SAP Simplified for Mobile Plant Maintenance Using GuiXT

Access ● Desktop ● Web UI ● Mobile ● Offline ● Developer

© 2011 Synactive, Inc. www.GuiXT.com

SAP Simplified for Mobile Plant

Maintenance Using GuiXT

Customer Speaker:

Leon Kowalewski, SAP EAM / Mobile Analyst

Fairfax Water

Host Presenters:

Daniel Nunes, Marketing Communications

Aparna Desai, Solutions Engineering Manager

Synactive Inc.



Agenda

GuiXT Technology

Introduction

Leon Kowalewski, SAP EAM / Mobile Analyst Fairfax Water

Presentation

Challenges: Had nothing that tracked the progress of a project

Decision: Wanted a mobile solution that could be taken into the field

Solution/Results: Automated solution provides accurate real time reporting

Key Learning Points: Training, testing…

Questions / Answers

Aparna Desai, Synactive



Simplify, Clarify, and Optimize SAP

GuiXT Technology Embedded in SAP

Certified by SAP for NetWeaver Portals

No backend code changes

Benefits Faster SAP Data Entry

Input sets automatically fill in common information in SAP fields

Set default values

Less manual entry for users means fewer mistakes

Streamline business processes, remove unwanted fields, and consolidate

screen tabs

Synactive: GuiXT Technology



Synactive: GuiXT Activation

Embedded within SAP!



Synactive: GuiXT Solutions

GuiXT Technology is a

mature, risk free

enhancement which has been

bundled with SAP for the last

10 years.

Deployed to hundreds of

thousands of users worldwide,

GuiXT is fast to develop and

easy to customize.

Desktop

Offline

Office

Mobile

Web UI

ACCESS



SAP Simplified for Mobile Plant

Maintenance Using GuiXT

Leon KowalewskiFairfax Water



What We Will Cover

• OVERVIEW: The background of Fairfax Water

• SITUATION: Fairfax had nothing in the way of keeping track of work

that was done, reporting, or time management

• ACTIONS: Fairfax wanted something Mobile to put the work in the

“field” and get real time data

• RESULTS: Automated solution provides timely information, accuracy,

and reporting

• KEY POINTS TO TAKE HOME: Training, testing… and more testing



• Largest water utility in Virginia

• Approximately 1.5 million served

• AAA bond rating

• 400 employees

• Coverage 400 square miles

About Fairfax Water



Our Situation Before Mobile

• Using paper work orders

– Results could be delayed or lost

• No automated tracking of time management

• Reporting was difficult at best



Desired Result

• Automate work order process

• Improve efficiency

• Reduce / eliminate delays between work completion and entry in

SAP

• Enable reporting

• Improve visibility for management into work status at any time



Our Decision• SAP’s Mobile Asset Management (Utilities) tool was powerful but challenging to implement and

maintain

– Requires Dev, QA and Production boxes

– Probably required a dedicated FTE

– Too much for a 400 person organization

• 3rd party tools an option -

– May require high levels of maintenance and initial consulting investment

• Fairfax Water decided on hybrid ABAP / GuiXT approach

– Reduce cost

– Keep much development work in-house

– Ease of maintenance

– Potential use of GuiXT for other SAP modules



Our Solution

• Some ABAP required for our solution for Utility specific screens in

second phase, little required for Plant Maintenance

• GuiXT provided much of the screen logical flow

• GuiXT screen “painting” simplified and customized screens

– Valuable in heavily modified screens such as hydrant flushing

notifications

• GuiXT coding can easily be maintained in-house

– No elaborate training required



Architecture

• Users running SAP ECC 6.0 real-time

– GuiXT scripts run over SAP

– GuiXT “paints” both custom and standard SAP screens

• Citrix is interface

– Required careful configuration to work with GuiXT

• NetMotion used to preserve session in case of signal loss

• Verizon is wireless service provider

• Challenge during testing – what is causing the problem?

• Hardware: ToughBooks with touch screen

– Need access to other PC applications such as GIS

– GuiXT offers small device solution (not best for us)



Results

• Field and office no longer burdened by paper orders

– Approximately 90,000 annually

– Paperwork no longer lost or delayed

• Office staff can provide immediate info to customers

– All processing is real-time in SAP

• Simple clerical activities to close orders not needed now

• Supervisors have visibility and reporting access to work

• Time tracked to each work order



Project History

• Split between Maintenance and Customer Service

• Maintenance project - 9 months

– Go-live April 2009

– More involved screen painting

– Issues with Citrix, NetMotion resolved

• Customer Service project – 7 months

– Go-live November 2009

– More ABAP intensive due to IS-Utilities processing

• Approximately 3 month FTE consulting total on both projects

• Fairfax Water’s significant GuiXT work on second phase



Life Cycle of an Order

• Order created, reviewed, and released by supervisor

• Mobile worker starts order; status set to en-route

• Arrives at work site; status set to on-site

• Completes physical work

• As necessary:

– Creates notification

– Suspends order

– Enters time

• Order is completed in Mobile

– Operation system status set to CMPL (Complete)



Starting Point for Mobile User: Order List

• ABAP Coding based on IW73

• GuiXT routing buttons added across top

• Large Buttons on touch screens



Large Address Screen Can Easily Be Seen



Standard SAP Order Display (IW33)



Order Details



Completion screen

• IW33 screen, heavily modified:

• Standard SAP:



Suspend

• Allows user to indicate work could not be completed



Suspend (continued)• User may enter and/or a user status indicating why work could not be completed

• Returns user to comments Order List to proceed with next order



Suspend (continued)

• Provides supervisor with an easy view of why order is not completed



Notifications• Fairfax Water uses notifications extensively in both Maintenance and Customer

Service



Notification selection pop-up

• Possible to create buttons for multiple entries

GuiXT:

Standard SAP:



Object List



Hydrant Flushing Notification



Completion Confirmation• Crew Chief enters time for all workers on order



Completion Confirmation (continued)

• Integrated with ESS for time entry by worker (custom)



Supervisory Order Management• Custom transaction based on IW37N created

• Supervisor can view status of orders easily in list format

• Work center changeable for multiple orders at a time

• Can Release, Technically Complete orders



Lessons Learned• Careful analysis of all business processes key to success

– Found many ways to accomplish same task, resulting in problems for automated approach

• Bring in field staff for project

– Input on look and feel of product invaluable

– Result – high acceptance following go-live

– Little or no reduction in completion time from paper process

• Test every permutation, then test again!

• Verify all parts of technology are working properly throughout service area

– SAP, GuiXT, mobile provider, Citrix, etc.



Key Learning Points• If a large scale implementation is too much for your organization, consider ABAP

and GuiXT as a solution

• Carefully evaluate 3rd party options

– Implementation effort and cost

– Maintainability and flexibility – in-house vs. external

• Research processes thoroughly –

– Automated solution forces tight integration of different departments

– Ensure automated process is best fit for execution needs of business

• Bring in at least one field staffer for life of project

– Improves user acceptance, solution’s fit with real-world needs

• Test, test, test and more testing



SAP for Utilities North American ConferenceWhen: September 18-21, 2011

Where: San Antonio, Texas

ASUG HCM Canada When: October 12-14, 2011

Where: Halifax, Nova Scotia

SAP Oil & Gas 2011When: October13-15, 2011

Where: New Orleans, Louisiana

Stop by our booth or attend a technical or business session at any of the events above and learn more about our innovative products and solutions.

Registration and details at: www.guixt.com/events/tradeshows

Upcoming Events

http://www.guixt.com/events/tradeshows



Q & A



For more information contact us at:

Synactive, Inc.

www.GuiXT.com

650-341-3310

[email protected]

Thank You Very Much!

Documents

SAP Simplified for Mobile Plant Maintenance Using GuiXT