UPN’s Mobile Workforce Management application is constantly evolving to bring the best technologies and capabilities to our customers, and we are excited to announce a packed list of new features that will be rolling out over the next few months.
One of the biggest new features in Mobile Workforce is the new AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) functionality that will be available by year end. Mobile’s AVL component will allow utilities to track vehicles that are not logged into the Mobile Client, which means it can track trucks that would not normally use the Mobile Client, like those towing equipment or simply reading a meter route. Mobile’s independent AVL capabilities will reduce the number of maps a Dispatcher will have to track during the day, improving efficiency and eliminating “overlooked” vehicles. With AVL and Outage integration putting more of your critical information directly on the Mobile Workforce map, Dispatchers are well on their way to using only one map in one application for everything.
The new AVL functionality also includes an AVL Reporting capability that will deliver a Speeding Report, an Excessive Speed Report, and an Idle Time Report. These new reports give Dispatchers and supervisors an overview of any drivers who are not engaged in safe driving practices and also allow for better tracking of FSR productivity.
The end of 2012 will also bring our new Mobile Workforce iPad apps for both FSRs and Managers. Alongside Mobile’s existing Android app for FSRs, the new iOS app will give your utility even more flexibility for deploying the Mobile Client in the field: laptops, Android tablets, and iPads can be used in any combination throughout your FSR fleet. For Managers, we’re introducing an iOS app and an Android app, each of which will provide quick access to FSR locations and activities and will allow supervisors to redistribute orders directly from the app when workloads need to be rebalanced.
Moving into 2013, Mobile Workforce will begin introducing other new features designed to improve overall usability and productivity in the system:
- Change Tracking will show who changed shifts, altered Job Codes, and made other changes in the system.
- Order Dependencies will give you the power to ensure work is done in a certain sequence by requiring that designated orders be completed before the next designated order is dispatched.
- The Email Order feature will send the information you select directly to your recipient with just a few clicks so you can share information quickly and easily.
- New icons and color coding will make the maps even clearer, allowing Dispatchers to more readily determine the state and type of an order simply by the color-coded icon on the map.
- Heat Maps for any of the FSR state changes in Mobile Workforce will provide quick visual representations of where most of your employees’ hours go.
- HTML5 compliance for the Dispatch Client will bring faster load times, more customization options, and more widespread browser compatibility, which translates into more accessibility from more devices.
Contact SEDC for more information about AVL or the new iPad apps, or for more information about implementing Mobile Workforce Management at your utility.