MoreIntergraph Hong Kong Limited, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Intergraph Corporation, announced that Hong Kong China Gas Company (HKCG) has selected Intergraph to implement a PDA-based mobile workforce management solution to automate the daily workflow of its customer installation department. Hong Kong China Gas Company, also known as Towngas, is the oldest utility in Hong Kong and provides gas and services to more than 1.4 million customers throughout Hong Kong.
The PDA-based mobile workforce management solution will optimize site management of the company's gas installation activities and allow HKCG to manage internal crews and outsourced contractors more efficiently. By extending its gas network data to field personnel via PDA handheld devices, HKCG will receive the benefits of a geospatial resource management environment, which integrates applications to streamline workflows involved in building and maintaining a network facilities delivery system - particularly those addressing new construction, operations, and maintenance. In this case, the PDA-based application will interface with the company's project management system and put job-specific, current information such as project schedules, approved material listings, and inspection results, directly in the hands of field crews.
Each morning, crews will pick up PDA units that have been automatically pre-loaded, via wireless LAN, with data pertinent to their assigned tasks. This capability will dramatically reduce time for job assignment activities and improve operational efficiency.
According to Benson Law, regional director, Utilities & Communications, Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions, North Asia, "This project has given us the opportunity to help HKCG extend its desktop workflows throughout the enterprise to the field, expanding the engineering workflow in relevant areas and building on our existing successful relationship with HKCG."
Intergraph Hong Kong Limited will design and develop the software application and install the system. The solution is on a fast track, with completion expected in four months.
