DHI Energy Services Streamlines Field Operations with Device Magic
DHI Energy Services has written the book on applying creativity and technology to deliver world-class water management solutions for the oil and gas industry. Over the past 40 years, the company has expanded its equipment and environmental service offerings to more than 12 states with one of the largest frac tank fleets in the U.S. (Yes, we’re talking more than 2,000 tanks.)
However, serving as an industry leader to meet the world’s rapidly growing energy needs is no small feat. The moving parts are countless, and the logistics resemble a quantum physics equation.
The Gateway: Mobile Inspection Forms
When Greg Freeman came onboard as DHI’s IT manager five years ago, he set out to overhaul technology and streamline operations. First on the list: equipment and facility inspections.
“Our field teams work in remote locations and needed paperless tools to help capture and record their work activities. We needed a solution that was easy to develop, easy to use, and easy to train,” explained Freeman.
Additionally, DHI’s environmental facilities are regulated. Data capture, record keeping, and electronically managed reminders for inspections are paramount to diligent compliance.
Freeman and DHI’s CEO, Gary Coates, started researching and discovered Device Magic. After a few discussions with the sales and customer support teams, they realized it was the solution they were looking for. Easy to build customized forms? Check. Simple to use? Check. Mobile-enabled? Check.
And the game changer…
“Our environment locations are remote. What sold us on Device Magic was the ability of our field technicians to fill out the forms offline” said Freeman. “Then, once they’re back in a service area, the forms automatically update and process through, pushing data into our linked systems.”
IT Solutions & Software Integration
As part of Freeman’s overhaul, DHI moved from an on-premise system to a fully cloud-based solution. In this effort, they brought on Dell Boomi to connect Salesforce, NetSuite, and Device Magic. At the time, DHI was primarily using NetSuite to enter requisitions. However, the application was complicated and required the purchase of many licenses for field users.
“With Boomi and Device Magic, we were able to create our requisition forms and workflow. It became much simpler and reduced the number of different software licenses. Now, field users can log into Device Magic to receive the requisition items, and it automatically communicates with NetSuite and other operational software for reporting and management oversight. It’s a big win for us,” said Freeman.
Through the Device Magic-Boomi integration, DHI can update and refresh all resources into Salesforce on customized schedules. It allows them to quickly filter down to current work activity, which changes hourly.
Discovering Endless Data Collection Opportunities
Once the integration process was complete, it opened the doors for additional applications. Before Device Magic implementation, DHI was using a different form tool. While it was easy to use, it did not support the ability to work offline, which was critical.
Through Device Magic, DHI designed a company process-specific sales workflow using forms and dispatch functions. Using their phones, DHI’s sales team could directly input customer contact information, record deliverables, set upcoming appointments and monitor incremental progress in the field. No laptops needed.
Another struggle DHI overcame was service and delivery tickets, the precursor to billing. When their drivers would transport equipment to a customer location, they needed to send emails to the administration team to produce a Salesforce ticket. The procedure was arduous, inconsistent, and left ample room for error.
“To resolve these issues, we created forms for transport and services we provide. Now our field team inputs all the information into the Device Magic app, delivering clean, consistent data to the office,” said Freeman. “We can even filter it down to the exact equipment on the job. It has made operations a lot cleaner and allows us to capture all billable services quickly and accurately.”
DHI started with a minimum number of licenses. After discovering many Device Magic uses as their primary forms collection solution, they’re planning to purchase a license for every employee. Next implementations on Freeman’s list include dispatch automation and tank liquid measurements, where field measurement devices trigger Device Magic dispatches to assign tasks to field technicians.
“The value is tremendous. We call Device Magic the ‘third pillar’ in our IT infrastructure. It was the thing we were missing,” exclaimed Freeman.