4-page Case Study - Posted 11/22/2006
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Software Consultancy Develops Mobile Solution that Achieves Return on Investment in One Week
Many of Anglia Business Solutions’s employees spend much of their time on the road visiting customers—selling and consulting on the IT solutions that Anglia develops. Traditionally, they relied heavily on paper-based processes for capturing data for their timesheets and billing information. They also made lengthy telephone calls to gather customer information and directions. In 2004, the organisation developed the Anglia Mobile Portal, which connects these users to the company’s Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 system by means of their Microsoft Windows Mobile™–based handheld devices. They now have customer information at their fingertips, including maps displaying directions, as well as an easy-to-use interface for capturing timesheet information, mileage, and expenses. As a result, over 100 hours a week are freed up that used to be spent dealing with paper-based processes.
Situation
Software and consultancy organisation Anglia Business Solutions serves a national customer base from its offices in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. It employs around 30 people and has a turnover of £3 million (U.S.$5.64 million).
Of its staff members, who are made up of salespeople, consultants, and integration teams, the majority spend most of their time on the road, demonstrating and consulting on the IT solutions that the company develops for its customer base.
Anglia uses Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 technology internally for its accounts, billing, and human resources. But the company needed to find a way for mobile workers to put data back into its Microsoft Dynamics NAV system from the road.
Richard Jones, Development Director, Anglia Business Solutions, says, “How do you get a mobile workforce completing timesheets every week and recording their mileage?”
The organization’s reliance on paper-based processes to carry out these tasks, made record-keeping difficult and time-consuming. Employees had to fill in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with their mileage, or remember to record them on paper for input at a later date. This method was error-prone and potentially costly to the organisation. “At the end of the month, billing customers or paying people’s expenses was a phenomenal task for administrative teams,” says Jones.
Locating customers was also difficult while on the road—with mobile workers having to get directions by phoning the office. “Better access to maps and contact details was necessary. All this information was stored in our core enterprise systems but we had to find a way to deliver that to people who are rarely in the office.”
Jones was keen to develop a mobile solution that linked users to the company’s Microsoft Dynamics NAV system from the road, providing them with the information and communications options they needed. “We wanted to develop a series of products that we use ourselves internally that we could also sell on to our customers,” he says.
Solution
In early 2004, Anglia developed a mobile portal that connects users in the field to the organization’s Microsoft Dynamics NAV system by means of their Microsoft Windows Mobile™–based devices, which include the Orange SPV Smartphone, HP iPAQ, and the 02 Xda.
Users can look up customer information on their mobile device or any desktop browser, display maps to locate customers using the Microsoft MapPoint® .NET business mapping software, and input timesheet, mileage information, or expenses into an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. The captured information is automatically sent to the back-office system in near-real time.
“When I have entered expense details for example, I hit a button and my manager is automatically sent a copy of the expenses to approve or decline. This information registers in the system, ensuring I get paid accurately and on time,” says Jones. “In addition, when I am out on the road visiting a customer, I can record the details of my journey, mileage, and fill in my timesheets from any location.”
The interface can be designed to display a corporate look and feel, but branding is light enough that pages load quickly. And the Anglia Mobile Portal is designed to make the best use of the available bandwidth and the device that is being used. “If a user has a Smartphone, the application can be operated with a phone keypad,” says Jones.
“Maps are displayed to make maximum use of the phone screen. If you are running the application on a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, such as the iPAQ, or a Pocket PC Phone Edition device, such as the Xda, the screen is optimised for a stylus pen. Maps will be slightly larger because the device has a bigger screen area.”
The organisation also produces weekly company updates, such as sales figures, that it can now publish to employees more easily. The Anglia Mobile Portal is powered by Microsoft Office SharePoint® Portal Server 2003, which is part of Microsoft Windows Server System™ integrated server software. “Rather than send the reports using e-mail, we post them onto the SharePoint site, where it can be accessed by all employees at any time, without clogging up the e-mail system,” says Jones.
Benefits
Anglia’s workforce has made full use of the solution for a year, and is already seeing significant rewards. Because the Anglia Mobile Portal can be adapted to suit a number of different industries, the company is now offering the solution to its own customers.
New Business Efficiency
With access to customer data from any location, users no longer have to rely on phone calls to get the information they need. Using their device, they can simply locate a customer stored in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV system to access any necessary details.
“Staff can plan their route using the map, or access useful background information, such as whether the customer has been visited before, or if they are up to date with their licensing,” says Jones.
Salespeople and consultants visiting customer sites now have an entire historical record of all past interactions with the customer at their fingertips. Jones says, “That is very important for a customer-focused organisation. We aim to ensure that when we meet our clients we are well prepared.”
Frees up More Than 100 Hours a Week
Timesheets used to get forgotten. Now, Anglia Business Solutions benefits from much more accurate billing, which can occur on time at the end of each month because all timesheets are up to date and maintained properly from the field.
“The solution has a marked effect on our payment collection and effective customer billing,” says Jones. “Timesheets used to be a three to four-hour a week activity for each person. Now, users can input their timesheets daily, as it only takes one or two minutes. This frees up well over 100 hours a week across the organisation that employees can spend with customers or put into more productive tasks.”
Easy-to-Use Interface
Users have adapted to the device quickly and easily, thanks to its data input features made up of easy-to-use drop-down menus and pick lists, which are similar for each function, whether it is timesheets, or mileage records.
Jones says, “When filling out their timesheets for example, users no longer have to remember codes. The interface intuitively follows the format of a typical working day to prompt them to fill out certain sections ensuring information doesn’t go missing or get forgotten. Input of data is quicker and easier than ever before.”
Cuts Communications Costs
The Anglia Mobile Portal provides staff with access to all standard Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 messaging and collaboration client features, such as contacts and calendar, so mobile workers can respond to customer queries immediately from the road. “No-one needs to use the out-of-office memo anymore. Our workforce is always contactable by e-mail,” says Jones.
Customers receive a better service and communication costs are significantly lower. The number of lengthy phone calls has been dramatically reduced as customer-related information is available on the devices.
The organisation is also much more effective in its distribution of reports and information to the workforce. “New initiatives, promotions or useful information can be distributed to the workforce via the portal, reducing the need for paper printouts and ensuring that those members of staff that don’t visit the office for some time don’t miss out,” says Jones.
Easy to Manage and Return on Investment (ROI) in a Week
The Anglia Mobile Portal is browser-based, which means updates and maintenance can be carried out centrally and rolled out to all devices while they are still in the field.
The solution was also fast to rollout. Jones says, “The system only took a month to develop and it paid for itself within the first week of operation. That is a staggering return on investment.”
Jones attributes the ROI to several factors. He says, “We got a competitive deal on the devices, so the hardware infrastructure was already in place. Development costs were minimal because we built the solution using the Microsoft .NET Framework. And all the back-end processing was simply a question of extending our existing Microsoft Dynamics NAV and SharePoint Portal Server 2003 systems.”
Varied Industry Uses
Because it is built on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Jones believes that the Anglia Mobile Portal is a flexible solution that can be adapted to suit many different needs in future. “A tool that is used for timesheets now, could be adapted to become a comprehensive workflow system tailored to fresh produce or any particular market,” he says.
“The fresh produce industry would benefit significantly. Technology like this could be crucial for notifying people quickly of waterlogged areas or crop problems.”
Anglia’s own use of the solution has demonstrated its value to any organisation looking to streamline processes and put its mobile workforce back in touch. Jones says, “For us the solution just works. It fits in with our processes and has become a major part of the way we conduct our business.”
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which means less of a learning curve for your people, so they can get up and running quickly and focus on what’s most important. And because it is from Microsoft, it easily works with the systems that your company already has implemented. By automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship, and supply chain processes, Microsoft Dynamics brings together people, processes, and technologies, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your business, and helping you drive business success. For more information about Microsoft Dynamics, go to: www.microsoft.com/dynamics
For More Information
For further information about Microsoft products and services please visit www.microsoft.com/uk or call 0870 60 10 100*.
For hearing impaired customers with a Minicom contact: 0870 50 30 400*.
*Lines are open 8am-6pm Monday to Friday. Please note Numbers prefixed 0870 will be charged at national call rates. For details of national call rate charges please contact your telecoms provider.
For more information about Anglia Business Solutions products and services, visit the Web site at: www.angliabc.co.uk
© This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published November 2006
