A Field Service Software to Cover Full Service Management

Posted on August 20, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

The Cloud technologies, Mobile phones and 5G networks are proving to be a god send for the field service companies. Ubiquitous availability of network connectivity has made it possible to move paper based field operations to mobile phone and tablet based solutions. The use of modern devices like iPhone or iPAD is increasing in the field service industry. This article describes how cloud based Field Service software or Field Service CRM like Field Force Tracker can help you in better managing your FSM business. It can contribute in increasing customer satisfaction, generate new business, improve job satisfaction and at the same time, improve your company’s profitability.

Before we discuss further, the role of FSM on the changing landscape, we would like to understand the field force tracker software. It is the best of breed field service software. It is a comprehensive end to end solution taking care of all your needs.

Field force tracker provides “end-to-end” solution for all your service needs. Below we outline all the different areas of a field service business addressed by our best of breed field service management software system. Field force tracker was designed to be the best software. Any field service management software needs to be designed to deal with flexible and variable work flows of field service organizations. FSM software should empower field personnel to deliver exceptional value to customers.

Work Order Capture and Job Scheduling

The smart scheduler in field force tracker provides a comprehensive view of all jobs and gives office staff a single pane of view into work both planned and in progress. Many filters available on scheduler panel views allow schedulers to drill down into specific departments, crews, locations etc. As new work orders are created (whether on a mobile device in the field or in the office), scheduling staff need to be able to quickly assign jobs based on resources and skills available. Technicians need to be assigned, deployed and managed easily by the job dispatcher.

Efficient Job Dispatch and Employee Tracking

In addition to a schedule view, schedulers need a map view to locate field resources and customers and make smart job assignments. Being able to see mobile technician/engineer locations in real time means they can optimize scheduling. There is no need to make phone calls just to find out who’s closest to the next job. Field technicians need to know where they’re going next and how to get there.

Information for the Job Completion

When a technician arrives at a customer job site, they need to information to do the job. They can get the right answers quickly so they can get to work. That means mobile access to the entire work history of a customer, including any equipment documentation, photos etc. Whether they were the last one to visit the customer or not, the information flow is always seamless.

Completing the Job

A job must be done to perfection. Consistent and complete customer service is the goal of task management team. Using Mobile, technicians can see all the tasks to be performed on a given job as promised to the customer. They also need to know what customer assets are installed. Also, where those assets are located and what the repair history of each one is. As jobs are completed and items (parts, forms, etc.) are used, they can record them. The back office immediately knows the current status of parts. Any pre-work or post-work signatures can be captured right on their tablet or mobile phones.

Updating Inventory

Companies maintain big stock of inventories. Inventories are expensive to maintain. Therefore, correct levels are very important. Field Force Tracker lets you deal with maintaining inventory.

Also, discovering additional opportunities for revenue is important. It should be part of every workflow. Technicians need reminders to sell recurring service contracts, additional services, etc. as part of their normal routine. If an opportunity is unearthed, they need to create a quote right there on the spot while it’s top of mind. They can generate the quotes right away.

Invoicing and Quoting

Field Force Tracker provides powerful Invoice and Quote maintenance system. You can generate invoices and quotes using mobile devices. We have a very powerful system with many customization to quotes and Invoices.

Track Time and Timesheets

You can invoice a client right away in the field using mobile app. Field technicians have the option of emailing an invoice as soon as a customer signs off on the work. Field-based workers shouldn’t have to punch a clock back at the office to keep track of time worked. Time tracking is built in to their workflow. As technicians start jobs, end jobs and travel in between the system should keep a running log that can be pulled into time reports. Field Force Tracker does this and a lot more.

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

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).

Making Use of Field Service Reports – Part 2

Posted on October 4, 2016January 19, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Service managers need to understand the quality and effectiveness of their service delivery. The lack of service measurements is one such area that lacks in paper base or simple home grown systems. This article describes how field service software can help you better understand the effectiveness of your service delivery. Using extensive analytics information of Field Force Tracker’s reporting module, you can measure the effectiveness for field services in your organization.

Service companies are trying to move to electronic model of providing services. Paper based operation is too slow to address customer concerns and cannot provide suitable data analysis. Field Force Tracker is the most comprehensive software for field service management. It takes care of everything from customer management to the payment collection for a service company. By using this software, our clients can see major improvement in their productivity and the customer satisfaction.

Field Service Reports can Make a Big Difference

Managers with responsibility for operational and service areas of the business, need to know what is happening in their organization at any time, that is a given. The manager needs to have this visibility, from wherever they are. Whether they are in the office or out and about they need to have a good understanding of what is actually happening. Not from what was planned for the day or from what they are being told, but what is happening in real-time and at any time.

Information needs to be simple to access. It needs to be easy to understand, accurate and instant. Ideally access to job status, customer information, location information, asset information and notifications should all be in one place.

The ultimate of any field service solution is quite simply better visibility of the workflow to and from the field. Ease of integration is a key part of any new solution as 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 to be finished or for collected information to be downloaded and an audit trail is in place reducing the chance of any lost or missing information.

All areas of the business can then have visibility of what they need to access, making their work more straightforward and productive.

Different Stakeholders of Field Service Reports

Here we look at the benefits different parts of the business can get from the improved visibility that field service solutions bring:

The Business Owner/Manager or Company CEOs

For the business owner, or manager, reports can be easily accessed on any criteria as systems are linked and ‘speak’ to each other. The health of the business can be easily monitored and customizable reports can be run on jobs, revenue, inventory, employee hours, customer surveys, invoices and customer data.

Profitability can be reviewed by customer, service or product allowing focus on driving higher overall revenue and increased margins.

The Service Managers or Service Directors

The service manager can see real-time status updates of all jobs (scheduled, started, paused, completed) across the teams and also assess the productivity of individual staff members across jobs and tasks.

Workflow can become automated reducing paperwork and eliminating lost or delayed time through scheduling improvements and job completion rates.

They have this visibility from wherever they are, whether in the office or not as all information can be easily accessed through their mobile device.

Service Administrator/Dispatcher

For the team in the office they can assign jobs faster with improved scheduling, increasing the number of jobs field technicians receive due to the reduced time. There is real-time visibility for scheduling and updating of jobs, significantly faster capture of customer information and service requests and the distribution of work orders is instantaneous.

There are significant time savings from the reduction or elimination of paperwork and the team or individual is then able to be more productive on other tasks.

The Field Technicians

For a field worker improved visibility, through an integrated mobile solution, means they can do their job in the best possible way. Critical information can be accessed and shared in real time in the office and the field. Through integration with other back office systems, the field worker has access to the job history and customer records allowing for a more detailed understanding of not only the job they are going to but also what has happened before and why. Turning up to site and having this information on the job detail to hand or having access to it, means there is better chance of job resolution on this first visit and all the benefits this brings to an organization, the technician and the customer.

People Management Managers

As the work gets recorded, the work and travel time can be accurately recorded for allocating to customer accounts and also through integration with other systems, the data can be exported into HR applications. This part of the automated process helps to limit erroneous overtime costs and reduce payroll errors.

Finance and Accounting Managers

For those in the finance team invoices can be automated immediately upon job completion. A work order, for example, can be issued, then on job completion the customer can be invoiced immediately, achieving a quicker payment cycle through this order to cash automation. Data can be transferred electronically between systems, making accounting and payroll tasks more efficient and accurate.

Financial reporting becomes more straightforward as customizable reports include all the relevant information on revenue, costs and employees.

Real-time visibility provides many of the answers a field service organization will need to better-manage the day to day operations and deal with whatever the day demands across the entire business.

About Field Force Tracker

Best Hvac Service Software

Posted on June 17, 2016January 19, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Field Force Tracker is the most comprehensive software for field service management. It takes care of everything from customer management to the payment collection for a service company. By using this software, our clients can see major improvement in their productivity and the customer satisfaction.

hvac company challenges

HVAC companies face some unique challenges in field service.

For many, some or all of their work can be emergency calls which come in that day. These then need to be prioritized and worked into the day’s schedule as soon as possible, but this then means changes to the planned work and it is understandably difficult to make on the spot decisions about what should give.

Many HVAC companies we speak to are still relying on paper-based processes to some extent in managing their workflow. This brings additional difficulty to making changes to schedules and allocating work to technicians as those in the office may not be working with all the information they need.

HVAC companies often also cover a lot of different areas of work. These are highly complex and require the right 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. Many companies cover everything from design to install, renovation and service work, meaning each day is different to the last.

The use of paper-based processes can mean that up to date information is not available until a few days after the work has been completed, so delays occur in checking stock, re-ordering parts and getting out invoices.

A further issue that HVAC companies face is how fast the industry is evolving. Equipment is becoming smarter with HVAC units becoming much more complex and more connected and intelligent buildings are growing in their popularity. Customer expectations increase alongside this technological evolution and service delivery must keep pace with these advancements.

Here we look at how some of our Field Force Tracker HVAC customers overcame the issues they faced in their evolving businesses and see the benefits and results they achieved.

Eliminating Paperwork

One of our customers had a paper-based work order system they’d been using for decades that was inefficient and expensive. Technicians had to visit the office every day, so travel costs were high and technicians had less time for jobs. Processing the paperwork meant significant administrative overhead and time as it took 7-10 days to invoice customers from the job completion.

Field Force Tracker solved the paper problem. All work orders are now generated and submitted electronically. As a result, the company:

Significantly reduced the number of office trips by technicians, cutting travel costs and increasing revenue-producing hours.
Eliminated the need for administrative overhead dedicated invoicing.
Decreased the time from service completion to invoice from days to minutes.

More Efficient Service Calls and Improved Cash Flow

Another HVAC company realized that cloud-based technology was the best way to make their business processes more efficient, and maximize profits. They have both residential and commercial customers, so wanted a solution that could handle both. Through using Field Force Tracker they now can connect with a specific technician or multiple technicians to assign jobs or alert them of a new/changed job, which they can see on the mobile app. The dispatch capabilities provide alerts, location tracking and GPS routing. It also works as a time sheet to ensure that work is being recorded. The price book in the app means that an estimate can be emailed, which the customer can sign off, saving time as well as keeping an accurate account of what has been done.

They estimate saving 40-60 hours a week. “No time is wasted, the technicians get jobs faster, and we can track the job status so they can immediately go to the next job. Jobs are completed more quickly, so we can schedule more jobs per day with the saved time.”

The highest praise comes for the accounting features. “The easy sync with QuickBooks eliminates double entry of invoices in our accounting system and we can simply e-mail invoices to customers.”

Better Customer Service

One of our HVAC customer was looking for ways to reduce paperwork and increase the profitability of their business as well as deliver even better service to customers. Prior to Field Force Tracker the dispatcher would receive calls and dispatch jobs to the technicians through manual text messages. Technicians would write out paper estimates on site and then return completed work orders to the office at the end of day, causing extra drive time and lag time.

Now, the dispatcher can quickly review each technician’s status using the scheduler and assign new jobs to the next available technician. On site, technicians can collect more information with the mobile app. For instance, the tech can record the model and serial number of each piece of equipment. “With this type of information stored in the customer’s record, we can easily determine what parts are needed to complete the job.”

They also use Field Force Tracker reports to predict customer needs. “If I see that 20 of our customers have the same furnace model, it makes sense to start carrying replacement parts for that model.” That means faster service since they no longer have to order parts through their distributor when the need arises. Instead the trucks are fully-stocked with the proper parts.

Field Force Tracker leads the way in simplifying field service for HVAC companies. Our solutions let you automate your field work – from dispatching work to updating job info on site and instantly sending electronic invoices – all from our easy to use mobile app.

Best Cloud Based Filed Service Software

About Field Force Tracker

Ease of Use Is Key For Deploying Field Service Software Successfully

Posted on March 9, 2016January 21, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Service managers are working to improve the quality and effectiveness of their service delivery. Deploying a good field service software can improve their ability to provide better management of their resources. This article explains that ease of use the most important feature for the success of any software deployment. A good software can help everyone in the company to better manage the effectiveness of your service delivery. Using extensive capabilities of Field Force Tracker’s software, you can improve the effectiveness for field services in your organization.

Importance of ease of Use

Both managers and technicians report that the key to any technology implementation is ease of use. If the software is not usable, then what is the point of deploying it? The technicians need to love the software.

To reach their full potential, field service solutions need to be easy to use to make doing jobs easier, faster and better. When that solution is easy to use, adoption is quicker and in many cases, can be used as a job benefit that helps staff satisfaction. However, overly complex solutions can make the adoption process long and expensive, which defeats the objective of using it – if it gets used at all. Choose solutions that offer one-click information capture, are built to be used in the field and give the field teams a simple way to collect, share and view everything they need to get the job done right, first time.

Taking time to learn new, complicated ways of working can mean resistance. Workers may well look to go back to the way things used to be done or patch together their own, individual ways of using the solution.

But with a solution that is easy to use the implementation is easier and a quicker adoption means a better ROI.

For a field worker using the right mobile solution means they are able to do their job in the best possible way, and this enables better decision-making and improved resolution.

While improved customer satisfaction may be a key objective for any service organization, the right mobile solution also means worker satisfaction. Technicians report that the right mobility solution brings great advantages. The workflow becomes easier so job completion rates improve and all the benefits that this brings to the field technicians, customers and the service organization.

Smartphones and tablets are everywhere and owned by nearly everyone so it’s a tool you should take advantage of. Made-for-mobile field service apps can be downloaded, used by everyone instantly and don’t require new hardware – just download and go. Look for a field service solution that is designed for the mobile environment specifically and has the ability for mobile workers to use the app offline (when a network signal is not available) so there is no loss of data while they are out in the field. Another benefit is the reduction in paperwork – no more filling in forms day after day and no more having to re-key it in.

More technicians are happy to use their own devices – bring your own device (BYOD) – in their work and this often plays a part in the success of new mobility solutions. Reports show that there is generally quicker user adoption with BYOD, greater employee satisfaction and lower costs for the organization.

Both managers and technicians report that the key to any technology implementation is ease of use.

But with a solution that is easy to use the implementation is easier and a quicker adoption means a better ROI.

For a field worker using the right mobile solution means they are able to do their job in the best possible way, and this enables better decision-making and improved resolution.

Why Field Force Tracker

About Field Force Tracker

Tips For Selecting Field Service Software

Posted on February 18, 2016January 21, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Service managers are under great pressure to improve the quality and effectiveness of their service delivery. Proper field service software can help them provide better management of their resources. Service managers no longer need to rely on paper based, or simple home grown systems. This article describes the tips for selecting the best field service software which can help you better manage the effectiveness of your service delivery. Using extensive capabilities of Field Force Tracker’s software, you can improve the effectiveness for field services in your organization.

Selecting Field Service Software

For organizations wanting to improve the efficiency of their field service operations, investment in technology plays a big part in achieving this. For many companies, choosing and implementing a solution can become complex and potential efficiency gains are being missed, meaning organizations are not seeing the full return from their investment.

Field Force Tracker leads the way in simplifying field service and have compiled the following tips to help you get the best results from your investment.

Efficient Dispatching of Employees

Most field service companies now use some form of technology, but there are a lot still operating with paper-based systems for all or part of what they do. Those that still work on paper report that they understand this is a disadvantage and affects their ability to be competitive. With an automated workflow, a service call comes in, it’s captured electronically, dispatched to a field technician’s smartphone, and then available for invoicing upon completion – all within one system. The core workflow is processed instantly without the unnecessary bottlenecks of a paper work order.

Accelerate your payment cycles

It goes without saying that the longer it takes to get payment for your work, the more it impacts your business. As a result, you should do everything possible to reduce the time it takes to get an invoice for completed work to your customer. That requires the information for the invoice to be in electronic form so that it can flow directly from the work order without any additional data entry. A work order, for example, can be issued, then on job completion the customer can be invoiced immediately, achieving a quicker payment cycle through this order to cash automation.

Optimum Resource Scheduling

Improving your ability to handle service requests efficiently has a direct impact on your business, but the day changes as emergency jobs come in, jobs may take longer than planned and traffic delays affect the original schedule. To improve efficiency, service companies use scheduling tools to streamline the process of capturing and dispatching service requests, saving as much as 80% over the effort of a paper-based process. Electronic scheduling also provides visibility for real-time monitoring of assigned jobs and field staff availability. Additionally, centralizing the scheduling data allows all required staff to view it as needed, reducing the number of status requests your dispatcher has to fulfill.

Mobile Applications for Field Technicians

Today’s mobile technology gives businesses an opportunity to communicate with their mobile workforce more efficiently than ever. If you are not leveraging the everyday technology of smartphones, for example, you’re missing a golden opportunity to increase your overall efficiency through improved communication.

By using technology you may already have (or your technician may be happy to use their own) means you can make use of field service software without the need to buy servers, hardware or other expensive wireless equipment for field staff.

Improved Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is critical to a successful field service business. An automated field service solution can make sure you seamlessly deliver the level of service your customers are looking for. Your solution should be centralized so that all of your staff have access to the same customer information. It should be available 24/7 from anywhere you might be when you need it. It should include service history so that you and your field technicians know the full story.

Putting All Information on Your Finger Tips

In order to really understand your business, you need to be able to measure the performance metrics that are important to you. Analytical reports that can illustrate any aspect of your operational workflow means you get real-time business metrics at a glance, while also having access to ad hoc reports that can answer any anomalies that occur. While it’s good to know that your field techs are completing 30% more jobs than they did last month, it’s even better to know why so you can capitalize on it.

For the best results, you need a solution that meets your business needs. Field Force Tracker helps field service companies simplify this decision-making and is provided via technology you already have: smartphones and the internet.

Why Field Force Tracker

About Field Force Tracker

Choosing a Mobile Device for Better Field Service

Posted on May 17, 2015January 25, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Field Force Tracker is designed to manage your mobile Field Workers Using Mobile apps. The mobile apps let you manage your work order in the fields, invoice customers, update the job status and do many other things.

Mobile Field Workers can use their mobile Phone to manage entire cycle of the job. They can change the state of the job; they can invoice a customer in the field and they can create new estimates.

Field Force Tracker Mobile Apps For Field Service Management

We provide Field Force Tracker Mobile apps on iPhone and Android phones or tablets. So you can use your favorite device to use the mobile app.

Field Fore Tracker Mobile apps are designed for the ease of use. You can use them without much training. Features are well laid out. Graphics user interface is easy to use and self intuitive.

They are the most powerful apps for the field service operation.

How to Choose Mobile Device For Field Service

With so mobile device out there, how do you choose the right one for your field technicians? Above all else, you need a mobile device that will work for your technicians in the environments they are working in. You will also need to make sure that your software and mobile apps operate seamlessly on any device. This ensures that they can get the most flexibility and productivity out of the device.

Best Mobile App for Field Service — Best Mobile App For Field Service

Key to Mobile Selection For Field Service Operation

Every one has a mobile phone these days so it is better to use what your employees already have. It can save you cost of new devices. But, if you are planning to buy new field service devices for your field force here are some ideas for mobile device selection.

UNDERSTAND IMPORTANT TASKS FIELD TECHNICIANS NEED TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE MOBILE

Every Field Service Business industry is different because every equipment requires different tool set, skills and operating paradigm. The most important criteria is to understand what you need from technicians or what you expect them to do in the field.

Mobile devices can be used for many useful applications.

Do they need to do a lots of data entry in the field? Capture signature from the customers at the end of field service? Calling the customer sites and supervisors? Are they familiar with the service area or do they need to relay on hands-free navigation in the phone? Do they need Bar code scanning for the equipment identification or they need ? Do they need Camera capabilities to capture after or pre-service photos? Do your field technicians need GPS/hands-free navigation? Having a full list of these tasks is key, and confirm with both your hardware and software vendors if those capabilities are available on the device.

For your information Field Force Tracker mobile apps provide all these capabilities and more.

If there is a lot of entry or more complex use required, your technicians may prefer the extra real estate of a tablet versus a smart phone. If traveling light is a goal, have a technician or two test out doing the data entry/debrief process on a smart phone (and don’t forget about the voice-to-text feature).

UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR FIELD SERVICE OPERATION

Some field technician’s work involves visit to air-conditioned offices and buildings. Some technicians need to go to dusty construction sites.

The important to consider is the service environment. Is there any place safe to put down a laptop or tablet? Or do your techs need to keep the device in a pocket? Will they be operating from a tight ladder or in a tight space? What kind of durability is needed? Are there any rules about using certain devices (for example, no cell phones near hospital equipment, or only non-sparking equipment near a gas pipeline).

Smart phones are the obvious choice in a tight environment, but certain environmental requirements like these may require specialized equipment or a ruggedized laptop.

Despite some initial hesitancy about how brittle iPads might be in the field, many field service users report very little breakage both with and without cases like the Otter Box. Techs love iPads, treat them with great care, and the majority of users report that replacement costs are less than they budgeted for initially.

KNOW WHAT ELSE THE TECHNICIAN NEEDS TO ACCESS

A device that can be used for things other than field service can do multiple roles.

Most organizations want to move to smaller devices and free the technician from having to carry a full load of equipment like a laptop, but sometimes other applications (often for calibration or schematics) are a requirement. If this is the case for your organization, you have two options – put everything on the laptop together, or utilize a two-device strategy. Laptop for some apps and any heavy duty data entry or complex tasks, and a smartphone (which they probably need to carry anyway) for simple tasks like driving directions to the site, signature capture, calling the customer, light debrief, or parts lookup.

“Smartphones are the obvious choice in a tight environment, but certain environmental requirements may require specialized equipment or a ruggedized laptop.”

About Field Force Tracker – Field Service Dispatch Software

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 to meet the challenges associated with managing and running complex service operations. It helps improving the productivity of their mobile workforces.

With Field Force Tracker customers can create service schedule and route quickly, dispatch sooner, collect accurate information immediately 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 used for service management in a wide range of industries including HVAC, Property Management, Cleaning, IT services, Contractors, IT management, and Maintenance service firms.