Sky Technologies Case Studies

Mobilizing world business

Sky TechnologiesSuccess Stories

WATERC O R P O R A T I O N

At a glance:Manufacturer and supplier of wireharnesses to the automotive industry.

Industry:

Manufacture

Solution:

Inventory and production managementutilizing SkyMobile

Results:

– Enables a variety of RF devices to bedeployed throughout the business,across a variety of businessprocesses.

– Gives flexibility which means thatAAPL IT staff can readily ‘DIY’ toinclude new applications in the system

dependencies and queuing are all catered for within the suite without any need for complex programming.

A flexible application development framework AAPL required a solution for Radio Frequency (RF) applications across a number of SAP® transac-tions / modules. Additionally, they needed a framework that provided real-time transaction processing with store and forward / stand alone capability.

Solution detailThe final solution was delivered using SkyMobile, which enabled the RF applications to be developed inside SAP®, without the need for any middleware. The Samoan operations (where connectivity to the SAP® system is unreliable) have store-and-forward capability, so if, or when, the connection is down, production recording can continue with no impact to the shop floor staff.

Phase I enhancements included a complete stand-alone warehousing application which was developed for the new distribution facility in Adelaide, Australia. All inventory and despatch functionality can be processed ‘locally’ without a connection to SAP®.

ChallengeUse a common framework for application development across multiple SAP® modules in both real-time and stand-alone modes.

SolutionAAPL has developed the solution using SkyMobile. The implementation comprised stand-alone warehouse systems and real time inventory and production recording systems in both Australia and Samoa.

BenefitsThe solution enables a variety of RF devices to be deployed throughout the business, across a variety of business processes. The common application development framework gives flexibil-ity which means that AAPL IT staff can readily ‘DIY’ to include new applications in the system. SkyMobile provides complete visibility to all subsequent updates in SAP®.

AAPL utilize SkyMobile for all of their SAP® mobility needs. All updates are monitored and managed by the business using the highly visible and easy-to-use tool. The high volume nature of the integra-tion is easily catered for by SkyMobile. Intelligent processing of transactions reduces the load on SAP®. Further, more complex

Australian Arrow Pty Ltd (AAPL) is the largestsupplier of wire harnesses to the Australian automotive industry. AAPL is an Oceanic affiliate of the Yazaki Corporation.

AAPL deploys SkyMobileto manage inventory and production processes

Success Story

© 2010 by Sky Technologies Pty Ltd.

All rights reserved. Sky Technologies products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sky Technologies in Australia. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. Product specifications may vary. These materials are subject to change without notice.

These materials are provided for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and Sky or its partners shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for Sky Technologies products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

Information such as logs, configuration, database definitions and data can all be easily displayed from the server’s administration web page via the Local Area Network.

Future proofThe scalable architecture of SkyMobile enables AAPL to deploy any number of applications in order to meet business needs. AAPL’s IT staff use the application AAPL’s IT staff use the application workbench inside SAP® to configure new applications as is needed by the business.

SAP® updates are subsequently synchronized back to the SAP® system when the connection is available.

AAPL have also undertaken to integrate this distribution centre model with their customer’s production line which will enable real-time production demands to be fed into the warehous-ing application for picking. SkyMobile is capable of delivering such flexible solutions.

Device & System managementThe device management console resides inside SAP® and enables support staff to view every detail associated with the remote SkyMobile servers.

About Sky TechnologiesSky Technologies specialize in Enterprise Mobility Solutions for SAP® software.

SkyMobile a Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP) is a certified add-on for all SAP® systems. SkyMobile enables SAP®

customers to deploy any SAP® application to any device, anytime, anywhere utilizing a single integrated framework.

With a client base spanning across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia , Sky Technologies is the world leader in enterprise mobility solutions for SAP® .

For more informationFor more information on this and other solutions provided by Sky Technologies, please visit our websiteskytechnologies.com or e-mail us [email protected]

At a glance:One of the world’s largest buildingmaterials suppliers.

Industry:

Building materials supplier

Solution:

POS, EFT payment and transportavailability system utilizing SkyMobileand SkyConnect

Results:

– Minimize customer wait time.– Improve productivity and quality of

sales and customer service.– Payment by EFT, cash or cheque with

direct integration with SAP®.– Checks transportation capacity at

point of sale to ensure that deliverycan be met.

SAP® IntegrationPOS and EFT processing from within SAP®.SkyConnect is used to manage all of the POS and EFT processing from within SAP®.

All transaction updates are monitored and managed by the business using the highly visible and easy-to-use tool.

SkyConnect is used to integrate SAP® with the external banking gateway together with all of the POS devices:

EFTPOS PIN pad.

Cash drawer.

Bar code scanner.

Cheque scanner.

Solution detailUsing Sky Technologies’ products, CSR has integrated their Sales Order Entry, Payment Capture, Transport Availability and EFT devices directly with their SAP® ERP sales and delivery processing. This approach maintains the advan-tages of a single, central, integrated ERP system, whilst improving productivity through a stream-lined POS process. A major advantage of this implementation is the elimination of additional middleware, which simultaneously reduces infrastructure cost and the resources required for support.

ChallengeCSR’s Building Materials Division needed the implementation of an efficient and effective point of sale (POS) operation at its chain of Gyprock Trade Centres and Bradford Insulation Distribution and Branch offices, which comprised POS devices with integrated Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) functionality feeding into the SAP® order entry module.

SolutionCSR selected SkyPOS to provide a full, end-to-end solution, tailored for their unique business processes, hardware and EFT provider.

Benefits

Minimize customer wait time.

Improve productivity and quality of sales and customer service.

Payment by EFT, cash or cheque with direct integration with SAP®.

Checks transportation capacity at point of sale to ensure that the Customer Service Level Agreement for delivery can be met.

The CSR group is one of the world’s largest building materials suppliers, with operations in Australia, Asia and New Zealand. The Australian businesses cover over 500 locations, predominantly on the eastern seaboard.

CSR implement an integrated POS, EFT payment andtransport availability system

Success Story





Control over the transaction. If no bank approval is received, then the sale cannot proceed. The order is automatically cancelled in SAP® with a valid rejection code noted for each line item. Moreover, the order is not ‘lost’ – rather, it can be finalized at a later date using alternative payment details.

Timely printing of tax invoices. After finalizing the payment for the order, all subsequent SAP® business transactions (delivery, post goods issue and billing) are handled in the background prior to the printing of the tax invoice.

Fast order entry transaction screens were developed in SAP® to provide an efficient means of capturing sales orders.

Further productivity gains were achieved by using technology to scan products, process credit cards and print or record images of POS transac-tions.

Some of the key features of the solution are:

Bar code scanning of products to eliminate the time required to search for correct product codes.

EFTPOS transactions for debit/credit card to improve the payment processing for custom-ers and capture all relevant EFT information in SAP®.




With a client base spanning across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia , Sky Technologies is the world leader in enterprise mobility solutions for SAP®.


– The Purchase Requisition process has been reduced to a fraction of the time previously experienced with a manual approval process.

Results:

Integrate SAP® workflow and purchase requisitions into existing BlackBerry® devices

Solution:

Energy

Industry:

Macquarie Generation is Australia’slargest electricity generator.

At a glance:

SolutionUtilizing the existing BlackBerry® hardware and infrastructure at Macquarie Generation, Sky Technologies implemented SkyMobile in conjunc-tion with a solution template to provide the follow-ing functionality:

The ability to push purchase requisitions out to the application that is running on the BlackBerry® smartphone using standard SAP®

workflow to an authorized BlackBerry® user.

Generation of an e-mail notification, informing the authorizing manager of a new requisition ready for review.

The ability for an authorizing manager to log into the SkyMobile application, view the purchase requisition details and either:

approve the request, orplace the request on hold and source more information.

Solution DetailWhen the purchase requisition request has been created and is ready for approval and release, the standard SAP® workflow triggers the extraction of the purchase requisition details from SAP® and notifies the appropriate manager (based on SAP®

user ID) of a pending purchase requisition requir-ing approval. The manager can decide to release the purchase requisition or place it on hold and request further information from the originator.

ChallengeThe company’s business process requires the creation of purchase requisition orders for all purchases. Depending on the value of the requested purchase, the requisition may require approval by several managers before the requisi-tion is released to the purchasing department. Macquarie Generation’s Liddell and Bayswater power stations are located in remote parts of the NSW countryside. As such, senior managers and engineers spend a significant amount of time travelling and are often not at their desks to deal with administrative tasks such as purchase requisition requests. They had limited access to SAP® when travelling, often leading to delays in the approval process.

Macquarie Generation needed an efficient and effective solution that would allow its managers to be just as productive, effective and efficient when working remotely as they are when in the office. Further, there was also a requirement for the solution to have off-line capability, as the remote location of the power stations means that a connection to SAP® is not always available.

Macquarie Generation is a State owned corporation that was established in 1996. Headquartered in Newcastle, Australia, Macquarie Generation’s core business is the production and wholesale of electricity to the national electricity market.

Macquarie Generationpowers up with requisitionapproval on BlackBerry®

Success Story





“We have made better use of our investment in BlackBerry® smartphones, as purchase requisi-tion reviews and approvals are reduced to a fraction of the time than prior to the implementa-tion. The easy user interface has also minimized training costs and encouraged user acceptance,” said Gary Ryan, SAP® Applications Team Leader

at Macquarie Generation.

As noted earlier, the application runs stand-alone, therefore any transactions created while ‘off-line’ will automatically reach the SAP® system once connectivity is reestablished. This is processed in background without user intervention.

Within SAP®, the highly visible transaction management console gives a complete overview of transactions that have been processed. Drill down capability enables more information to be displayed if/when required.

The application supports multiple levels of authorization, ensuring adherence to appropri-ate workflow processes and authorization limits.

The manager can decide to release the purchase requisition or place it on hold and request further information from the originator.

As the application supports both real-time and stand-alone modes of operation, if the BlackBerry® device is out of range or blocked from the network, information is stored on the device and automatic synchronization ensures that any pending transactions reach the SAP® system when connectivity is re-established. When a purchase requisition is released or deleted, the update is automatically pushed out to the BlackBerry® device and consequently deleted from the work-list queue.

BenefitsBy working closely with Macquarie Generation and using SkyMobile and the Requisition Approval Application Template, Sky Technologies was able to deliver a complete solution without the need for additional complex middleware.


SkyMobile a Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP) is a certified add-on for all SAP® systems. SkyMobile enables SAP® customers to deploy any SAP®

application to any device, anytime, anywhere utilizing a single integrated framework.



SolutionOfficeworks required an inventory management solution for deployment in all their stores nation-ally. The application was required to cater for real time stock location and back order quantities for individual stores as well as the four closest geographically located stores.

Officeworks also required synchronous transac-tion processing to ensure real time feedback to end users when updating transactions.

The mobility project utilized Motorola handheld devices that were already in use and formed part of Officeworks’ larger ePOS Project. Officeworks decided to roll out the complete solution in three separate phases.

The mobile solution required the following functionality:

price check

goods receipt

stock inquiry

transfer stock movement e.g. QI to unrestricted stock-take

bin locations

price label printing

ChallengeOfficeworks had an existing (offline) mobile inventory solution in place; however it did not integrate with the SAP® inventory system and could not be updated remotely. This presented the organization with several challenges including:

Team members not having visibility to “real time” inventory levels

Orders, stock checks, inventory enquiries all required manual intervention

Stock levels could often be inaccurate

Key requirements

Capable of running in both online and offline mode

Support dynamic and remote access to update and check stock levels

Fully compatible with existing SAP® software and any future upgrades

Reduce the time and complexity of existing tasks performed by team members

Leverage the wireless infrastructure and hand held technology already implemented in all stores

Compatibility with any future hardware and wireless upgrades

Officeworks is Australia's largest retailer of office products and solutions catering to the commercial, home use and education markets. Opening their first store in 1994, Officeworks has grown to over 120 stores nationwide and is continually opening new stores to keep up with demand.

Officeworks have SAP® in their hands

At a glance:Officeworks is Australia’s largest retailerof office products and solutions.

Industry:

Office products and solutions

Solution:

Inventory management utilizingSkyMobile

Results:

– Reduced the time and complexity oftasks performed by team members

– Ability to give feedback directly to ITdepartment

– Perform label comparisons to ensureproduct and shelf label compatibility

– Batch price check by scanning 10products in a single pass

– Shortened existing manual steps in the business and automated someexisting processes

“Implementing the SkyMobilesolution has meant Officeworkshas moved to a mobile onlineapplication, enabling us to performfunctions that interact with SAP®

real time, whilst our team membersare on the shop floor. Being able to perform stock on hand productenquiries on our mobile devices isjust one example of the greatbenefits we are seeing in moving to an online mobile application.”

Matt GurrieGeneral Manager, IT & Supply ChainOfficeworks

Success Story





Business benefitsSome of the business benefits for Officeworks included an increase in the number of team members able to perform stock enquiries simulta-neously and without leaving the sales floor. The Sky solution utilized existing hardware without the need for an upgrade. With more than 700 devices deployed across more than 120 stores, the cost saving was substantial.

The internal IT team at Officeworks worked very closely with Sky engineers on the implementation. This helped the organization realize the value of implementing a mobile framework that would manage all mobile transactions inside SAP®. Having just one data source which was not replicated or duplicated on other devices would ensure true and accurate information at all times.

The SkyMobile framework also provided the team with the knowledge that their system could evolve over time as their business needs changed and would support any device they decide to utilize in the future. The Officeworks IT team are now competent and capable of enhancing and updat-ing their mobile solution, thereby reducing the cost of ownership and their reliance on a vendor to make continued changes.

Solution detailThe new Sky solution is a ‘second generation’ SAP® mobile deployment for Officeworks that required new functionality not available through the legacy system that was in place. The SkyMobile solution reduced the time and complexity of existing tasks performed by team members, but also presented them with additional functionality such as the ability to give feedback about the application directly to the IT Department. This feedback provided the IT Department with information and suggestions on ways to improve the system as well as confirma-tion that the application was of benefit and working successfully.

The SkyMobile application also allowed team members to perform label comparisons to ensure the product label and shelf label were compatible by simply scanning both labels with the handheld device, and similarly, a batch price check could be performed by scanning 10 products in a single pass with any pricing errors displayed on the device screen. The application not only shortened existing manual steps in the business, but also automated some existing processes.






At a glance:Manufacturer and supplier of industrialand speciality chemicals, explosives andmining chemicals, paints and otherconsumer products.

Industry:

Chemical & Mining

Solution:

Proof of delivery system utilizingSkyMobile

Results:

– Real-time information on delivery status sent back to dispatch office.

– Information automatically sent to SAP for the processing of completed loads.

– Elimination of late data entry and the need for staff to recheck data.

– Keying errors avoided, if not eliminated.

– Near real-time visibility of end-to-end process, from the time the truck is loaded to customer receiving delivery.

– A SAP certified technology platform and mobile framework that can be utilized across the entire business.

“The whole business has welcomed the changes that this project has brought about as we transitioned from a manual and retrospective data entry team into an automated value added distribution network.”

Stu McFadyenNZ Fleet ManagerOrica Chemnet

Orica Chemnet chose Sky Technologies Consulting’s Proof of Delivery Solution, which uses the Sky Technologies’ SkyMobile Business Framework to deliver a real business solution.

SolutionThe Proof of Delivery system previously utilized by Orica Chemnet was paper-based and required delivery drivers to handwrite information on pre-printed A4 dockets, capturing the customer’s signature where available. The completed dockets were then returned to the office for data entry and subsequent invoicing.

The project was an extremely collaborative one with Sky Technologies Consulting and Orica working closely together to understand Orica’s business processes.

By utilizing SkyMobile and no additional middle-ware the new integrated solution now allows Orica Chemnet to:

Pre-build vehicle schedules as requirements are confirmed via phone or fax and orders are then entered directly into SAP.

Release vehicle schedules to drivers’ devices without the drivers needing to see them or explain special requirements. All the informa-tion is conveyed via the schedule on the device.

ChallengeChemnet is Orica’s chemical trading solutions business. Chemnet supplies all sources across a diverse market such as own manufacture, external manufacture and additionally as a distributor or agent.

Orica Chemnet makes thousands of bulk liquid deliveries each year. In fact, the Bulk Liquid business has grown substantially over recent years, both in the volume of product delivered and in the number of products that are manufactured. This growth, however, was not matched by improvements in processes or the use of technol-ogy solutions.

Orica Chemnet sought to improve processes and techniques through the implementation of an integrated vehicle scheduling and delivery confir-mation system. The desired system was required to deliver real-time information on delivery status back to the dispatch office, with all completed loads then sent to SAP® for automatic processing.

The system was also required to eliminate the need for staff to recheck data, avoid keying errors and late data entry, while simultaneously providing the benefits of real-time product and customer status.

Orica Chemnet is a division of Orica Limited, a global publicly owned Australian chemical company which employs some 13,000 staff across approximately 50 countries. Through its subsidiaries, Orica Chemnet manufactures and supplies industrial and speciality chemicals, explosives and mining chemicals, paints and other consumer products.

Orica Chemnet’s vehicle scheduling and proof of delivery system

Success Story





Confirm inventory movements in SAP as drivers load their vehicles.

Produce the regulatory transport industry’s dangerous goods manifests, used by local Emergency Services in the event that the vehicle is involved in an accident.

Capture customer signatures on a handheld screen.

Print electronic delivery dockets at the customer site that are accurately stamped for date and time.

Link invoices to delivery dockets from confirmed delivery information.

Provide the dispatch office with easy to under-stand progress reports containing driver status information which is throughput to their assigned schedules.

Benefits

Improved accuracy and speed of data capture at the point of delivery.

More comprehensive information on delivery dockets, including customer details, batch numbers, order numbers and references.

Real-time processing of deliveries, thereby improving timely invoicing and stock accuracy.

The ability to re-print dockets from within the SAP system at any time after delivery.

Accurate matching of delivery dockets to final invoices for reconciliation and processing.






Improved traceability from a safety, health and environment point of view in relation to on-board product information.

The ability to electronically capture and store any site, product or customer specific informa-tion such as batch numbers, special instruc-tions, customer purchase order numbers and more. This means less data entry and increased accuracy for each order processed.

SummaryThe implementation has enabled:

Real-time information regarding delivery status to be sent back to the dispatch office.

Information to be automatically sent to SAP for the processing of completed loads.

The elimination of late data entry and the need for staff to recheck data.

Keying errors to be avoided, if not eliminated.

The dispatch office to have near real-time visibility of the end-to-end process, from the time the truck is loaded to the customer receiv-ing delivery.

A SAP certified technology platform and mobile framework that can be utilized across the entire business.

Following on from the success of the Proof of Delivery project at Chemnet, Orica chose Sky Technologies’ mobile framework for use in a global rollout of a number of mobile solutions across a number of Business Units.

The business caseRheem’s business case was based on productiv-ity i.e. by introducing the new technology, the manual transposition of data between data head/phone was eliminated, as were handwritten field documents. Additionally, the accuracy and timeliness of data was greatly enhanced.

As a result, Rheem’s field technicians are more productive and Rheem is able to provide superior field service to its clients.

SAP® integrationAs SkyMobile is middleware free, all integration touch points are visible and managed with the graphical and easy to use management console. This enables key business users to be proactive and have the confidence in knowing transactions are monitored from initiation to final posting –all inside SAP®.

Mobile business framework for SAP® ERP

The solutionThe final solution was delivered using SkyMobile, which enabled the mobile application to be developed inside SAP®, without the need for middleware. SAP®service orders are despatched to the technician via the mobile network.

Project challengeRheem had in place a mix of ‘data head’ technol-ogy and two-way, voice only radio which enabled information to be deployed to their technicians in the field.

The project required the replacement of this infrastructure in addition to the delivery of innova-tive functionality to the Rheem field technicians using ruggedized PDAs.

Rheem needed a mobile solution which would enable field service technicians to receive and process service orders for maintenance or new installations, manage van inventory and process customer payments (including credit card). The mobile solution was to replace the existing ‘data head’.

SolutionRheem selected SkyMobile to provide the full, end-to-end solution using rugged equipment and a wireless network connection.

BenefitsRheem replaced the outdated radio network and delivered a fully-featured field service application to the technicians by effectively extending SAP® to the field.

The Rheem service division in Australia employs 65 technicians across the country who install and maintain Rheem water heaters.

Rheem uses SkyMobileto deploy a mobile fieldservice application

At a glance:Rheem Australia is a wholly ownedsubsidiary of Rheem Manufacturing inthe USA, which in turn is a wholly ownedsubsidiary of Paloma Industries Ltd inJapan, a world leader in water heatertechnology and manufacture.

Industry:

Maintenance

Solution:

Mobile field service utilizing SkyMobile

Results:

– Rheem replaced the outdated radionetwork and delivered a fully-featuredfield service application to thetechnicians by effectively extendingSAP® to the field.

Success Story





Device and System managementThe device management console resides inside SAP® and enables support staff to view every detail that is associated with the remote device. In this way, information such as logs, configuration, database definitions and data can all be easily displayed from the device’s administration web page via the mobile network.

The application is deployed remotely over the mobile network. This enables new software versions and changes to application functionality to be deployed without the need for technicians to bring the device back to a central location.

Once the work is completed, the technician can record all the required information for subsequent synchronization to SAP®.

Other functionality includes:

Processing of the credit card payment with real-time bank authorization.

Printing of documents on mobile printer includ-ing payment receipts, field service reports and quotes for new installations.

Van inventory is stored and managed on the mobile application. SkyMobile manages all data on the device, including synchronization with SAP®, as well as establishing and monitoring the network connection.






Smorgon Steel is one of Australia’s largest steel companies established in the 1980’s and merged with OneSteel in 2007. This Steel giant now serves 30,000 customers worldwide with 40,000 products.

At a glance:

Steel Manufacturing

Industry:

Integration of Materials Handlingsystem

Solution:

– By enabling the integration of the customers SAP® system to the Kasto system, the customer experienced a rapid increase in productivity.

Results:

SAP® IntegrationSSD utilizes SkyConnect to manage all inbound and outbound integration for the Katso project. This gives them complete visibility and interface management ‘inside SAP®’. Further, the more complex dependencies and queuing that are common for this style of integration are also managed within the SkyConnect toolset without the need for complicated ABAP programming.

SSD also uses SkyConnect to manage all of the batch processing. SSD has complex batch schedules that are all managed by the ECS™ Job Scheduler, which again gives SSD complete visibility of this proccessing.

The SolutionThe final solution was delivered using the SkyConnect suite of integration utilities, thus enabling SAP® to communicate via the TCP/IP network. It also enabled robust, end-to end transaction management.

By enabling SAP® to communicate directly with Kasto, SSD has been able to significantly improve productivity by reducing the manual loading of vehicles and liminating the ‘paper trail’ previously required for processing the load.

ChallengeThe Smorgon Steel Distribution (SSD) business unit had purchased a large gantry for use in automated materials handling. The system needed to be integrated to the SAP® ERP WM module via TCP/IP sockets.

Automated material handling equipment and software (”Kasto”) was being implemented at one of SSD’s larger distribution centers. The project required SAP® Warehouse Management Transfer Orders and subsequent confirmations to be exchangedbetween SAP® and the controlling application. The messaging was to be done via TCP/IP socket message.

SolutionThe interface was rapidly developed and rolled out for SSD by utilizing SkyConnect

BenefitsThe material handling equipment is now being fully utilized by SSD and is able to communicate simply, yet very effectively, with SAP®. No cumbersom file-based interface was required, as the solution could be delivered using TCP/IP sockets.

Smorgon Steel Distribution (SSD) has more than 2,100 employees in plants and offices throughout Australia, comprising manufacturing and distribution businesses in flat metals, tube and pipe.

Smorgon Steel Distribution integrates SAP® ERP to an automated steel handling system

Success Story





Future ProofThe scalable architecture of the SkyConnect product suite ensures that all future needs for integration to SAP® can be delivered. Further, the integrated nature of the product means that SkyConnect can be easily utilized by other business units and applications.

Device & System Management The device management console resides inside SAP® and enables support staff to view every detail associated with the remote device.

Information such as logs, configuration,database definitions and data can all be easily displayed from the server’s administration web page via the Local Area Network, providing a complete audit trail for support staff.






ObjectiveThe key objectives of the MCS2 project were to replace the existing Mobile Computing System (MCS1) and to establish a technical foundation for a Mobility Solution Platform for Water Corporation.

Solution key requirements

Improved ease-of-use for end users was a “Key Focus”. This was paramount for user acceptance

Mobile development platform to enable future mobile solutions

Commercially available, ‘off the shelf’ IT”

Robust infrastructure platform able to accommo-date numerous device types (i.e. laptops, PDA, smartphones etc)

Platform able to accommodate multiple business user types, systems and interfaces

GPS asset feedback location capability

Lite Spatial integration feedback

Application changes, updates and deployment to be centrally administered (wirelessly) and deployed over the air

Configurable to accommodate current work processes, work instructions & other documents

Robust software with ability to assist remote users in real time

Ability to take, view and attach photographs to work orders

Like-for-like replacement of existing MCS1 functionality plus added enhancements

ChallengeIn 2004, the Water Corporation (the Corporation) implemented its first Mobile Computing System (MCS1) for 520 field crews processing over 1200 plant maintenance orders per day that interfaced directly with SAP® . The solution replaced a manual paper based work management and field data capture process with a wireless electronic system of work allocation, dispatch and data feedback for all crews in its Customer Services Division.

In 2007, the Corporation faced several challenges with the current solution, including:

Support for the solution had ceased

Local support contract had also ended

PDA devices capable of running older platform software were unobtainable

Upgrades to both devices and the application had to be performed manually

After careful consideration of a number of options, the replacement of MCS1 with a new solution was identified as the preferred option.

The decision was endorsed by senior managers and key stakeholders in the business. The outcome was the Corporation’s 2nd Generation Mobility Solution, MCS2 a Field Service and Employee Pay Claims solution.

The Water Corporation of Western Australia, supplies high quality drinking water, removes and treats wastewater, manages drainage networks and irrigation for communities spread across 2.5 million sq/km (1.55 million sq/mi) of one of the driest countries on Earth. Owned by the Western Australian Government, the Corporation is one of Australia’s largest and most successful water service providers. It directly employs more than 2,700 people, serves almost two million Western Australians and manages more than $12 billion in water supply, sewerage and drainage infrastructure.

Water Corporation refreshes its approach to SAP® mobility

Success Story

At a glance:The Water Corporation managesWestern Australia’s drinking water supply, wastewater treatment, drainage, and irrigation

Industry:

Utilities

Solution:

Results:

– Improved ease-of-use for end users

functionality plus many addedenhancements.

– Online & offline capability withautomatic updates to SAP®

"The Sky solution has delivered a vastly improved look-and-feel mobile solution to our field crews, as well as positively engaging more of them in wanting to use it. Most of our field crews now manage all their work using this solution significantly improving business processes, data capture and the timeliness of information exchange."

Don Ward - BusinessInitiatives ManagerWA Water Corporation

– Field Service & Employee PayClaims utilizing SkyMobile

– Integration utilizing SkyConnect

– Like-for-like replacement of existing





Leveraging the SkyMobile toolkit to enable simplification of the user interface, reduce the use of scrolling and provide more up to date information with less user wait time

Improved ability to support and maintain the application with new generation tools and processes.

Business BenefitsThere were a number of business benefits realized by the Corporation at the completion of the mobility phase of this project. It had a requirement for the solution to be deployed on a number of different device types including rugged devices, such as the Motorola MC75, smartphones, laptops and desktop PC’s. Sky’s flexible SAP® mobility platform was able to deliver on this requirement as it can be deployed on virtually any device operating on any of the major platforms. The SkyMobile development platform also means that the Corporation now has the ability and “in-house” expertise to be able to further develop their own applications in the future.

The Sky solution also removed the issues associ-ated with manual paper based processes such as data entry and improved the timeliness and accuracy of information back to SAP® . In order to fully benefit from its investment in SAP® and the Sky solution, employee buy-in was of the utmost importance in the rollout of the MCS2 project. Because the Corporation covers such a large geographical area, it was imperative that all field crews in all regions utilized the application to standardize business processes, something that was not quite as successful with MCS1 as each region had its own unique processes. Finally, scalability of the platform for future requirements means that the Corporation now has the ability to streamline many other business processes, most of which can be done by themselves.

Change ManagementChange management was a major point of discus-sion from the projects inception. The Water Corpo-ration sought to minimize employee resistance and gain their buy-in and support. Without this accep-tance, it would have been extremely difficult to fully realize the potential gains inherent in this major change effort. The Corporation was able to achieve this by involving staff from the business in workshops in the initial design phase. Working closely with Sky Technologies’ engineers and project managers, staff had input on everything from solution functionality to screen flows and the applications look and feel. This played a major role in facilitating uptake and ensured the project’s success by providing the end users with some ownership of the project.

SolutionMCS2 now plays an integral role at the organization. The solution allows staff to perform their tasks out in the field in a much more efficient manner. Below are a number of enhancements delivered:

Improved ‘ease-of-use’ for end users

Modern look and feel with large buttons for easy recognition and enabled field staff to use their fingers to operate rather than a stylus

Improved stability and reliability of the end-to-end platform, including significantly improved adminis-tration and management capabilities

Significant improvements to user support both locally and remotely

Enhanced functionality:

Document association with Work Orders (SWMS, JSA, WI’s)

Photograph capture

GPS Integration - work/asset location and failure

Delivery of a strategic mobile platform – multiple device support, multiple application, improved security and support

Reporting, administration, extensibility etc.

Solution DetailThe underlying principles when defining the require-ments was to provide a “like-for-like” replacement of all the business functionality of the existing MCS1 application, incorporate a number of key functional enhancements and improve the overall flow and usability of the system. The existing MCS1 function-ality in scope was:

Manage crew membership

Manage Crew Work Orders

Manage Feedback

Manage Pay Claims

Work Order Creation

Non-Job Time recording

The key functional and technical enhancements incorporated were:

Improved use of the Lite Spatial tool to enable quicker, more accurate recording of asset feedback data.

Integration with GPS to enable users to locate assets more easily

Ability to access generic and safe working instruc-tion documents in the field from the mobile device

Use of device cameras for the capture of photo-graphs and association of these images with work orders or crews






-

-

-

About Sky TechnologiesSky Technologies specialize in Enterprise Mobility Solutions for SAP®

software.

SkyMobile a Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP) is a certified add-on for all SAP® systems. SkyMobile enables SAP® customers to deploy any SAP® application to any device, anytime, anywhere utilizing a single integrated framework.

With a client base spanning across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, Sky Technologies is the world leader in enterprise mobility solutions for SAP®.

For More InformationFor more information on this and other solutions provided by Sky Technologies, please visit our websiteskytechnologies.com or e-mail us [email protected]

Neil McHughVP Business Development Sky Technologies (Americas)6860 N. Dallas Parkway Suite 200Plano, Texas 75024214.500.9101 cell972.381.2733 office281.214.0527 faxwww.skytechnologies.com

Sky Technologies Case Studies

Technology

Transcript of Sky Technologies Case Studies