LIFE CYCLE RADAR AND POWER APP DELIVERS COST SAVINGS
Picture the scene. An installation crew travels hundreds of kilometres to replace batteries at a telco exchange, only to find that the work is either not required or can’t be done. The crew has no option but to de-mobilise the project and return the batteries, weighing anywhere between 50kg and five tons, to store until a new exchange site can be found.
Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon scenario with around 20% of life cycle replacement (LCR) projects ending this way.
However, a new radar system and app developed by Nina and Roberto from Visionstream’s Critical Infrastructure team in Perth, ensures these situations will no longer result in unproductive trips by crews or extra costs for our clients.
So what does the Life Cycle Radar and Power App do? It provides field staff with detailed information about their LCR project ‘in the palm of their hand’. Should the project not be successful, the crew can click on the app’s ‘Plan B’ link to easily find an alternative LCR project location that has similar requirements.
The easy-to-use app scans the database to find pre-approved alternative Plan B sites, providing maps, location co-ordinates and technical data. If the Plan B doesn’t materialise, the crew can keep selecting alternative sites on the app until they can successfully deploy the product.
The new system has been automated using the Power Apps tool on Microsoft Office 365 to allow our national teams to utilise it in the field at little or no cost.
The initiative has been recognised by the client as a ‘game changer’ in this industry delivering significant savings to our client in terms of costs for transport, storage, mobilisation and battery recharging.
