GETAC'S MOBILE SOLUTION ENABLES EFFICIENT AND SECURE DIGITAL PROCESSES IN WATER NETWORK OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
/ CHALLENGE /
Leipzig Wasserwerke (waterworks) is responsible for efficient infrastructures in the overall area of basic water supply and ensure the reliable supply of drinking water for almost 700,000 inhabitants as well as environmentally sound wastewater treatment for Leipzig and the surrounding communities. The entire drinking water and sewage network of Leipziger Wasserwerke covers a length of more than 6,400 kilometres and includes numerous tank systems as well as pumping and pressure boosting stations. As a special feature, the company also operates three (of originally nine) listed water towers.
On-site technicians ensure the smooth operation of the water infrastructure. When surveying and working on house connections or maintaining the sewer and pipe networks, they are exposed to the most diverse conditions - inside and outside, around the clock, seven days a week. The equipment used for this must always work reliably and precisely and withstand the most diverse environments. What is needed are universally applicable, robust hardware solutions with high shock and weather resistance and at the same time simple operation - as combined in the V110 notebook with variable keyboard use or display operation.
/ SOLUTION /
For more efficient work processes in the entire area of the drinking water and sewage network of Greater Leipzig, Leipzig Waterworks has been relying on rugged electronic devices since 2007. In the search for more reliable and powerful devices with an additional good price-performance ratio, the company finally found the right solution in Getac's fully rugged V110 notebook:
"As part of the tendering process, we tested robust devices from various manufacturers over several weeks in the departments relevant to our business," explains Heribert Schwarz, team leader for geoinformation at the waterworks. "We developed an evaluation matrix with various criteria such as weight, display quality, robustness, ease of use, functionality and price and based on this, we made a team decision. Not least because of the excellent personal impression, Getac has clearly emerged as the favourite".
For example, the Leipzig Wasserwerke no longer use paper plans, but instead use around 100 notebooks - the most modern versions were recently reordered, and a further 40 units are planned for the current year.
To optimize the daily challenge in the field, the waterworks have installed special software modules for various tasks on Getac's V110. In addition to main application areas such as surveying, sewer inspections, network modifications, house connections or planning of cleaning and vehicle availability, precise test cycles must also be observed during maintenance of hydrants or fittings.
With the help of Getac's fully robust V110 units, tasks can be reliably processed, documented and, if necessary, marked for tracking on site. The Leipzig waterworks opted for a complete offline solution: field teams digitally record data during the day, which they deliver to the respective branch in the evening. Overnight, data is exchanged using the Smallworld GIS geoinformation system, whose applications (water and sewer specialist shells) also come from Mettenmeier GmbH. The GIS is updated and the mobile devices are provided with the latest information. Both the devices and the docking stations come from Getac as part of the hardware solution. "We have set up docking stations in our branches", says Schwarz. "The field staff only have to insert the devices after work and do not have to worry about anything else. The devices are supplied with power overnight; the next morning, the latest status is available to all colleagues including office staff".
/ BENEFITS /
Robust hardware and suitable accessories from Getac are provided to the waterworks from a single source by the IT service and consulting company Mettenmeier. Optimally matched hardware solutions thus guarantee high efficiency and user-friendliness.
The use of Getac's rugged V110 notebooks ensures that the Leipzig-based company can reliably handle its daily workload and keep its data up to date. Especially in the field, the changeover to mobile hardware is a huge step forward, as the integrated GPS system allows better orientation of the teams - especially in case of underground water infrastructures. The direct digital access to all as-built plans saves an enormous amount of time, and the high-resolution front and back camera of the V110 enables optimal documentation of damages, construction sites and surveys as well as the complete water infrastructure, including house connections.
A further plus is the high flexibility of the V110 notebooks. Each field team of the Leipzig Wasserwerke consists of two employees and one vehicle: when travelling, it is often easier to use the keyboard, and when working on site, it is usually easier to enter data directly via the display; the V110 can be used with one hand and data information can be entered with both pen and gloves.
"Getac's V110 offers the possibility to operate the devices flexibly: either as a tablet or as a laptop via a keyboard," emphasises Schwarz. "After only a short period of getting used to the new hardware, our teams coped excellently with the new hardware and the changeover was effortless".
Since the teams are used to robust tools for field work, their digital equipment must also be robust, absolutely resistant and able to withstand any environment and weather conditions: indoors in pressure boosting stations and indoor installations; outdoors, for example, when maintaining water hydrants or sewer networks. To achieve this, the equipment must not only be reliable under all circumstances, but also have high battery performance.
"We are definitely satisfied with the fully robust V110," says Schwarz. "We were even able to do without warranty extensions or maintenance contracts with Mettenmeier, as there have been virtually no problems or breakdowns over the years; and even in this case, we would always have a replacement unit in stock. We would always choose Getac's reliable and robust equipment again.
/ KOMMUNALE WASSERWERKE LEIPZIG GMBH /
On behalf of the City of Leipzig, Leipziger Wasserwerke reliably supply almost 700,000 inhabitants of Leipzig and the surrounding communities with fresh drinking water and guarantee environmentally sound wastewater treatment. With around 600 employees, the company operates not only 5 waterworks and 23 sewage treatment plants, but also an extensive drinking water and sewage network with numerous container systems, pumping stations and pressure boosting stations.
About Getac (www.getac.com/de)
Getac is a major subsidiary of MiTAC-Synnex Business Group (2019 group turnover: USD 40 billion, 268,000 employees). Getac Technology Corporation (consolidated turnover $872 million USD, 9141 employees, TWSE:3005) was established in 1989 as a joint venture with GE Aerospace to supply electronic equipment for defence. Today, Getac's businesses include ruggedized notebooks and tablets for customers in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, utility, manufacturing, transportation & logistics industries. Further information is available at getac.com/en.
© 2020 Getac Technology Corporation. All rights reserved. Getac and the Getac logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Getac Technology Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Media contact:
Getac Technology GmbH Aigner Marketing & Communications
Jennifer Plouvier-Leupers Birgit Aigner
40472 Düsseldorf, Kanzlerstrasse 4 80469 Munich; Rumfordstrasse 29
Tel. 0211 984819-11 Tel. 089 543 44 065
j.plouvier.leupers@getac.com info@aigner-marketing.de
