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Weathering the storm
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Connected navigation – the next phase in SGN's IT programme
 A solution from TomTom WORK is helping to streamline the field service function at Scotia Gas Networks When Scotia Gas Networks was set up in 2005 to take on gas distribution work in Scotland and south-east England, it had to create a whole new information technology infrastructure from scratch. The latest phase of that programme, the introduction of a connected navigation solution from TomTom WORK, promises to be a key to unlocking the efficiencies sought by the company. Avid readers of m.logistics may recall that we reported on SGN's IT project nearly a year ago, when we described its implementation of a job scheduling system across three of its key operational streams (emergency and metering calls, repairs and maintenance). That project helped the company to beat the target performance level for response times.
The latest development, involving TomTom WORK's navigation and management systems, extends the company's mobile workforce management capabilities right out into the field, refining the interaction between its control room staff and the engineers who are out on the road, and helping them to perform more efficiently. SGN has identified a whole list of functions in which this system should help, including improved call-out response times, particularly in emergencies; more flexibility in the management of its team of mobile engineers; and reduced fuel use. The company's 1,500 mobile engineers serve an area of southern England that includes some of the most densely populated and heavily trafficked parts of the UK. One of the major challenges for the company was keeping track of the precise location of its engineers, and getting them between jobs as efficiently as possible. The nature of the job means the company has to attend emergencies quickly in order to meet its service-level obligations, as well as to protect the public and to conform to tough regulatory requirements. Accurate time of arrival  Additionally, at a practical level, the company was strongly aware that customers expect to be given an accurate 'expected time of arrival'. SGN realised that information was key to managing their expectations and providing a high level of service. Another vital objective was to ensure that engineers would be readily able to find key network installations, especially in the hours of darkness – not always easy for those who might be working outside their normal territory. Further objectives included improving the safety of engineers on the move, minimising vehicle mileage, cutting fuel usage and reducing the overall level of emissions from the fleet. With the connected navigation solution provided by TomTom WORK, each vehicle is fitted with the TomTom LINK 300 vehicle tracking device and a TomTom GO satellite navigation screen. Scotia gas networks By way of background, SGN is the second-largest UK gas distribution company, supplying 5.7 million homes and businesses across a wide swathe of the south east of England and throughout Scotland. It supplies gas to domestic, commercial and industrial customers through 75,000 kilometres of gas mains. In Scotland, three quarters of households, including many in remote areas, receive their gas from the company. Its coverage in southern England extends from Milton Keynes down to Dover in the east and Lyme Regis in the west, and includes London boroughs south of the Thames. Altogether almost four million households and businesses are supplied. The TomTom GO device determines the best route to a location and guides the driver there with both a 3D map view and spoken instructions. The system is constantly updated with traffic information to take account of potential hold-ups resulting from roadworks and traffic congestion. Its use contributes to safer driving by removing the need to consult paper maps or written instructions. The TomTom LINK 300 box feeds information between the vehicle and the control room through TomTom WORK's TomTom WEBFLEET system, which enables the control room to allocate jobs to an available engineer who is nearest to the location of the task. Major benefits The system is being rolled out over eighteen months, and is expected to bring major benefits to the company and its customers. Among them are the sought-for improvement in call-out response times, particularly in emergencies, and the elimination of unnecessary travel – which in turn should mean reduced fuel use and a lower environmental impact. The system will also bring added flexibility to the management of SGN's large field engineering team. And finally, it is seen as a way of protecting assets and helping with recovery if a vehicle should be stolen. According to Malcolm Russell, SGN's director of operations: 'We selected the TomTom WORK solution because of its ease of use and implementation in a fleet of our size. 'It will be of great help to our control room staff in responding more effectively to customer calls, and it will improve the safety of our engineers when driving between jobs.'
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