Industry Focus - Field Service

Posted: 22 January, 2019 | By Romana Klinger

What if you lived in a world without a mobile workforce?

If your car broke down on a busy road, or if your washing machine didn’t come on one day, what would you do? Perhaps you would spend much of your time watching Youtube DIY tutorials and become an amateur mechanic. Or maybe you would buy your next washing machine with a lifetime guarantee?

IndustryFocus_FieldService


However it would be like in reality to live in a world without mobile workforce, the practical implications are not appealing. To call roadside assistance when your car battery has given up, or to call an emergency plumber when there is a water leak in your bathroom is a lifesaver. What many don’t know is the complex sequence of events taking place behind the scenes from the moment the call reaches the call center to the arrival of the field worker at site.


In the following, we will take a closer look at what specific challenges field service providers face and what part technology plays in the dispatch, scheduling and routing of a mobile workforce.

What’s Important to Field Service Providers?

With ever decreasing margins and ever increasing competition, an outstanding customer service experience can be the decisive differentiator for a customer choosing your services over a competitor’s. Keeping the customer well informed about on-site arrival times with accurate ETAs and providing a quick response when the situation demands it, all add up to a great customer experience.


Another challenge facing mobile workforce companies is the high cost due to inefficient routing & planning. This can lead to an increase in miles and fuel consumption, as well as a decrease in stops per worker.


Maximizing efficiency and productivity across your operation by integrating your back office software with your field service technology is key. Far too often systems don’t “talk” to each other. This means that your dispatch manager might not know where your field engineer is heading or when they’ll arrive. While at the same time, your mobile technician might not be aware of changes to their route due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather, rerouting due to traffic, or a priority job.


Additionally, many companies in the service sector are experiencing high staff turnover leading to pressure to find and retain skilled workers. Upgrading your mobile worker’s to the right tech can play a positive role in employee satisfaction.

How Tech Can Help

Introducing integrated navigation into a mobile field workforce can improve productivity and efficiency by automating processes and providing real-time field information that businesses can act on. Here are the benefits in a nutshell:

  • Improve customer service with remote field service management due to faster arrival times and accurate arrival for the customer

  • Leverage real-time field information such as current location and ETA at the next appointment for better productivity

  • Automate optimization of job schedules for efficient routing and increased field service technician confidence

  • Quickly locate and visualize real-time status of vehicles and assets out in the field for improved efficiency throughout the organization

  • Utilize intelligent traffic and weather data to adjust field service schedules' ETAs in advance of travel or while in transit

  • Efficient and simple to use tech to increase employee satisfaction and decrease staff turnover

Want to learn more?

We work with a range of field service companies, such as the RAC, one of the UK’s most progressive motoring organizations, to provide them with navigation, route optimization and back office map visualization. Visit www.copilotpro.com or www.alk.com to get in touch.


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Tags: industry spotlight series routing industry field service mobile workforce dispatch scheduling


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