HCL Volt MX Modernizes Field Service for a United States Utility Provider

Part 1
Challenge

Prior to their digital transformation, a U.S. State Utility Provider struggled with inefficiencies leading to errors from manual processes in work order management.
Part 2
Solution

Leveraging HCL Volt MX, the team swiftly developed an application in less than 3 weeks, utilizing an industry template customized to their specific requirements.
Part 3
Results

A work order management mobile application integrated with SAP service management, providing instant turnaround times compared to the previous week-long process.

The Challenge

A US state’s largest water provider, serving more than 1.4 million residents, faced inefficiencies with paper-based work order management. Technicians relied on printed work orders, leading to errors, delays, and difficulty tracking progress. This hindered their DT (Digital Transformation) initiative to modernize their tech stack and improve operational efficiency.

The organization aimed to enhance field service operations by developing a mobile app to digitize work order management, eliminating paper-based processes.

The Solution

Implementation/Development:

The provider partnered with the HCLSoftware team to develop the mobile application. Leveraging HCL Volt MX, the team swiftly built the application in less than 3 weeks. They utilized an industry template customized to their specific requirements, where complex data from SAP was displayed in an intuitive user interface (UI).

Information was customized by work order, displaying only relevant details based on urgency or specific requirements. This improved data accessibility and user experience for technicians in the field.

The mobile app captured valuable data within the workflow, such as actual time spent on a work order compared to the technician’s initial estimation. This improved data quality and provided insights for reporting and future process optimization, including time to close tickets compared to technician estimates on paper forms.

A field services industry template within Volt MX jumpstarted development by providing a foundation with common features like work order details, technician assignment, and status tracking. The team then customized the template to meet the provider’s specific needs, including required fields and backend system integrations.

Innovation:

Volt Foundry acted as an integration accelerator, simplifying complex SAP integrations, avoiding the need for building from scratch, and providing a “plug-and-play” backend experience. Leveraging object services streamlined backend processes, making deployment seamless. Features like offline sync and auto-sync enabled technicians to use the app even in remote locations. This significantly reduced development time and costs compared to traditional integration methods.

Deploying on Volt MX Cloud, powered by AWS, aligned with the provider’s cloud-first initiative, offering a consumption-based architecture.

The Results

The implementation not only streamlined maintenance processes and improved operational efficiency, but also achieved cost assurance through RISE (Remote Infrastructure and Software Environment). The provider successfully demonstrated clear ROI to stakeholders by coordinating the migration while ensuring system compatibility.

Furthermore, the transition maintained continuity of service, upheld security standards, and ensured regulatory compliance throughout the process, showcasing the provider’s commitment to delivering outstanding services while embracing modernization.

In the end they had a work order management mobile application integrated with SAP service management, providing instant turnaround times compared to the previous week-long process. Key outcomes included:

Streamlined Maintenance Processes
Improved Visibility and Accountability
Enhanced Efficiency and Cost Reduction
Reduced Downtime

The provider’s mobile app, developed with Volt MX, is a prime example of how low-code platforms can empower organizations to achieve digital transformation and operational excellence. The app not only improved service delivery but positioned them for future growth with a scalable and adaptable platform that can be easily extended to accommodate future needs.

About the company

This organization is the largest provider of drinking water in their midwestern state. In addition to water services, they also provide wastewater and trash collection services across the state. Committed to delivering outstanding services efficiently and professionally, they continue to innovate and embrace digital transformation to meet the needs of their customers and community.

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