A cloud-based mobile-enabled field force solution

Their thorough understanding of our business and the ensuing solution helped us seamlessly transition from a digitally naive to a digitally transformed organization. The solution, not just improved efficiency, it also had a significant impact on business outcomes.

About the client

A customer-centric road infrastructure service provider powers digital transformation across the organization to rigorously serve all its customers.

The infrastructure company is recognized for its commitment to quality and road safety. Their business enables municipalities, federal, and state governing bodies and contractors across the United States to achieve top-quality road infrastructure that serves the public's dual purposes of safety and convenience. Their work scope encompasses vital components of road safety, including pavement markings and signage, traffic control operations, and sweeping services. These services are carried out by trained and certified personnel.

Business need

The company wanted to further its commitment to quality and raise the bar through transparent updates to its customers. With customers at the core of their digital transformation initiative, automation of business processes was a key enabler.

The company wanted to strengthen clients' trust who collaborate with their business to carry out infrastructural work across locations by providing unparalleled quality. Superior quality is one of the eminent reasons why the client has been a favorite among federal, state bodies, and contractors giving repeat business.

The client wanted to address and resolve hindrances that could pose a challenge to its growth and business objectives. It looked to streamline its processes with automation, to better control workforce and physical resources and deliver enhanced efficiency across projects.

Trigent Solution - Cloud-based mobile automation

Persona-centered Customer Experience is at the heart of Trigent’s solution approach. The business need and the UX varied for the construction worker, foreman, project supervisor, senior management, and the customer. An integrated, automated Cloud Application coupled with a multi-screen mobile experience was designed to suit each persona.

Trigent’s engagement with the client developed through an initial phase of advisory services that laid out an end-to-end plan for a cloud-based mobile solution. The comprehensive solution has proposed and implemented the following:

• Application modernization - Convert the legacy app to a cloud-based web application
• Make all the workflows as complete paperless
• Follow the mobile-first, cloud-first approach
• Zeroed maintenance work by going with serverless technologies

The solution sought to address some of the pressing challenges such as:

• Problems due to manual end of day updates by foreman or manager
• Pilferage of material, difficulty in tracking worker productivity
• Inability to provide customers with regular updates

Trigent developed an application for both Android and iOS platforms for the field force and a web application for the managers to remotely manage.

On the move efficiency, through mobility

The developers created a multi-platform native application for Android and iOS for maximum reach. Special emphasis was laid on the UX/UI of the application to ensure it was easy to use for all employee personas in the organization. The applications’ features:

• Enables management and customers to access regular updates during the day
• Drive efficiency in the workforce through a customized human resource management system
• Helps track the use of resources for optimal utilization reducing pilferage
• Monitors the movement of vehicles carrying material to and fro to different locations in real-time
• Digitally capture and store images of all vehicles on duty with a timestamp for insurance purposes

The applications’ image capturing feature is used to capture the work order progress and share it with customers as updates. Legacy desktop applications were replaced with a cloud-based web application that is accessible anytime anywhere.

With a comprehensive field force management application, the product perfectly aligned with the business's commitment to enhance procedures and functioning to deliver the best quality infrastructural work.

Plugged to the cloud

Trigent’s Cloud Services Practice implemented a serverless solution on a public cloud infrastructure for the client.

The shift to Cloud infrastructure unlocked new capabilities for the client:

• Workers and foremen accessed the job roster from their mobile devices, thereby avoiding the office commute
• Foremen tagged/marked completed jobs and updated material usage details instantly
• Project supervisors switched between Web access on the desktop and Mobile App based on the work detail required
• Managers and Foremen alike had access to resource usage and inventory availability across all the projects and customer locations
• Real-time accurate weather forecast to plan and comprehend the scope of work
• Multi-vendor integration available on call to minimize disruption
• Customers got progress updates with pictures from the site, which minimized the need for site visits
• Digital signatures from police and governing officials updated regularly project approvals and completion

Client benefits

The client’s timely move with cloud-enabled mobility solutions resulted in significant positive returns for the organization and benefits for their customers.

• Completely paperless workflows
• Presence on both Apple and Google Play stores
• Applications on Google cloud built on serverless technologies with minimal maintenance
• A 360-degree view of all the work orders underway, work accomplished, resources exhausted, and in stock
• Optimal use of man and material resources
• Inbuilt daily expenses and liability tracker to avoid oversight or misuse
• More transparency for the customer