ARTHUR RALLU: Hello, everyone, and thank you
for joining us today.
In this breakout session, we'll show you
an example of how business users can transform their operations
using AppSheet.
AppSheet is a citizen developer platform
that lets you or anyone build their own applications.
And to do that, you don't need to have any coding experience.
My name is Arthur, and I'm part of the AppSheet product team
here at Google.
My guest today is Paula.
She's joining us to share some of her experiences with us.
Hi, Paula.
PAULA BELL: Hello, Arthur.
ARTHUR RALLU: So, to get started, can you tell us
a little bit about yourself?
PAULA BELL: Sure.
My name is Paula Bell.
I work for Kentucky Power.
I've been with them for 32 years.
We are an electric utility.
We serve customers in Eastern Kentucky.
ARTHUR RALLU: OK.
And so, during that time at Kentucky Power,
what kind of roles have you held?
PAULA BELL: I started out as a design technician
in the engineering group.
Worked there and have also done project work
from in the engineering group.
And I've been a line coordinator where I scheduled the jobs.
Most recently, I've been working with a lean team,
and we were looking for efficiencies.
I'm currently a business process analyst.
ARTHUR RALLU: OK.
So what I'm hearing is that you've
been focused a lot on the business processes
overall, defining them, implementing them and assessing
them.
At the same time, what I'm hearing
is that you do not seem to have any coding experience, per se.
You've never built applications.
Is that, more or less, correct?
PAULA BELL: Yes, that's correct.
32 years, we didn't even have computers when I was hired in.
So no coding experience.
But I enjoy math and, again, looking
for a more efficient process.
ARTHUR RALLU: OK.
And so, moving on and focusing on Kentucky Power,
as a business process analyst there, what kind of problems
have you identified?
PAULA BELL: Well, we had a lot of old, outdated paper
processes.
And with today's technology that's available, how can
we use that technology to improve or eliminate
the paper processes?
So keeping in mind safety, and reliability, and our budget,
and our customer experience, could we
use technology to improve those things
or, again, just make a small step towards digitizing
that old paper process?
ARTHUR RALLU: OK.
So this is not a small challenge that you're trying to tackle.
What I'm hearing is you need to move all of your processes
away from paper.
And essentially, you're trying to monetize your field
operations.
I can see there would be a variety of different use cases.
And so, at this point so far, what's
the range of applications that you've built with AppSheet?
PAULA BELL: Right now we have about 10 apps,
about 10 AppSheet apps.
It ranges anywhere from our circuit inspection app,
where we track our circuit inspections in the field.
We actually have one for tracking a dozer operator
that we use.
We use the app to send him a request and track it that way.
The first app that we started with
is our transformer replacement tracker.
So that's the first one that we started with.
ARTHUR RALLU: So different use cases,
but let's dive into this one, the first app that you created.
You said, it's meant to track transformers.
What exactly was the problem that led
you to create that application?
PAULA BELL: So the transformer that serves your house,
imagine a storm comes through or lightning strikes it,
we have to replace it, and part of that replacement,
we have to track that device.
And each transformer has a serial number,
has a barcode on it, and we wanted
to be able to scan that barcode and gather that information
quickly and accurately.
Things that we are considering as safety,
reliability, a budget and customer experience.
So if we can quickly gather that information
and do the administrative work, then that gets the guys out
in the field and they can start replacing that transformer
much more quickly.
ARTHUR RALLU: And what was the process
before you had this application?
PAULA BELL: Well, we had an old paper.
We had an old paper form.
And, again, you got the opportunity
of writing that serial number down inaccurately.
It comes when it's raining, the crews are still out working,
and they write that information down on that paper,
and you can get it right and the ink smears.
So we had an old paper process.
And again, that's what we wanted to get rid of.
We wanted to digitize that information.
ARTHUR RALLU: So it's pretty clear,
keeping track of transformers.
And we all know when your transformer goes down,
your neighborhood is in the dark.
So everybody wants that to get done fast.
So what we're going to do now is watch
a demo recording of the application
that Paula built using AppSheet.
Paula and I will walk you through what the app looks like
and how people in the field are using the application.
So I've just opened the app that tracks transformers
with issues, and it now replaces the former paper
process you have.
Paula, you built that app with AppSheet,
so I would like you to walk us through it.
Can you start by describing what I'm seeing here?
PAULA BELL: Yes.
Yes, Arthur.
So when you open the app on your cell phone or mobile device,
you're going to first see all the entries that
have been added in that haven't been completed out by the store
room yet.
So as the storeroom finishes their process
in the back office, these will disappear.
These are sorted by our--
we got five different storerooms.
Ashland, Hazard, Paintsville.
You can see it summarizes.
Hazard's got three outstanding that need to be completed.
But as they get done in the back office,
they will disappear off this screen.
ARTHUR RALLU: So let's pretend I'm an employee in the field
and, essentially, I need to replace
one of those transformers.
I need to create a ticket.
How do I do that?
PAULA BELL: So, yes--
so, for example, there's been a storm come through
and a transformer struck by lightning, for example.
Our crews have to come into the lot, and get the material,
and take it to the site, and make the replacement.
So for a transformer, we track those by serial number.
So they would just open in the lower right,
you'll see the plus, the green plus.
They just select that.
And from the paper form we saw earlier,
we just put all that in the app.
And so they basically just go down
through here answering the questions.
The storeroom lot, you can see there's an asterisk there.
The asterisks mean that's a required field.
The storeroom lot does have some math behind it.
When you make a selection, it's going
to open up some other details that we need.
So you'll notice, as he selected Ashland, it populated the--
it brought up these circuit names.
So that's something we need.
And, again, each different area has different circuits.
So rather than make a user select all of the circuits,
we can narrow it down.
And that way their search is much quicker.
So you can see it's required.
So Arthur, if you would, just go down through there
and make the selections.
And this, you can pick off the list,
or if you knew this was a specific circuit,
you could type in Flatwoods--
he started with F-L and it brings it up.
So, again, that's just user preference.
Pick it from the list or use the search option.
But just work your way down through there,
and just fill in all the responses.
ARTHUR RALLU: OK.
PAULA BELL: So our location number is the pole ticket.
It's actually on the pole.
We require the 14 digits.
Sometimes the guys will try to abbreviate that,
but the back office needs all 14 digits.
So if you were to enter just 12, it's
going to send you a gentle reminder of,
please, give us all 14 digits.
ARTHUR RALLU: Yes.
One example here, I entered 13 digits,
and immediately I am aware that I'm missing one number in this.
PAULA BELL: Yes, yes.
And again, I think after they do it a few times,
it kind of sticks.
But again, just a gentle reminder.
This is our work request, or trouble ticket number.
You can scan that-- or a lot of times
they'll just type them in.
It's important to note that you can use the scanner or type it
in in the case that you were missing a barcode or something,
or it was bent and you couldn't scan it.
Sometimes that happens.
Not a whole lot.
And we'll see the scanner again in a minute.
But sometimes the work is just done,
we'll put a transformer up, take one down,
we don't need any follow-up paperwork.
But a lot of times, we do need some follow-up paperwork.
So rather than make phone calls, they can just select Yes here.
And, again, this is another part that that technician that
will receive the email, you saw that pop-up below,
depending on the storeroom you made in the first selection,
it's going to direct that to the right person for that store's
lot.
So had he picked hazard, it's going to bring up--
the folks down there is going to send it to a different person.
ARTHUR RALLU: So I picked Hazard,
but then I need to change also the circuit name.
PAULA BELL: That's correct.
ARTHUR RALLU: So I'm going to pick something here,
and you're saying--
yes.
PAULA BELL: Yeah, you'll notice--
yes, I'm sorry.
You'll notice that it changed to a different person,
and that's just a little bit of math in your tables, underlying
tables.
If Ashland, then it's Patt, if Hazard, then it's Rob.
Just that simple.
ARTHUR RALLU: Good.
So now I have to enter the material,
so meaning the transformer or, in this case, apparently also
crossarms, that is being taken down and returned
or even installed, I assume.
PAULA BELL: Yes.
Yes.
And again, this is required.
So we started our app with just the transformers.
Again, the barcode scanning was the key here.
But we were asked to add some things, user feedback.
Hey, we can track crossarms as well.
But for this example, let's just say
we're taking only a transformer.
And you'll notice, when you select a transformer,
it opened up some fields for us.
In the instance where you're just taking one down,
you may want to install zero.
That would be your choice.
But again, for this example, let's say
we're putting one up and taking one down.
So hopefully it's pretty intuitive.
You select one and just work your way down through there.
ARTHUR RALLU: Yes.
So I got new fields to populate.
PAULA BELL: I'd go with the 25.
ARTHUR RALLU: OK.
Manufacturer.
That I understand.
And here we're also asking a serial number.
PAULA BELL: Yes.
And you see the barcode option?
And again, this is what makes it magic for us.
Scanning that barcode.
And those could be 12 to 14 digits.
Some of them are alphanumeric.
And again, when you're thinking of a nice day
and you're going out there and getting the information,
that's not so bad.
Well, I guess getting a serial number is bad.
But imagine it's 2 o'clock in the morning, it's pouring rain,
and you're out there on trouble, someone's power's off.
You want to get the information accurately and get it
sent into the office quickly.
The old forms, piece of paper and ink pen,
if it's a little bit of rain, you've got smeared ink.
This way you just scan it and pick up the information
quickly.
And as you're doing, Arthur, just the retirement
is the same.
Just get the same information.
If for some reason the serial number wasn't available,
there's options just beneath that, and you could put note,
the removal serial number was unavailable.
Again, just optional.
Most times are there, but again, it just
depends on what's happened to it.
And you can even photograph it.
If the plate's bent and you think you can read it,
maybe you want to get a second opinion,
just take a photograph of it and then
it can be deciphered by folks later in the office.
ARTHUR RALLU: I have a question for you, Paula.
I see that some of those fields, transformer,
1 kVA, the manufacturer, they are shown in different color
depending on whether we're talking
about installing a transformer or taking one down.
Can you talk a little bit about this?
PAULA BELL: Yes.
So you can format those icons, you can select different icons.
So I can't remember what I had, but based on user feedback,
they wanted an up arrow, and they want red.
Red, for us, in our mapping is install.
So the foreman said, can you make that a red up arrow?
So they're positive that the one that they're scanning
is the one they're installing, that's going up on the pole.
And the same with the blue, we're
retiring it out of the field.
So blue is retire.
And of course, down.
Again, intuitive, right?
I'm taking it down.
So the icons make it easy to help the user understand
what message they're sending.
It says remove there, but you've also
got that visual of the down arrow.
ARTHUR RALLU: So based on user feedback
and what people were familiar with,
you decided as an app creator to change that formatting so
that it would provide more visual cues.
Clicking Save now.
PAULA BELL: And while that's sinking,
I'll share that when we sent the notification to the back office
to follow up with some paperwork,
there will be a workflow that triggers
and it will just shoot that person an email.
That's saved us a lot of time on phone calls
to exchange information.
Rather than call and tell that person
or try to send them an email, the tool just does it for them.
It takes all the information that you've just gathered
and sends it to multiple folks, the storeroom,
to get the serial number.
And then, again, this follow-up email to the technician,
there's all the information that they need
and then they can write up the proper paperwork.
ARTHUR RALLU: So here I can see the ticket
that I just recorded.
And, yeah, I've got all the information
and the picture has a little bit.
PAULA BELL: So office folks and field folks
have been very happy with this tool.
This is-- again, the scanner is awesome.
It's made field personnel, it's made it a lot easier.
And, again, we don't have any transpositions of numbers
anymore.
ARTHUR RALLU: So we just got to look at the application
that Paula built and that led Kentucky Power effectively
move this particular process from paper to digital.
So Paula, now that the application
has been in use for a while, what
are the results and the benefits that you've observed
and that you can share with us today?
PAULA BELL: Well, we do have a lower error rate.
I mean, scanning a bar code, there's
no opportunity to transpose or leave off a number.
And safety.
There's times when, if they forget the number
or get it wrong, they may have to go back out to the field
and climb a pole again to get that information off
of that device.
And thinking about lower error rates
and not having to climb a pole again,
we got happier folks knowing that they can just scan that.
And so the office--
the field folks can get it quickly, accurately,
and then the office personnel, they
don't have to follow up in case there's an error.
So again, happier folks.
ARTHUR RALLU: Yeah.
I have to say, I love that you are
able to say that you have lower error rates
and measure how you're improving, but at the same time
you're getting that feedback from users
that are telling you, yes, we like this, we want to use it.
So that's kind of like a double confirmation,
and that's really great to hear.
So by these accounts, I would say,
the app is a success for you, Kentucky Power.
For people who have never built an application before,
do you have any advice for them on how they should get
started, what's important to keep in mind, things like that?
PAULA BELL: Yes.
First thing I would recommend is keep it simple.
Again, no coding experience.
Just keep it simple and Google it.
If you run into--
stumble a little bit and making it do what you want,
just Google it.
I watched several two or three minute
videos that were very helpful and helped
me to get to the tool, helped us to get to the tool
that we needed.
And be sure to consider your end-user.
Focus on what device will they be using,
and keep it simple for them, and listen to their feedback.
ARTHUR RALLU: OK.
That's great.
I mean, that's true.
You can't really succeed if your users do not
adopt the application.
So you'd better listen to them because they're giving you
very valuable feedback.
Also, you mentioned, so if you get started,
you should start with a simple application.
So these are really two valuable recommendations,
and we've seen other successful app creators
follow these recommendations.
So again, thank you, Paula, for sharing these with us.
For those of you who are interested in AppSheet
and creating your first application,
Google Cloud Next also has lab sessions where, in one of them,
you can try doing that exactly at your own pace
but still being guided.
So I'd encourage you, all of you interested, to try it out.
This kind of wraps up our breakout sessions.
So thank you, everyone, for joining us.
Paula, thank you so much for sharing your experience
with AppSheet with everyone here.
PAULA BELL: And Arthur, thank you.
Thank you for letting us share our story,
and appreciate the tool.
It's fantastic.
ARTHUR RALLU: Thank you.
Thank you, everyone.