Evoqua Transforms its Field Service Operations with
Data-Driven Intelligence
“We want to invest in relationships with our customers and propel our service techs into a premium space. Our service techs often know more about a customer’s water than anyone at Evoqua or even the customer themselves. We want them to have the data they need to add real value and deepen the relationship.”
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David Szweda
VP of Service Operations
Evoqua
Transforming their Entire Operation from Reactive to Proactive
Evoqua Water Technologies is a 100-plus-year-old company that has reinvented itself for the digital age. A provider of water purification solutions to 90 percent of the Fortune 500, Evoqua is using Microsoft Azure advanced analytics to transform field-equipment data into valuable insights for customers. This is helping Evoqua evolve from a supplier of water purification gear to a premium provider of water intelligence. Evoqua utilizes this same data intelligence throughout its organization; in particular, its field service team uses data-driven insights in combination with Microsoft Dynamics 365 to recommend new services while onsite with customers.
A New Vision of Service
Previously, Evoqua field service technicians had Android-based tablets that they used to access documentation and make notes after service calls. But those calls were for the most part reactive and transactional: something broke, Evoqua dispatched a tech, the tech drove to the customer site, made the repair, and drove away. Also, different Evoqua divisions supported the same customer and used different systems, so customer data was scattered among them, and service techs couldn’t present a unified face to the customer.
Evoqua worked with eLogic to deploy Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales and Dynamics 365 for Field Service as its single, central CRM and field service solution. It replaced the older Android tablets with ruggedized Panasonic Toughbooks running the Windows 10 operating system. With a full computer, rather than a tablet, at hand, techs can enter service data directly into Dynamics 365 from customer sites, walk through the service call with the customer in show-and-tell fashion, and email the report to the customer—giving the customer greater visibility into what Evoqua is doing for them during service calls.
Solutions
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Dynamics 365 Field Service
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Dynamics 365 Sales 
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On-Premises to Online Migration
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IoT enablement
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SAP Integration
Automated
Tech
Dispatching
$2.5M
Annual
Savings
Improved
Product
Designs
Proactive Service and Sales
The service tech may recommend ordering an upgraded part and even create a sales lead in Dynamics 365 for the local account representative. Evoqua spent a great deal of time training its techs for this higher-value, relationship-building work and compensates them for sales leads they generate on selling new equipment.
Encouraging techs to record customer data in Dynamics 365 also helps Evoqua capture information that used to reside on stray pieces of paper and in people’s heads. Now, when people retire or leave the company, Evoqua retains their knowledge and has it in one place where everyone can access it.
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Evoqua is also reducing service costs with automated dispatching enabled by Dynamics 365. Instead of making service call assignments based on a supervisor picking the technician, the system will allow Evoqua to make assignments based on tech location, expertise, training, and other factors, because everything the tech needs to know is recorded in Dynamics 365. Of course, Dynamics 365 is smart enough to know if only five techs have the expertise needed to service a particular piece of equipment and will find the one closest to the need. “Automated dispatching will reduce service costs and allow us to respond to our customer in a more efficient manner,” Szweda says.
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Evoqua is getting industry recognition for its data-driven field service innovations. Business consulting firm Frost & Sullivan recently recognized Evoqua for having the best field service organization in the water industry as judged by rapid decision-making in the field, strong customer interactions, high levels of responsiveness, and employees that are empowered to solve problems through frictionless collaboration. The company’s new data-driven approach will take that leadership position to even higher levels.
Key Stakeholders
Service
Techs
Techs are compensated for sales leads from customer sites through mobile CRM, and while on site, sharing reports and work orders by email with customers, providing better engagement and service.
Service Managers
By monitoring equipment remotely, managers can predict service before a part fails and dispatch a tech with the training and skills best suited for the job.