Dec 07/Jan/08

A mobile computing solution

introduced by Bournemouth Borough Council's Housing Landlord Services department has brought a radical reduction in the amount of paperwork involving in maintenance, scheduled repair and emergency call out work.

It has chosen the MobileOne Accelerator Housing Maintenance Solution from Pervasic, which extends back-office functionality into the field.

Brett Holtom, Bournemouth's procurement and project manager, says the productivity gains reaped with the new system have allowed the department to expand its client base, accepting more work without needing additional office resources.

 

'On the old paper-based system, one job could generate between fifteen and twenty sheets of paper to be filled out by the operatives, and the information would then have to be re-entered in the office to update the back-office system.'

He says the organisation conducted an in-depth review of seven different suppliers in the mobilisation market and assigned a tender score to each on the basis of market knowledge, technical strengths and insight into working with specific back-office systems.

The operation looks after 5,424 dwellings with a multi-trade workforce of approximately 30 people, as well as managing nine specialist contractors.

Phase Two of the project is scheduled to go live in February 2008, and will introduce mobile EDI, real-time stock replacement and electronic invoicing with key suppliers.