Using mobile apps to automate Smart Meter rollouts and general connections
The UK government has set a target of installing 53 million smart meters across the UK by the end of 2020.
Given the scale and ambition of the rollout, suppliers are under pressure to carry out a large number of connections in a safe and efficient manner. As such, there is little room for error and care must be taken to avoid issues that require costly repeat visits to customer premises.
The number of connections involved mean that the IT systems used by suppliers (and their supply chain partners) must be integrated, automated and easy to use by connection teams in the field.
Watch our PHALANX Smart Meter Apps Demo
Automate and Integrate Smart Meter Rollouts
Spartan’s PHALANX Mobile App platform allows suppliers, service providers and sub-contractors to import connection campaigns from existing ERP or CMMS systems (including SAP, Oracle and Maximo), or from desktop planning tools such as Microsoft Excel.
The PHALANX web Apps allow back-office teams to use this information to electronically plan, execute and track connection work. Work is then delegated wirelessly to the mobile devices (Smartphone or Tablet) of connection engineers to execute.
The PHALANX Connection App walks the technician through a series of steps to record all aspects of the connection, including recording of labour used, materials consumed, ‘before and after’ images, annotating of technical diagrams and time extensions.
The PHALANX web Apps offers planners and supervisors a near real-time view of the connection progress and will produce ‘OFGEM Ready’ connection status reports.
The PHALANX Connection Apps also support the collection of customer feedback at the point of service delivery. The RIIO customer service objectiveshighlight the importance of collecting and reporting customer satisfaction data directly from the field.
In summary, the PHALANX Smart Meter Connections Apps deliver:
- Cloud based web and mobile apps for rapid deployment to your back-office and field based connections teams. (Note: PHALANX can also be used on-premise if required)
- Low cost deployment to consumer devices
- Integration via file imports, or directly to your existing ERP and CMMS systems
- Full lifecycle management of new connections, from planning, connection execution, data capture and reporting
- Support for multiple types of Smart Meters (e.g. SMETS 1, SMETS 2 and Advanced Meters) and support for domestic and non-domestic customers
- In-built support for customer satisfaction surveys
For all of the above reasons, we believe Apps are critical to the smooth, efficient and automated implementation of the UK’s Smart Meter roll-out programme.