Ensuring technicians’ greater efficiency and productivity in field services is difficult due to a lack of proper mobility solutions. In-house offices, as well as well-connected remote offices, have a proper structure in which processes, operations, and workforce can be positioned, regulated, and managed more efficiently. However, when it comes to field operations, there are some gaps in how the processes or field operations are structured; for example:
● The supervisor or manager does not have real-time access to field activities.
● The field workforce does not have timely access to the necessary information.
● Communication and reporting flaws
● Data collaboration does not occur in real-time.
● There is no adequate structure in place to track and measure the performance and productivity of the field workforce.
Because of all of these challenges, the field workforce’s productivity and efficiency suffer, and as a result, service delivery is frequently delayed beyond the estimated time frame. This not only offends the clients but also has an impact on the company’s profit prospects. If a project (service) is delayed due to operational inefficiency, it means that the resources, i.e., the tools, the workforce, the equipment, everything, are all consumed by that one project. This prevents a company from accepting new service requests and causes a delay in the rest of the services scheduled in the queue. Thus, when it comes to managing fieldwork services or field workforce, mobility solutions are required. You can easily overcome operational challenges in field services by mobilizing your field teams,
How to provide mobilization solutions to your field service team?
Field workforce management software is a tool created specifically for this purpose. By automating field operations and bringing all field processes to the online platform, the software mobilizes field workforce management. An effective field service management software for efficient service operations can be a game-changer. Such a software piece makes the cause-and-effect dynamics more real-time by bridging the time and communication gap between field operations and back-office operations. For example, timely managerial intervention is critical so that the field workforce is properly informed or directed on how to do a job better. However, if there is a delay between when field activities are performed and when they are reported to supervisors, the supervisor may miss an opportunity to intervene timely.
One of the mobility solutions made possible by field workforce management software is real-time reporting. Similarly, the software is equipped with various features and automation modules that facilitate field member mobilization, allowing them to be more efficient in their job roles and also enabling managers or supervisors to manage the field workforce from remote locations effectively. The following is how field workforce management software mobilizes field team members:
Automation of processes
A best field service management software eliminates the need for manual efforts in processes such as job scheduling, route planning, field data recording, managing accounts of on-field monetary transactions, maintaining logs of technicians’ work schedules, team communication, and so on. By automating these operations, the software streamlines, measures, and tracks them, ensuring that what needs to be done is completed on time. For example, as a field workforce scheduling software, the tool can track the current locations of the technicians, mine their work schedule data, and thus assess their availability, proximity to the job site, and skills before assigning them any new job to ensure that a job is always assigned to the nearest available rightly-skilled technician.
Mobile access to processes
When the mobile workforce is deployed, they have limited access to enterprise data, enterprise tools, and self-services. The field workforce management app addresses this issue by giving the field workforce on-the-go real-time access to all of the help they need to do their jobs efficiently. For example,
● They receive notifications and reminders of schedule updates via the workforce management app. As a result, they are not required to keep their schedule calendar or make confirmation calls with the back office.
● They can use the app to directly access the information they require, eliminating relying on someone in the back office. Client information, service history, warranty records, service quotes, and inventory records are all accessible directly with valid access permission. They can even work together on data in real-time.
● They can use the app for things like route planning to get to the job site while avoiding traffic and detours.
● The field workforce management software or app gives them on-the-go access to self-service features such as applying for travel expense reimbursement, taking leaves, submitting daily or hourly reports, etc. As a result, they do not need to make back-and-forth trips to the office.
● Furthermore, the best field service management software bears features such as automated invoice generation, automated field data recording, real-time communication tools, and so on that significantly simplify the process for field technicians.
Until a few years ago, the available mobility solutions did not meet market expectations. However, advancements in automation and data mining technologies have enhanced the capabilities of field service mManagement software, and with integration of hi-tech technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things these software become even more sophisticated. Driving higher profitability with top field service management software is like the latest trend in field services as the business can see remarkable differences in their field operations, workforce productivity and customer experience.
Conclusion
Field services have always relied on mobility solutions, and the better the solutions, the more organized field operations become. Without the right mobility-enabling tools and technology, field technicians or workers face operational challenges that prevent them from delivering results despite their best efforts.
