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Page 1: USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED · USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED This information is sent to USA Mobility via …

USA MOBILITYKEEPING SPRINT CONNECTEDUSA MOBILITYKEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED

THE CUSTOMER:Sprint is a global communications company serving more than 23 million businesses and residential customers in more than 70 countries. With 80,000-plus employees worldwide and more than $26 billion in annual revenues, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state of the art network technologies, including the United States’ first nationwide all digital, fiber-optic network. Sprint's award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone is being extended to key global markets to provide customers with a broad portfolio of scalable IP products. Sprint's high-capacity, high-speed network gives customers fast, dependable, non-stop access to the vast majority of the world's Internet content. Sprint also operates a 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation’s metropolitan areas including more than 4,000 cities and communities.

The company's local telecommunications (LTD) operation provides local telephone service through over eight million access lines in 18 states. Nearly 100 percent of local customers are served by digital switching technology, providing a platform for a portfolio of network-based voice, video and data services.

Sprint needed a solution that would allow them to process work orders for their business customer field technicians in a mobile environment. They wanted the dispatch system to be incorporated into an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system for call verification and escalation procedures. In addition, Sprint wanted their technicians to receive critical work order information for viewing and storage. Sprint also wanted a mobile application that offered real time response capabilities that allowed for work order status updates on servicing activity.

Technicians are expected to work on one order at time and are required to give status updates as they proceed through the order. They must record information from the time they receive the order - to the time they are leaving to work on it – to when they begin work at the customer’s site – to when they have to leave for another servicing request or, end the day. Technicians do about four status reports for every work order. Field technicians have been using PC s with an application that accesses the Sprint Service Order System for viewing and updating work orders. Sprint thought that the legacy PC application was inefficient because technicians cannot access the system all of the time and the average time for reporting each step in the work order is five to eight minutes. With a wireless data device, technicians can do status updates more quickly. Sprint’s objective for the wireless data application was to improve productivity and increase customer satisfaction through quicker response and action on work orders.

Page 2: USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED · USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED This information is sent to USA Mobility via …

USA MOBILITYKEEPING SPRINT CONNECTEDUSA MOBILITYKEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED

Sprint needed a solution running over a wireless network with broad geographic coverage since their technicians are located nationwide in major and secondary metropolitan areas. Many of these markets are not currently served by Sprint’s own cellular PCS wireless network. Additionally, since their technicians often service equipment located inside of buildings and in underground building levels, they needed network coverage with strong signals that will provide service deep inside buildings. Cellular networks are optimized for mobile voice and are inherently weak for in-building penetration.

THE SOLUTION:Sprint selected USA Mobility, a dedicated wireless data network provider with 90% coverage of U.S. households and businesses, to supply the network for their wireless solution. USA Mobility’s extensive coverage is greater than any single cellular data network. Opposed to a cellular technology, USA Mobility operates a wireless data ReFLEX network that uses a multiple simulcast transmission method for greater in-building penetration.

USA Mobility enlisted the help of three of their Enterprise Solutions Partners,Outr.net, RPA Wireless and Abstract Data Technologies, to meet Sprint’s needs.

USA Mobility worked with Outr.net to design screen layouts for the Motorola P935, a wirelessly enabled PDA. Each screen has fields for the information Sprint required from the technicians. Screens include forms for delivered work orders, service requirements to additional pages that allow technicians to close out work orders. Over 20 screens were developed specifically to meet Sprints needs. RPA Wireless supplied to Sprint, the data aggregation, integrated IVR, and system integration to Sprint's Back Office host. Sprint’s nationwide technicians carry different types of devices from a variety of network providers. Based on PINs, RPA’s system automatically knows the device and provider of each field personnel. Sprint sends a work order formatted message to RPA Wireless, who in turn interprets the message and routes it to the technician's device. RPA Wireless’ IVR service response system automates the service request call process. Via telephone or P935, which is directly linked to the RPA IVR system, the technician inputs their ID and work order status updates to let the system know they have received the call. If the system does not receive acknowledgement within a set amount of time, the service call automatically escalates to a Sprint Work Force Management center for assignment to another technician in the area. The escalation process continues until the service request is acknowledged.

Once the technician accepts the call, he fills in screens to keep track of travel time and payroll information. He may also request work order details for assigned orders. When the job is completed the technician also fills in different screens as to the work performed including preformatted remarks to allow automated completion.

Wireless Data Solution:• Automated dispatching• Work order information

available at fingertips• Quick and accurate

reporting

Page 3: USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED · USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED USA MOBILITY KEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED This information is sent to USA Mobility via …

USA MOBILITYKEEPING SPRINT CONNECTEDUSA MOBILITYKEEPING SPRINT CONNECTED

This information is sent to USA Mobility via SNPP, then relayed to RPA via telnet sessions. RPA Wireless routes the information back to Sprint where it is automatically imported into their Back Office database that holds payroll and billing information as well as the CRM database. At this time, work orders are updated and closed.

BENEFITS:By implementing a wireless application enabled by USA Mobility, Sprint is able to perform real-time exchange of data between their technical field force and Sprint’s business customer work order management system. Because technicians fill in the work order information on a P935, and it automatically populates Sprint’s databases, accurate and up-to-date service request information is available to management and customer services employees. This also eliminates high cell phone charges and dial up time to acknowledge the receipt of a work order and to report the work done and to close the ticket. Overall benefits also include:• Reduced hold time in call processing center and IVR processing• Reduced actual technician processing time with quick and easy entry via the mobile device• Provides the customer with the benefit of quicker updates on servicing information• Due to integration, work order information is readily available on the P935.This renders other mobile applications obsolete since they require a phone as well as a PC.

CONCLUSION:The USA Mobility developed application has a direct impact on how Sprint’s operational business processes are handled. Approximately 700 technicians are now able to more efficiently handle trouble tickets as well as access current work order information remotely and on demand. As a result Sprint has faster responsiveness, increased productivity, more rapid distribution of information and a stronger competitive advantage.

A significant technological achievement resulted from developing Sprint’s solution. Abstract Data Technologies, a USA Mobility Enterprise Solution Partner had to improve the non-robust SNPP 3 protocol for Sprint’s application. They enhanced the protocol to allow full 2way communications, group messaging and device-initiated messaging. These significant advancements led to a new level of SNPP. SNPP 4 has been submitted for consideration as a SNPP Protocol.