Oct/Nov 2006

Shortly before Oracle announced its takeover of the SPL group (News, page xx), SPL announced a repackaged version of the former Sidewinder service management suite, acquired earlier this year.

Enterprise RealTime Scheduling is the descriptive name now adopted for the solution. It is said to be appropriate for companies with large field-service workforces and specialised logistical requirements.

Historically, Sidewinder had connections in the UK, the US and Australia, and earlier this year the commercial UK and Australian operations of Sidewinder Holdings Ltd were acquired by SPL, a group focusing on similar markets, with bases in the US and France.

SPL ERTS is a rebranded, updated version of the previous system. It is described as "an intelligent platform" which user-companies can integrate with their core business processes. It uses the most recent on-the-ground information to re-schedule and re-route field resources automatically as circumstances change - all in real time. SPL says this translates into maximum productivity for the mobile workforce at the lowest possible cost.

 

According to Bob Eddy, vice president of the company's product business unit: "Mobile personnel and equipment represent the greatest cost of providing service, so scheduling and optimisation capabilities are essential elements of mobile workforce applications."