Benefits of Windows Mobile: Field Service
Abstract
This white paper presents the experience of field service organizations that have
improved customer service for competitive advantage as well as increased productivity,
by deploying solutions based on Windows Mobile® software. Although these
organizations vary in size and operate within different industries, each of them improved
service scheduling and dispatch, service delivery, and job close-out. They achieved
these gains in business value by using Windows Mobile to link the field service agent to
back-office systems.
June 2006
The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of
publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of
Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication.
This white paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT.
Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document
may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this
document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any
license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.
© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, Visual Studio, Windows, and Windows Mobile are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and/or other countries.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
0506
1
Contents
Executive Summary .......................................................................... 3
Introduction..................................................................................... 3
Impact of Windows Mobile for Field Service ......................................... 4
Examples of Solutions Designed for Windows Mobile in Field Service ....... 5
Scheduling and Dispatch .............................................................. 5
Service Provision ........................................................................ 9
Job Close-Out ........................................................................... 11
Conclusion ..................................................................................... 14
About the Authors .......................................................................... 15
Appendix—Customer Descriptions and Links to Full Case Studies.......... 16
2
Executive Summary
The global work force is becoming more mobile. The demands for secure and robust
anytime/anywhere connectivity has led many companies to deploy Windows Mobile®–
based solutions.
For example, field service organizations rely on communication between back-office
systems and service agents in the field to carry out their processes. Today, these
organizations are under pressure to increase productivity and reduce costs while
delivering higher levels of customer service. Mobile technology is providing the critical
links between processes, enabling field service organizations to meet their business
challenges.
This white paper describes how different field service organizations have realized
significant value by deploying solutions designed for Windows Mobile. Each example
includes an overview of the organization’s business needs, the deployed solution, and
the resulting benefits. An appendix provides customer descriptions and links to case
studies.
Introduction
The world of work has evolved beyond the confines of the office and now requires
anytime/anywhere access to data, colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Independent
market analyst IDC estimates that as many as 878 million workers worldwide, or
approximately 27 percent of the work force, will be considered mobile workers by 2009.1
Field service organizations are characterized by employees who provide services from
remote locations. The major challenges these organizations currently face include the
pressure to:
• Increase worker productivity and reduce costs
• Compete on the basis of superior after-sales service
• Maximize service revenue generation
To address these issues, field service organizations are increasingly looking at mobile
technology solutions. Solutions based on Windows Mobile software have been
successfully deployed successfully and are generating clear returns on investment,
thanks to manageable up-front costs of the mobile devices, ease of integration with
back-office systems, and security capabilities.
With solutions designed for Windows Mobile, field service organizations can increase
worker productivity and reduce costs by automatically and remotely dispatching the
closest available field service agent to the job; agents no longer have to physically visit
the depot or drive inefficient service routes. In addition, mobile solutions link the service
technician to the back-office systems. As a result, jobs are completed faster, more jobs
are resolved on the first visit, and job status tracking is improved—all of which enhance
customer satisfaction. Finally, remote data links from the field to the back-office systems
enable field service organizations to ensure that the parts needed to complete work
orders are available, as well as accelerate billing cycles.
This white paper documents how solutions designed for Windows Mobile are helping field
service organizations face their business challenges more effectively and provides
1
Worldwide Mobile Worker Population 2005–2009 Forecast and Analysis. IDC #34124, October 2005.
3
examples of the measures, or key performance indicators (KPIs), that these
organizations are using to track the benefits.
Impact of Windows Mobile for Field Service
Field service is characterized by services being provided away from a wired office
environment. The field service function is challenged by relentless pressure to contain
costs yet deliver the highest-quality customer outcomes. The need to access information
about customers, products, and services can put a strain on field service workers, as
well as their support systems. Mobile access to information, whenever and wherever
that information is needed, is helping field service workers provide better customer
service while reducing costs.
According to independent industry analyst the Aberdeen Group, 72 percent of leading
firms are evaluating deficiencies in their current field service processes and are
searching for ways to drive process improvements through deployments of mobile
technology deployments. Aberdeen states:
Field service organizations have been plagued by the inefficiencies engendered by
loose connections among field technicians and critical back-office functions like
customer service and accounting. Mobile technology holds—and in many cases
has delivered on—the promise of seamless and zero-latency connectivity between
the field and the back-office.2
Scheduling
& Dispatch
• Customer data
• Technician data
• Parts inventory
Service
Provision
• Product and part
information
• Technical data
• Knowledge base
Close Job
• Customer data
• Job status data
• Billing system
The field service process
Each of the major activities in the field service process can be improved by using
Windows Mobile, including:
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Service provision
• Job close-out
These activities involve basic tasks, which are made easier by Windows Mobile. Some
examples are:
• Communicating with remote workers
• Replacing paper-based forms and processes
• Immediate and remote access to back-office systems and data
2
The Mobile Field Service Benchmark Report: Bridging the Chasm Between the Field and Back Office.
Aberdeen Group, September 2004. www.aberdeen.com.
4
• Managing and sharing knowledge among remote workers
Examples of Solutions Designed for Windows Mobile in Field
Service
Many organizations rely on paper-based and telephone-based processes to link field
service workers with the home office. Traditionally, field workers have been required to
physically visit an office or call office staff on the phone to receive dispatch instructions,
which is costly and takes time that could be better spent servicing customers. At the
remote service sites, workers often did not have ready access to the information
required to complete the service call on the initial visit. In addition, once a service call
was completed, the need for completed forms and other documents delayed the closing
of the service order, which in turn delayed billing and reduced customer satisfaction.
The following sections examine how companies in various field service sectors have
addressed these problems by deploying solutions designed for Windows Mobile.
Scheduling and Dispatch
Scheduling and dispatching field service workers are challenges for service
organizations. Many companies have relied upon service technicians visiting a depot to
pick up their dispatch instructions for the day, an approach that increased fuel costs and
wasted time. It also made it difficult to change or update a technician’s schedule
information during the course of the day. Other field service organizations relied on
telephone communications between the office and technicians in the field; however, that
method increased call-center costs and often reduced the level of service because
customers essentially competed for call-center resources.
Mobile technology has enabled field service organizations to automate their schedules
and dispatch processes, thereby reducing head-office costs and increasing technicians’
productivity. Customer satisfaction has increased because technicians arrive as
scheduled with the right skills and tools needed to complete the service call.
Table 1. Windows Mobile Improves Field Service Scheduling and
Dispatch
Field service organizations that use Windows Mobile are able to automate the dispatch of field workers
and provide real-time updates to the field, thereby increasing productivity and customer satisfaction.
Company
IKON Office Solutions
Issue
Company engineers
had to call in to
customer service for
new jobs and to pass
on data. As a result,
customers had to
wait, which reduced
the productivity of
call-center staff and
field engineers.
Benefits of
Windows Mobile
•
•
•
•
•
Engineers receive
job updates
wirelessly
On-screen input of
job data
Automatically
updates back-office
systems
Reduced reliance
on handwritten
notes
Improved data
accuracy
Key Performance
Indicators
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduced engineer calls
to customer service by
85%
Helps call-center
agents to respond to
customers twice as fast
Enables engineers to
transfer data to close
jobs 75% faster
Reached payback in
14 months
Reduced telephone
and fuel costs
Boosts customers’
5
perceptions with hightech image
Unisys
A call dispatch
system using pagers
and cell phones was
costly, slowed
response time, and
introduced dataentry errors.
•
•
•
•
Schindler Elevator
Corporation
Field service workers
relied on cell phones
and applications on
notebook computers,
which were heavy
and hard to read and
had short battery life.
•
•
•
•
Automated dispatch
and service call
closure
Technicians have
all required
information
Compatibility with
existing back-office
system
Ability to check on
part status remotely
•
Improved
ergonomics and
portability
Integrated voice
capabilities
Support for line-ofbusiness
applications
Built-in interactive
diagnostics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Will save $10 million
over 5 years
Reached payback in 1
year
Decreased calls
handled by dispatchers
by 87%
Increased customer
satisfaction
Strengthens
competitive position
Reduced solution IT
costs by 54%
Increased automated
dispatches by 32%
Increased number of
unscheduled calls
resolved on same day
by 8%
Increased efficiencies
Reduced paperwork
Increased customer
satisfaction
IKON Office Solutions. Every day, IKON’s U.K. call center receives thousands of
customer requests for on-site maintenance, resulting in around 2,500 service visits per
day. Call takers would log information into a service management system called Sidon
and dispatch jobs to the 600 field service engineers by pager or phone. When a job was
complete, engineers telephoned the call center to “close” the job. The agent was
allocated the next job
Previous Field Service Dispatch Process
during the same call. Marco
Pezzani, National Service
Customer service logs
calls & dispatches jobs
Director for Customer
using phone or pager
Service Operations for
IKON, says, “The number
of engineer calls would
sometimes outweigh
customer calls. It was
Customer calls
for service
difficult for agents to
Field service calls
deliver a prompt response
customer service to close
to customers because
job and get next job
engineer calls were
clogging up the lines.”
New Process with Windows Mobile for Pocket PC Phone Edition
IKON was keen to improve
customer service, while
increasing the engineers’
productivity.
IKON engaged Microsoft®
Certified Partner and
Customer calls
for service
Customer service
logs job,
automatically sent
to field service
Windows Mobile
powered
smartphones
Field service
selects jobs from
queue, enters
details to close job
6
mobile solutions provider Dexterra to develop a mobility solution to enable data updates
from the field. In response, Dexterra developed application software called IKON
Service, customized from Dexterra’s Field Service Application. IKON field service
engineers were given a variety of devices to test with the new software, but they settled
on Windows Mobile powered smartphones.
IKON Service is a forms-based application that is business-process driven. Call takers
log job details into the Sidon system as before; however, now engineers connect to the
system wirelessly through their GPRS-enabled devices. The IKON Service application
pushes to the device a queue of jobs that engineers can select and prioritize according
to their service-level agreements. Engineers can also indicate an estimated time of
arrival on the customer site. A number of the most commonly used manuals have also
been loaded into the devices so that engineers can view them whenever they require.
The solution, based on Windows Mobile for Pocket PC Phone Edition, improved customer
service and increased employee productivity.
“Technicians no longer have to wait to get
With 85 percent fewer engineer calls to distract
through to the call center. Instead, they
them, IKON call-center agents can focus on
are in control of their own timetable and
providing a better response to the thousands of
can plan their workload priorities to hit
service-level agreements, rather than
customer calls they receive each day. On
zigzagging across their geographical
average, the time it takes a call-center agent to
areas.”
answer a call is now 10 seconds, compared to
23 seconds in the previous system. Productivity
Marco Pezzani
in the field has improved, as well. Equipped with
National Service Director for Customer
Service Operations, IKON
Windows Mobile powered smartphones
providing access to the full record of the
machine’s service history, parts manuals, and technical manuals, engineers are
empowered to complete jobs quickly. In addition, it used to take engineers three to four
minutes to close a job by telephone. In contrast, entering that same information into a
mobile device takes less than a minute. A reduction in the need for handwritten notes,
which were then transferred over the telephone each time an engineer needed to close a
job, has contributed to a marked improvement in data accuracy and reduced the need to
reenter or correct data later.
Unisys. Worldwide, Unisys customer infrastructure representatives (CIRs) respond to an
estimated 10,000 IT support calls daily. Using phones and pagers to handle service
requests for more than 2,000 CIRs was costly, increased response time, and introduced
data-entry errors, resulting in low customer satisfaction. Unisys wanted to improve
service response time, enhance the effectiveness of its mobile work force, and reduce
the cost of doing business. Specifically, Unisys needed a system that would:
• Automate service call dispatches.
• Reduce the need for dispatcher
involvement.
• Give CIRs the information they needed to
complete a call.
• Enable CIRs to easily report status and call
resolution from the field.
“With this Windows Mobile-based solution in the
hands of front-line service engineers, customers
see us as a much more cost-effective,
seamlessly integrated service provider.”
David Gardiner
Vice President of Architecture and Technology,
Unisys
Unisys had several requirements and design considerations for a mobile work force
automation solution:
7
• The solution could not affect (including causing any downtime to) the company’s
mission-critical Service Request Management System (SRMS), a proprietary callmanagement application running on a mainframe.
• Unisys wanted to avoid making changes to the SRMS.
• The solution had to be secure. Unisys had concerns about loss or theft of devices and
the use of public airways and networks to transmit private, sensitive business
information.
Unisys decided to deploy a service call automation solution that functions on Windows
Mobile powered Pocket PCs. This solution meets Unisys’ requirements with a customized
front-end application that connects to SRMS by way of a wireless network. No data is
stored long term on the device, and the device is password protected, so even if a
device is lost or stolen, sensitive information is not disclosed.
Unisys estimates that it will realize savings in excess of $2 million3 per year. Those
savings result from:
• Automating data entry and avoiding data-entry errors and associated costs.
• Reducing personnel costs. Because fewer calls require a dispatcher, Unisys can
allocate resources to other important areas of the company.
• Eliminating pager costs.
The savings start the moment CIRs receive a mobile device because they can
immediately accept, manage, and close service calls without dispatcher assistance. In
fact, today CIRs complete 87 percent of all calls using only the solution designed for
Windows Mobile.
Schindler Elevator Corporation. Schindler Elevator’s 2,500 service technicians were
using a field service application running on outdated, proprietary mobile computers that
were heavy and hard to read and had a short battery life. In addition, to keep in touch
with customers and the Schindler Elevator customer service desk, technicians had to
carry a mobile phone. Schindler Elevator sought improvements, including:
• Improved ergonomics and portability
• Integrated voice functionality
• Support for line-of-business (LOB) applications
“We wanted the solution to be much more compact, and we wanted to integrate both
voice and data functionality so the technicians wouldn’t have to carry both a computer
and a mobile phone,” says David Butts, Chief Information Officer at Schindler Elevator
Corporation.
Schindler ported the existing application, called Schindler FieldLink™, to run on Windows
Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PC Phone Edition. The solution automates the
dispatching of service calls, simplifies problem diagnosis, improves efficiency, and
reduces paperwork.
FieldLink for Pocket PCs automates the service
dispatching and reporting process. When
Schindler receives a call for service, the solution
3
“We scoured the mobile marketplace for
a platform, and Windows Mobile was the
best option.”
David Butts
Chief Information Officer, Schindler
Elevator Corporation
All monetary amounts referenced are given in U.S. dollars.
8
routes the service request to the closest technician by sending a Short Message Service
(SMS) message to the technician’s mobile device. The technician then accepts the
service request and reports an estimated time of arrival. Once the Schindler customercare center receives the technician’s response, the customer is informed of the service
technician’s estimated arrival time.
Compared to Schindler’s previous method, the solution designed for Windows Mobile has
helped reduce the company’s FieldLink solution costs by half. Specifically, Schindler is
spending less on licensing for middleware, licenses for client computers, voice and data
charges, and hardware additions.
The new solution designed with Windows Mobile further reduces costs for Schindler
Elevator by automating a greater number of service call dispatches. In fact, with the
new solution, the number of fully automated dispatches has risen 32 percent, which
translates into cost and time savings.
Service Provision
Field service workers typically perform their services away from their offices and
therefore do not have ready access to information residing on back-office systems or
within the organization’s knowledge base. Similarly, the output from the field service
technician’s work is often first written on paper and then later transmitted to the office,
where it is entered into the back-office systems. These processes reduce worker
productivity, increase costs, and increase the time needed to complete customers’ work
requests. Mobile solutions enable remote technicians to input information directly into
the back-office systems, which reduces costs and accelerates turnaround time.
Table 2. Windows Mobile Improves Field Service Provision
Field service workers who use Windows Mobile are able to access information and resources remotely
and in real time, as well as capture data more efficiently.
Company
RAC Inspection
Services
Safeguard Properties
Issue
Benefits of
Windows Mobile
Key Performance
Indicators
Paper-based
inspections had to
be rekeyed into the
back-office system
and did not link to
repair costs in the
field.
• Mobile recording of
inspection results
• Automatic upload to
back-office systems
• Field access to
parts costs
•
Inconsistent
methods of
assigning and
capturing home
inspection data
delayed the
completion of
inspections.
•
•
•
Smartphones to
dispatch and record
results of survey
and answer
questions
Data automatically
uploaded into backoffice system
•
•
•
•
Total job time reduced
from 45 to 35 minutes
Customer satisfaction
increased from 75% to
96%
Development costs
payback achieved in 2
years
Average turnaround
time reduced from 9.5
to 7.5 days
Follow-up time reduced
by about 65%
Maintenance costs
reduced by 67% or
$160,000
RAC Inspection Services. RAC Inspection Services has a high profile in the consumer
market and in vehicle inspection solutions for corporate customers such as fleet hire
companies and motor manufacturers. Previously, car inspections services for these
9
clients were paper based, labor intensive, and error prone, and they involved repetitive
tasks. “Using paper-based systems, our engineers could not get an accurate repair cost
while in the field. Prices for parts and labor were only available in large, heavy, printed
books, which quickly went out-of-date and which were simply not viable to supply. We
needed a way to speed up the data collection process and enable access to costing
information,” says Adrian McCarthy, Head of Operations for RAC Inspection Services.
RAC deployed TaskMaster
software from TBS
Systems as the base data
capture tool for its new
solution. TaskMaster was
installed on Windows
Mobile powered Compaq
iPAQs. The solution
enables field engineers to
inspect vehicles, record
vital information, and
gain access to costing
information as part of a
single process.
Previous Field Inspection Process
Inspection engineer
fills out paper forms
Forms mailed
to head office
Data entered into
back-office system
New Process with Windows Mobile Powered Pocket PC
Back-end administration
Inspection engineer enters
time has been reduced by
data in Pocket PC and
uploads to back-office system
about 8 percent and total
job time, including
booking, inspection, and administration, has fallen from 45 to 35 minutes. One-time
data entry also reduced the chances of introducing errors. The shift to a fully
computerized system has improved the presentation of RAC reports so much that the
company’s customer satisfaction level has risen from 75 percent to 96 percent.
Safeguard Properties. Inspectors for mortgage field service firm Safeguard Properties
used laptop computers, Palm handheld computers, and paper forms to complete
property inspections in the field, which meant rekeying data and maintaining multiple
applications. The company wanted to speed the assignment and completion of property
inspections and the results of those inspections, as well as reduce the follow-up
questions between Safeguard staff and inspectors.
Safeguard worked with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Solutient to develop a mobile
solution that would enable inspectors to receive inspection requests and complete and
upload the results of those inspections from the field, thus eliminating the need for
inspectors to return to an office to type in data. Safeguard chose to create a solution for
Windows Mobile powered Pocket PCs. The new solution, called INSPI2, uses Web
services to exchange information between the user’s computer and the Safeguard backoffice systems. The business logic interpreted by
“With the Windows Mobile-based
the INSPI2 application’s scripting engine ensures
solution, our staff saves time
that the inspector sees the appropriate set of
because inspection results need
questions for the specific client and its property.
less follow-up. Our inspectors can
The scripting engine also alerts inspectors to
be more productive, and our
customers get their reports faster.”
discrepancies with other answers or property
history, and ensures that the appropriate followKellie Beyer
up questions are asked and answered while the
Operations Specialist,
inspector is at the property completing the
Safeguard Properties
inspection. The solution also enables inspectors to
10
use Pocket PCs with built-in digital cameras, so that inspectors can simultaneously
transmit photos and inspection results to Safeguard.
The solution designed for Windows Mobile eliminates delays in assigning new requests to
inspectors. As a result, Safeguard can follow up with customers about 65 percent faster
and has reduced the average time required to satisfy customers’ requests from 9.5 days
to 7.5 days. Safeguard estimates that that figure will continue to drop, possibly by 90
percent, as inspectors become more experienced with the solution. The time-savings is
enabled by the business logic of the scripting engine, which ensures that the majority of
report discrepancies and necessary follow-up questions are raised while the inspectors
are in the field, reducing the need for a second visit to obtain missing information. This
also increases the productivity of inspectors, who can now complete more property
inspections daily.
Safeguard anticipates that it will continue to save $160,000 per year as it reduces the
cost of maintaining the solution by 67 percent. That savings will come from reducing the
workload of the IT development staff as business analysts implement their own business
changes to the solution’s script.
Job Close-Out
Many field service organizations have relied on paper-based processes to close out a
service order. After performing a service, the field service technician would have to
deliver paperwork to the office, where it would be entered into the back-office systems.
This procedure created additional costs, reduced productivity, and increased the time
lapse between the service being performed and the customer receiving confirmation of
the service visit. The field service billing cycle could not commence until this data had
been entered, thereby delaying cash flow. The solutions designed for Windows Mobile
are being used to enable remote data entry for real-time job close-out, which saves time
and money, and accelerates the billing process.
Table 3. Windows Mobile Improves Field Service Job Close-Out
Field service workers who use Windows Mobile are able to capture customer signatures and remotely
close out jobs in back-office systems, helping to improve productivity and expedite the billing process.
Company
Dependable Highway
Express (DHE)
Alliance Beverage
Distributing Company
of Arizona
Issue
Paper-based
delivery receipts
made it impossible to
give immediate
delivery information
to customers and
drove up costs.
Paper-based
customer inventory
and route delivery
process was time
consuming and
required duplicate
data entry.
Benefits of
Windows Mobile
•
•
•
•
Digitally captured
signatures enable
real-time dispatch
and delivery
information
Dispatcher effort is
reduced
Electronic data
capture eliminates
paperwork
Information
automatically links
with back-office
system
Key Performance
Indicators
•
•
•
•
Saved $3 million in
operational costs
Improved customer
service and satisfaction
Achieved 18-month
return on investment
Saved 250 driver hours
per week over 70
routes
11
Dependable Highway Express (DHE). The company uses an integrated freight
management system, electronic data interchange, and an online site that enables
customers to check shipping status. However, DHE drivers still used pen and paper to
record their pickups and deliveries and to collect customer signatures on receipts.
Drivers sometimes completed a day’s worth of reporting at the end of the shift. That led
to inaccurate records as drivers struggled to remember all their activities and to record
entries so that their logs “balanced out” at the end of the day.
The lack of accurate
information on pickups
Previous Delivery Close-Out Process
and deliveries prevented
DHE from knowing which
customers were its
most—and least—
profitable. Plus, because
Driver makes delivery,
Forms
what information DHE did
records data on paper
delivered to
Data entered into
receive came in only at
forms and customer
head office at
back-office system
signature on receipts
end of day
the end of the day, the
company’s dispatchers
New Process with Windows Mobile Powered Pocket PC
couldn’t use the
information to alter
drivers’ schedules to
account for new orders or
changes to existing
orders that arose during
Driver enters data and
captures customer signatures
the day. The pen-andin Pocket PC and uploads to
paper solution for
back-office system
collecting delivery
signatures presented
another drawback: It prevented customers using DHE’s Web site from getting real-time
information on the status of those deliveries.
DHE wanted to adopt a handheld computing technology that would enable drivers to
capture signatures and relay information in real time, over a wireless network, to
dispatchers and the corporate freight-management system. The technology that DHE
adopted would have to meet the following criteria:
• The solution would have to work independently of a specific hardware device.
• It would have to be carrier independent.
• It must have store-and-forward capability.
DHE chose Windows Mobile powered Pocket PCs. The devices run the KonaWare Mobile
T&L Suite, Pickup & Delivery Edition, by KonaWare, a Menlo Park, California–based
developer of transportation, logistics, and field service applications.
Thanks to the solution, DHE expects to save $3
million per year, while improving its ability
meet future customer requirements and make
better decisions about pricing and profitability.
By automating many of the processes that
currently consume DHE dispatchers’ time, the
solution has helped DHE reduce staff in its Los
Angeles, California, headquarters from five to
two, and the company estimates that it will
“The Windows Mobile-based solution will
have more impact on our costs than
anything else we could have done. We
are seeing substantial operational and
financial improvements throughout our
company.”
Mike Dougan
Chief Financial Officer,
Dependable Highway Express
12
reduce the number of its dispatchers by 40 percent. Because data from drivers no longer
needs to be rekeyed, nor paper signatures scanned, DHE expects to reduce the workload
for administrative staff by about 12 percent.
Also, because the solution gives dispatchers better information about the loads that are
being driven back to DHE for rerouting onto other trucks, dispatchers can organize the
dock handlers more effectively to respond to those loads. As a result, the company
expects to see a 10 percent increase in the pounds per personnel-hour managed by dock
handlers. Similarly, real-time information from drivers will enable dispatchers to change
drivers’ routes dynamically throughout the day in response to changes in customer
orders. DHE expects a 15 percent increase in drops per driver per hour.
DHE anticipates a 10 percent decrease in customer service costs by giving customers
the ability to track shipment status and check signatures over the Web in real time,
reducing the need to involve DHE personnel in that task.
The final category of savings is communication costs. By replacing the frequent status
calls between drivers and dispatchers with data transfers between Pocket PCs and the
server-side system, DHE expects to cut communication costs by 40 percent.
Alliance Beverage Distributing Company (ABDC). Historically, ABDC relied on a mix
of paper-based and proprietary IT systems to track beverage deliveries and customer
inventories, manage sales orders, and track customer payments that, by Arizona law,
must be made at the time of delivery.
For ABDC, that mixture of systems
“By converting our route delivery processes to the
Windows Mobile-based solution, we have gone a
created cumbersome, inefficient work
long way toward creating a very efficient
processes that necessitated four ABDC
electronic-document system that is easier to
employees to generate a simple payment
manage and makes it easier to find information
credit: the driver who took the payment,
quickly when we need it.”
a cashier who took driver collections at
Jon Willis
day’s end, a staff member to reconcile
State Operations Manager, Alliance Beverage
payments, and someone to manually
Distributing Company
enter the transaction into a host system.
ABDC recognized that to improve its
business efficiency and continue to provide high-quality service to its customers, it
needed a solution that could automate many or most of the transactions that occurred
on a typical day.
ABDC worked with Microsoft partner Tolt Technologies to deploy Symbol Pocket PCs
running delivery software from Agentek. This solution provides ADBC drivers with
complete delivery-stop information in real time, including continually updated customer
and product delivery details. Information gathered by drivers is synchronized at the end
of each day with ABDC’s AS/400 computers.
ABDC expects that the benefits it will realize from the solution designed for Windows
Mobile will pay for the investment within 18 months. Drivers can accomplish more in less
time, which saves ABDC money in driver pay and enables the company to assign larger
routes to each driver. The information collected by the drivers is transmitted directly into
the back-end systems, which reduces or eliminates entirely the need for extra personnel
to transfer information between collection and storage points. The solution also helps
ABDC manage the long-term storage of important information, such as customer
signatures. The elimination of paperwork done by drivers is saving the company an
average of about 250 hours over 70 routes every week.
13
Conclusion
Solutions designed with Windows Mobile software are generating significant benefits for
many field service organizations. With these solutions, field service companies are
reducing costs and increasing worker productivity by enabling the real-time flow of
information between the field and back office. Customer satisfaction is increasing due to
the reduction in turnaround time on service calls and up-to-the-minute status reports on
service orders. Field service organizations also benefit by shortening the billing cycle and
accelerating cash flow.
Windows Mobile software offers a rich platform supported by powerful tools, like the
Microsoft Visual Studio® development system, which integrate tightly with enterprisescale server software like Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SQL Server™. The
familiar Windows operating system interface reduces training requirements and eases
user adoption.
Microsoft and its partners have many resources available to assist field service
organizations in determining the benefits they can realize from solutions designed for
Windows Mobile.
Please go to:
Windows Mobile for Business
www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/business/default.mspx
Solutions and Software for Field Service
www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/business/ffa.mspx
14
About the Authors
Value Prism Consulting, LLC is an independent consulting firm that provides strategic,
financial, and operational consulting services to companies facing the challenges of
industry, market and technological change. Value Prism assists clients with valuations,
business case development and decision support analysis. Its solutions provide accurate
and supportable information that lets a company or a decision maker act on
opportunities and avoid costly pitfalls. Value Prism solutions measure the results of
business process improvement, capital investments, and major budget spending
decisions.
Please go to www.valueprism.com for more information.
15
Appendix—Customer Descriptions and Links to Full Case Studies
Phoenix, Arizona–based Alliance Beverage Distributing Company is an alcoholicbeverage wholesaler. With about 500 employees, ABDC is the largest distributor of
wines and spirits in Arizona.
www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/casestudy.asp?CaseStudyID=16118
Dependable Highway Express (DHE), headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is one
of the largest less-than-load carriers in the state.
members.microsoft.com/customerevidence/search/EvidenceDetails.aspx?EvidenceID=10
217&LanguageID=1&PFT=
Microsoft%20Windows%20Mobile%202003%20software%20for%20Pocket%20PCs&TaxI
D=20346
Headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, IKON Office Solutions is one of the world’s
largest independent distribution channels for copier and printer technologies.
www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/casestudy.asp?CaseStudyID=15879
Based in Feltham, England, RAC Inspection Services carries out vehicle inspections
for retail and corporate customers, completing around 500,000 reports a year.
www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/CaseStudy.asp?CaseStudyID=13520
Safeguard Properties, based in Brooklyn Heights, Ohio, is the largest privately held
mortgage field service company in the United States, with 350 employees.
members.microsoft.com/customerevidence/search/EvidenceDetails.aspx?EvidenceID=13
745&LanguageID=1&PFT=Microsoft%20Windows%20Mobile%202003%20software%20f
or%20Pocket%20PCs&TaxID=20346
With headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey, Schindler Elevator Corporation is the
North American operation of the Swiss-based Schindler Group, the world’s largest
escalator manufacturer and the second-largest elevator manufacturer.
www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/CaseStudy.asp?CaseStudyID=16107
Unisys is a worldwide IT services and solutions company headquartered in Blue Bell,
Pennsylvania. It has approximately 36,000 employees operating in more than 100
countries around the world.
www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/CaseStudy.asp?CaseStudyID=17110
16