the paperless trail: modernizing mobile field service
TRANSCRIPT
?What does mobile field service actually look like?
What tools do technicians need?
What service-related capabilities do mobile devices have?
How do dispatch and management help turn the organization into a mobile powerhouse?
We understand you may have some questions about mobile. .
To answer them, we’ve outlined steps to implement a “truly mobile” field service process so you can...
You’ll learn how a mobile field service strategy will improve:
I. Information Access II. Spare Parts & Inventory ManagementIII. Task Management IV. Field Asset Management V. Scheduling
Empower field techs with seamless information access and database syncing.
I like the sound of that.
1. Improve Productivity • Techs have automatic access to the following
information: – Customer/Contact – Service and Invoice History – Equipment/Asset Details– Work Order Type– Customer Comments– Equipment Issues– Assigned Tasks to Complete Service
2. Increase Customer satisfaction With the help of service portals, technicians have the information they need to get a job done right the first time and leave the customer singing their praises.
3. Increase Profitability • Review customer contract information prior to
service to make the most of each visit • Make sales while on the job site• Retain current customers with quality service and
high success rates • Sell more preventive maintenance contracts
#1 challenge of inventory management:
How to get the right parts to the right customer as efficiently as possible.
How software can help:
• Establish an early warning system to alert managers to low inventories
• Utilize mobile devices to make technicians more integral to the inventory process
• Analyze insights collected from the field in order to improve and forecast parts planning
Automating Inventory Alerts
Establish alerts that inform key stakeholders when specific inventory conditions occur.
For example…• The company receives alerts when: – parts are running too low or high in a service van or
warehouse– allocated quantities of specific parts exceed their
availability – items haven’t shipped or arrived– items don’t have standard costing – items’ shelf life is about to expire– etc., etc., etc.
Managing Inventory in the FieldWith field service software, companies and technicians can see: • Spare parts in service vans and warehouses
• Which parts are needed for each work order
• Data that reveals trends in inventory purchasing, stocking, and allocation
Part III. Task Management
Task: Any action that needs to be completed on a work order or for a specific asset.
Field service firms want to be able to measure technician performance and know how each service call is handled in the field.
BUT…Asking technicians to record each of their many actions on pen and paper will cost more in hours than it
would pay off in insights.
A mobile field service app documents work order data and task performance so managers get a step-by-step understanding of the job from start to finish.
And, with mobile, technicians see pre-assigned tasks and sub-tasks that outline responsibilities for each order.
Part IV. Asset Management
The more information a service firm has on their assets in the field, the greater opportunity they have to
improve, not just efficiency, but chances for up-sell, scheduling, customer satisfaction, and more.
Exceptional field asset management starts with detailed and accessible data
on every customer-site and rolling asset.
Equipped with asset data, technicians are prepared with:
• Service history• Parts information • Warranty and contract
details
Field service scheduling and dispatch is all about one key idea: Getting the right technician to the
right place at the right time.
Easier said than done…
How a mobile scheduling solution helps• Filters: – Location—GPS technology pings technician location back
to the main office– Availability—technician “work status” is always visible to
the scheduler– Skill-set—schedulers can see and filter by skills to make
sure the technician assigned can actually fix the problem
With access to tech location and asset information, schedulers can choose technicians that get to job sites faster, saving time and resources.
Download our free, educational whitepaper:
A Buyer’s Guide to Mobile Field Service Software: 9 Tips for Choosing a Mobile Solution that’s Right for You
Download Whitepaper Now