Solution Series: Optimized Scheduling Improves Workforce Efficiency

By Integrated Solutions magazine

EnergySouth, Inc. is based in Mobile, AL, where natural- gas distribution and storage are its primary lines of business. EnergySouth needed to improve the efficiency of its field workforce trouble-ticket management system while reducing administrative costs and increasing customer satisfaction. A paper system was used to open, track, and close trouble tickets. Workers arrived at headquarters each morning to receive tickets for the day. The field crews then called on their first customers. After completing their first calls, technicians moved on to the next ticket. They often didn't call in to close out the first ticket. This led to latency issues, and without real-time data, dispatchers didn't know what was happening in the field. Best case, hand-written data on the tickets was entered into the system when the technicians returned to headquarters each evening. But usually the information was not entered for up to three days — too slow to react to fluctuating demands.