With the NEO Mobile Suite, Stadtwerke Bielefeld now has a mobile SAP system that integrates seamlessly into all processes and information flows. This has enabled the utility to improve its profitability, increase productivity in the backend process, and minimize data loss.
Customer benefits
Customer
Bielefeld municipal utility
Branch
Public administrations
Contact
Alexander Wassiltschenko
BU manager Axians NEO Solutions & Technology GmbH
+49 511 123549-53
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With almost 2,200 employees and 660 million euros in sales, Stadtwerke Bielefeld is one of the largest municipal companies in the utilities sector in Germany. They have been supplying Bielefeld’s residents with electricity, gas and water since the 19th century, and district heating was added in the 1950s. It was precisely this broad portfolio that was one of the reasons why the company did not rush headlong into mobile maintenance.
Mobile maintenance yes! But not head over heels!
“During this time, there were a number of companies whose projects failed because they wanted too much at once. That’s why we deliberately decided to try out small pilot projects in very different technical areas to see which path was right for us,” says Stephan Lemkemeyer, who is responsible for deployment control and IT coordination at Stadtwerke Bielefeld, describing the initial situation. To this end, the basic requirements for the solution were first defined in detail. In addition to “efficiency and effectiveness”, the focus was also on the aspects of “optimization of process organization”, “ergonomics” and “information coverage”. “We wanted a system that integrates seamlessly into the company’s processes and supports all tasks in line with the roles. After all, maintaining a gate valve in the waterworks is different from maintaining a transformer station or a gas plant,” says Stephan Lemkemeyer, outlining the challenges.
Three-pillar model as a basis
All available resources should be made transparent so that they can be used as efficiently as possible, equipment should only be repaired or maintained when it is actually necessary. The data and information required for this should be available where they are needed. And finally, work and deployment control had to be performed centrally via just one system. “From all these specifications, we developed a ‘three-pillar model’ that is still the basis for our mobile maintenance today: It consists of the components ‘mobile data acquisition MDE’, ‘condition management ZMS’ and ‘resource planning and control RPS’. The common data basis is the SAP system,” he says, summarizing the concept.
User acceptance as a decisive factor
In the course of a detailed market analysis, Stadtwerke Bielefeld identified a total of 18 suppliers, ten of which, however, turned down the contract immediately after the specifications were sent to them. In the end, five providers were invited to the presentation and their systems were subjected to a detailed analysis. For this purpose, a separate script was prepared, which the respective suppliers had to face in a large round, in which not only the area managers but also the fitters were represented. In the end, the decision was made in favor of Axians’ NEO Mobile Suite – not least because the team didn’t put on a big show, but instead dealt with all the problems in the script convincingly, openly and “in an almost shirt-sleeved manner,” according to Lemkemeyer.
The positive assessment was then confirmed during the first pilot projects in the areas of “equipment/meter replacement” for electricity, gas, water and district heating, as well as in the inspection for the substations. As part of a process analysis, the use cases were first described and transferred to a navigation diagram, on the basis of which the interfaces were then modeled and the prototype for the graphical interfaces was created. This was then used to test different end devices in daily use before the decision was made in favor of Panasonic’s Toughbooks. “For us, user acceptance was a very decisive factor, which is why we paid strict attention to the best possible ergonomics even in these first pilots. This then also contributed significantly to the successful implementation,” reports Stephan Lemkemeyer.
In the following years, mobile maintenance was gradually rolled out to other areas and its functionality expanded. The result was a “mobile office” that includes all components for mobile use. In addition to the information and data on all orders and messages, planning and analysis functions are also provided and documentation is supported. But navigation, mobile printing or a barcode reader are also part of the standard equipment today.
“With the help of NEO Mobile Suite, we now have a mobile SAP system that integrates seamlessly into all processes and information flows,” says Lemkemeyer. The topic of IT security was also given central attention – a very central requirement for an operator of critical infrastructures such as the energy networks today. For example, all mobile devices not only have hard disk encryption and can only be started via so-called reactive autoboot authentication. Data synchronization also takes place via a secure VPN connection using mobile communications. By synchronizing several times a day via mobile radio, unwanted data loss is also prevented. A DLP system monitors the interfaces of the devices and thus prevents unintentional data leakage or loss here as well.
Corporate strategy determines the project
On this basis, the system has been rolled out to large parts of the network operation to date, always reserving sufficient time for optimizing the solution and processes. Although this extended the project duration, all set goals were achieved. The principle of setting up the project on the basis of the corporate strategy and not on the basis of a specification from IT technology also paid off. Because the latter changed fundamentally in the course of the last few years. “We started on the basis of the SAP MAM/MAU modules, which were then successively replaced by the new development of the NEO Mobile Suite. In this way, we became an important development partner for this product and actively brought in the requirements of the energy industry,” says Stephan Lemkemeyer.
Mobile device as a matter of course in everyday technician life
The discontinuation of SAP Netweaver and the migration to SAP Mobile Platform and HANA are further technology changes in the pipeline. In addition, the processes and functions are constantly being expanded and optimized. An end to this is certainly not yet in sight. However, the goal of improving profitability was achieved in any case. “We have been able to significantly increase productivity in the backend process, primarily also due to the elimination of media breaks. Since then, data losses have also dropped to zero. It used to be quite different, because paper was regularly lost and with it the information recorded on it,” summarizes Stephan Lemkemeyer. In this way, the mobile terminal has now become a matter of course for the fitter at Stadtwerke Bielefeld.
About Stadtwerke Bielefeld
Stadtwerke Bielefeld is an important supply and service partner in the region. With a long history, they have been contributing to the quality of life in Bielefeld for 150 years. The company is committed to reliable energy supply, modern mobility and future-oriented solutions. As a sustainable player, Stadtwerke Bielefeld promotes regional developments and contributes to the quality of life of local people.
