Sysco Mobile Solution for Microsoft Dynamics
The Cardiac Services Group, founded in Belfast in 1969 are at the forefront of supplying and supporting diagnostic and measurement equipment in Ireland and the UK. Cardiac Services became part of the SISK GROUP in August 2006 and operate under the umbrella structure, SISK Healthcare.
Sysco revisited the project with the team at Cardiac Services as part of a wider case study series on the project implementation and ongoing benefits to Cardiac Services, their customers and their field service engineers from using the mobility solution daily.
Although Cardiac Services had achieved significant operation gains from implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 they still faced certain challenges in the delivery of servicing contracts such as:
- Workflow delays in providing customer reports and business invoices.
- The field service engineers largely used paper based records while healthcare customers were increasingly requesting electronic service reports.
- The completion of paper based reports in the field was considered unprofessional and was not time efficient.
- Data entry duplication of Field Service Engineer Service Report Information within Microsoft Dynamics 365.
- Live status of servicing activity was not reflected in Microsoft Dynamics 365 causing confusing and workflow delays.
- Manual fulfilment of increasing complex compliancy needs from regulatory authorities and key principals.
These challenges caused backlogs within Service Support Teams and limited the growth of the company. Thus, Cardiac Services turned to Sysco with a specific set of requirements for a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Mobility Solution for Field Service to resolve these challenges. Requirements that would integrate directly with Microsoft Dynamics 365 to facilitate:
- On-Site Equipment Servicing
- Parts Assignment
- Engineer Callout Service
- New Equipment Installations
- Training Processes
- Customer Signature Signoff
- Automated E-mail Invoice & Worksheets to Customer
- Van to Van Equipment Transfers
- Remote On or Offline Access to Microsoft Dynamics 365
Following due-diligence of competing solutions, Sysco Software Solutions were chosen based on several factors:
- Experience with web service mobility platforms including the compatibility of operating systems
- Experience of integrating with Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Proposed a solution matched to the required functionality
- Had the support infrastructure in place during the design, go-live and post go-live phases
- Enabled future flexibility in the application development and customization
Once appointed, Sysco in partnership with Cardiac Services and SISK IT created a robust project governance model to actively support the role of Cardiac Services in project managing the implementation whilst guiding and recommending alternative options during the creation of a detailed design and specification document.
The benefits of the solution were felt across the organisation from the field engineers, to the service desk to an executive level.
Field Service Benefits Included:
- Easy to use and record data
- Pre-populated fields eliminations data replication
- Professional look and feel
- Familiar user interface
- Customer sign a tablet to confirm work completion
- Field based ordering and reordering of parts
- Automated PDF generation for customers within 15 minutes of completion
- Accept / Refuse Jobs
- Log and Review Worklogs
- Works even when there is no internet connectivity
- Reduced paper handling and document scanning
- Generated efficiencies of 15%
Help Desk Benefits Included:
- Much improved control over service job assignments
- Control dashboards very easy to use
- Familiar user interface
- Complete removal of data duplication – 100% removal in Microsoft Dynamics NAV saving 1.5 days per week
- Timely customer invoicing from job completion – to date 30% improvement
- Timely job completion – to date 60% improvement. Field service Engineers have the control, accuracy and completeness due to pre-population
- Much improved stock management capabilities
Executive Service Management Benefits Included:
- Customers pleased with Electronic Reports
- Ease in meeting increasing complex compliancy obligations
- Better accuracy in job completion statuses based on information passed directly from Microsoft Dynamics NAV
- Accurate information of Field Service Engineer resources
- Time spent on site
- Time travelling between sites
- Reduced cost with the elimination of document scanning by outsourced provider in the region of €2900 per year
What’s Next For Cardiac Services And The Sysco Mobility Application?
The mobility solution at Cardiac Services is integral to their everyday working processes. The solution has now been customized and scaled for training purposes and for educating personnel. The next steps would be in the direct integration with customer’s healthcare systems on ECRI – AIMS.
The Sysco mobility solution is also being scaled to Cardiac Services sister company Tekno Surgical. Cardiac Services also intend to add bar coding functionality for capital equipment and service stock for validating equipment and parts.
