Since 1956, Weiss Umwelttechnik has been offering solutions that are used in research and development as well as in the production and quality assurance of numerous products. The test systems are used to simulate various environmental influences such as temperature, climate, corrosion or dust in fast motion. The product to be tested is examined for its functionality, quality, reliability, material resistance and service life under real stress. The portfolio of test facilities ranges from laboratory test cabinets to test chambers for aircraft components with a volume of several hundred cubic meters. When manufacturing the systems, Weiss Umwelttechnik pays particular attention to environmentally friendly and sustainable operation. In addition to planning, production and installation, the company also carries out maintenance and repairs. As the systems have to be available to customers again as quickly as possible in the event of a shutdown, there was a great need for efficient software for planning service calls.

Standardized processes and improved workflows

Weiss Umwelttechnik used to use a mix of pegboards and mail-based software for service processing. Each of the twenty service dispatchers used such a board to plan with the service technicians assigned to them. The order was printed out and pinned to the appropriate place. The service technicians then received an e-mail with the information relevant to them. Once the work had been completed, the customer had to sign two forms, one copy of which was sent back to the factory. This manual planning and follow-up of assignments meant that the service technicians had to spend a lot of time. "The disadvantage of our previous solution was that we didn't have a comprehensive overview of all resources," says Andreas Gärtner, Service Coordinator at Weiss Umwelttechnik. "In addition, it was difficult to identify service technicians across different areas and only after consultation."

When a customer's testing system breaks down, quick and efficient action is required. In order to have global access to the required data and resources, it was a logical step for Weiss Umwelttechnik to switch to digital and automated processes. All processes were standardized through the introduction of the SAP Field Service Management solution in 2017, creating uniform workflows. Supporting workflows help to automate the individual steps and make them more efficient. "In our search for a management system that helps us to offer and carry out good service and preventive maintenance measures, the SAP solution best met our requirements," emphasizes Marc Öperli, Head of Business Development Global Services at Weiss Umwelttechnik.

Digitalization strengthens the role of service technicians

With the new Field Service Management System, Weiss Umwelttechnik is able to get its customers' systems back up and running as quickly as possible and keep downtime to a minimum. The solution helps to ensure smooth and fast processes. Customer requests are analyzed and assigned to the most suitable technician - based on their qualifications, location and availability. Current information on assignments, activities, component error codes and the history of the system are available to the field service at all times - because the system is also ready for use offline. This means that service technicians can easily call up all data on the customer and the test system using the service app, even without a Wi-Fi or LTE connection. Once an assignment has been completed, the technician creates a service report that can be signed by the customer on site. This is then sent to the customer by email as confirmation, which makes work even easier.

Once the field service team has completed its assignment on site and entered all the relevant data for the assignment carried out, this is synchronized with the field service management system and automatically transferred to the Weiss ERP system. Follow-up processes in time and materials management and quality management can then be initiated and processed immediately.

The introduction of the SAP solution at Weiss Umwelttechnik not only offers numerous advantages for the service technicians, but also for the office staff: "The SAP solution enables us to coordinate more than 200 service technicians in Germany alone according to their qualifications and location," explains Gerd Lippert, Head of Field Service at Weiss Umwelttechnik. "My personal service moment came when I was able to see the entire field service team from my workstation. I can see where the service technicians are currently located on the map." A map function built into the planning board shows all the service technicians' activities at a glance. This makes it possible to see which customer the technicians are currently working for and what they are working on.

"Over the past 30 years, we have constantly developed our service and product portfolio. Today, we already employ almost 500 people - clear processes and standardized procedures are therefore a must," adds Lippert. "With the help of the field service management solution, the service technicians can handle assignments quickly and efficiently. The material can be booked easily, the working hours on site at the customer's premises are entered quickly and the customer immediately receives an overview of the activities carried out - this is exactly what convinced us about the SAP field service management solution."

Manuel Grenacher, General Manager SAP Service Cloud at SAP / am