Paperless reporting in R/3

Until 2019, Securiton technicians received their orders as a form or e-mail and filled out their service reports on paper at the customer's site. The reports then had to be transferred from the office to the SAP R/3 modules PS and CS for further processing and billing. This process was error-prone and lengthy.

Transparent communication

Securiton is the leading provider of security technology and systems in Switzerland and specializes in the installation and maintenance of alarm systems and security systems in the areas of fire protection, intrusion protection, access control, video surveillance, security management systems and mobile property protection. 275 technicians are available to customers around the clock for installation and commissioning in system construction and for inspection, maintenance and repair in customer service.

In order to standardize and digitize service processes in the four language regions of Switzerland, improve data quality, transparency and plannability, and optimize the utilization of service technicians, Securiton first evaluated various field service management solutions. The decision was finally made in favor of mobileX because the mobile solutions can be used for laptops and cell phones and can be integrated into SAP PS and CS. Another important criterion was the mobileX release monitor, which is used to check the correctness of the technicians' digital feedback before it is posted in SAP.

Pilot operation started in August 2019 with the largest branch in Bern. The roll-out in all language regions and in the eight main branches took place from February 2020. The training of technicians and dispatchers initially took place on site. A power user concept was also used, with experienced employees instructing their colleagues from other branches. In addition, there were many smaller snapshot courses on specific questions about Microsoft teams. 

The dispatchers at Securiton now plan the assignments of the service technicians using the tool for assignment planning, mobileX-Dispatch. This involves installations and commissioning in plant construction as well as inspections, maintenance and repairs in customer service. Pool orders are also used for orders with maintenance. In this case, the dispatcher distributes the order to a specific team. A service technician who has time and is nearby can take on the job and make an appointment with the customer to carry it out. This promotes the personal responsibility and motivation of the technicians and also avoids idle time. 

Mobile with iOS and Android

The 275 service technicians have been using the CrossMIP app on iOS and Android and MIP for Field Service on the Windows notebooks for mobile order processing and documentation since 2020. These notebooks are connected to the hazard detection system on site at the customer's premises via an interface in order to configure and maintain it.

The technicians use the app for order processing (status changes, confirmations, service reports) and materials management (material consumption, transfers, returns and inventory). The technicians can switch between the three language versions in German, French and Italian and, for example, display the service report to the customer in his native language. 

In MIP for Field Service on their notebook, they can also still create new orders and generate their daily reports. They can also use it to request their vacation. 

R/3 in the back office

All confirmations and service reports run in the release monitor, where they are checked by the office staff before being posted and invoiced. This avoids incorrect postings and time-consuming cancellations in SAP R/3.

After almost two years of operation, Thomas Buser, IT project manager at Securiton AG, draws a positive conclusion from the project: "The mobile, paperless reporting led to a significant increase in efficiency. In addition, our warehouse management has benefited a lot from the introduction of mobileX's solutions. We now have transparency over all parts in the vehicle warehouses. Inventory is much easier and saves us a lot of time and money. In addition, we can use the mobile solutions to store service reports with customer signatures in an audit-proof manner. The multilingual nature of the solutions benefits both our employees and our customers." The migration to version 10 of mobileX's Field Service Management Suite is planned for the next few years.