CASE STUDY / ENBW - ENERGY PROVIDERS AND UTILITY CONTRACTORS
ENERGY SUPPLIER CHOOSES ONE-STOP-SHOP INTELLIGENT SCHEDULING SOFTWARE
EnBW Regional AG, based in Stuttgart, plans, builds and operates EnBW's electricity distribution grids. Its 93,000 km long electricity grid supplies around three million grid customers in Baden-Württemberg within an area of 19,100 km².
The results:
- Improved job completion rates
- Reliable appointment scheduling for customers
- Significant cost savings
How EnBW has achieved success:
The challenges:
- Scheduling of 230,000 task assignments per annum tasks to 750 field technicians with coordination of complex work orders
- Mobile transmission of order data
- SAP Integration
- Future growth: Able to add new field skills for solar and EV charging maintenance
EnBW is one of the four largest energy suppliers in Germany and is active in electricity generation and trading, electricity, gas and water networks, plus associated environmental services. Operating in a highly-regulated sector, it serves around 5.5 million customers.
THE PROJECT:
OPTIMISED UPTIME ACROSS ELECTRICITY GRID UTILITIES
For EnBW Regional AG, the grid supplier to EnBW, the EU requirement to install Smart Meters in every home and commercial premises became a major customer service undertaking. At the same time, EnBW Regional's uptime guarantees are essential: Ensuring power is available without interruption. Even brief outages can disrupt industries, threaten public safety, and damage critical infrastructure. Uptime guarantees ensure that the systems controlling substations, control centers, and communication links stay online, even during emergencies.
EnBW Regional has a responsibility to ensure grid stability and this depends on balancing electricity supply and demand in real time. It must meet these strict reliability standards or face fines and penalties. The economic costs of outages—lost productivity, interrupted services—can be massive. Most importantly, their uptime results build trust.
EnBW Regional selected FLS VISITOUR for its ability to offer optimised and cost effective planned and reactive appointments in less than a second; all whilst ensuring efficient resource planning and high in-day productivity.
Key to selection is PowerOpt that sits at the heart of FLS VISITOUR. In order for this specialist field service algorithm to design optimised tours (and ongoing, real-time management) it requires high quality master data. EnBW chose a specialist algorithm to engage a new level of planning transparency, whilst maintaining their use of a well-established SAP environment: Live field service planning was simply not possible within SAP.
Mobile workforce management workflows were re-written. Work orders are recorded in SAP, which automatically feeds FLS VISITOUR. The order and deployment planning of 750 field technicians and 230,000 tasks with coordination of complex work orders are designed into complete tours. Work data, to include asset detail, is transmitted via integrated mobile devices and results (including follow-up and linked appointments) are embedded into the SAP environment for further optimised planning.
In addition to a standardised and problem-free integration, the software impressed with its optimal planning of complex and interrelated orders within a matter of seconds. Critically, FLS VISITOUR adapts to EnBW's unique requirements as operations face seasonal distortions (jeopardy events could include ensuring accuracy for domestic customers as smart meter installation deadlines approach whilst substations manage power peaks for commercial air conditioning in the warmer months). This includes actual time-of-day route planning for the fastest route, not the shortest, when assets are at risk of failure.
FLS VISITOUR automatically and optimally coordinates multi-employee and multi-day assignments, taking into account order responsibilities and team scheduling. If required, special tools and vehicles, depot journeys, and order splits can also be taken into account.
EnBW Regional has a responsibility to ensure grid stability and this depends on balancing electricity supply and demand in real time. It must meet these strict reliability standards or face fines and penalties. The economic costs of outages—lost productivity, interrupted services—can be massive. Most importantly, their uptime results build trust.
EnBW Regional selected FLS VISITOUR for its ability to offer optimised and cost effective planned and reactive appointments in less than a second; all whilst ensuring efficient resource planning and high in-day productivity.
Key to selection is PowerOpt that sits at the heart of FLS VISITOUR. In order for this specialist field service algorithm to design optimised tours (and ongoing, real-time management) it requires high quality master data. EnBW chose a specialist algorithm to engage a new level of planning transparency, whilst maintaining their use of a well-established SAP environment: Live field service planning was simply not possible within SAP.
Mobile workforce management workflows were re-written. Work orders are recorded in SAP, which automatically feeds FLS VISITOUR. The order and deployment planning of 750 field technicians and 230,000 tasks with coordination of complex work orders are designed into complete tours. Work data, to include asset detail, is transmitted via integrated mobile devices and results (including follow-up and linked appointments) are embedded into the SAP environment for further optimised planning.
In addition to a standardised and problem-free integration, the software impressed with its optimal planning of complex and interrelated orders within a matter of seconds. Critically, FLS VISITOUR adapts to EnBW's unique requirements as operations face seasonal distortions (jeopardy events could include ensuring accuracy for domestic customers as smart meter installation deadlines approach whilst substations manage power peaks for commercial air conditioning in the warmer months). This includes actual time-of-day route planning for the fastest route, not the shortest, when assets are at risk of failure.
FLS VISITOUR automatically and optimally coordinates multi-employee and multi-day assignments, taking into account order responsibilities and team scheduling. If required, special tools and vehicles, depot journeys, and order splits can also be taken into account.
The solution for route planning and dynamic optimisation in field service
Dynamic planning software FLS VISITOUR calculates the optimal planning for the day within seconds. You save an enormous amount of time and create error-free, highly efficient tours.
The difference: You can re-optimise tours at any time during the day at the push of a button if something changes. This means that even the most dynamic field service operation is no longer a problem. - Discover your potential now:
The difference: You can re-optimise tours at any time during the day at the push of a button if something changes. This means that even the most dynamic field service operation is no longer a problem. - Discover your potential now:
Realise your potential with FLS.
ONGOING SUCCESS
FLS VISITOUR EXPANDED INTO THE WIDER GROUP
Netze BW is a distribution network operator and a 100% subsidiary of EnBW.
Field operations management is used by Netze BW across their gas and electricity network. The organisation is divided into 5 regions with 5 order centres. Here, a total of around 600 field technicians serve an area of around 20,000 square kilometres.
FLS VISITOUR has been in use at Netze BW since 2008 and its introduction was accompanied by profound organisational changes. Today almost 400,000 operational tasks are planned via the system each year.
The field workforce management system architecture at Netze BW is based on existing SAP back office systems. FLS VISITOUR is connected as a dynamic, real-time dispatching tool. A proprietary mobile app ensures the connection with technicians in the field.
Field operations management is used by Netze BW across their gas and electricity network. The organisation is divided into 5 regions with 5 order centres. Here, a total of around 600 field technicians serve an area of around 20,000 square kilometres.
FLS VISITOUR has been in use at Netze BW since 2008 and its introduction was accompanied by profound organisational changes. Today almost 400,000 operational tasks are planned via the system each year.
The field workforce management system architecture at Netze BW is based on existing SAP back office systems. FLS VISITOUR is connected as a dynamic, real-time dispatching tool. A proprietary mobile app ensures the connection with technicians in the field.
"The serious upheavals in the energy industry had a profound impact on the working environment at Netze BW. For example, changes in the organisation of the network operation from around 100 small, historic five-man 'craft businesses' to today's industrial standard factories led to a fundamental shift."
Ernst Vötsche · Data and Applications, Netze BWDYNAMIC, HIGHLY OPERATIONAL IT FOR THE UTILITY SECTOR
In a best practice presentation titled 'Bringing Smart IT to Life', Ernst Vötsch, Data and Applications at Netze BW, shared his insights following 10 years of Field Operations management using FLS VISITOUR.In this research write-up, with over a decade of FLS VISITOUR experience, he explains the relationship's starting points and the challenges of designing field workforce management processes within complex utility companies. He addresses the aspects of measuring and mastering quality, and learning the characteristics of good deployment control within SAP. He also shares his recommendations for action.
WHERE IS YOUR OPTIMISATION POTENTIAL?
DISCOVER IT WITH FLS – FAST LEAN SMART
You too can make your field service management more efficient with FLS. With our solutions, our customers achieve optimisation results such as an average reduction of 20% in field service costs.
Choose the best way for you to get to know us:
Choose the best way for you to get to know us:
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DEMO
DISCOVER THE FULL POTENTIAL OF DYNAMIC SOFTWARE FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Arrange an appointment to get to know our software - as a demo version or, if you wish, with your data.
Experience the unsurpassed performance of our PowerOpt algorithm live. We will show you how to optimise your field force and services, and realise cost savings of up to 50% in a short time.
Experience the unsurpassed performance of our PowerOpt algorithm live. We will show you how to optimise your field force and services, and realise cost savings of up to 50% in a short time.