Evolutionary Trends in Field Service Scheduling Software

Posted on July 25, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

There was a time when field service companies relied on paper and pen scheduling methods. Then with the time, the service scheduling process became a bit more complex. To help them in the process, paper pad and printed calendar gave way to spreadsheet based scheduling. These minor improvements helped were not sufficient in resolving the problems and complexity of service management.

Today, new generation of field service software like Field Force Tracker are revolutionizing the field service industry. Field Force Tracker efficiently manages scheduling of work force. It is very easy to move around schedules and re-assign resources as needed. This leads to better utilization of resources.

Changing Field Service Needs

Across industries, modern-day customers demand new levels of real-time communication and visibility when it comes to field service. Unfortunately, legacy solutions and approaches limit organizations from satisfying these growing expectations. The good news is that field service scheduling software is evolving to help deliver exceptional service without compromising profitability. As technology changes the very nature of software, your organization should look for opportunities to take advantage of new capabilities that improve your bottom line and customer satisfaction ratings.

Improving Customer Communication

Outdated processes and technology once forced customers to “start from scratch” each time they interacted with a company or service rep. When it comes to scheduling services, customers increasingly want streamlined communication – and they want it via the channel of their choice.

Today, your service organization can pick up where it left off with customers, no matter the channel. Whether a customer sent an email, used online chat, or spoke to a rep on the phone, the latest field service scheduling software can log these interactions. That means anyone in your company interfacing with the customer has all relevant knowledge at their disposal. And this directly translates into a personalized interaction, leaving customers beaming with pleasure instead of fuming in frustration.

Making Dispatch and Work Order Management More Efficient

There will come a day when customers expect on-demand service. Until that time arrives, your field service organization can at least make the manual dispatch process more automated. Calling upon the algorithms and automation enabled by today’s technology, you can bring dispatch into the modern era.

The likes of emergency protocols, traffic protocols, and real-time updates are enabling dispatch models and modules that allow dispatch professionals to maintain a level of efficiency never before thought possible.

Imagine having access to real-time route information, tech activity while on-site, and notices when jobs are completed. Such insights make it possible for your dispatch manager to keep track of field technicians and job status with ease. And what about being able to predict travel issues (such as traffic congestion and seasonal weather disruptions) to reduce idle time, better plan travel time, and allow for backup resources to step in quickly when necessary?

Field Force Tracker Can Do This All Today

Smart field service scheduling software can also map service technicians’ schedules against customer needs to identify opportunities for greater efficiency. As a result, your organization can assign a mix of high and low priority jobs to technicians, reserving capacity for emergency work without impacting the overall flow of assignments. Moreover, today’s software can deliver alerts and real-time updates so your leadership team is aware of scheduling concerns – and improvements.

Hand in hand with this, relational databases and predictive intelligence are unlocking greater personalization. Picture using predictive software to analyze data gathered across all company systems and get insights that enable proactive work order management. This same technology can be used, for example, to identify the percentage of customers experiencing the same issue, pinpoint when they are likely to experience the issue, and understand the average amount of technician time required to address the issue. By proactively scheduling time to replace or update parts or products before an issue occurs, your field service organization can ensure customers don’t experience disruption – and do it as efficiently as possible.

Delivering Seamless Experience to Customers

We all know that the modern businesses have revolutionized customer interactions. When it comes to field service, the demand for better experiences is real. Specifically, customers crave a way to understand technician location and exact arrival time. Fortunately, field service scheduling software and other advanced technology is evolving to enable more personalized, real-time interactions.

Waiting for a field service visit – or dealing with a tardy or no-show technician – all can be detrimental to the overall customer experience. Combine this with the fact that most field service organizations still rely on phone calls to communicate with customers, and it’s easy to see why customers feel exasperated.

Streamlining the appointment booking process can go a long way to improving the customer experience. Customers hate feeling they are wasting valuable time waiting for a technician to arrive. Your organization can use scheduling software that empowers them to book a day and time of their choice – through their preferred channel, whether that be mobile, web, or via phone.

Utilizing Mobile Solutions

Another way to enter the modern era is to outfit your field service dispatch center and technicians with real-time mobile tracking and, social media channels such as social media and SMS texts. Mobile tracking enabled via your website or custom app empowers your customers to keep tabs on the technician’s location. At the same time, communicating with customers via social media or text brings them the real-time interaction that eases their worries about when and if a technician will show up.

Sometimes the resolution to a customer issue requires a repair away from the customer’s location, such as repairing a downed telecommunications line. These scenarios can be especially frustrating for customers who feel blind to the repair process. In addition, answer the call by outfitting your technicians with wearables such as smartwatches. Using these, they can transmit service data and job updates via voice recognition back to headquarters. By bringing your techs online while on the job, you are empowered to deliver real-time updates to customers across all channels.

Delivering consistently good customer service and keeping pace with ever-evolving customer demands is no small feat. However, by taking advantage of the latest field service scheduling software powered by advanced technologies, your organization can satisfy expectations efficiently. That means you grow your competitive advantage and your profits.

About Field Force Tracker

Field 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). 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. (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).

Benefiting with Mobile Workforce Management

Posted on July 12, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Smartphones have changed everything around us. They have made it possible to have data on finger tips at all times. The constant availability of connectivity has revolutionized the field service industry. More and more organizations are migrating their field force from paper based work orders to completing work orders using Mobile Applications.

Field Force Tracker represents the best of the breed Field service management software. It comes with powerful field service mobile applications for iPhone and Android phones and tablet. Field technicians can perform most of the tasks using these applications.

Understanding Benefits of Smart Phones for Field Service

Mobility, mobile workforce, and mobile workforce management software are all top of mind for today’s field service executives. After all, in a smartphone-saturated world, most companies rely on workforce mobility to some degree. But like many, you may wonder what exactly this all means. Are the terms interchangeable? Do they describe different aspects of the same framework? How do new technologies change mobile apps and services?

At Field Force Tracker, mobility is at the heart of everything we do. We believe in mobility as the great differentiator in field service. Crack the mobility nut, and everything else falls into place.

In the following paragraphs, we share real-world insights on modern mobile workforce management in the hopes that it helps you harness the power of mobility.

Defining Mobile Workforce Management

In an increasingly connected, mobile, and customer-centric world, modern mobile workforce management requires every field service organization to compete on the basis of satisfying customer expectations with frictionless, remarkable experiences. And organizations are now held to the highest standards set by the likes of consumer companies like Amazon and Uber. Simply put, answer the call for seamless, transparent, responsive service and real-time assistance—or go by the wayside.

Delivering on this mandate means every field service manager, dispatcher, and technician needs real-time access to the right information in the right context, at the right time. And they get that through mobility.

Mobility puts valuable information about parts availability, expert assistance, documentation about the problem or asset, and more in the hands of field technicians. But it also enables dispatchers and managers to receive real-time status updates from the field. With access to information everywhere and anywhere, mobility empowers field supervisors in many ways. They can confidently make real-time updates to schedules, locate a replacement tech to handle an appointment for a delayed technician, assign an emergency service call to a nearby tech, and even manage and train technicians in the field. And they can do this from a mobile device while in the field.

So what software and technology is needed to enable mobility in the field? First is easy-to-learn software—built on industry best practices—that delivers accurate, up-to-the-second data to a well designed, user-friendly, continually updated mobile app.

However, savvy field service executives are connecting mobile device management, the Internet of Things (IoT), automated scheduling, and big data to further advantage. Smartphones connected to IoT sensors in homes, factories, and more provide technicians and scheduling software with real-time data and diagnostics. These sensors can even inform technicians about faulty equipment before a customer complains. With IoT and big-data-crunching capabilities, organizations now accurately predict service volumes and automatically schedule accordingly.

Barriers to Adoption of Mobile Solutions

With a clear imperative to deliver higher levels of customer service faster and better than ever, you would think mobile workforce management would be seeing rapid uptake. While field service organizations grasp the benefits of adopting this software, they must address a few issues on their path to modernization.

First are the typical difficulties that come with deploying new technology:

Getting buy-in to make a change
Ensuring proper deployment and integrations
Training employees to make mobility part of their daily routine

This brings us to the second biggest barrier: aging technicians who push back on new ways of working. Change isn’t usually welcomed by anyone, but older generations in particular can be obstinate about embracing new technologies. Getting these experienced, skilled workers on board is essential to success.

Finally, organizations cannot overlook the costs associated with a mobile workforce management initiative. The expense to introduce any new technology can spiral out of control if the project isn’t managed well and adoption issues aren’t overcome.

Deploying Mobile Solutions

Despite the challenges, mobility is a worthwhile and strategic initiative. Organizations that take a strategic approach to mobile workforce management can reap tremendous benefits. By adopting a workforce mobility solution that meets the most challenging needs of today and supports the field service organization’s future direction, companies can position themselves for ongoing success. Such a solution empowers technicians and managers to satisfy customer expectations for personalized experiences and rapid resolutions that set the company apart.

About Field Force Tracker

Field Force Tracker Becomes the Software of Choice for Photocopier Rental and Service Companies

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Field Force Tracker

TRENTON, NJ, June 08, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ — Field Force Tracker, a leading provider of cloud based Field Service Software, announced that it has become the leading provider of field service and contract management for photocopier companies. Many of its clients have migrated their data from other software such as TrackIt, HelpDesk, Desco, Service Fusion and other Field Service Software. Field Force Tracker has managed to migrate data from several custom designed software. Today, it has more customers in photocopier and office management sector than any other field service software.

Field Force Tracker has designed special contract module just to facilitate photo-copier contracts, keep track of copier times, trade-ins, recurring invoices, keeping track of drum, toner and fuser installation dates and repair history. It can take the major efforts to maintain useful information to manage large number of service contracts and machines. But, with field force tracker, one can manage hundreds of contracts easily. The system automates most useful functions such as computing overages, creating recurring invoices and renewing rental contracts every month.

Any photocopier service company needs to track its parts and consumables inventory. Parts and Inventory management in a warehouse involves complex operations of issuing parts, returning parts, shipping parts between warehouses, keeping track of parts used and discarded as well as buying parts from parts vendors.

Harnessing its over 15 years of experience serving field service companies around the world, Field Force Tracker build an all-inclusive inventory management software as parts of its service functions. A company does not need to invest in third party software as all advanced features are already available in the field service software. A service organization can keep track of all its parts, consumables, vendors, and cost of those parts. It can deal with many advance inventory functions such as keeping track of serialized parts and multi-vendor pricing.

Connected, mobile & intelligent Field Force Tracker (http://www.fieldforcetracker.com) , a pioneer in mobile enabled field service space, has delivered mobile solutions for over 15 years. It has built the most comprehensive mobile application for field service that can take care of all service needs.

Built on Cloud, one of the most feature rich customer service platforms, Field Service Tracker enables companies to deliver mobile, intelligent customer service from phone to field. With Field Service Tracker, companies can totally automate their field service operations. Field Force tracker software includes many important features such as: automated intelligent scheduling and dispatching software, customer history, service contracts, field employee tracking, asset management and financial software.

Field Force Tracker software includes a very well designed Dispatch, Tracking, and Scheduling Board. Service agents have a 360-degree view of the customer, jobs, and field technicians. They can create a work order from any case and track mobile employees. Mobile employees in the field now have access to the customer’s full service and buying history, empowering them to easily resolve any issue that may arise and upsell the customer on another product.

Customer service moves fast and forward-thinking companies need real-time access to their service data. Field Service Tracker enables all service employees to update work orders, issue change requests and adjust job status, anytime, anywhere and on any device. A staggering 65% of field service workers still print out their service tickets and bring them in their vehicles, slowing down the service process.

Now, an employee in the field can see their open work orders on their mobile device; update them throughout the day as they complete jobs, and all the information is seamlessly updated in System.

Field Force Tracker (http://www.fieldforcetracker.com) delivers a complete service experience across a wide range of modern contact center channels including web, phone, email, chat, social and the in-person field service interaction, all powered by the latest technology. This cross channel, connected and mobile service experience is something that competitive products do not deliver.

“We are just beginning to see what customer service can look like in the era of mobile and IoT,” said Mark Robinson, Director Sales at Field Force Tracker. “Field Service Tracker gives companies tools that are designed for them to deliver exceptional customer experience. The amazing set of features in Field Force Tracker let them manage all aspects of their service operations with ease and at a very low cost.”

About Field Force Tracker

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 Releases Latest Upgrade to its Award Winning Field Service Management Solution

Posted on June 26, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

TRENTON, NJ, April 19, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ — Field Force Tracker Software, a leading innovator of cloud-based field service management software, announced today that it has released version, a full version upgrade of its popular Field Force Tracker Field Service software. The release includes a long list of enhancements and features to help enterprise field service organizations lower costs, increase service revenues, improve response times, and provide remarkable customer experiences. Many of these were developed in direct response to customer requests for capabilities they were unable to find in alternative solutions. Key features in this release include:

New Dashboard Changes: With live feed of GPS data, dashboard continuously updates the current location field staff at all times.

Auto Scheduling Performance Enhancements: Many Improvements were made to the routing engine result in a dramatic increase in speed, enabling dispatch functions to react even faster to changing conditions.

Enhanced Inventory Management: Many changes were made to inventory management module. Now inventory is correctly updated at all times from service vans.

Handling of Branches and Departments: Field Force Tracker manages scheduling and logistics for branches where customers come to service provider facilities. This feature enables service organizations to optimize the utilization of location-based resources along with those in the field.

Resource Groups or Crew Scheduling: In scenarios where there are multiple resources in the field performing work together, Field Force Tracker now enables dispatchers to easily schedule the group or crew (people and equipment), both individually and as a unit.

Enhancements to Schedule Rules: Management can ensure that dispatchers follow customized best practices by limiting specific scheduling events, issuing a warning, or suggesting alternatives to avoid excess cost, so that policies and best practices are leveraged across the organization.

Extending App-based Mobile Payments: Field personnel can securely take credit card payments using the built-in payment interfaces on any mobile device, simplifying the process for organizations to charge “time and material” customers and reducing billing cycles.

“Given the rapid growth in mobile devices and tablets and the potential impact on operational efficiency, revenue growth, and the customer experience, more and more enterprises are investing in their mobile workforces.” said Susan Ray, Marketing Manager . “We’re committed to developing innovative solutions to issues that large-scale field service organizations struggle with daily, providing powerful capabilities delivered to the field through native mobile apps for all iOS, Android devices. The latest upgrade is more proof of the unique value we bring to this field service software space.”

About Field Force Tracker Systems

Field Force Tracker (http://www.fieldforcetracker.com) is a division of Rapidsoft Systems inc., a software development company engaged in the development of mobile applications for over 10 years. A team of expert engineers located in the US, India, and the Middle East supports Field Force Tracker.

Field Force Tracker Systems provides state-of-the-art software and services addressing the complex challenges customers face in managing enterprise field service organizations. Its award winning cloud based, mobile enabled software enables companies to provide the most customer-centric and profitable field service possible.

Field Force Tracker provides the most comprehensive feature set, an open architecture for simplified integration, flexible deployment options, and on-demand configuration of the software. These combined elements drive rapid implementation, maximum adaptability, and the fastest ROI in the industry. Field Force Tracker’s technology is driving the success of diverse enterprises across a wide cross-section of industries. For more information visit: http://www.fieldforcetracker.com

Mobile Field Service Apps for Better Service Delivery

Posted on May 11, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Forget pen and paper, now field technicians have smart phones with high speed 3G/4G connections. It is possible to complete your reports in the field. However, it is important to select your field service software better, because not all mobile applications are as powerful as Field Force Tracker’s mobile app.

Field Force Tracker mobile app is one of the best mobile app of its kind. It provides advanced mobility management features not found in other applications.

We all know how frustrating it is to lose connectivity on a wireless phone call – especially if you’re in a critical conversation or facilitating a conference call. For field personnel using field service apps that are dependent on steady streams of data to and from their wireless devices to do their job properly, even a brief loss of the linkage can be both frustrating and a drain on productivity. Therefore, it is important to have better service provider to deliver your services and an application that has full functionality as needed.

Field Force Tracker – the Best Mobile Application for the Field Service

Without up-to-date application, a field technician might quote the wrong price for service because the latest digital price book is not at hand. A construction or maintenance crew lead might not have access to critical customer instructions because their browser-based application won’t load. I recently had a visit from a cable engineer who couldn’t pull up his field service app to order a part because he couldn’t get the necessary data from his app server. He said he’d have to head back to the office when he left. This forced him to make one extra visit.

Predicting where and when you’re most likely to get cut off is difficult. Wireless providers have maps showing coverage areas (there are even national maps spanning multiple carriers), but of course networks expand (and maybe in some cases contract) all the time. Reliability in a given area varies day to day, even minute to minute. That is particularly true if your business takes workers to locations where the network is stressed by a sudden surge of demand (think of the burgeoning oil and gas industry in some parts of the U.S., or of a disaster area where landlines have been massively disrupted).

Even where the wireless signal remains steady and strong, staying connected every minute may simply be impractical. You don’t want to discourage members of your field team from going behind a hill or into a basement to perform needed tasks for fear that their data connection will break down.

A field team’s software must be designed to adjust to changing user needs– assuring that data both in the field and back at headquarters will remain available when needed. This helps assure that team members won’t resort to old-fashioned pen and paper during a customer visit, necessitating a time-consuming, productivity-draining re-input of the information.

Mobile field service apps like Field Force Tracker are designed from the start to operate with full functionality. Whether users are in the office or in the field, field personnel find their latest information is available to their mobile applications on the device. Data stored on the wireless device in the field can be immediately synced with what is stored back at headquarters. Any new updates from the office are also synced back. Plus, the original time stamps are retained (for instance on a photograph taken of the job site).

About Field Force Tracker

Business Impact of Using Field Service Software

Posted on April 19, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

The growth and adaption of mobile technologies has revolutionized every sector. Field Service industry has not remain untouched by this revolution. Smart businesses are quickly digitizing their services The use of mobile field service applications is going to reflect on services that they provide. This article describes how cloud based Field Service CRM like Field Force Tracker can help you in increasing customer services, create new business opportunities, improve job satisfaction and at the same time, improve your company’s profitability.

Field service engineers are the key to the success of any service business. They are the face of your company to the customers. Would you like them to use modern tools or like them to use antiquated paper service forms? Would you like them to spend their time doing their service jobs or would you like them to spend their time filling paper forms? Field Engineers are expensive resources. They generate all sales, installation, maintenance, support, and other tasks that require direct access to the products and services a business provides. Field Engineers, should use latest technologies because they have the greatest impact on customer satisfaction and relationships. They can perform better if they use mobile devices, mobile enabled software and mobile forms based software. Is your company ready to provide all this?

Advantages of Using a Field Service Software

There are many advantages of using a well designed field service management system: streamlined dispatch processes, faster billing and invoicing, visibility into job details, etc. Another important benefit that may not automatically come to mind is better time keeping. A good field service software provides better time keeping and tracking of employees. A field service management solution can help in improving field workers safety. With software it is easy to maintain adherence to corporate and government-imposed safety regulations.

Field service software can help organizations monitor and manage compliance with safety policy and procedures. Safety policies rules can be formed by the company or mandated external organizations. What matter is not who mandated, but that your field engineers are following rules and are able to demonstrate this .

The best of the breed software like field force tracker can improve safety compliance. It maintains many kind essential reports that can be used for tracking policy compliance. You can attach custom forms, documents and other data in the jobs. These forms can demonstrate compliance.

Small, Medium and Large Businesses – All can benefit with FSM

Not only big businesses, small businesses can also benefit from it. An HVAC worker can upload a time-stamped photo to indicate proper ventilation. An AC installation for an indoor unit at a job site can be shown to the manager. He can even show video of a work area after it has been cleaned. They can prove that debris and equipment was properly removed after a job was completed.

Every one must use FSM software. Managers can also create mandatory task list for each job that include safety-related activities. The tasks can be associated with editable PDF forms. These pdf forms must be filled in and signed off by employees. This helps ensure compliance with safety policies and procedures and provides a safety audit.

Why Field Force Tracker

Mobile enabled, cloud-based field service software was designed to provide ease of use with incredible flexibility. Along with the ease – and speed – of our implementation and the ongoing support service that we provide we enable companies to take full advantage of today’s mobile field service.

Field Force Tracker’s power mobile apps for iPhone and Android are available to all new and existing Field Force Tracker customers. They can extend the feature set with the enhanced mobile forms capabilities, and better system integration. 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.

About Field Force Tracker – The Best Field Service Software

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.

Cloud Hosted Field Service Software

Posted on April 15, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

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 low cost. Because 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.

Benefits of Cloud Based Field Service Software

Cloud technology is revolutionizing the way that IT manages employees, data and customers. Through the adoption of cloud-centric operations, companies are realizing unprecedented flexibility by becoming unchained from the limitations of in-house data storage systems. The significant reduction in maintenance of these systems has facilitated new possibilities and opportunities to offset, or even eliminate, expenses related to data storage, access to that data throughout the company and customer account management. Cloud technology, combined with mobility, has liberated companies to get more return out of the investment into their business.

Mobility Support is Automatic

In the past, companies often had to issue mobile phones to their employees if they intended them to be used for work, or at the very least, many would provide an allowance for mobile charges. Today, however, almost everyone has a personal smart device and many have unlimited calling and data plans on their phones. This is especially a benefit for companies with field service workers that would like to update their field service management operations from manual processes to automation of their service business.

As a cost savings measure, companies are now leveraging the Bring-Your-Own Device (BYOD) concept to reduce overhead. This has become so pervasive that it’s increasingly being established as a standard of practice for employees to use their personal mobile devices for work without further compensation. The exception may be in the use of tablets as they are still considered more of a luxury item compared to the smart phone. Nevertheless, BYOD is saving companies thousands of dollars per year. This is due in part to the marriage between cloud technology and mobility.

No Infrastructure to Maintain

Some may say that cloud computing shifts investments from asset-based capital expenses (CapEx) to operational expenses (OpEx). This is not an accurate statement. While it is true that the initial investment for on-premise data storage may be made as an up-front expenditure, so can an investment in the cloud. Likewise, both can have investments paid over time.

One of the greatest benefits to investing in cloud technology is the reduction of additional expenses. On-premise data centers require maintenance; human capital hours to maintain the services, parts and accessories needed for upkeep and service, significant investment into software and application upgrades, and the ability to cover the costs for scaling the storage as usage and memory demands increase.

Cloud technology, on the other hand, does not require these additional expenses. When a company’s data is hosted through a hosting service or a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendor such as FieldAware, these expenses are absorbed through subscription fees. This reduces the need for greater working capital, enabling the investment of funds into other areas of the business.

In field service-related businesses, this could mean more funds are available to better compete in the marketplace. For example, a company may choose to invest in improving their website making it easier for a visitor to find information that will convert them to a viable lead. Or, in the case of a medical equipment manufacturer with service teams, an investment may be made into better diagnostic equipment. A heavy equipment dealer may reallocate funds to purchase a greater inventory of parts to ensure field engineers can make repairs to reduce downtime in one call or complete an upsell while on site. All of these help companies position themselves against their competition.

Better Service and Savings for Customers

Today’s savvy customer knows that they have the advantage in the market. If they decide that a business is not meeting their needs, they can easily shop to find an alternative to their current provider. What’s posted in association forums, LinkedIn groups and other digital feedback resources can help a business to retain or gain customers.

The flexibility and long-term cost savings provided through cloud technology can be a key component in competing for customers. The impact on cash flow and working capital can also provide a business the option to pass savings on to their customers. This can be realized in a few ways, such as through:

Direct reduction in the costs of goods and services to customers.
Investment into the development and improvement of existing products and services.
Training customer-facing field service engineers – they make a direct impact on the quality of the customer experience.

Each of these can provide a competitive advantage and encourage more opportunities for customers to share positive feedback in both digital forums and when referring potential new business.

A field service company that takes advantage of the cloud not only realizes cost savings, but it creates opportunities to improve their business. This freedom results in better positioning in the marketplace to win and retain customers that will not only appreciate your brand, but also evangelize your business to their peers.

About Field Force Tracker

Field Force Tracker (http://www.fieldforcetracker.com) is a leading global provider of its award winning

Integrating Field Service to Improve ROI

Posted on March 26, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

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 low cost.

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.

Whether you are looking at developing your field service strategy or starting out, how do you choose the right solution with so many on offer today? How do you ensure that you get the most from your investment?

One thing you should look for is a solution which easily integrates with your current systems, as a field service solution which is easily integrated means a much faster return on your investment (ROI.)

Here we look at the reasons why:

Ease of integration extends what you already use

With an easily integrated field service solution you don’t need to think about changing your workflow systems. Extending the life of your current systems – accounting, HR, CRM or ERP – is all important so look at field service solutions which will leverage and expand their use. You want to maximize the investment you have made in your existing systems, to increase their value to you.

Seamless integration for a quick implementation

A solution which easily integrates helps with a smooth implementation and the implementation of any new technology needs to be as quick and straightforward as possible. A lengthy implementation process will defeat its objective. So being up and running in days, not months, should be the realistic goal – delivering a much faster ROI.

Ease of use means quicker adoption

Any new technology should be easy to use and field service solutions are no exception. Overly-complicated systems will be bypassed and worked around or ignored all together. When your field service solution is easy to use alongside existing systems, the adoption by workers is quicker and inevitably means a better ROI.

Integration efficiencies streamlines the workflow

An integrated field service solution means that the two-way flow of data and information is captured just once and in a consistent and efficient way. It means that no data is left unused or delayed while waiting on paperwork submissions or for collected information to be downloaded and an audit trail is in place reducing the chance of any lost or missing information. Once implemented, the two-way flow of information means that many tasks can be automated throughout the workflow.

Integration future proofs your investment

Any software needs to be agile and able to move with the next generation. Solutions which are quick to update and roll-out will mean the business keeps pace. Developments are moving fast and with an easy to integrate solution you are able to future-proof your requirements because of the flexibility it can bring. Upgrades, changes and adaptions can all be quickly and effectively made as your business needs change and develop.

Field Force Tracker simplifies field service management. The seamless integration of our field service solutions, speed of implementation and ease of use will mean you are up and running immediately, so your business doesn’t standstill.

About Field Force Tracker

Efficient Scheduling For Field Service Management

Posted on March 25, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

A field service office is a busy office. With dispatchers trying to keep track of jobs, calls and work schedule of each employee, there can be a quite chaotic environment. The old paper and blackboard method scheduling no longer can provide efficient scheduling for a busy office.

For managing a large work force or for saving time in scheduling jobs, you need an efficient job scheduling software like Field Force Tracker. Field Force Tracker with its powerful scheduling capabilities can make it easy to schedule jobs, change schedule and assign and reassign jobs with simple clicks. Mobile Users get notified right away.

Challenges of Job Scheduling

Working in field service you face some pretty unique challenges. Companies with a field service operation often cover a range of different areas of work. They may cover everything from design work to installation, repair, renovation and service work; meaning each day is different to the last and no two jobs are the same in a day. The work may be highly complex and require specific skills, parts or tools for the individual tasks. Workflows may have a number of dependencies, which need to be stuck to, to complete the job so crews have to work well together.

For many of these companies there is also a mix of planned and emergency work throughout the day. The emergency calls that come in obviously need to be managed and worked into the day’s schedule. It means changes to the planned work and it is often difficult to make instant decisions on what needs to be changed around or moved down the priority.

Changes may be needed as jobs overrun due to their complexity, customers not being available or traffic and weather conditions impacting on a technician’s schedule.

Given that many companies still rely on paper-based processes, to some extent, in managing their field service work these challenges becomes all the greater to manage.

This brings additional difficulty to making changes to schedules and dispatch, allocating work to technicians as those in the office may not be working with all the information they need. So, the use of paper-based processes can mean a huge amount of time and resource is taken up by making the schedules for the start of the day and then managing them as changes occur throughout the day.

For any field service company, total visibility of field technicians and their work is key for complete optimization of resources and effective service delivery.

Benefits of Field Service Software Dispatching

Here are ten ways that the right scheduling solution makes a difference. The right schedule and dispatch software –like Field Force Tracker:

Gives you fast, accurate scheduling and dispatch straight from the work order all in one easy application
Enables you to make changes to accommodate incoming work – all at the touch of a button
Provides great visibility of your teams, with maps to show where all your field workers are at any time
Allows you to find the nearest worker to a job and enables better route optimization to get them to the job in the quickest time
Takes into account service regions, worker skills and location
Allows for planned, emergency and in-day tasks to be dispatched to the right, skilled technicians and engineers
Allows you to schedule crews to specific jobs, while recording each individual’s time worked and different rates per crew member on the same job
Ensures field workers have accurate information and the correct parts and equipment
Gives you visibility of assets to assign them to jobs
Provides your field technicians with job information on their mobile device and delivers the back office with job status updates in real-time

Field Force Tracker allows you to schedule your resources easily and quickly and dispatch the job to the field instantly. Our leading field service solution can transform how you run your field operation and ensure that you can get the most out of all the resources you have.

To learn more about Field Force Tracker scheduling take a look at our scheduling and dispatch video.

To find out more about Field Force Tracker’s complete solution why not view our overview video or join our 30-minute webinar.

About Field Force Tracker

Field Service CRM for Service Management

Posted on March 10, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

A business relies on its customers for its revenue. Therefore, customer relationship management (CRM) is the most important function for any business to survive. For a small business, the customer database can be maintained in spreadsheets, but for the large database, you need an efficient CRM system like Field Force Tracker.

With Field Force Tracker, you can maintain your customers, your past history, their service records, their installed equipment, their estimates, payments and invoices. Essentially you get he complete information at your finger tips.

Customer Relationship Management is Life Blood of an Organization

The key to growing any organization is in building strong and lasting relationships with customers. And in today’s fast-moving business world, how quickly you react to customer requests—from the initial touchpoint throughout the lifecycle of the relationship—ultimately determines the success of your company.

This is the Age of the Customer. Web-based technologies such as email, social media and a plethora of platforms and applications have changed the business landscape, providing more resources to communicate through and respond to customer needs. Those that create an ecosystem of customer-focused tools in their operations are able to better provide the level of service that’s required to keep customers happy and remain competitive.

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform is one these tools. Coupled with Field Force Tracker’s field service management application, CRM provides the means to keep the business aligned on the needs to the customer through sharing up-to-the-minute information throughout the lifecycle of the customer.

Benefits of Using a Service CRM

Most mid-market and enterprise-level companies with field service teams have some form of CRM in place. These systems enable them to track customer contacts, sales and marketing interactions during the relationship.

Best-in-class CRM providers are leading the way to improve the capture of day-to-day customer interactions. In addition to companies using them to build leads and capitalize on pipeline opportunities, they are also discovering more ways to increase business revenue through them.

Through mobile technology and cloud computing, field service management applications have proven to boost the capabilities of CRMs. When a CRM is integrated with customer-facing field operations through Field Force Tracker on mobile devices, it also functions to collect critical field-related data that’s not captured through the contact center.

Improving Sales Process

CRMs help businesses increase sales productivity, leading to higher lead conversions and thus, increased revenue. The ability to instantly view and track customer data, including key contacts, activity history, interactions, and quotes can assist businesses in making faster decisions—using the most up-to-date information—and closing more deals.

Field engineers who have access to this information on their mobile devices can identify and close upsell opportunities while they are onsite. They can capitalize on the fact that an existing customer is 60-70% more likely to make additional purchases. This improves the average revenue per work order and offsets costs for customer retention.

Field Force Tracker stores work order information, PDFs, photos, videos, schematics, asset information and other data, and of course, field-generated customer history within the application. Through CRM integration, however, this field-based intel is added to the information collective and can be used to qualify customers for sales promotions. This enables a business to solicit their customers according to their needs and interests beyond the contact center and the field, improving the likelihood of additional revenue.

Managing Marketing Communication

No two customers are alike. It’s important to communicate across multiple channels to ensure that each person who comes into contact with a customer has the information they need to provide a personalized, quality experience. Fueled by one-on-one interaction with customer managers and field engineers, CRMs store the collective data businesses need to craft targeted messaging, programs and promotions that will resonate with their base.

They also provide automation of marketing processes across the entire customer lifecycle. Data from prospect and customer engagement can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts. In addition, CRMs may also help companies to manage and monitor advertising and mentions across social media – a critical step in listening to customer feedback, gauging advocacy and understanding the influence a business has on its market.

CRM Integration with Mobile Field Service Management

The integration of CRM with field service management facilitates a system for nurturing of customers. In the field, the engineer is able to deliver a higher level of service by interacting from a better understanding of the customer’s history and their requests.

After a service call is completed, Field Force Tracker automatically syncs the information that has been collected in the field with the CRM in the service center. This creates immediate unity throughout all parts of the business regarding the interaction with the customer and the state of their assets.

This information in hand, a company can then choose to send an automated message to the customer thanking them for their business. They may also preschedule a follow-up for an on-site sale that the field engineer completed or for warranty support. This level of responsive, intuitive service improves productivity through streamlined data sharing, as well as delivers a better experience for the customer, thereby improving customer retention.

From an executive standpoint, the marriage between CRM and field service management produces up-to-the-minute visibility to make key business decisions related to the state of the customers. With the speed at which the business landscape is evolving, having access to this data throughout the full customer lifecycle positions business executives to make more strategic choices based off of facts.

Having insight into all facets of customer interaction enables companies to respond to customer requests with knowledge of what’s important to them. CRMs, especially when integrated with Field Force Tracker’s field service management, deliver the ability to understand customer behavior from the first touchpoint, through the pipeline and throughout their relationship with a business. This affords businesses the opportuntity to truly understand their customers, nurture those relationships and improve their bottom line.