I pull it from my pocket and pick up new jobs just like that. It improves my working life and speeds things up. And my customers love it too.” Tomasz Kulawinski , Field Engineer, Openreach

Openreach

Case study

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ChallengeOpenreach is the guardian of a critical national asset: the BT local access network, which delivers data and voice services to homes and businesses throughout the UK. For all service providers licensed to use that network a 16,000-strong nationwide team of Openreach managers and field engineers is responsible for installing and repairing broadband and phone lines, HDTV set-top boxes, and other consumer and business products.

With hundreds of thousands of customers to support, getting the right engineer with the right skills to the right location has always been a management challenge. Back in the old days, scheduling and reporting ran on paper. Then Openreach armed its field staff with a range of tools including ruggedised laptops, GPS locators, handheld testers, mobile phones and other peripherals. While these worked after a fashion, multiple bulky devices that didn’t talk to each other were not ideal. A more elegant solution combining everything into one simple-to-use device was sought.

SolutionThat elegance was achieved when Openreach adopted transformational technologies from BT. “We wanted to rationalise the number of devices our managers and field engineers carried around, offering a practical solution that minimised costs,” explains Peter Bowden, Business Engagement and Change Delivery Manager at Openreach.

BT chose Apple iOS on which to run an integrated set of Next-Generation Field Apps; replacing the multiple devices previously in-use. Peter says: “We chose Apple because

“We’ve improved productivity by eight per cent for 14,000 engineers. That means Openreach is completing tens of thousands more jobs every single week.”Peter Bowden, Business Engagement and Change Delivery Manager, Openreach

Case study

Openreach

its spirit matched the innovative nature of what we were seeking to achieve. We were further reassured by the simplicity and security of the Apple iOS operating system, which accelerated our time to market.”

Openreach started by working closely with BT application developers, who spent many days shadowing Openreach engineers on the ground to understand workflows and practical concerns. Field testing throughout the process was used to continuously tweak applications to fit daily tasks. That development programme resulted in 35 field-savvy iOS native applications of extraordinary elegance and efficiency, precisely tailored to the needs of the job (see Standout Apps box).

To speed-up the process the BT developers also joined the Apple iOS Developer Enterprise Program. The Apple programme provides rich tools for designing proprietary in-house applications. Resources also include distribution of updates using Wi-Fi technology, along with test facilities and technical support.

The BT Next-Generation Field Apps suite is integrated with Openreach back office applications for more detailed and more accurate performance reporting than was ever possible in the past. This also provides an overview of resources and activities, enabling management to increase operational effectiveness.

The project’s success is due in no small part to the close collaboration between developers and field engineers. “The BT developers refined performance in partnership with our end users to precisely meet our requirements,” Peter Bowden confirms. “And they did it very quickly; the entire process took only a few months.”

ValueOpenreach distributed a total of 16,000 Apple iOS devices, each loaded with BT Next-Generation Field Apps, to 2,000 managers and supervisors and 14,000 field engineers. Each also incorporates standard built-in Apple apps including GPS and satnav, email and camera tools. These are fully integrated with the BT apps to deliver the required functionality.

The use of the all-in-one field tool significantly increases mobile workforce efficiency. Using one of the BT-developed apps called My Jobs, Openreach field engineers receive new assignments as soon as managers identify them. Integrated satnav with GPS allows them to locate customer addresses and drive to locations using the quickest routes with the least traffic. Once on site, engineers use in-built scanning and reporting tools to message job progress and track materials used.

Should an engineer have any difficulty, the Apple device knows where other team members are, so engineers can easily ask colleagues in their area to pop around to ensure that a job is completed on time. At project completion, customer signatures are scanned to certify that jobs have been finished to high standards.

In the event that a customer is not in when an engineer arrives, they can use the BT-developed Prove It app by taking a photo to prove the visit has been attempted. Prove It is also used in the event of a car accident or other incident. Engineers take photos and notes that may eventually be used as evidence in court.

BT Next-Generation Field Apps drives eight per cent productivity increase for 16,000 Openreach engineers and their managers

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Offices worldwideThe services described in this publication are subject to availability and may be modified from time to time. Services and equipment are provided subject to the respective British Telecommunications plc standard conditions of contract. Nothing in this publication forms any part of any contract.

© British Telecommunications plc 2014

Registered office: 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJRegistered in England No: 1800000

06/14

Unlike the old laptops, the Apple device is always on and uses high-speed, secure 3G, 4G and low cost Wi-Fi technologies including the BT network of hotspots and home hubs to speed the exchange of data.

Prior to BT Next-Generation Field Apps deployment, engineers had to return to their vans time and again to boot up laptops, find information, and make reports. With the new solution, it’s just a matter of taking it out of their pocket to access information and make reports, all in real time. Security’s enhanced with passwords and encryption to protect data and meet compliance.

“We’ve improved productivity by eight per cent for the 14,000 engineers,” says Peter Bowden. “That means Openreach is completing tens of thousands more jobs every single week.”

“Our approach dealt with cultural as well as technical issues, and we really got it right. The engineers love their Apple devices and are proud to use them; plus they project an up-to-the-minute image for Openreach.”Chris Lindsay, Head of Global Government Marketing, BT Global Services

Case study

Openreach

The solution delivers other benefits. More mature engineers, who once may not have been comfortable with new technologies, have found their Apple devices make life easier. They’ve also incorporated them into their personal lives because Openreach allows a certain amount of personal use. The field force has learned to cherish their Apple devices, which has decreased damage and replacement costs when compared to traditional laptops.

Chris Lindsay, head of marketing for BT global government, confirms: “Our approach dealt with cultural as well as technical issues, and we really got it right. The engineers love their Apple devices and are proud to use them; plus they project an up-to-the-minute image for Openreach.”

Mobile device management technology means new apps and updates to existing apps can be pushed out to the Apple devices, keeping everyone operating at maximum efficiency. Similarly, Openreach can speed time to market for new products because the necessary information can be sent to engineers’ Apple devices. Recently, for instance, BT stole a march on the competition by speedily launching an innovative set-top box. Such a rapid launch wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

Peter Bowden sums up: “The BT Next-Generation Field Apps suite has radically transformed ways of working for Openreach managers and field engineers and, most importantly, it delivers higher levels of customer service.”

Core services ¾ BT Next-Generation Field Apps

Standout AppsOf the 35 applications so far developed, some stand out for their sheer efficiency and transformational effects.

My Jobs transmits new jobs to field engineers the moment they’re assigned and allows individual engineers to quickly report job progress and tests conducted throughout the working day. It also incorporates barcode reading to track materials used in specific jobs, and signature capture enabling customers to sign-off on job completion.

View My Team enables local managers to see where each team member is in the field and how they are progressing with individual jobs in real time and as the day moves on. Managers use in-built satnav and GPS data to locate engineers and organise visits if required.

Field Quality Check allows managers to ensure that each job meets quality and safety standards and compliance.

Prove It enables field engineers to quickly deal with incidents encountered on the job, including accidents. Engineers take photos, make notes, and date and time-stamp the incident as part of a single report that’s transmitted quickly back to the office.

Swap My Shift does exactly what it says on the tin. If a field engineer wants to swap a shift with a colleague he uses the application to see where team members are located, what skills each has, and their availability. The swap request is sent to the colleague, as well as the manager, to ensure coverage.