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Solvares Group announces Global Partnership with Microsoft

Solvares Transforms Field Operations for SMS Plc with AI Scheduling and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Integration

Reading, UK, 24 June 2026 – Integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service, the solution now supports the scheduling and optimisation of more than 500 field engineers delivering over 2.4 million contracted smart meter installations across the UK.

Solvares Field Service, Europe’s leading developer of intelligent scheduling and field service optimisation solutions, today announced the successful deployment ↗ of its VISITOUR scheduling platform for SMS Plc one of the UK’s foremost energy infrastructure companies.

As a key contributor to the UK’s smart meter rollout programme, SMS faced increasing operational complexity as it expanded its field service operations. The organisation required a dynamic scheduling solution capable of managing a large mobile workforce, improving route efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering a superior customer experience in real time.

"With 2.4 million smart meters to be delivered, we needed a fully integrated and streamlined platform that could handle our end-to-end scheduling and field service processes.

This project had to improve internal operational efficiencies, improve compliance & risk management, and improve business process outcomes, including cost management."
Mark Evans
Chief Information Officer - SMS

Following a comprehensive evaluation process, SMS selected Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service as its field operations platform and partnered with Solvares Field Service to enhance the solution with VISITOUR’s advanced scheduling and routing capabilities.

"SMS went to market with clear business requirements. We selected Dynamics 365 as our preferred field service platform, but the built-in scheduling wasn’t sufficient for our needs. Microsoft proposed VISITOUR real-time scheduling from Solvares and this won the deal for us by combining a mature, proven solution that integrated seamlessly.

Solvares showed us the relative ease of deployment, seamless integration, and the proven industry experience of the team behind the platform. That approach gave us confidence we could realise value quickly and be live within a matter of months."
Mark Evans
Chief Information Officer - SMS

The integrated platform combines intelligent workforce scheduling, real-time route optimisation, skills-based resource allocation, and appointment booking within a unified field service environment. By connecting seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics 365, VISITOUR enables SMS to automate complex scheduling decisions while maintaining complete visibility across its nationwide operation.

"The Solvares implementation was first class; the team were extremely knowledgeable and delivery focussed. Since we have been live with the platform, we are really seeing the benefits through increased productivity in our field workforce."
Mark Evans
Chief Information Officer - SMS
SMS has achieved significant productivity improvements. VISITOUR continuously analyses schedules throughout the day, automatically adapting to changing circumstances such as traffic conditions, appointment changes, and resource availability. This dynamic approach helps ensure engineers spend more time completing customer work and less time travelling between appointments.

The solution’s intelligent booking engine allows SMS to evaluate the operational impact of available appointment slots in real time, enabling more informed scheduling decisions that balance customer convenience with operational efficiency.

The implementation has strengthened SMS’s ability to match specialist engineers with specific job requirements, improve appointment reliability, and maintain compliance within a highly regulated operating environment.
"VISITOUR's scheduling capabilities have transformed how we navigate complexity, bringing clarity, control, and confidence to even the most regulated environments.

What once felt like a maze of coordination is now a streamlined, intelligent process that empowers our team to focus on what truly matters: delivering excellence. This is true flexibility to fit our needs now and into the future."
Kirsty Gascoyne
Domestic Metering Director - SMS

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