The project was a team effort, shaped through open workshops and close cooperation between end-users from both the business side and IT.

The first apps were delivered just six months after WVV decided to go with the Neptune DX Platform (DXP) from Neptune Software and the FITS/Maintenance Solution. WVV was impressed that DXP allowed continual innovation even during tricky SAP conversion processes.

Daniel Hofmann, who acted as the interface between users and IT during the project, said: “We defined the service notification system as the first sub-process. This had an immediate benefit and could also work on its own. On that basis, feedback was gathered from users and we gained initial experience with offline applications and Fiori UX. As the project progressed, we systematically worked our way through our catalog of requirements, app by app.”

Hofmann described the new mobile maintenance process: “The supervisor receives an order and assigns it to the relevant technician. The technician then processes this order and records the checklists, messages, times, pictures, operating equipment data and material withdrawals. After the order has been processed, the technician reports back and the supervisor then checks the order and carries out a technical completion.

“By gradually rolling out the new solution, we were able to significantly reduce the training effort required. With the initial apps, what needed to be done was explained in great detail. Once the users got used to the new UI, we found that a short description was sufficient enough for the rollout of additional enterprise apps. We gained good experience with the intuitive Fiori UX and had to do very little retraining.”

Due to the modular approach of individual applications, which depicts sub-processes, the reusability for other user groups was made simple. Hofmann added: “Through the course of the project we discovered that the Neptune Software Fiori Apps fit perfectly in other areas. For example, the app for material withdrawal, which was originally intended primarily for maintenance staff, was rolled out to other groups outside of plant maintenance.”

The project was mainly driven by the business department, but the IT department was always involved and clearly defined the guidelines at the outset.

The support of a complete on-premise architecture was just as important as the avoidance of unnecessary interfaces and redundant data storage in third party systems.

“The choosing of the Neptune DX Platform, which also meant choosing Fiori UX, was a perfect fit with the company’s IT strategy. After all, the SAP system, as the backbone and basis for all work processes, was never in question. It is also clear that we did not want to move away from SAP standard on the UI side either. The possibility of being able to integrate SAP Fiori Apps into the Neptune Launchpad in the future gives us the necessary security and maximum conformity with regards to SAP’s roadmap,” says Dr. Schliemann.

“For us, the SAP PM project was the initial and successful start of implementing our Mobility Roadmap. We had planned to mobilize additional SAP processes from the very beginning. After receiving positive feedback from our users and having seen the confidence level in using Neptune Software’s technology had grown, the first HCM processes were designed. Today, company-wide, vacation requests and time sheets can be recorded and approved digitally.”

The rollout of the HCM apps to the entire workforce provoked a question around end-device strategy. The hybrid development approach offered by Neptune DXP allows for an end-device agnostic use, which made it possible to implement the “Bring your own Device” strategy that WVV wanted.

With the introduction of mobile apps for SAP PM and SAP HCM, it was possible to achieve a higher-level project objective – to establish a cross-divisional platform for mobile applications instead of buying a niche solution. WVV now considers itself prepared for the future. With Neptune Software’s SAP certification for SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA as well as its flexibility in terms of on-premise and cloud operation, Neptune DXP provides the most native and robust technological foundation for continued mobilization and optimization of all SAP processes.

Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH (WVV) has been the city of Würzburg’s central infrastructure service provider for over five decades. The WVV indirectly belongs to the citizens of Würzburg. With future-oriented infrastructure measures, the group makes a significant contribution to maintaining and increasing the quality of life in Würzburg.

Customer Industry: Utilities and Energy
Number of Users: 1,500 users
System Version: SAP ERP (SAP PM, MM, QM, and HCM)
Devices: Offline and online apps for every mobile device – “Bring Your Own Device” model
Timeline: 6 months until first go-live, Neptune Software customer since 2016