How revising the field service process can increase efficiency and customer satisfaction

How revising the field service process can increase efficiency and customer satisfaction Anke Geudens Service manager Pidpa Munchen, October 15 2009 1

Pidpa: the company Triggers for change The field service process revised Demonstration Benefits Lessons learned 2

Opening question What is the cheapest product delivered at home? Drinking water! Benefits: 500 times cheaper than bottled water High quality Always available No transport for customer No packing => Operational excellence 3

Pidpa: the network is the company! Distribution network Distribution area : the province of Antwerp - Belgium Our activities : high quality drinking water +waste water Service area : 2.581 km² 65 communities connected Water mains : > 12.000 km Water Production Centers : 26 Water Towers : 62 Pumping stations : 30 Yearly production : 68 million m³ 4

Pidpa: the network is the company! IT Network DIS GeoLink Distributie ArcInfo/ArcFM ArcView Ad-hoc PRD (Milieu) HIDRORIO Adm. data SAP ERP SAP ISU/CRM LIMS SCADA DM Archieven... ArcView Ad-hoc ICT GIS GIS- Applications GeoDatabase GeoLink Hidronet ArcInfo/ArcFM ArcView Ad-hoc Infonet / Infoworks Labo KR ArcView Ad-hoc ArcView Ad-hoc GeoLink Distributie GeoLink Hidrorio OD (HR,ICT, ) 5 ArcView Ad-hoc

Pidpa: the network is the company Network of customers: More than 480 000 households New connections on network: 5500/year Maintenance and repair jobs: more than 4000/year 160 technicians 6

Pidpa: mission and strategy Our Mission : In a sustainable way, efficient, with high quality, fulfilling the water related needs of our customers, at the best possible price! Pidpa-strategy : Best possible price in mission statement, not cheapest focus on operational excellence Shift from product-oriented customer focused & service oriented 7

Pidpa: strategy What do we want? Easy chair method Customers take part in business processes (Bridges/Handy) More energy to opportunities than problems 8

Pidpa: strategy Profile of customers new type (Lewis/Bridger) Authenticity Independent Well informed Individual Take part 9

Pidpa: strategy New trends (K. Nordstrom) Fast Technology Personalised Incertainty 10

Pidpa: strategy How? Change business model (hierarchy customer centered) Creation of contact center Creation of service center Customer self services (IVR, e-services, ) 1 contact Empowerment of employees Competences Customer oriented workers 11

Pidpa: field service strategy Place Technicians start their work from home Distance between jobs Urgent tasks in between Different tasks in 1 contact Time Volume of work Time of the customer Large contactability First time right 12

Pidpa: strategy Service center: customer interventions 100 000 interventions in 2008 60 000 technical interventions 40 000 meter readings done by Pidpa 8,5% of meter readings done by Pidpa 1,5% estimated indexes 90% of meter readings done by customers 34 technicians 13

Pidpa: the company Triggers for change The field service process revised Demonstration Benefits Lessons learned 14

Traditional field service process Customer interventions: Order management Administrative work Planning system Customer-service Execution 15

Traditional field service process Technical interventions Meter readings Terminals Software Persons Terminals Software Persons 16

A a n t a l k l a n t e n A a n t a l Triggers for change Customers use self services!: Shift in the type of interventions (customer involvement) Meter readings Technical interventions EVOLUTIE AANTAL UITGEVOERDE WERKEN 450.000 EVOLUTIE JAAROPNAMEN 70.000 400.000 door Pidpa door klant 65.000 64.393 350.000 geschat syst. verv. 60.000 59.979 58.885 300.000 55.000 250.000 50.000 50.124 200.000 45.000 43.758 150.000 100.000 50.000 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 J a a r 40.000 35.000 30.000 25.000 36.179 34.024 34.546 32.152 30.707 28.637 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 J a a r 17

Triggers for change Travel time More competition (open market) Reduce administrative costs (paper, fax, forms, ) Field service strategy Time of the customers (1 contact) Demands of customers (SLA, ) Up-to-date info about intervention 18

Pidpa: the company Triggers for change The field service process revised Demonstration Benefits Lessons learned 19

The field service process revised Unified work orders - Meter readings become SAP PM-orders Easy appointment scheduling - Integrated Appointment tool integrated within CRM CIC Optimize workload (planned/unplanned) - Optimization tool for all orders (with or without appointment) Integrated mobile solutions - Mobile terminals supported by SAP Enable end-to-end automation - Automation of administrative processes Integration of GIS and SAP work orders 20

The field service process revised Meter readings are considered as SAP PM-orders Benefits Supporting technology 1 terminal multi-skilled persons 1 contact for customer synergy effects SAP PM with use of enhancements thus upgrade proof 21

The field service process revised Appointment / dispatcher tool Benefits Fully integrated in CRM CIC Availability field workers integrated with SAP HR Capacity monitoring tools for dispatcher Supporting technology Custom development - Object oriented - 80% use of standard SAP functions (HR,PM, Calendar) 22

The field service process revised Appointment / dispatcher tool (sample screens) PM-orders waiting for appointment Navigation Employee availability Available timeslots 23

The field service process revised Optimization tool of all PM-orders Benefits Supporting technology Optimization tool of all PMorders Street level, resource and skills optimization Handle the high amount of work orders Changed role of dispatchers 3 rd party software Interface based on XML files 24

The field service process revised Mobile application Benefits More efficiency: data control on input, double input is avoided, communication of work orders is improved, relocation of work orders, More customer service: urgent tasks, up-to-date information, Improvement for technicians: more information available, less administrative work, Supporting technology Backend ECC 6.0 Middleware MI 7.0 Frontend MAM 3.0 - UI adapted for ease of use 25

The field service process revised Application ++ Offer information in a structured way Lay-out adapted Stability of application Connection +/- Sometimes troubles with GPRS Hardware + Touchscreen is ok Very little hardware troubles despite working conditions Battery autonomy somewhat short 26

The field service process revised Mobile application (sample screens) 27

The field service process revised Automation of administrative processes Benefits Streamline process Less/no manual postprocessing for work orders 280 minutes/day gain on manual post-processing work* Extendable in the future Supporting technology Custom development - SAP Workflow tools - SAP standard functions - Integration with CRM-ERMS *Compared to old system work orders post-processing (excluded meterreadings) and compared with the same number of technicians 28

The field service process revised Automation of administrative processes (concept) Events triggered on combination task-result in a dynamic rule editor = AUTOMATION OF PROCESSES with error handling fully integrated within ERMS in CRM Task Result Error handling within ERMS Process 1 Process 2 29

The field service process revised Automation of administrative processes Example? Task Result Events Meter replacement Meter replaced Meter reading order is filled up Old meter is built out New meter is built in Send a letter to customer to inform him about meter replacement Meter replacement Meter is not replaced because customer is not home Send a letter to customer to inform him about the need of an intervention+ ask for appointment 30

The field service process revised Integration of SAP and GIS 31

The field service process revised 1. GIS SAP maintenance orders & project information GIS features : an individual connection at a certain address a specific street SAP features : PM workorder PS project Common identifier : Interfaces on selection connection number SAP street ID Specific view for Distribution Report with orders & projects Geo-locator 32

The field service process revised 2. GIS inside the SAP GUI : zoom to order location GIS features : Streetname Connection SAP features : SAP PM maintenance order Zoom to order location via URL Common identifier : SAP street ID Connection number 33

The field service process revised 3. GIS SAP maintenance orders linked to calamity point GIS features : Calamity point, several subtypes (breach, corrosion, water quality ) SAP features : SAP PM maintenance order Common identifier : SAP workorder ID Selection of calamity points 34

The field service process revised 4. GIS SAP customer information GIS features : One or more connections Streetname SAP features : SAP connection SAP business partner Common identifier : Connection number List detailed data of selected customers 35

The field service process revised Benefits: One central geographical dataset strong decrease of paper map use fast on-screen access for everyone to accurate visual representation of the complete water distribution network data Improved response times for end-users intelligent positioning in GIS and immediate access to corresponding detailed SAP data (eg. workorders) Improved customer service more accurate selection of affected customers on interventions Increased efficiency in work processes and data transparency related data in SAP immediately accessible in a mouseclick 36

Create order Change user status Send letter Send work item ERMS Update inspection status Update installation Enter meter reading Seal meter Meter inst./rem./repl. Architecture Create Order Create Appointment Dispatcher Monitoring Optimize Orders MAM Automatic Post Processing Manual Post Processing SAP NetWeaver BO Order Released Post Processing Actions Rule Editor BO Confirm. Created Webflow BO Goodsmov. Created for dynamic webflow task assignments SAP CRM ERMS integration mysap ECC Services mysap IS-U Services SAP CRM SAP ECC IS-U PlanVidia SAP MI MAM DM Hummingbird 37

Pidpa: the company Triggers for change The field service process revised Demonstration Benefits Lessons learned 38

Demonstration: scenario After a notice from Pidpa, a customer calls to make an appointment for a replacement of his meter The order is assigned to a technician, who uses his Mobile application to give feedback about the work done Automatic actions are executed in the backend (e.g. meter replacement, meter readings, installation updates, followup workorder, letter towards the customer, ) 39

Demonstration: scenario Step 1 - Making an appointment in the interaction center Step 2 - Monitoring workload and capacity in the dispatchers tool - Start the interface towards the scheduling tool Step 3 - Scheduling tool with all agents and service points - Result of 1 agents route Step 4 - Incoming interface from scheduling tool - Assignment of technician Step 5 - Synchronizing Mobile application - Entering the results of the intervention Step 6 - Result of the automation of administrative processes Step7 - Integration with GIS 40

Pidpa: the company Triggers for change The field service process revised Demonstration Benefits Lessons learned 41

Benefits Efficiency: Less/no administrative work on orders Gain of more than 280 minutes/day on administration Gain of 120 minutes a day for assigning work orders to technicians- dispatchers can do other jobs Communication of work orders to technicians Gain of 40 minutes/day Less technicians needed due to synergy tasks High efficiency working time/travelling time (83%) 42

Benefits Customers: Quicker service to customers with regard to appointments More communication/information to customers with no extra effort Excellent results in questionnaires Quality Intentions Sacrifice Satisfaction 43

Benefits National test for customer-orientedness of employees 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Average Belgium Mobielen Trend (Mobielen) 1e meeting 2e meeting 3e meeting 4e meeting 44

Pidpa: the company Triggers for change The field service process revised Demonstration Benefits Lessons learned 45

Lessons learned In general: - Rethinking one part of the field service chain may have great influences on other parts - Manage change among dispatchers and mobile workers (their role has changed) Planning and optimization - Avoid artificial boundaries for optimization - Clearly identify your rules for planning and optimization - Make choices: efficiency versus customer oriented - Need for real-time optimization? 46

Lessons learned Mobile application: - User friendly interface on mobile terminals is important - Make your mobile application process oriented (engineercentered) - Give your mobile workers a lot of support (exercises in the field, helpdesk, ) - Hardware - Checks on input side Automation of processes - Make the concept of automation of processes as dynamic as possible - Limit the automation to unified processes (automation facilitates, automation is not intelligent) 47

Lessons learned Never stop improving - Since startup in october 2007 2 major releases of frontend Roll out to additional group (Hidrocontrol) Continious improvement/optimization of middleware Second release of backend workflow SAP 2009 / Page 48 48

Questions For your tommorow, I give my today!? 49

Contact Anke Geudens Anke.geudens@pidpa.be Mobile: + 32 475 505 119 PIDPA http://www.pidpa.be Contact: info@pidpa.be 50