ServiceNow’s Connected Operations Store release

February 19, 2021February 22, 2021
by Nicole Bailey

ServiceNow officially launched the February release of the Connected Operations solution via the ServiceNow Store today. ServiceNow’s Connected Operations solution brings IoT to the Now platform by allowing organisations to integrate their IoT sensor feeds into ServiceNow. This will allow you to analyse and act on the data that you are generating through IoT sensors and other connected devices.

We have been working closely with the ServiceNow team since April 2019 on getting Connected Operations ready for the market. Enable Professional Services is proud to be one of only three partners globally that participated in the early adoption program. We are the only partner in the Asia Pacific (APJ) region with the capabilities, experience and capacity to assist customers with the implementation of Connected Operations.

This version of Connected Operations will support ServiceNow’s Paris release and is available as a controlled release to customers. If you are interested in getting access to the solution, please reach out to your ServiceNow account executive or contact us to help facilitate the conversation.

We are also offering a complimentary 1-hour consultation session to discuss your Connected Operations and IoT strategy and how ServiceNow can support you on this journey.

For more information on Connected Operations and this latest release see the blog post on the ServiceNow community site. Enable Professional Service recently co-hosted a webinar with ServiceNow showcasing the solution that we have implemented at Dreamworld, a theme park based on the Gold Coast. If you are interested to learn more about Connected Operations or to take up the offer of the free consultation session, please click here.

News

Using IoT data to drive customer satisfaction

October 20, 2020October 19, 2020
by Herman Taljaard

When the term Internet of Things (IoT) first gained popularity a decade ago, many futurists looked forward excitedly to the commercial and industrial applications of these always-on, always-connected data sources.

Today, smart homes and internet-enabled personal devices are ubiquitous and commercially successful, but B2B applications haven’t seen the same success. Vast pools of underutilized IoT data are left to grow stale in organizational silos.

It’s little wonder, when one considers the numbers:

Nearly 80 zettabytes?

That’s 80,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. “We’re building IoT systems that take data from all these devices, and this data is classified as alerts,” or active signals, says Dave Wright, ServiceNow’s chief innovation officer. “The challenge then becomes: What do you do with all of these alerts?”

There’s untapped value hidden within these massive data volumes, Wright believes—particularly when IoT data is integrated with a customer service management platform (CSM) using smart workflows. Device data can be analyzed to prioritize service calls, for example, add value to a customer contract, even predict and prevent costly equipment failures.

“With the number of connected assets set to increase dramatically,” — an estimated 41.6 billion devices by 2025, according to research — “it’s important that we start to analyze and understand the business context of any given device,” Wright says. “In the world of connected assets, no one has really focused on this before.”

Read the Full Forbes article to see how SerivceNow’s connected enterprises use smart workflows to analyze IoT data in real time — and deliver measurable ROI in customer service, field engineering and other mission-critical departments.

Read the full article here

SOURCE: FORBES ONLINE

News

Turn your data into action with IoT investments.

October 16, 2020October 19, 2020
by Herman Taljaard

ServiceNow Revolutionises Operations by Connecting IoT Data to Digital Workflows

Connected Operations breaks down data siloes so
enterprises maximize their IoT investments and view the
health of assets in near real-time, across multiple locations

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – October 15, 2020 – ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW), the leading digital workflow company that makes work, work better for people, today introduced Connected Operations, a powerful new solution that bridges IoT data with ServiceNow digital workflows so enterprises can monitor and manage critical infrastructure, get a faster return on their IoT investments, and pursue new business models. With IoT technologies on track to connect 50 billion smart devices this year , IoT data can be transformative, but only if businesses use the data effectively.

By bringing IoT data directly into the Now Platform, organizations can view the health and history of assets in near real-time across multiple locations in a single platform, giving them valuable insights, improving customer satisfaction, and enabling new revenue streams.Digitization continues to transform industries, and organizations must introduce new business models to survive. ServiceNow Connected Operations enables businesses to transform operations, rapidly respond to data and insights, and evolve to a new product‑as‑as‑service model. Any issues that arise automatically trigger an operations incident so that teams can act and triage and resolve issues quickly with Customer Service Management and Field Service Management workflows.

This eliminates tedious maintenance coordination across cross‑functional teams and reduces the chance for an issue to impact the company or its customers. With IoT and operational workflows on a single platform, companies can transform the customer experience and enhance customer satisfaction by enabling new business models.“IoT offers massive potential for enterprises to transform operations, respond to insights in near real-time, and evolve to a product‑as‑as‑service model,” said Jonathan Sparks, vice president of IoT and operations products at ServiceNow. “To date, IoT data often have been stuck in siloed systems. With Connected Operations, companies now can realize the full value of IoT data, action these insights to solve issues before customers even know they’ve happened, and unlock new levels of productivity and growth.”

Read the full press release here

Check out ServiceNow Connected operations page

News

6 steps to effectively prepare for your IoT journey

October 8, 2020October 15, 2020
by Herman Taljaard

One key aspect that will determine the success of an IoT based solution is the focus on the business outcome and expected benefits. IoT solutions should not be driven by technology or the plethora of sensors available today. Companies succeeding with IoT projects start with a pilot deployment focused on a very specific use case with clear objectives and defined outcomes. When you are planning to embark on your IoT journey you need to keep 5 key concepts in mind.

Defining the organisational strategy for IoT adoption and the outcomes you want to achieve.
Identifying and defining the appropriate use case(s) for short term success.
Defining the technology architecture – sensor selection, communication architecture, data correlation, storage and security and real-time analytics.
Implementing a system of action – sensor data will only be useful if you take action based on the data being reported and a system of action will allow you to get the most value of the data collected.
Operating and maintaining your IoT environment – managing your sensors and the communications infrastructure.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can benefit from our IoT solutions for your organisation or want to discuss how we can help you define your IoT strategy, send an email to info@enableps.com.

News

Herman Taljaard – Head of Smart Operations

February 16, 2020February 16, 2020
by Nicole Bailey

Herman is a seasoned professional with proven experience in setting up, expanding and managing technology and consulting businesses across 3 continents. He has held a number of senior positions during his 25+ year career, covering the entire spectrum of technology management. Prior roles included Director of Solution Consulting, Director of Channel Development, Head of Strategy and Innovation and General Manager – providing him with extensive experience across a range of industries and technology disciplines. His career started in South Africa managing projects across South Africa and in the UK, followed by a 5-year tenure in California prior to moving to Austalia in 2005.

He thrives in an environment where he is challenged and where he can roll up his sleeves and get the job done.

Herman joined Enable in June 2016 and has successfully established offices for Enable in Perth and in Brisbane, as well as setting up the Customer Success Management team for Enable. In his current role as Head of Smart Operations, he is establishing Enable’s IoT and Smart Operations practice, powered by ServiceNow. Prior to joining Enable Herman was the General Manager for Enterprise Service Management at another ServiceNow partner and he has been active in the ServiceNow ecosystem for the last 6 years.

When not at work you will find Herman with one of his Canon cameras in hand or cycling around Brisbane with his teenage daughters. His love for flying lead to a glider pilot’s license from the Gliding Federation of Australia and he is also an avid drone pilot.

News

Enabling the world of IoT and Smart Operations

December 8, 2019December 11, 2019
by Herman Taljaard

As we rapidly approach 2020 we are starting to see the impact of the 4th industrial revolution (or Industry 4.0) on organisations and their operating models. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a major driver of Industry 4.0 and research studies show interesting results:

We are approaching 50 billion connected devices by the end of 2020.
The global spend on IIoT is expected to grow 15% year on year, reaching US$1.1 trillion by 2025.
The falling cost of the average IoT sensor and data transfer, as well as the pervasive availability of 4G (and now 5G) networks being rolled out, are driving the adoption of IIoT driven solutions.
IIoT is a key component of digital transformation and driving new operating models and revenue opportunities.
IIoT solutions and projects are no longer just driven by the technology and by the IT department-specific business outcomes and solutions are driving the adoption of IIoT and Smart Operations. The connected devices and sensors are generating a significant amount of data and alerts; however, this raw data is only useful if it is turned into actionable information. Enable Professional Services, an Elite Partner of ServiceNow, has been developing solutions and capabilities around IIoT and Smart Operations that can be leveraged by ServiceNow customers and the Now™ platform as the system of action. We have started pilot projects with select customers to implement an end-to-end solution for specific use cases.

One pilot project that Enable Professional Services completed is focused on compliance with food safety regulations. A customer with multiple freezers spread out across a large geographic area needs to check the temperature levels of these freezers regularly. The old process involved having the security guards check on freezers during their after-hour rounds. This required unlocking doors to access the freezers and manually documenting the temperature level for each freezer. Any issues with temperature levels were then manually reported to the maintenance teams.

Utilising smart temperature sensors placed in the freezers, linked to ServiceNow’s digital workflows provided the customer with a completely automated solution to get near-real-time temperature measurements from all freezers. This data is now represented on a dashboard for easy monitoring. Any deviations from pre-set levels automatically raise an alert and a work order for the maintenance team. The alert will allow support staff to move food from the affected freezer, reducing the cost of food spoilage as well as any risks based on non-compliance. The work order is generated and sent to the correct maintenance team, including information about the temperature trends for a specified period, details of the freezer model and its location.

New developments in sensor hardware and communications technology now provide customers with access to low-cost sensors using ubiquitous communications technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi and RFID tags. Furthermore, advances in video processing technology and algorithms provide customers with the ability to leverage video feeds from CCTV and security cameras as part of a Smart Operations solution. An example use case of using a video feed is related to occupational health and safety in large warehouse environments. Cameras can analyse the movement of heavy equipment such as forklifts and trucks. If any person enters an unsafe area where these vehicles operate the drivers of the vehicles will receive a notification via an onboard system installed in the vehicle.

Another use case is related to tracking of non-fixed equipment in hospitals. Equipment, such as heart rate, blood pressure and ECG monitors, can be wheeled around hospital wards based on demand. These assets are expensive and need regular servicing and calibration. Adding Bluetooth tags to the equipment and Bluetooth receivers installed in the various hospital locations will allow the maintenance teams to quickly and accurately locate equipment. This includes the ability to show floor plans and the physical location of equipment. The benefit of this solution is that maintenance teams spend less time trying to locate equipment in need of servicing and more time on the value-added work of servicing and calibration.

Smart Operations and ServiceNow

Enable is the only partner in the APJ region currently working with ServiceNow on the integration of smart sensors and devices into the ServiceNow platform via new ServiceNow developed capabilities. Using cost-effective sensors, we can rapidly deploy a Smart Operations solution to ServiceNow customer within weeks. This ensures rapid time to market and a quick return on investment with immediate benefits from a Smart Operations solution.

In the example of the freezers and sensors, a “digital twin” for each freezer and sensor pair is created within the ServiceNow Configuration Management Database (CMDB). The sensor data feed is related to the digital twin in ServiceNow and displayed on a user-friendly dashboard. The digital twin’s attributes are used to define the relevant rules and actions to be taken based on the data feed received from the sensor. These actions include alerts to staff and automated creation of work orders and maintenance orders. Using ServiceNow’s machine learning capabilities predictive and condition-based maintenance can be implemented more efficiently. This, in turn, will reduce overall maintenance costs as well as a reduction in spare part inventory and downtime due to unplanned outages.

Driving digital transformation through Smart Operations

The adoption of IIoT is driving disruption in traditional industries. Companies are starting to adopt new business models – rather than selling expensive compressors companies are starting to sell compressed air as a service. The client does not own any of the equipment required as part of the service – they pay a service fee based on consumption only. The provision and maintenance of the equipment are managed by the service provider.

ServiceNow supports this new ‘service provider’ business model through several modules:

Customer Service Management – clients can interact with the service provider through a user-friendly portal to order more equipment, raise support cases and view their usage. Clients can also access a catalogue of services and products related to their industry and based on the entitlements in their contract.
Contract Management – the client’s contract, expiry date, commercial model and entitlements can be stored and managed within ServiceNow.
IoT integration – sensors monitor the flow of air and provide real-time consumption data and costs to customers via the portal. Any reduction or interruption in airflow will immediately raise an alert that can trigger a work order or maintenance request.
Field Service Management – the work order triggered by the sensor is managed within the field service management capabilities of ServiceNow. The work order can be assigned to a mobile maintenance team based on their proximity to the client site as well as their capabilities and onboard spare parts.
Integrated Risk Management – any alerts received from an IIoT device can also trigger an issue or risk within ServiceNow, with an appropriate action to be taken.
Occupational Health and Safety – ServiceNow can also track maintenance team allocation based on certifications and specific capabilities. Work order assignment will factor in if any of the maintenance work requires specialised resources, such as working at heights or in confined spaces. These tasks will be assigned to the appropriate resources with valid certifications.
Enterprise Asset Management – all data received from sensors via ServiceNow can feed into the overall asset management and maintenance planning within ServiceNow. Leveraging machine learning and AI ServiceNow can predict potential issues within assets before they occur as well as optimise maintenance as part of a condition-based maintenance plan.

One key aspect that will determine the success of a Smart Operations solution is the focus on the business outcome and expected benefits. IIoT and Smart Operations solutions should not be driven by technology or the plethora of sensors available today. Companies succeeding with Smart Operations projects start with a pilot deployment focused on a very specific use case with clear objectives and key results.

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Written by
Herman Taljaard
Head of Smart Operations at Enable Professional Services

2 articles