MDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc. ("MDSI" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: MDSI; TSE: MMD) announced today that it has signed an agreement for the implementation of its Advantex(TM)-Utility mobile workforce management solution with one of the top ten largest investor-owned utilities in the U.S. The wireless software solution will initially support approximately 300 mobile workers. The customer has asked not to be named for competitive reasons.
Constrained by inefficient, paper-intensive dispatching activities and by often inconsistent and inaccessible customer and order information, the utility company turned to the MDSI(TM) solution to increase productivity and operating efficiencies by more efficiently managing the mobile workforce and its workload. Advantex will schedule meter service appointments interactively with customers, manage work wirelessly in the field, and capture work results needed by enterprise applications. As well, Advantex's operations analysis capabilities will track key workforce management indicators to aid executive decision-making.
When it is rolled out, Advantex will seamlessly interface to the utility company's new Customer One customer information system (CIS) from Arthur Andersen, which is replacing a legacy system. Advantex will accept work orders created on the Arthur Andersen system, automatically dispatch work wirelessly to technicians in the field, and transmit information on completed work in real-time back to Customer One. By integrating these key business applications in an open environment, the utility company will improve information access and collection and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its service delivery.
Ken Miller, CEO, MDSI, stated, "This contract reinforces the fact that our implementation track record-over 60 utility customers worldwide-is a key factor in winning new business." Miller adds, "In all our target markets, deregulation, mergers and acquisitions, rising competition, and technology trends are creating an environment where enterprise application requirements are growing exponentially. Advantex answers customers' needs for a scalable, flexible, interoperable solution that adds business value between order creation systems and the mobile workforce with fundamental enterprise workforce management capabilities."
Advantex-Utility helps electric, gas, and water utility companies manage and empower mobile resources that are key to the delivery of customer service, like field service technicians, in order to facilitate customer acquisition, retention and service innovation. Advantex schedules appointments so service requests are dealt with promptly and customers are guaranteed specific appointment times. It automatically assigns tasks to the most appropriate mobile resource, based on skill set or other factors, so that the job gets done right the first time. Advantex automatically distributes the workload, so dispatchers can focus on emergency situations and serve larger workforces and territories. It transmits job status information to the office so dispatchers can monitor progress "at-a-glance" and reprioritize orders. Advantex empowers mobile workers through access to critical corporate information systems, like customer records, billing and inventory, and through interactive messaging with dispatchers. Advantex also reports on performance to help senior management make decisions. And it all happens wirelessly, in real-time.
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