Smart ICT
«Field service has become easier and more productive.»
Andi Wyss
Project Manager
The story in brief:
The technicians from Inrag AG provide on-site support for around one hundred systems – not everything can be done via remote maintenance. Thanks to a comprehensive ITC solution from Swisscom, they can now be more productive in their work.
Around one-third of the petrol and diesel used in Switzerland is handled by the Swiss river ports along the Rhine river. The fuel arrives in ships and cargo trains, is picked up by tankers, and ultimately delivered to filling stations around the country. The huge storage tanks make for an impressive scenery.
Right in the middle of a labyrinth of pipes is Andi Wyss. The project manager at Inrag AG is standing next to an Inrag dosing system and explains the device’s purpose ‘It adds the secret, fuel brand-specific formula – which upgrades the fuel with the performance boosters from the respective oil companies – to the fuel flowing from the storage tank into the tanker.’ The Inrag technology plays a key role when it comes to transforming fuel into branded fuel: The tanker arrives, the driver checks in using a card, and the truck’s tank is automatically filled with the right formula.
‘Data losses? That would be a disaster!’
Another important device made by Inrag can be found in the filling plant: The flow meter documents the quantity of fuel that is dispensed from the storage tank. The customs authority is so keen on this that they carry out inspections and have a closer look at the goods incoming and dispatch departments. Andi Wyss and his crew are responsible for making the numbers stack up in Switzerland’s fuel storage facilities – which is why they regularly calibrate the metering instruments. They must be ready to present all data from the filling plants to the customs authority on request. ‘Losing this data would be a disaster for our customers’, Andi Wyss notes. ‘Up until only a few months ago, we used tapes for our daily data backups. Luckily that’s history now.’
Let down by your ICT? Here’s what to do next:
Inrag’s data backup is now taken care of by Swisscom – automatically and reliably in the Swisscom Cloud. It is one of many elements of the new comprehensive ICT solution Inrag has purchased at a fixed monthly price. The search for a new ICT solution was triggered by numerous problems with other providers: Working with the different programs – which included the resource-draining ERP – that ran on the outdated server, was frequently difficult. The service was also expensive and lacked transparency. The performance of the telephone provider also fell short of our expectations. Andi Wyss summarises: ‘It was a difficult starting point for further developing our processes and making them more efficient’. ‘A field service technician who has to drive back to the office only for downloading a system software update? Customers with urgent issues who are unable to speak to anyone over the phone? That’s just not on. This is why we contacted Swisscom – not least because we were aiming for a comprehensive solution from a single source.’
«Customers who are unable to contact us? That’s just not on.»
Andi Wyss
Project Manager
A single integrated system – not piecemeal solutions.
Swisscom got their local partner baselnetgroup involved and, over the course of several meetings that clarified Inrag’s requirements, developed a clear plan. The comprehensive solution sees Swisscom taking over the operation of all ICT components – on the basis of state-of-the-art technologies. Inrag accesses all data and applications from the Swisscom Cloud, also from mobile devices anywhere in the world. Calls to landline and mobile phones, e-mails, Microsoft 365, managed security with a firewall in the Swisscom Cloud, managed backup and on-site support provided by baselnetgroup are also among the included features.
Exciting new possibilities with the cloud platform.
The provider switch has certainly been worthwhile for Andi Wyss: ‘At last our 15 field service employees can work while out in the field, with secure and fast access to the system documentation – and without interrupted connections. Everything has just become a lot less complicated. Working from home, for example, was an absolute no-go back in the old days. The Cloud is the flexible foundation we need for developing our business. And, last but not least: We feel at home with Swisscom, it’s as simple as that!’