Royal Mail Property and Facilities Solutions keeps services running smoothly with Getac Rugged Technology

/ Challenge /

Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions (RMPFS) is responsible for one of the largest corporate real estates in Europe, with over 2,000 sites. The company’s UK-wide workforce of 500+ field service engineers is fully supported by its National Helpdesk facility, which operates 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.

RMPFS’s Technical Services division focuses on site maintenance and management, which includes everything from power, lighting and heating to air-conditioning, ventilation, water and security systems. Additional bespoke services are also carried out as/when required, with the aim of providing a safe and pleasant working environment for on-site employees at all times.

Many of RMPFS’s sites operate around the clock and are extremely busy. When working in these environments, service engineers’ IT equipment is frequently exposed to accidental knocks, drops and spills. To maintain productivity, they need devices that are powerful, reliable, and built to perform in such conditions.

Each engineer is equipped with a rugged laptop, which they use to receive job tickets via the company’s bespoke application, complete reports, order parts, and communicate with colleagues while out in the field.

“We couldn’t move away from rugged devices because of the nature of the work our engineers perform,” says Stephen Ridley, IS Service Manager at RMPFS. “They’re used as a tool the same as any other, so need to be able to survive the environment they are intended to be used in.”

/ Solution /

RMPFS maintains a fleet of over 500 rugged devices and has a policy of replacing 15% of these units each year to ensure optimal performance is maintained. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, supply issues with RMPFS’s usual technology provider led the company to look for an alternative supplier. 

RMPFS had prior experience testing Getac devices and was already familiar with the brand’s rugged technology. In 2022, the company re-engaged with Getac, partnering closely with a dedicated account manager to evaluate and identify the most suitable rugged solution for its operational requirements. This collaborative approach resulted in the selection and purchase of several Getac UX10 fully rugged tablets, customised with HDMI ports and paired with detachable keyboards, which were then deployed across its team of service engineers.

The UX10 fully rugged tablet is designed to offer an exceptional computing experience in a wide range of challenging work environments.

Key features include a powerful Intel® Core™ processor and a 10.1-inch FHD LumiBond multi-touch display with 1,000 nits of brightness, which makes reading and multitasking simple, even in bright sun or adverse weather conditions.

The UX10’s extensive battery life and 4G LTE connectivity* also enables RMPFS’s engineers to quickly receive new jobs while in the field and maintain high levels of productivity when working in remote locations away from Wi-Fi networks and charging facilities.

To protect against knocks, drops and spillages, the UX10 is certified to MIL-STD 810H and IP66 standards, along with drop resistance up to 6-feet (1.8m) and an operating temperature range of -29°C to +63°C (-20°F to 145°F), all while weighing just 1.15KG (2.56 Lbs).

/ Benefits /

Since the initial trial in 2022, RMPFS has integrated more and more UX10 tablets into its rugged fleet, to the point where almost half of the devices it replaces year-on-year are now supplied by Getac. Over this time, warranty issues have remained extremely low.

“We've experienced very few warranty issues with our Getac devices,” says Leon Hutchinson, IS Field Engineer at RMPFS. “One of my colleagues has handled a couple of cases, and I believe I’ve only had one myself. Overall, it’s been minimal.”

In the rare instances where repairs have been required, Getac’s Self-Maintainer programme has enabled RMPFS to quickly source minor components directly, enabling swift turnaround and minimising device downtime across its operations.

“We've used the Self-Maintainer programme quite a lot and it's pretty much next day delivery, so that’s really good,” adds Leon. “If we need things like spare port covers, we know we can get them very easily.”

“With many things in life, trust is key,” concludes Stephen. “We had to build that trust before we could start growing our estate of Getac devices. Now, over time, I think 50% of our estate will become Getac, and when you think we've been with another rugged supplier for 20 years, that's quite a big showing.”

/ About RMPFS /

Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions works to the highest standards to ensure that its 2,000 sites follow legal and industrial regulations and are safe at all times. The company supports Royal Mail in being the best delivery company in the UK, delivering to 29 million addresses nationwide, seven days a week.

*4G LTE is an optional extra