ABO Energy Service GmbH Keeps Wind Turbines Running with Handyman
For ABO Energy Service GmbH, keeping wind turbines running is about more than technology — it’s about giving field technicians the tools they need to do their jobs well. The company wanted to equip its service technicians so they could keep turbines online with maximum uptime, building the kind of reliable service that keeps operators and customers coming back.
That’s why ABO Energy Service GmbH turned to Handyman, the field service solution from GSGroup. The goal: bring every workflow, every document, every job and every planning detail into one connected system — built to make life easier for technicians, back-office teams and customers alike.
When Turbines Stop, Speed Matters
A stationary turbine generates no power, so every minute counts when something goes wrong.
“When a fault comes in, we need to move fast — find the cause and get the turbine running again. At the same time, we’re putting more focus into preventive maintenance, so faults and breakdowns don’t happen in the first place.”
— Heiko Kober, Managing Director, ABO Energy Service GmbH
ABO Energy Service GmbH maintains wind turbines across Germany, handling everything from scheduled maintenance to emergency repairs. With technicians spread across the country, staying coordinated, keeping accurate records and sharing information fast are essential — and that’s exactly what Handyman was built to do.
One Platform Instead of a Patchwork
Before Handyman, ABO Energy Service GmbH relied on paper records and a mix of disconnected legacy systems — different tools for different tasks, and no single source of truth.
“Our system landscape just didn’t work. Some teams were still stuck with slow, error-prone manual processes. Others were using standalone tools that couldn’t come close to covering what we actually needed.”
— Heiko Kober
The brief was clear: one reliable system to connect technicians, support teams and management — alongside the new ERP platform, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and the company’s time-tracking tools, all going live at once.
A Fast, High-Stakes Rollout
Rolling out a new ERP system, new time-tracking software and Handyman all at the same time was ambitious enough. Add a hard deadline — the merger of two predecessor companies meant the new setup had to be live in under six months — and the project became a serious test. ABO Energy Service GmbH got there by choosing Handyman’s proven, ready-to-go platform and working closely with GSGroup every step of the way.
“Thanks to the standard platform and close teamwork with GSGroup, we hit our deadline — rolling out Handyman alongside Business Central and our time-tracking systems, even with plenty of obstacles and a few compromises along the way.”
— Heiko Kober
Technicians Come First
For ABO Energy Service GmbH, the real test was whether the new system would actually make life easier for the people using it every day — technicians in the field and staff in the office alike — while laying the groundwork for future growth.
“Everything starts with our technicians. If they can’t work efficiently, the whole business feels it. We needed a tool that genuinely supports their day-to-day work — not one that gets in the way.”
— Heiko Kober
With Handyman Mobile, technicians now have everything they need in one place:
- Work orders and job details
- Documents and work instructions
- Checklists and service reports
- Time and materials tracking
- Live view of their vehicle stock
- Turbine locations and site data
- Every key detail — even offline
Technicians can now document their work on site, without switching between systems.
Total Visibility Into Every Asset
Meeting ABO Energy Service GmbH’ complex requirements meant extending Handyman itself. Working closely with GS.Group, the platform now handles automatic creation of different job types, posts every service component, tracks job status through short- and long-term planning, and generates the protocols and templates technicians need for service reports. And the work isn’t done — both teams keep pushing to add more.
“Working with GS.Group, we’ve helped build the foundation for Handyman to become one of the leading field service platforms in renewable energy.”
— Heiko Kober
Built for the Field — Offline Included
Many wind turbines sit in remote locations with patchy mobile coverage, which made offline functionality a must-have from the start.
“At a lot of our sites, network coverage is poor or nonexistent. Our technicians work offline and sync everything once they’re back in range. It works really well for us.”
— Antje Pleissner, Head of Digitization and Continuous Improvement
Handyman also stores GPS coordinates for every turbine, so technicians can navigate straight to the right site — a real help, since many locations barely register on standard maps.
“We used to pass coordinates around by email or through other systems. Now it’s all in one place in Handyman, and our technicians really value that.”
— Antje Pleissner
Seamless Integration with Business Central
The deciding factor in choosing Handyman was how well it connects with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Job data, material usage, stock movements and service history all sync automatically between the two systems — cutting out double data entry and improving accuracy. Orders are confirmed fully automatically, a level of automation few Handyman customers reach. A dedicated link to the time-tracking system also means technicians only log their hours once.
“We wanted a solution that feels like one system to the people using it, even though several applications are working together behind the scenes.”
— Heiko Kober
ABO Energy Service GmbH also made a point of sticking with Handyman’s standard configuration, avoiding heavy customization.
“We knew custom modifications can make a system rigid over time. We wanted a standard platform that keeps evolving and works for lots of different businesses — not just ours.”
— Heiko Kober
Clearer Data, Better Decisions
ABO Energy Service GmbH never had a solid foundation for tracking and analyzing the right metrics. Handyman changed that.
“Handyman gave us the transparency and traceability we needed. Now we can actually analyze our processes and make improvements based on real data.”
— Heiko Kober
More Than Software — A Real Partnership
Beyond the platform itself, ABO Energy Service GmbH points to the working relationship with the Handyman team as a key part of the project’s success.
“From day one, the approach was practical. It was never about debating theory — it was about finding solutions that actually work, together. That matches exactly how we operate.”
— Heiko Kober
Life Without Handyman?
“Technicians would lose their most important work tool. Handyman is how they get their jobs, pull up information and document their work — every single day.”
— Antje Pleissner
“We’d be stuck patching things together with workarounds — and that would hit employee satisfaction hard.”
— Heiko Kober
For ABO Energy Service GmbH, the lesson is clear: digitalization isn’t just about software and process — it’s about the people using it every day.
About ABO Energy Service GmbH
ABO Energy Service GmbH is a German service company specializing in maintenance, servicing and fault resolution for wind turbines and battery storage systems from a range of manufacturers. It’s part of the international ABO Energy KGaA group, formerly known as ABO Wind.