Mobile systems to help World Cup beer to flow

Innserve will be relying on its hosted mobile workforce management system to help keep the beer flowing as football fans flock to pubs and bars to watch the World Cup.

The company has deployed the Aspective system to manage the installation and servicing of 750,000 beer lines, and will use it to ensure extra mobile technicians are on hand during the competition when demand for alcohol shoots up.

Innserve, which was created in 2004 through combining the in-house technical services departments of Carlsberg UK and Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) UK after both companies decided to outsource these services, uses the system to handle up to 3,000 maintenance calls a day and allocate the most appropriate technicians to complete the job.

Over 300 mobile technicians and 470 service provider technicians maintain assets for serving draught beer, lager and cider at over 100,000 S&N and Carlsberg pubs and clubs nationwide.

Using a PDA, field technicians can view schedules, report job status, order parts, update customer records and access site information.

During major sporting competitions, the pressure is on to maintain the quality and availability of beer, and the system which includes mobile workforce management will ensure jobs are allocated to the most appropriate technician based on availability, location, expertise and equipment needed to complete the job.

Stuart McHenery, systems development manager at Innserve, said: ‘There will be extra pressure on us during the World Cup’s key England games and our planning team will use the system for manning.’

McHenery says the Aspective technology replaces an SAP mobile system used by both parent companies.

‘We stepped away from SAP because although it’s good for a corporate giant, we wanted something flexible that could change with the changing shape and direction of our business,’ said McHenery.

He says the system has helped Innserve meet service level agreements in the face of a cultural shift following a split from the parent companies.

‘We now have to deliver against a contract and there are financial penalties if we don’t perform, but with the Aspective system internal processes are more measurable and we have greater visibility of what’s going on so we are consistently achieving better results managing daily work loads and increasing productivity,’ he said.

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