Birdstep Field Force Optimisation

© Copyright 2013 Birdstep Technology ASA. All rights reserved.
Case study
Field Service Optimisation
Thames Water WAMI
Simon Addis
Technical Specialist, Birdstep Technology

Agenda
© Copyright 2011 Birdstep Technology ASA. All rights reserved. 2
User Experiences4
Implemented Solution for Efficiency Optimisation3
Challenges and Solution Requirements2
Introducing Thames Water and Birdstep1
Future Opportunities5
Summary6

A leading provider of Smart Mobile Data and
Secure Mobility for operators, enterprises and
governmental organisations.
> Listed on Oslo Stock Exchange
> Offices in Norway, Sweden, Finland, UK and
the United States
> ~70 employees
Birdstep Technology ASA

> U.K.’s largest water and wastewater services
company serving 14 million customers
> Responsible for public water supply and waste
water treatment
> 4,500 employees, HQ in Reading, UK.
> Every day, supplies 2,600 million litres of tap
water to 8.7 million customers across London
and the Thames Valley
> Every year, carries out 400,000 quality tests to
drinking water
> Removes and treats 2,800 million litres of
sewage
Thames Water – A Profile

> 2000 field workers and contractors
> Responding to water leaks
> Maintaining network of water pipes
Thames Water Field Force

> Deliver value to its 14 million customers
during the next five-year Asset
Management Planning period and
comply with OFWAT regulation
> Use technology to deliver significant
improvements in the efficiency of
mobile work management process to
meet regulatory and operational targets
Business Efficiency Optimisation

Challenges and Solution
requirements
In Field Service Optimisation

Regulatory Challenges

> How to provide secure, reliable wireless
connectivity for 2,000 field engineers?
> How to make connectivity simple for the user?
> How to avoid problems related to poor network
reliability?
> How to maximize wireless coverage?
> How to control costs of network connectivity?
> How to comply with regulation and ensure that
internal policy is enforced
> How to monitor the performance of wireless
networks?
> How to deal with support calls from field
engineers
Connectivity Challenges

Implemented solution for
Efficiency optimisation

> Thames Water’s efficiency optimisation solution consists of:
> SAP Workforce and Asset Management Information programme (WAMI)
> Click Software’s Service Optimization suite including Click Mobile
> Upgrading existing mobile systems to unified workforce management solution
underpinned by secure, seamless connectivity and remote management tools
(Birdstep’s SafeMove)
> Solution implemented in 2011 for 2000 field workers and contractors
> Multiple vendors
Efficiency Optimisation solution

> 2000 field workers and contractors issued with
> CF-19 Toughbooks for below ground and new connections
> CF-U1 Ultra Mobile PCs for above ground and water quality
sampling
> Ethernet, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity
> Windows 7
> Click Software Service Optimisation package
> Click Mobile
> Automated job allocation and scheduling
> Sybase Afaria
> Device Management
> Birdstep SafeMove Mobile VPN
> Secure, seamless connectivity
Thames Water Field Force

> SafeMove Mobile VPN provides Secure and
Seamless Connectivity for Mobile Workers
to the organisation’s information systems
independently of time and place
> Ensures an unparalleled user experience by
Zero-click Connectivity
> The key elements of SafeMove solution are
solid security, seamless connection among
networks and comprehensive centralized
management
> Based on open international standards such as
IPsec, IKE and Mobile IP
> Always-on
Birdstep’s SafeMove

Thames Water - User
Experiences
of Secure, Seamless Connectivity

User experiences
Very easy to use system with
continuous zero-click
connectivity with no user
involvement
Seamless roaming between
private Ethernet, WLAN and
3G/GPRS connections
Uninterrupted use of
applications and services even
with temporary loss of
3G/GPRS/WLAN signal
Ability to monitor user’s
connectivity status remotely
Greater understanding of
(current and future possible)
wireless service provider
performance using the built in
Connectivity monitoring and
reporting tool
Zero-Click Connectivity Seamless Roaming Session Persistence
Management Reporting
Improved WLAN connection
reliability at specific sites by
seamlessly switching between
private WLAN and 3G/GPRS
WLAN connection

SafeMove Connectivity Tracking Reports
> 60% WLAN> 3G/GPRS Only
> Connectivity greatly improved by complementing 3G/GPRS connection
with on-site wireless LANs

> Access to management
console for support staff:
> Users
> Groups
> Devices
> Connectivity State
> Software
> Configuration
Managing Users, devices and connectivity

Future Opportunities
> Improve network coverage (and
therefore productivity) by using public
networks such as commercial Wi-Fi ISP
services (e.g. BT Openzone) and/or
additional mobile operator (e.g.
Vodafone and O2)
> Save money on expensive private APN
connections by using cheaper public
mobile services securely
> Introduction of iOS, Android clients as
well as non TW owned devices for
contractors (SSL).
> Reduced data costs and improved
performance with data
compression
> Automatic use of additional public
Wi-Fi services with zero-click W-Fi
login (WISPr)
> Mobile Router: Multi channel
vehicle router providing Wi-Fi and
LAN connectivity to all devices in
range

Summary
> Increased workforce productivity
 Simple to use, optimized connectivity for
2000 strong mobile workforce
 Seamless use of Wi-Fi
> Compliance with regulation
 “Always-on” Mobile VPN for continuous,
policy enforced, FIPS 140-2 security
> Reduced costs
> Improved Customer service

Q&A and Thank you!
safemove.sales@birdstep.com

Birdstep Field Force Optimisation

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Editor's Notes