New platform set to revolutionise safety and productivity of field teams

LONDON, July 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A revolutionary digital platform is empowering utilities field teams and managers to make data-driven decisions in real-time, leading to greater safety, productivity and quality assurance.

FYLD was built "by field workers for field workers" in collaboration with anchor customer and shareholder SGN, the UK-based natural and green gas distributor.

The innovative desktop and mobile platform enables greater spans of control through workload prioritisation, smart alerts about job progression and real-time site data. This data helps managers make informed decisions on which sites their teams should be directed to next, removing the need to travel from job to job. It also offers a clearer picture of site conditions so managers can promptly resolve any issues or blockers. 

Where the first generation of digital change for field worker operations simply digitised existing paper processes or "tick box" exercises, FYLD enables fundamental organizational change by harnessing the power of data to deliver real-time savings, improved job accuracy and a higher quality of safety-critical site information.

FYLD takes video and audio evidence captured by field workers and automatically converts it into risk assessments and analytics dashboards, providing managers with the data they need to identify problems and approve any essential work, regardless of their location.

It also eliminates the need for paperwork, which accounts for 22% of an average field engineer's working day¹, and ensures no reports are completed from memory or using workaround solutions, a key safety risk for utilities and other built environment companies.

Koru, the venture incubator launched in 2019 by BCG Digital Ventures (BCGDV), the corporate innovation and digital business building arm of Boston Consulting Group, and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) also partnered in the creation of FYLD.

The platform was created as part of a transformation project for SGN and will increase workforce productivity by up to 20% whilst improving safety, compliance, asset auditability and customer relationship management. 

John Morea, CEO of SGN, said: "The FYLD platformdelivers substantial safety, quality and financial benefits to SGN and ultimately to our customers. The benefits of FYLD have been proven by unparalleled levels of adoption and use when we have rolled it out to our employees. It also provides us with an unexpected solution to the issues presented by COVID-19 restrictions."

FYLD's remote capabilities have enabled SGN to operate safely and efficiently during the COVID-19 outbreak, with all initial product training completed virtually. It is also helping field teams and managers adhere to new regulations coming into force on sites as a result of the pandemic, while also ensuring that normal operating safety requirements remain front of mind in a very challenging environment. 

Beyond utilities, FYLD is currently being trialled on body cams and voice-activated head cams so blue-light services and security companies can collect data without having to use their hands, significantly enhancing their safety in the field, not to mention the evidence-gathering process. The platform also has the potential to transform other organisations with large field forces, such as those in telecommunications or construction.

Shelley Copsey, Chief Executive Officer for FYLD, said: "Utilities worldwide are under pressure from regulators and customers, but current paper-based ways of working – and the basic digitisation of workflows that has taken place – are preventing them from delivering. 

"The deep research by BCG Digital Ventures and SGN has led to a fundamental redesign of how field operations should be delivered, and how the data that underlies those operations can be captured and harnessed to drive productivity and safety. With FYLD forecast to deliver 20% operational savings for SGN, we look forward to partnering with more utilities to transform their future operational models.''

Bryan Marcovici, GM and Managing Partner of Koru, said: "Koru was established to collaborate with the portfolio investment companies of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan as they navigate and seek to capitalise upon digital disruption. We invest in the companies created to bring these digital solutions to the broader market. In FYLD, we see the opportunity to partner with the world's leading utilities companies as they embrace the data revolution and reinvent how field operations are safely and efficiently delivered.''

Steve Garrood, Chief Commercial Officer for FYLD, said: "With significant investments being made in digital transformation every year, many companies report lacklustre results as the technology doesn't serve the client's needs fully. FYLD was designed and built in collaboration with SGN for its workforce and management to enable data-driven decisions and help improve site safety and efficiency, delivering against its brief even through the COVID-19 backdrop."

Editor's Notes

For more information or to request an interview, please contact Meghan Gross at Pierpont Communications on [email protected].

About FYLD

FYLD is a unique collaboration between SGN, Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures (BCGDV) and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) that will revolutionise the safety and productivity of field teams in multiple industries worldwide. It is the third venture launched by Koru, the incubator created by OTPP in partnership with BCGDV in 2019.

The innovative digital platform eliminates the need for paper-based reporting and empowers field teams and managers to make proactive, data-led decisions in real time. For more information, please visit fyld.ai.

About Koru

Koru is a venture foundry created by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan to drive innovation among its portfolio companies. By combining existing assets and industry expertise with talent, tech and a proven startup methodology, Koru allows its portfolio companies to push the boundaries of what's possible.

Founded in 2019 in Toronto, Koru is a team of designers, engineers, operators, and marketers with expertise in business building and innovation. For more information, visit hellokoru.com.

¹ Source: SGN

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