Implementation SAP FSM with integration S/4HANA Service

Vitens, the drinking water supplier for 5.8 million Dutch citizens, sought a new solution for scheduling work orders for 180 technicians who perform daily maintenance on a 48,000 km underground pipeline network. Due to previously achieved successes in collaborations with Ideo, Ideo was asked to implement SAP Field Service Management for planning in conjunction with the rollout of an enhanced version of the work order management system in Ideo Mobile Forms for the technicians. This allows the planners and technicians, and ultimately the customers, to benefit from the new yet familiar tools.

Vitens is a drinking water producer and supplier for nearly 6 million residents in the Netherlands. With almost 1600 employees, they ensure the constant delivery and safety of drinking water. Within the Netbeheer & Levering department, consisting of approximately 70 office staff and 180 technicians, the planning and execution of service and maintenance on the pipeline network are handled. Together, they ensure a continuous water supply.

Due to the large number of customers and assets within the entire Netbeheer & Leverings process, rolling out a new planning system and mobile application poses a complex challenge. The SAP & Transformation project focused primarily on the implementation of an integrated modern IT solution. The end-of-life date of 1/1/2024 for the outdated planning system and the replacement of the existing mobile app created high time pressure and high expectations from the users.

Ideo was responsible for configuring SAP Field Service Management and seamlessly integrating it with Vitens’ S/4HANA Service module, as well as for developing the new Mobile Work Order Management application in Ideo Mobile Forms, allowing the 180 technicians to process orders while on the go.

The Ideo team, together with business and IT representatives from Vitens, conducted Fit-to-Standard workshops to gain early insight into the capabilities of the SAP FSM solution and the defined business requirements. This close collaboration resulted in a new planning system with both familiar and new functionalities to support planners in (semi-automated) planning. By involving users early in the project, they quickly became accustomed to the new planning system.

Vitens aimed to future-proof the mobile application for technicians with the migration to SAP S/4HANA and to achieve integration with the S/4HANA Service module. This provides technicians with a mobile application based on the latest technologies, featuring a clear agenda and support for offline work. Through effective coordination between Ideo, Vitens IT, process managers, and end users, these developments consistently remained in the best interest of the technicians.

Thanks to the user-friendly, intuitive planning solution in SAP FSM, planners have increased ease of work and overview of task statuses, while technicians once again have access to a modern mobile application that supports them well in their tasks.

Facts