CASE STUDY

Intel®Classmate PC, Intel®Solid State Drive

Transportation, PC and Windows* Upgrade, Client Mobility

A Tough Solution for Efficient Engineers

CHALLENGES

• Consolidate hardware. Provide mobile workers with access to all essential applicationsthrough one device

• Stay connected. Enable engineers to share data, wherever and whenever they need to

• Upgrade capabilities. Equip engineers with tools and functionality to enhance productivityand delight customers

• User adoption. Provide engineers with devices and software they will want to ratherthan have to use

SOLUTIONS

• Rugged device. TETRAtab C Series convertible notebook/tablet with 3G/GPRS connec-tivityis developed from Intel® Atom™ processor-based classmate PC

• Enhanced application. Core ADP Mobile Technician* software was redesigned to run onlarger screens through a Web interface

TECHNOLOGY RESULTS

• New features. Camera and extended battery life make engineers more productive in the field

• Connected working. Regular connectivity is supported by caching to ensure data is cap-tured and reported reliably, even if entered while offline

• Increased automation. Workflow administration and essential contract data sharing areall handled automatically, helping boost organizational efficiency

• Large touchscreen. Paperwork is reduced as customers can now sign a device’s screento confirm receipt of service and parts, automatically updating the system

BUSINESS VALUE

• Faster service. Clients receive job and billing details muchfaster, leading to happy customers and, accordingto Marshall’s internal tests, 8 percent more hoursbilled in the first full month of use

• Streamlined support. According to Marshall’sown results, the new devices are less expen-sive and simpler to maintain, helping reducecosts

• Potential expansion. The model can be repli-cated across the Marshall Group and to othercustomers

Marshall Fleet Solutions transforms mechanics’ workday using ADP Mobile Technician* software on Intel®technology-powered TETRAtab* C SeriesOne of Cambridge’s great business successes, the Marshall Group, supports aerospace projects, military land systems, automotive, leasingand fleet management services around the world. Its Marshall Fleet Solutions (MFS) division is one of the UK’s largest commercial vehiclefleet repair and maintenance organizations specializing in refrigeration units and tail lifts. It estimates that its150 engineers, based aroundthe country and managed through 15 regional service centers, provide 24-hour emergency breakdown cover and routine servicing, carryingout 80 percent of all jobs at the customer site or on the roadside. They respond to over 75,000 service requests per year. They’re mobileby definition, and need their tools to keep up with them.

“The Intel® technology-powered

TETRAtab device is in the sweet

spot we were looking for. It’s not

army-level rugged, as that would be

unnecessary for us and expensive, but

it’s hardier than a traditional device.

It’s as rugged as it needs to be, while

staying cost effective for the business.”

Martin Heap Training & Technical Support Executive

Marshall Fleet Solutions

“We estimate that we’d spend the

same on upkeep of the TETRAtabs

over four years as we did for the PDAs

over three years, which equates to a

year’s saving for us. It’s great value.”

Mary Wombwell Software Support Consultant

Marshall Groups

“Using ADP’s Mobile Technician ap-

plication on the TETRAtab devices,

within two months we had reduced

our invoice queries by 20 percent and

taken 10 days from our average

debtor days.”

Andrew Howells Managing Director

Marshall Fleet Solutions

“With the ADP Mobile Technician

application running on the TETRAtab,

now I can capture the customer’s

signature as soon as the work is

complete. I can leave site confident

the job is done and billed, and my

van stock is adjusted.”

Service Engineer Marshall Fleet Solutions

Old devices slowing business One of the Marshall mobile engineers’ mostimportant resources is the software that helpsthem manage their daily tasks – from checkingthe day’s appointments, to tracking jobs andinvoicing, and even recording parts used andordering replacements. All of these workflowand administrative tasks are taken care of usingthe Mobile Technician application from ADPDealer Services, which integrates seamlesslywith Marshall’s Fleet Management System*,also from ADP. The engineers in the field andthe central management office in Cambridgeall depend on this application to maintain anefficient business and happy customers.

Unfortunately, the engineers were not get-ting the full value of this application becausetheir devices were aging and inefficient. “Theywere using PDA devices, many of which werenearing end of life,” explains Martin Heap,training and technical support executive,Marshall Fleet Solutions. “They were prone tofailure, which meant we were spending timeand money on fixing them while engineershad to revert to paper-based processes. Asa result, we were seeing a drop in efficiencyand we couldn’t invoice as quickly as we’dhave liked.”

In addition to the ADP Mobile Technicianapplication, the engineers need to access anumber of other programs, particularly theThermo King* reporting, parts directory andordering systems. As a franchisee of ThermoKing refrigeration equipment, Marshall needsto ensure that it is able to accurately recordand report on any work done on its prod-ucts. Engineers can download data directlyfrom faulty equipment to help determine thecause and resolve the issue, but not using thePDAs. As a result, each engineer also had alaptop to support these diagnostics. Notonly was this inconvenient, but it also resultedin delays since, without mobile connectivity,the engineers would have to download thedata at the customer site and then wait untilthey were back at their depot to submit it.

Many of Marshall’s customers have strict serv-ice level agreements (SLAs) in place aroundthe speed of response in the event of anemergency. Companies transporting highlysensitive and time-critical cargo that needsto be kept at a specific temperature — suchas medicines, frozen food or livestock — can-not afford to wait while an engineer strug-gles with his technology. A more effectivemobile device was essential.

The must-haves“We needed a device that would run all ouressential applications, have long battery life

and mobile connectivity to keep an engineerproductive throughout a long shift, and berobust enough for a harsh working environ-ment,” explains Heap. Engineers frequentlyneed to use their devices on customer fore-courts or at the side of the road, in all kindsof weather, so a delicate consumer-grademodel would not do. With oil and greaseomnipresent, the device also needed to besealed to protect its internal parts.

Heap and his colleague, Mary Wombwell,software support consultant, Marshall Group,asked the engineers for their requirementsas well. Top of the list were a larger screenand a full keyboard. “The PDA format is toosmall to view a lot of the detailed parts dia-grams that we’d had on the laptop,” explainsHeap, “so it was clear we needed somethinga bit larger. We wanted it to be easy to inte-grate with our applications and hassle-freefor the engineers, so we were after a devicerunning the Microsoft Windows operatingsystem.”

Everything on one deviceMarshall Fleet Solutions worked with itsmobile service provider to understand theuse case and all the operational and tech-nological requirements it needed to address.Marshall then deployed the Intel Atomprocessor-based TETRAtab C Series ruggedconvertible tablet/notebook, based on theIntel® classmate PC. The TETRAtab offers ahighly affordable robust form factor, withindustry-leading performance to support amix of demanding applications.

Marshall ran a trial of the device against anumber of other options before making afinal decision. “The TETRAtab was the onlyone that had unanimous approval from allour testers,” says Heap. Everyone approvedof the device’s screen size and clarity, batterylife, and Windows 7 Pro* support, while alsoappreciating its robust design. It’s in the sweetspot we were looking for. It’s not army-levelrugged, as that would be unnecessary forus and expensive, but it’s hardier than a tra-ditional device. It’s as rugged as it needs tobe for our engineers, while staying cost ef-fective for the business.”

Convinced that the TETRAtab was the rightdevice, Marshall equipped 140 engineers withtheir own devices, running ADP MobileTechnician software, all Thermo King programs,and email – bringing together all applicationson one platform for the first time. Each de-vice is equipped with a SIM card and con-nects to Marshall’s private network througha secure connection to enable data sharing.

Having mobile connectivity means engineers

can send and receive up-to-date informationwhile out in the field. Temporary cachingwithin the ADP Mobile Technician applicationenables the programs to store updates whena connection is not available and then trans-mit it in chronological order when receptionimproves. Some essential content – such asparts diagrams – is stored locally on the de-vice’s solid-state drive so that it can be ac-cessed quickly and reliably when an engineeris at a customer site.

New capabilitiesThe TETRAtab device brought with it a num-ber of features new to the engineers, whichthey have already put to good use. “The built-in camera has been really useful,” says Heap.“Our engineers can now take pictures of anydamaged equipment to submit along withthe job records or warranty claim, for exam-ple. As independent workers, they are alltrained in making a health and safety assess-ment of any environment they are requiredto work in. If they deem it not to be safe,they can now take a photo to record why,and have the customer sign the record thereand then on the integrated touchscreen toverify why the work couldn’t be carried out.”

While the new devices have the nine-to-10-hour battery life to support a full shift, theengineers find it reassuring that the TETRAtabcan be easily plugged into the cigarette lighterof their vans to charge if necessary. “They’reoften required to be on call, so they mayhave just finished a nine-hour shift and thenbe called out to an emergency, meaning they’reon the road for up to 16 hours,” says Heap.“In these instances, it’s great to be able togive the device a boost on the way to the job.”

Software and device working togetherMarshall has had a close working relationshipwith ADP for a number of years and ADP waseager to ensure its customer could make themost of its application with the new devices.The original version of its application thatMarshall had been using was built for a PDAplatform but ADP saw the potential of alarger, more rugged model like the TETRAtabfor a wide range of mobile workforces. “Wehave developed a new browser-based ver-sion of our software that will work more in-tuitively with the larger screen and that runs inHTML5,” explains Andy Viner, fleet solutionsproduct manager at ADP Dealer Services.

At the beginning of each day, the engineerdownloads his list of appointments using thenew ADP Mobile Technician application.When they arrive at a job, they can clock in,track the work done and parts used, down-

load the service sheet and any data fromthe equipment and record labor codes.When they’re finished, they simply have thecustomer sign the device’s touchscreen toconfirm receipt of the job, and then theycan send all the relevant documentationstraight to the contract team in Cambridgeto process and bill. If any urgent jobs comeup at any point, the contact center teamcan send the nearest engineer an alertthrough the application.

Spare parts ordering and inventory are alsohandled automatically through the ADP so-lution. Each engineer holds a supply of com-mon parts in their van, while regional depotssupply replacements and extras when needed.The system automatically tracks which partshave been used by which engineer each dayand automatically triggers the local depotto send out replacement parts so the vansremain fully equipped. The solution can alsoidentify which engineer would be most ap-propriate to send to a given job, dependingon the customer’s need and what parts theengineer has in their van. Automating theseprocesses saves the engineer from spendingtime checking through stock manually everyday. If an engineer does ever need a partthat isn’t in the van, they can order it fromthe customer site and reserve it at thelocal depot to pick up later.

Working wellHeap and Wombwell’s team at Marshall areprojecting a strong return on investment fromthe new device fleet. “We estimate that we’dspend the same on upkeep of the TETRAtabsover four years as we did for the PDAs overthree years, which equates to a year’s sav-ing for us,” says Wombwell. “The device givesus exactly the level of ruggedness and allthe other features we were looking for ata compelling price. It’s great value.”

Andrew Howells, managing director of Mar-shall Fleet Solutions adds: “Within two monthswe had reduced our invoice queries by 20percent and taken 10 days from our averagedebtor days.” The accounts team assessedits billing figures a month after full deploy-ment had been completed and found thatthe number of hours billed had increasedby 8 percent, with a more than 5 percentboost to billing efficiency. Meanwhile engi-neer productivity had gone up by 5 per cent,Marshall Fleet Solutions calculations indicate that.

The quality of the engineers' work is enhancedby the cameras and the ability to downloaddata straight from refrigeration units, whichmake the devices into powerful diagnosticas well as administrative tools. “With all thisdata at their fingertips, the engineers can

“Having my technical library, the

ability to download kit, and a con-

nection to the depot all in one place

cuts down on trips back to the van

when I’m halfway through a job. The

best thing is that the device is light

and portable enough to take right

up to the job.”

Service Engineer Marshall Fleet Solutions

now submit it all to Thermo King for warrantyclaims more quickly too,” says Heap. “Thismeans we’re better able to meet the require-ment of submitting all warranty claims within30 days.”

Feedback from the field has been strong, es-pecially among the engineers in the Didcotarea. Their local depot recently closed, mean-ing the only way they have to share infor-mation with the Cambridge team is throughtheir TETRAtab devices. They have commentedon the easy-to-use features, screen size andlong battery life, showing that the solutionhas boosted employee engagement and satis-faction as well as productivity. Engineersalso appreciate the simplicity of having justone device to look after and use.

“Having my technical library, the ability todownload kit, and a connection to the depotall in one place cuts down on trips back tothe van when I’m halfway through a job,” saysone service engineer. “The best thing isthat the device is light and portable enoughto take right up to the job.” Another engineeradds: “Now I can capture the customer’ssignature as soon as the work is complete.I can leave site confident the job is doneand billed, and my van stock is adjusted.”

If ever a user does have an issue with theirdevice, Wombwell has found that the supporteffort involved in getting them up and run-ning again is now much less painful. “Before,we’d have to phone them up and get them totell us what they were seeing on the screen,”she says. “If we couldn’t talk them throughfixing it, they’d have to ship it back to us toresolve, leaving them dependent on pen andpaper in the meantime, and costing us timeand money. Now, we can manage the devicesremotely using RealVNC*, meaning we canresolve issues faster and leave the deviceswhere they belong, with the workforce.”

Great potential“We see this project as providing the founda-tions for continued development and inno-vation,” says Heap. “We’re already thinkingabout what other functionality we could in-clude to add more value for our engineers.For example, we may introduce instantmessaging for everyone, and we’re lookingat starting regular virtual meetings for theregional principal engineers, which wouldbe impossible to arrange physically.”

Wombwell adds: “We’re also looking at makingthe improvements to the operational sideof the business benefit the commercial side.The contracts team in the Cambridge officeneed job information and service sheets asquickly as possible so they can not only in-voice them, but also provide customers witha full audit trail. The almost real-time updatesthat we can now achieve through the TETRAtabplatform mean we can deliver this, and thisis a unique selling point for Marshall that ourcustomers love. There’s a competitive ad-vantage here that we’re keen to maximize.”

By reducing the amount of paperwork, andits associated printing and postage, Marshallexpects that it will also see a significant costreduction for its business, while also beingable to invoice more quickly after a job isfinished. “Getting the customer to sign thereand then when the work is done, and issuingthe documentation and billing details promptlyall help lessen the possibility of any dispute,”explains Wombwell.

Wherever Marshall goes next with this so-lution, the journey is far from over. Heap con-cludes: “Marshall has always forged ahead withtechnological innovation compared to therest of our industry. We’re hearing of otherservice providers just deploying PDAs now.We did that years ago and we’re now moving

Lessons learned The pioneering project at Marshall FleetServices has demonstrated how the com-bination of the TETRAtab rugged conver-tible tablet/notebook with innovative,Web-based ADP software can drive busi-ness benefits for a diverse range of users.“We’ve taken a device originally develo-ped for law enforcement and made it theperfect option for mobile fleet engineers,”comments Roger Marsden, managingdirector, TETRAtab. “With the flexibilityto integrate other ADP software, likevehicle health checking, and device fea-tures like GPS, handwriting and voice re-cognition, it’s possible to tailor thesolution to any use case.” Already, theteam is talking to potential customers inareas as diverse as workshop-based auto-motive repair tracking in the UK and sup-port for highly mobile engineers inremote areas of South Africa.

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on to the next step. Having the support andexpertise of Intel, TETRAtab and ADP DealerServices behind us means we’re wellplaced to keep leading the way.”

Find the solution that’s right for your organi-zation. Contact your Intel representative,visit Intel’s Business Success Stories for ITManagers (www.intel.co.uk/Itcasestudies)or explore the Intel.co.uk IT Center(www.intel.co.uk/itcenter).

Vehicle maintenance leader empowers mobile en-gineers to work smarter with Intel® technology-basedrugged convertible devices