Vector is New Zealand’s largest electricity distribution company, with a reputation for having the best customer service in the business. Keeping 630,000 customers happy is a big ask, but with the introduction of Vodafone’s Wireless Data Solutions, it’s become a whole lot easier.
Vector has over 21,000 emergency callouts each year, many of them to downed powerlines. Until recently, emergency callouts were sorted out by lots of talking on two-way radios, leaving messages, and filling out piles of paperwork. This wasn’t exactly the most efficient process; it slowed down response times, and impacted on the accuracy of the information, both to the crews, and back to Vector HQ.
Vector needed a way to speed up the whole process, to get their customers’ power back on quicker. Working together with Vodafone they figured out the best way to get the job done.
To reduce the amount of time spent transferring information, and increasing its accuracy, Vodafone kitted Vector’s First Response Crews with Bluetooth wireless capable mobiles and PDAs.
When a fault occurs, details are now sent directly to their PDAs, across Vodafone’s secure wireless data network, using the mobile as a modem. The crew receive all the information about the fault, and can respond to the job in seconds. Using predefined ‘pick-lists’ they can update the job status, keep customers informed, explain what work was required, then map exactly where the fault occurred. They can even compile the bill for the job. It’s all done in real-time from the emergency site, and there’s not a piece of paper in sight.
The end result is that customers spend less time in the dark.
Faults are fixed sooner because information gets to crews faster.
Information is more accurate, using pre-defined ‘pick-lists’.
Very soon after the crew arrives at a job, Vector can tell customers when it will be fixed.
Paperwork is almost eliminated, so crews are freed up to do what they do best – fix faults.
Data is captured once, in the field, and automatically updated on Vector’s system. In some cases this has reduced the documentation cycle from five days to less than one minute.
