Mobile Apps are changing the Field Service Landscape

Arrival of 4G networks and smart phones has changed the field service landscape. Many technicians are carrying mobile devices and using powerful Field Force Tracker mobile applications to provide web services. In this article, we discuss how mobile apps can help you manage your service work force better.

Just a few years back, the logistics of remotely managing a field service business would’ve seemed impossible. However, the advent of smartphones and tablets has made this a reality. Now, it is easier than ever to connect your branch office(s) and field techs with the use of mobile apps and best of the breed cloud based software like Field Force Tracker.

In previous article, we have explained the benefits of cloud based software as opposed to the software that runs on your on servers. Moving your operation to a cloud based system may seem daunting, especially if you’re accustomed to managing the business manually. Read on to discover five major benefits of using a mobile app for managing your field service business.

Improved Technician Productivity

Mobile apps let the service managers or job dispatchers manage with better scheduling and dispatching. With instant access to daily appointments and critical account information, all technicians will arrive at every job site prepared and ready to go. They can easily and precisely track materials used add photos and documents to customer accounts and track time on the job using their powerful Field Force Tracker Mobile app.

That is not all. With this additional control, you’ll save time in the field and office. Unnecessary calls between office staff and field techs are eliminated, saving valuable time for more important matters. Reporting is also simplified, as techs can generate and email customer invoices directly in the app, before ever leaving the job site.

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Streamlined Service Operations

Field service mobile apps greatly improve communications between the main office and field technicians are vastly improved. All necessary completion information is captured at the job site and transmitted to the office in real time, greatly reducing the risk of incorrect billing and potential errors due to illegible handwriting.

Office dispatcher  will always know where techs are in their day, as well as the status of current jobs. Making adjustments to work schedules in real time is easier than ever, as availability and proximity are updated automatically. Technicians are immediately updated regarding schedule changes, job details and new locations.

Improved Customer Experience

Mobile apps can help in improving customer experience and satisfaction. The popularity of mobile devices has changed customer expectations forever. When access to information and services is just a single tap away, the expectation of instant gratification is set. Naturally, smart businesses need to be ready for this. They need make changes to these expectations to keep customers satisfied. A recent study showed that 75% of businesses using mobile apps in the field have seen an increase in overall customer satisfaction. Real time text updates informing customers of upcoming service visits and appointment changes will provide a positive experience for new and returning customers.

System Data For Better Marketing

Software helps you in maintaining accurate records of your business activities. While state regulations may require you to keep paper records for your business, the process of manually collecting data in the field is notoriously inaccurate and inefficient. Capturing data with pen and paper is prone to errors, not to mention that documents can easily get lost before being filed away at the office.

Mobile apps make your business stand apart from competition. They allow your business to go paperless and improve efficiency. Office staff no longer have to worry about inputting data following appointments, freeing up time for other tasks. Filling out paperwork in the field is burdensome and leads to frustration for the customer and technician alike. Securely capture payments and customer signatures while giving techs complete access to customer information.

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Technology for Better Profits

The use of technology helps a company market its services better. The customer perception is  very important. Field Service companies that are using the latest technology are seen as innovative and progressive by customers. Enabling your technicians with the latest and greatest in mobile technology gives your company more credibility and builds trust among customers.

Using a mobile app, like Field Force Tracker, that is industry leading provides all above advantages. We make use of amazon cloud to ensure that all customer data is secure, preventing unauthorized access and giving customers’ peace of mind.

Field Force Tracker, a mobile enabled web-based field service management software, streamlines technician scheduling, dispatch, customer management, vendor and employee management, work orders, equipment maintenance, inventory tracking, contracts, estimates, invoices, payments and accounting. It is considered one of the most feature rich software of its kind.

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About Field Force Tracker

Force Tracker (http://www.fieldforcetracker.com) is a leading global provider of its award winning mobile workforce solutions for service-based businesses of all sizes delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS). Its solutions enable businesses of all sizes (from 1 user to 10,000 users) to meet the challenges associated with managing and running complex service operations. It helps in improving the productivity of their mobile workforce.

With Field Force Tracker customers can create service schedule and route quickly, dispatch sooner, collect correct information at once in the field and invoice faster. The field service software makes it easy for users to eliminate waste, get more done in less time and be more profitable.

Field Force Tracker is a wholly owned unit of Rapidsoft Systems Inc. (http://www.rapidsoftsystems.com). Rapidsoft Systems, Inc. has its main office in Princeton, NJ, USA, a US R&D Center in Mercerville NJ, and sales, support and development offices in Palo Alto, CA, USA, Singapore, Dubai (UAE), Bombay, and Noida (India).

Cost Effective Latest Field Service Software For Field Employees

In this age of universal mobility and smart phones, Field Service Industry is going through the big change. Field service software like Field Force Tracker are changing the software industry by their revolutionary features and with its  low cost of implementation.  Because it is a cloud based field service software software is based in the cloud, you have no infrastructure to maintain, and no servers to update. You need no IT person to maintain it.

However, if you are moving from paper or spreadsheet based scheduling, you will be making a big change in the process. To make sure that you get the most benefits, this article will explain that.

While all companies are benefiting from new technology and software that helps connect different departments and processes, organizations that rely on workers in the field reap some of the largest rewards from cloud-based software. When dispatching, collecting payments and monitoring daily activities, service management software that is provided as a service means technicians in the field are no longer removed from the companies they work for while performing their jobs.

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Benefits of Software As a Service (SaaS) Field Service Software

Software as a service also allows field service companies to cut down on overhead costs such as new hardware, according to Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration News. According to their recent article, SaaS allows in-field workers to access field service software on nearly any device that has a Web browser. This opens the door to companies that want to save costs with BYOD (bring your own device) policies or use existing hardware.

BYOD is growing in popularity and since many workers already own a smart device, there is essentially no hardware cost and technicians will be able to navigate the field service software using a device that they are already familiar with, cutting down on training time.

Field service software impacts Customer Service

Customer service is also improved when workers in the field have better connectivity to the home base of the organization. They can provide customers with more accurate estimates on how long it will take to order a needed part and how much it will cost. Technicians can locate much of this information on their own, without speaking to an off-site employee who must search and report it back to them.

Repair service software can expedite the payment process and reduce the need for invoicing for some services. Technicians running late can also quickly communicate their situation to the company so that impact on other customers is reduced.  This can help workers and customers adjust to possible, unforeseen interruptions in the schedule, which are common in industries such as HVAC.

With BYOD, contact is also made through a device that the technician is likely to have on their person at all times. This way, communication can continue even if the worker is at a site that does not have telephone, Internet access or is not near a radio in their fleet vehicle. The software will connect them to all of the information that may need when on the job.

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The Cost of Not Deploying Field Service Software

A service company spends significant hours on service paperwork, emails and phone calls in your office.  If those activities were replaced with something more high-value like customer care, business planning or marketing the company can greatly benefit from it.

And what if instead of mailing out invoices days after a job was completed and then waiting for payment to be mailed back, the invoice instantly arrived in your customer’s email box as soon as the task or project was completed?

Think of the revenue gain, if you could complete another job every day just from better scheduling and dispatch.

These are all missed opportunities that cost you money every day.

You may not be the only one waiting. You customers may be getting faster service from competitors who have shorter service windows and deploy the closest technician to their home or business. How much business will you lose if your competitors get there faster and more reliably?

Even if you already have a field service software solution, there are likely gains to be made from newer, mobile and cloud built solutions. If you’re using a premise-based solution for instance, there’s a good chance it’s costing you in IT and maintenance fees. Worse, field workers aren’t getting things done as efficiently as they could with native mobile apps designed specifically for use on a variety of devices. Inefficiency means less work gets done and that costs you.

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About Field Force Tracker

Field Force Tracker (https://www.fieldforcetracker.com/) is a leading global provider of its award winning mobile workforce solutions for service-based businesses of all sizes delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS). Our solutions enable businesses of all sizes (from 1 user to 10,000 users) to meet the challenges associated with managing and running complex service operations. It helps in improving the productivity of their mobile workforce.

With Field Force Tracker, customers can create service schedule and route quickly, dispatch sooner, collect correct information at once in the field and invoice faster. The field service software makes it easy for users to eliminate waste, get more done in less time and be more profitable.

Field Force Tracker is a wholly owned unit of Rapidsoft Systems Inc. (https://www.rapidsoftsystems.com/). Rapidsoft Systems, Inc. has its main office in Princeton, NJ, USA, a US R&D Center in Mercerville NJ, and sales, support and development offices in Palo Alto, CA, USA, Singapore, Dubai (UAE), Bombay, and Noida (India).