Evergreen technology for field users
Centrica:
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digital transformation in the field
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Centrica’s Head of Mobile User Computing, Joanne Rose, discusses the technological and cultural measures supporting digital transformation for users in the field
B
ritish energy multinational Centrica operates brands such as British Gas in the UK, Bord Gáis in Ireland and Direct Energy in
the US and Canada. Befitting its history, which 04
stretches back over 200 years, the company still maintains all of London’s gas lamps. Its technological credentials, however, are proven by such facets as its smart home subsidiary Hive. Employing around 31,000 people, part of its work as an energy service and supplier involves sending engineers to perform duties such as boiler repair and servicing, and smart meter installation. Joanne Rose, Head of Mobile User Computing at Centrica, is responsible for fulfilling the technological needs of teams in the field. That work is continuous, necessarily moving with the pace of technological change, as Rose explains. “We’ve transformed our field workforce digitally over the last 20 years. Currently, digital transformation for us is about continually making sure that our fieldworkers have got the most up-todate technology and software. What we’re doing is
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“ Digital transformation for us is about continually making sure that our fieldworkers have got the most up-to-date technology and software” — Joanne Rose Head of Mobile User Computing Centrica 06
setting the scene for our field workforce to be on the latest products and for them to be kept up-to-date.” To carry out that work, Rose has found the introduction of new IT systems invaluable. “We’ve rolled out Windows 10 right across the organisation. One of the reasons that Windows 10 has been so important is because we have the Evergreen solution behind it. We will never be too far behind the latest operating system version that Microsoft is providing.” That escape from incremental and periodic upgrades extends to Centrica’s embrace of cloud technologies such as Office 365. “We use OneDrive for file storage along with the Office 365 tools like Excel, Word, Teams and PowerPoint,” says Rose. “From a user experience point of view, that Office 365 rollout has really transformed Centrica. We have the full suite and we’re constantly adding new applications and features.” Centrica’s field workers have benefited in numerous ways, starting from the implementation of Centrica’s Windows 10 systems. “We have around 8,000 field users, and they were on a mix of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE NATURE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT CENTRICA’
Our largest workforce, our Service and
geographically spread, they suffer
Repair workforce, were on really old
challenges in some remote parts of
devices as well. The project was mani-
the country where 4G is inaccessible.
fold because, concurrent with the engi-
Those challenges all had to be taken
neers’ laptops being replaced, my team
into consideration.” Geographical iso-
introduced a new operating system
lation brings challenges beyond just
alongside a brand new suite of applica-
connectivity, and technological solu-
tions.” Compounding this challenging
tions are addressing these as well.
project was the nature of field work,
“It’s very difficult to replace devices or
with niche requirements in comparison
enact a big IT upgrade because our
to desktop users. “They use a different
field workforce is truly field-based,
VPN solution, and their connectivity
meaning they never come to a Centrica
largely depends on the Vodafone
office and they don’t have regional
network,” says Rose. “Because they’re
depots. The technology they’re now w w w.c e nt rica . com
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Empowering Centrica’s frontline We live in a world that demands flexibility and convenience and having a single work location is no longer the world we live in. A fantastic employee experience is key to the success of the modern business, and to achieve this, Centrica partnered with Fujitsu to transform and deliver their Digital Workplace. The transformation embraced Windows
“The replacement of legacy devices was a crucial first step to enable employees to benefit from a new integrated, evergreen enduser service”
10, Azure, Office 365 and Fujitsu’s digital hybrid offering – on-premise and Cloud – for end user IT services, allowing 31,000 global
has provided Centrica’s employees with
employees, including 8,000 field engineers,
a new lease of flexible working, which in to-
to collaborate and be productive on a glob-
day’s ‘the workplace is everywhere’ is essen-
al scale. The result is that every employee,
tial for employee satisfaction and wellbeing
from office, home or field has equal access
– supporting all types of people in Centrica’s
to services. The new workplace is also
diverse workforce; with increased mobility
future proofed against the fast-moving pace
and effectiveness, while increasing employ-
of technology by being evergreen, so em-
ees’ ability to deliver great customer service.
ployees can always benefit from the latest
The replacement of the legacy devices
innovations and features. Services are now available from any de-
was a crucial first step to enable employees to benefit from the new integrated, ever-
vice, increasing employee engagement, as
green end-user service, and by working
users are able to have the same, up-to-date
hand in hand with Centrica, and partnering
experience, in the office and field, as they
with Panasonic, Fujitsu procured, built and
do at home on their personal devices. This
led the deployment of 8,000 rugged and robust devices to Centrica’s team of field engineers so that they can now deliver an improved customer experience. Alongside this, we have reduced the cost to serve, a key component of Centrica’s Digital Strategy. The outcome of the collaboration is a foundation for being able to add digital capabilities to improve engineers First Time Fix rates, resulting in great customer satisfaction and increased field productivity.
CENTRICA
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CENTRICA: FIELD-SUITABLE HARDWARE FROM PANASONIC AND FUJITSU’
using means they can communicate
to ensure access to its services. “An
with the whole of Centrica using
amazing thing about the Microsoft
Yammer,” says Rose. “Yammer is
tools that we’re using is accessibility.
Microsoft’s enterprise social media
For engineers or employees with
tool, and we have, for instance, particu-
disabilities across Centrica, those
lar groups that relate to their laptops.
Microsoft tools provide a lot of extra
My team monitor the relevant groups
functionality. If you are dyslexic, for
and contact the engineers to get more
instance, you can change the setup to
information about trending problems.”
make it more friendly to you. Subtitles
A critical partner of Centrica’s on-
are available for live meetings if you’re
going digital transformation has been
hard of hearing, and if you’re visually
Microsoft which, aside from the afore-
impaired you can change the technol-
mentioned Windows 10, Office 365
ogy to work better for you.” On the
and Yammer, has also provided tools
hardware side, Panasonic has been
vital to field work at Centrica, providing laptops and more. “Panasonic has been a Centrica technology partner for more than 20 years. I’ve worked with them practically all of that time, and they are an extremely supportive supplier. They have helped us to understand the technology that they’re introducing as they refresh their current models, particularly during our latest project where we rolled out about
“ Where we’re implementing new technology, we make sure that users are happy with it and really understand it before it gets deployed” — Joanne Rose Head of Mobile User Computing Centrica
6,000 Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G1 devices to the field. We always work very closely with Panasonic when
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we’re doing our device selections.” Providing the tailored builds to operate
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Joanne Rose Joanne is Centrica’s Head of Mobile User Computing. She’s passionate about supporting Centrica’s field-based employees. Joanne leads a high performing team that have ensured that the field-based employees have the best technology available to them. She’s also an active campaigner for gender diversity in her organisation and an energetic member of the Centrica Women’s Network.
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“ The most important 12
thing for us is to be able to keep our estate Evergreen” — Joanne Rose Head of Mobile User Computing Centrica
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CENTRICA: HOW THE CLOUD AIDS COMMUNICATION AND ACCESSIBILITY’
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successfully in the field was Fujitsu.
from the highest levels. “The approval
“We worked closely with Fujitsu to
came from the top and our CIO, Mike
make sure that the Windows 10 build
Young. Digital transformation has been
that we were deploying to our field
hugely important to him and his strat-
workforce was the best that it could be
egy, so in sponsorship terms there’s
and met the different needs of field
never been an issue.” Care was taken
users. That planning stage was vital,
to ensure the field workforce was on
and what they delivered really worked
board and engaged with the introduc-
for the field.”
tion of new technologies. “We made
With the change in technology there
sure there was a pilot group which was
was a parallel need to ensure that it
able to trial devices and get first looks
could be integrated culturally in differ-
at the software,” says Rose. “Where
ent parts of Centrica. Rose found the
we’re implementing new technology,
appetite for digital transformation came
we make sure that users are happy w w w.c e nt rica . com
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with it and really understand it before it gets deployed.” For the wider company, programmes are in place to spread the message and ensure understanding of new technologies. “One of the things that we’ve introduced at Centrica is a community called the Digital Champions Network, and we have 600 digital champions that help with the adoption of new Office 365 technology throughout the company.” As much as it was important to ensure the right culture was in place to 16
profit from digital transformation, Rose is passionate about the need for a culture shift surrounding issues of diversity. “I’m a strong voice in Centrica when it comes to talking about women and diversity issues. I am on the Centrica Women’s Network working group and I head up the local chapter here at the office. It’s a really exciting network and it’s grown significantly, particularly over the last year. We’re working a lot more closely with our Diversity and Inclusion team, so that the strategy of Centrica’s Women’s Network is supporting the strategy of our Diversity and Inclusion team. We have a committee and we organise
events in our own location, whether it’s career development sessions or presentation skills courses. We celebrate International Women’s Day and we’ve done events for that which have generated awareness around the issues that women face in the workplace. My chapter has set up a mentoring scheme for women. We set it up around nine months ago, and we had a review session just a few months back. The impact that the mentoring scheme has had on the women participating has been astounding. It’s not that we’re saying every woman should be promoted – it’s more that every woman should be the best that they can be, and the changes that we’ve seen in these women, and the changes and differences that they’re making to our local office, has been amazing. Those kinds of things have been extraordinary to see and they’re really making a difference.” The perennial nature of digital transformation at Centrica sees a number of projects in the pipeline. “We’re speeding up how we deploy updates into our field workforce. There’s a project going on with Microsoft at the moment using w w w.c e nt rica . com
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“ The changes that
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we’ve seen in these women, and the changes and differences that they’re making to our local office, has been amazing” — Joanne Rose Head of Mobile User Computing Centrica
the DevOps model and Microsoft Store for Business. We’re working with our local application teams so that, when fixes to current issues are identified, it’s days before they get out to the workforce rather than weeks. It’s vital to us that our engineers aren’t falling behind on patches and operating system updates – both for the sake of security and feature updates that they bring. We’re working with our partner Fujitsu to make sure that we can keep those devices and our workforce in that Evergreen state. We’re looking at BT Pinhole technology where we will be using the BT wifi network as an alternative to the 4G network, and Fujitsu are on board and very supportive with this. The most important thing for us is to be able to keep our estate Evergreen.” With the digital innovations implemented by Rose and her team, Centrica’s field workers can perform their crucial role with confidence in the technology they use.
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Millstream Maidenhead Road Windsor, SL4 5GD United Kindgom T +44 753 494 000 www.centrica.com