Learn how the GeoTask system, using advanced algorithms, supported UPC Poland (now Play) in distributing and managing thousands of daily tasks as well as improving the customer service process.
About the project
UPC Poland (now Play) provides its services to over 1 500 000 subscribers. Therefore, the operator has to complete several thousand daily tasks in the field using technical partners who are directly responsible for completing the fieldwork. With so many tasks to complete, the company sought to improve the managing work of scattered technical teams. This would increase work efficiency and improve customer service quality. To achieve this goal, UPC Poland decided to implement GeoTask, Globema’s Field Service Management system.
Contents:
Industry: Telecommunications
Country: Poland
Solution / Service: GeoTask
Category: Field Service Management
UPC Poland (now Play) is one of the leading providers of innovative cable television solutions, optic fiber Internet, as well as mobile and landline networks for private and business clients in Poland.
Challenges
UPC Poland (now Play) searched for a solution that would help them complete installation and service work at customer locations all over the country. It was expected to support distributing several thousand daily tasks and managing fieldwork teams of hundreds of technicians.
Before, customer service consultants at UPC couldn’t access up-to-date information about the current and planned tasks performed by fieldwork technicians. Consultants didn’t know about technicians’ current locations or reasons for potential delays. Therefore, they couldn’t provide reliable answers to customers calling with questions about delays or expected arrival times of technicians.
Similarly, the planners who schedule technician tasks also couldn’t access information about task statuses, plan progress, or current technician locations. This significantly deteriorated the coordination of work activities as well as task completion times.
UPC’s goal was to build a unified system that would allow them to schedule tasks more effectively and optimally manage technician working hours.
Solution
What we did for UPC (Play)
- We conducted implementation workshops as well as an analysis of current processes and tools at the company.
- We prepared integration schemes.
- We implemented a Field Service Management system, GeoTask, that includes:
- a dispatcher’s app that features e.g.: planning tasks, monitoring their progress in real time, and scheduling appointments with customers.
- a mobile app for fieldwork teams that features e.g. creating task lists to complete and reporting task completion times.
The app also improves the process of installation and exchange of CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) at the customer locations as well as provisioning – the automatic activation of CPE services.
Installing and exchanging CPE devices and their provisioning are among the key processes supported by the GeoTask system.
Supported process of installation and exchange of CPE devices and their provisioning through GeoTask:
The CRM system integration allows a technician to select a device for installation on their mobile app.
The measurement component integration allows a technician to perform the right measurements.
The provisioning system integration allows a technician to activate the service provided by CPE.
Another key GeoTask module that we implemented was the customer notification module that:
- informs customers by SMS about the scheduled appointment. The customer also receives reminders and information about the technician’s estimated arrival time or potential delays.
- allows the customer to access the self-care portal and cancel the appointment or change its date without calling the helpline. This greatly improves UPC customer satisfaction.
Moreover:
- We integrated the GeoTask system with many other systems existing at UPC: workflow, provisioning, ticketing, call center, self-care portal, SMS gateway (sending customer notifications), measurement components (informing about e.g. quality of connection signal), and document repository.
- We conducted workshops for UPC’s technical partners responsible directly for installation and service work.
The system works independently but it uses data provided by other internal applications at UPC. The integration complexity and need for changes in those systems as well as project time constraints have posed a significant challenge.
Benefits for our customer
The central system for managing all fieldwork, GeoTask, improves task scheduling and provides information about work progress around the whole country in a consistent manner, regardless of the different technical partners responsible for tasks. Most importantly, the progress is monitored in real time and without delays.
Implementing the GeoTask system for Customer Operations, responsible for providing services to subscribers, enabled:
Automatic management of technician calendars, planning and distributing tasks among employees
Convenient appointment scheduling between technicians and customers
Activating automatic communication with customers at every stage of tasks
Increasing transparency of technician activities through ongoing reporting of task completion times through the mobile app
Verification of technician locations and workload, convenient way for entering adjustments to the task plan or scheduling additional work
Automatic system reaction to the emergencies
GeoTask also optimized employee working hours:
Improved task planning for technicians, planners, and customer service department employees
Better information flow – fieldwork technicians can access up-to-date information about task statuses in their mobile app which limits the need for communicating with dispatchers
Supported and improved process of installation and exchange of devices rented by customers as well as a new process of provisioning of services provided through these devices enabled by integration with the provisioning system
All this improved fieldwork efficiency which resulted in increased customer satisfaction related to UPC’s services as well as higher customer retention.
Summary
GeoTask is continuously expanded with new functionalities. Cooperating with UPC Poland (now Play), we also implemented solutions supporting Network Operations:
Read the case study about UPC Poland (Play) and GeoTask – Network Operations
In 2006, Globema implemented another solution at UPC Poland – Smallworld Physical lnventory including our add-ons: Optical Network Atlas, Physical Route Manager, and CATV Design. Since then, Globema maintains the system and provides other services related to Smallworld.
One of the reasons for the high quality of our installations is the optimization of time spent by our technicians on the road. Globema’s algorithms very quickly perform millions of simulations of potential task schedules for each of our teams. This allows us to achieve the most optimal driving times between each task. Our technicians meet customers on time and are also able to complete more tasks.
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