"Retriever Communications' wireless field force solution provides mobile and remote workers with key information to work and maintain assets through the innovative use of technology in the field--managing increasingly sophisticated assets requires access to real time data," said Mary Brittain-White, CEO at Retriever Communications. "The validation of Retriever's solution on IBM's SAFE framework provides Retriever with rich integration capability to enterprise data and incorporated systems. Retriever brings to the utilities sector solutions that improve the management of field resources and assets that result in operational efficiencies and cost benefits."

The SAFE framework is the technology backbone that makes a wide range solutions possible, helping the client to build a standards-based integrated platform for all of its operations across their value chain. This new framework utilizes elements of IBM's entire software portfolio including WebSphere, Tivoli, Rational, Lotus and Information Management products.

Download the Retriever SAFE Business Partner Brief

Retriever is one of only two companies worldwide to have achieved Maximo OPAL status for wireless field technician application extension and Retriever is the only OPAL status represented in Asiapac.

Retriever has customers in 32 countries today and supports all languages including double byte character sets.

For further information on the Retriever Maximo solution please visit the IBM Tivoli Open Process Automation Library (OPAL).

What BP needed was an application that automated their 150-question survey into a simple form layout. The solution, a Retriever application installed on the Intermec CN3 PDA in order for each site evaluation to be completed and managed with ease.

”The Compliance Advisors are without exception all thrilled with the use of the application at store and now can’t believe how they survived for so long without it” commented Sonia Harvey, BP’s Compliance and Assurance Manager. “It really has made their jobs so much easier and they are so glad to have their evenings back to themselves rather than typing up store visit reports. Our Store Managers love the format of the new Store Manager report and the fact that they receive it before our team has even left the store.”

After implementing Retriever Communication’s mobility solution all data was sent to and from Compliance Advisors in minutes. The 7 hour evaluation was completely turned around and simplified into a well managed 4-hour inspection, without altering standard business process. BP is particularly fond of their new reporting system that sends on the spot results to store managers as soon as an inspection is complete. The service is deployed on IBM blade servers to ensure their application is scalable and reliable. IBM’s DB2 database ensures BP’s data is secure. By leveraging Retriever’s mobility solution BP’s Compliance team has been able to cut labour costs by almost half, improve efficiency and find a proven benefit from investing in mobile software. The success of this mobile solution is expected to grow rapidly, with the current roll out in the BP truckstop network set to create further efficiencies by eliminating third party auditors. The BP NZ Company Owned network is also in the process of introducing the new technology.

About Retriever Communications: Retriever has been a world-leader in the provision of wireless field-force automation systems for over 12 years. Headquartered in Sydney Australia and with offices in London and Milan, Retriever delivers software and SaaS-based mobile services. Retriever is the current Microsoft Mobility Partner of the Year, Intermec Asia-Pacific Partner of the Year and a Consensus Software Award winner for 2009 for the solution described in this article.
Retriever Communications
+612 9006 860

www.retrievercommunications.com

www.bp.com

Quality auditing has become a vital part of business practice as a way to improve revenue, retain current customers and build your brand.

This event is an opportunity to hear from quality managers about their own leading edge projects to improve the quality of their products and processes.

Speaker 1

Jon Reich
Operations Manager, NSW
Jon has worked in the Life Science industry for over 10 years in a range of roles. Currently he is employed as Synertec’s NSW Operations Manager and is responsible for the successful project management and execution of validation and compliance projects for a variety of Pharma, Medical Device and Biotech clients.

Jon is one of the board directors of the Australasian Affiliate of ISPE, the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering and is the Asia-Pacific Programs Director for the Project Management Institute (PMI) Pharmaceutical Special Interest Group.

Synertec
Synertec is recognised as an industry leader in all aspects of Engineering, Compliance, Validation and Project Management, providing services, training and solutions which meet a range of national and international regulations and Quality standards. Our outcome-focused, Client-driven approach to projects enables us to deliver commercially pragmatic solutions to meet Client requirements, maximising benefits and long term value while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Speaking on:
Jon will be speaking on audit automation for improved compliance.

The current business environment is one of increasing, and increasingly complex, auditing and compliance requirements. This applies to virtually all industries and is well illustrated by the current situation in Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences and Medical Technology. These industries are some of the most tightly regulated that exist and lessons learned here are now applicable in various forms to all industries.

Jon will present a series of real audit “war stories” to illustrate a rational and practical evolution from traditional audit to enterprise-wide audit automation and compliance.

Speaker 2

Declan Sally
Manager for Quality and Continuous Improvement
CHEP Australia
Declan is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with more than fifteen years operations management, technical training and quality improvement experience in the pharmaceutical, utilities and pallet industries. Declan graduated from University of Ulster, N Ireland with a BEng (Hons) Electrical Engineering and the University of Western Sydney with a Master of Business and Commerce (Operations Mgt). He completed his Lean Sigma Black Belt with Neville Clarke in Singapore.

CHEP Australia
CHEP provide managed, returnable and reusable supply chain packaging solutions to help customers to store, protect and move their products through the supply chain in a cost-effective, safe and environmentally sound way, everyday. Chep Australia’s PDA project allows for in field collection of quality data.

Speaking on:
CHEP Australia's PDA project allows for in-field collection of quality data. Declan will talk about the challenges, benefits and results of this Australian project that Chep has now taken internationally into 20+ countries.

Speaker 3

Jackie Hiddlestone
Manager, Ancillary Services and Plumbing Assurance
Sydney Water
Jackie has over 28 years experience in the plumbing and building industry, with 13 of those with Sydney Water. From a wider range, Jackie currently focuses on operations, finance, IT and change management. Jackie completed computing and commerce degrees at Wollongong University, followed by Business Administration at Monash.

Sydney Water
Sydney Water provides drinking, recycled and wastewater services to more than four million people in Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains. Sydney Water is Australia's largest water utility. Sydney Water’s Plumbing Inspection and Assurance Service (PIAS) is responsible for the protection of $12.6 billion worth of assets across the region, ensuring quality service delivery by licensed plumbers and drainers by administering the NSW Plumbing Code of Practice.

Speaking on:
Sydney Water launched its plumbing compliance management system in November 2008. It gives real time information access to field inspectors resulting in higher productivity and a better service to Sydney Water’s customers. Jackie will discuss the project implementation and business results.

This seminar is targeted at Quality Managers

Presented by:

Sydney, Australia, April 24, 2009 – Australia’s leading provider of mobility solutions, Retriever Communications, announced today that it has been presented with a 2009 Consensus Software Award for its Retriever Service for Inspections. In making the award, the judging panel noted that Retriever’s Service “enables the sharing of a vast array of digital content such as workforce scheduling, GIS maps, photographs, graphics and company rules between mobile field workers and back office personnel and systems”. The Consensus Software Awards, sponsored by IBM, recognize excellence in software design and business innovation as voted on by a panel of industry judges. The awards identify the most innovative software in Australia and New Zealand and are endorsed and supported by Austrade, NZ Trade & Enterprise, Australian Computer Society and New Zealand Computer Society. The awards are the only independently judged software award in Australia and New Zealand, using a panel of over 50 independent business, venture capital and software industry experts.

The award was presented to Retriever’s Founder and CEO Mary Brittain-White by ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy. In accepting the award, Ms. Brittain-White said “Retriever is constantly listening to our customers and developing new ways to make the delivery of mobile solutions more efficient and productive. We are honored to receive such a prestigious award.”

Retriever Service for Inspections combines Retriever’s Web 2.0-based scheduler, Retriever Schedule, with a mobile framework for business users to replace paper-based inspections. The product, offered as a Service (Software as a Service or SaaS) or as software, lowers the cost of compliance inspections and makes the audit process more streamlined and efficient.

The judging panel was impressed by the Retriever application, stating "This is a company that knows its customers and is equipping them with the tools they require to increase productivity whilst driving down the cost of doing business."

About Retriever Communications: Retriever Communications has been a world-leader in the provision of wireless field-force automation systems for over 12 years. Headquartered in Sydney Australia and with offices in London and Milan, Retriever delivers software and SaaS-based mobile services. Retriever’s partners include IBM, Microsoft, Intermec, Motorola, Datalogic and Motion Computing. Retriever is the current Microsoft Mobility Partner of the Year, Intermec Asia-Pacific Partner of the Year and now a Consensus Software Award winner.

More information about Retriever's Inspection Applications.

Retriever Communications will be exhibiting this year at Mainstream, one of Australia's leading maintenance and reliability conferences. Retriever will be apart of an interactive solutions showcase featuring best-of-breed solutions, systems and technologies to power performance, progress and practice, including take home tools and resources: track presentations and keynotes will be included in the package.

Maintenance and reliability professionals from over 100 Australian organizations have collaborated to create Mainstream 2009, presented by practitioners prepared to share their real life experiences and discoveries. 30 presentations in three tracks over two days with 11 international presentations and five keynote speakers will help you plan and navigate your future course of action and initiatives. Mainstream is a conference specific for the maintenance and asset management industry sector.

To attend Mainstream go here.

Sage Technology has been delivering quality technology support and innovative solutions that make a business difference to their clients’ bottom line since 1990. Their Software Development Team gives you the tools to drive your business productivity and efficiency to achieve success in your software development life cycle.

http://www.sagetechnology.com.au/

Organisations are under  tremendous pressure to reduce the cost of service delivery and improve customer satisfaction. FSM '09' comes at a tipping point in the implementation of solutions to optimise productivity, efficiency and customer service to achieve this.

This conference will bring operations, field and service managers from a cross-section of industries together and focus on strategies to overcome challenges:

• Maximising customer service to decrease churn and increase business profitability
• Fully optimising technology and solutions to support field service operations
• Managing change and developing buy-in from field service workers and management to support field service improvements 

Connect your field reporters from anywhere in the world.

Newshound integrates directly with your current publishing or content management systems so that you can automate the submission process, stories can be published within a few minutes.

Newshound can work in different connection capabilities – from regular downtown 3G to remote site satellite connection. – importantly it can be deployed as one standard tool for compilation and assured transmission with an ease of use in its design that ensures great user acceptance.

more information

Retriever Communications provides proven wireless field force automation solutions that deliver business efficiencies and productivity improvements for workers in the field.

CEO of Retriever Communications, Mary Brittain-White stated
“After more than a decade focused on wireless field automation projects the last three years has seen major corporations and brand names embracing our product. This Microsoft Award is a great accolade to our efforts”.

Retriever Communications was recognised for superior technology and innovation in Mobility Industry Solutions. This award recognises partners who specialise in developing, deploying, supporting, and marketing software solutions and services based on Windows Mobile® technologies.

“Our partners are the lifeblood of Microsoft’s business and through the Awards we’re able to highlight and recognise those who have gone above and beyond in delivering exceptional technological solutions and services to Australian customers,” said Mr Paul Voges, Director of Small and Mid Market Solutions and Partner Group, Microsoft Australia.
“It’s an honour to acknowledge their dedication and success as part of the Microsoft partner community, and also to recognise the broader role that they play as leaders in Australia’s IT sector.”

The Microsoft Australia Partner Program Awards recognise Microsoft Partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions over the last year.

More Info