Case Study: Strengthen the Core Business with Digitalization

RWE is traditionally strong established in the Czech gas business. This applies to the supply, distribution and storage of natural gas. Security of supply through the distribution grids is given special attention.  The implementation of IT-based maintenance was an important milestone, in order to meet service obligations also in future.

With a consulting and development team of the FPT Group from Germany and Slovakia, a largely standardized and efficient solution based on SAP has been developed and implemented. After selecting a suitable tool that was offered on the market, examination and optimization of the processes as well as their integration in the Workforce Management (WFM) followed. The implementation of WFM included the SAP Multi Resource Scheduling (MRS), developing mobile applications for inspectors with own Mobile Suite based on Android as well as interface between SAP MRS and Mobile Suite, a Sybase Unwired Platform (SUP).
The mobile device management was connected with Gauss/GIS for geographical information, which displays functional locations on a map. Mastap is used as measurement method for inspection of masts and other similar structures.

Increasing Efficiency through Optimized Scheduling

Double transit times belong to the past. Timely provision of necessary spare parts, materials, tools and vehicles generate further savings. Exhaustion of potential savings through coordinated orders is another significant factor in times of cost pressure. In addition, employees can now be deployed more flexibly. By an order pool, employees on-site can accept newly added orders that are near and fit into their time schedule. With this mobile device management (MDM), employees have access to work related data that allow them to install, inspect, maintain and repair on-site anytime and anywhere.
In the MDM functions, assignments may be filtered, displayed, managed, inter alia, by time, process, GIS coordinates and materials. Work order details can be displayed and processed by time, processes, functional locations, classification data or even material. Checklists are created likewise with respect to the inspection performed, just like time confirmation with respect to the process and tools. Both maintenance of the master data of the functional locations as well as synchronization via data exchange between mobile devices, middleware and backend is possible on-site.
Data are entered in real time and forwarded directly to the departments involved, such as Purchase, HR, Asset Management. Also offline entry is possible. Redundancies are omitted, the error probability is minimized. Employees have the option of setting their status of availability themselves. Thus, the dispatcher in the main office can see the status of the employee on-site on the planning table and assign the corresponding work orders.
Michael Neff, CIO of RWE AG, is convinced that just- in-time data for consumption for planning of future needs or comparable devices will result in significant cost savings. The use of this solution in other business areas as well as further development of the tool are planned.

Reliable Partnership

“With this project, FPT Group has proved again its competence in consulting, conception and in the implementation and support. Whether experiences and know-how in WFM, MDM or in the field of GIS – FPT has proven to be a reliable and inventive partner, also in terms of cost efficiency. With the new SAP MRS version, we want to further automate processes from 2017“, says Michael Neff .

Background

RWE IT GmbH is the internal IT service provider of the RWE Group. RWE IT provides support to RWE Group in all areas and thus covers all essential stages within the value added chain of the energy business with their IT services. RWE IT employs around 1,700 people at various locations in Germany and subsidiaries in the UK, in Czech Republic and Hungary.
FPT Deutschland GmbH and the nearshore Center Fpt Slovakia s.r.o. are part of FPT Software Company Limited, with headquarters in Vietnam. FPT is active in the development of software, implementation and maintenance of SAP solutions, conduction of independent tests and in the provision of IT services also in the areas of energy, manufacturing, finance, telecommunications and networking solutions, retail and distribution, healthcare and IT services and IT systems. FPT Group with a turnover of more than 1.65 billion euro in 2015 is one of Vietnam’s biggest IT companies. Founded in 1988 and now listed on the Vietnamese stock exchange (VNSE), FPT currently has branches in 19 countries where approximately 27,000 people are employed.
Author: Olaf Baumann, Managing Director of Fpt Slovakia s.r.o. and EVP of FPT Deutschland GmbH