Mobile Apps are changing the Field Service Landscape

Posted on September 16, 2017January 17, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

Benefits of Using Integrated Field Service Software

Posted on May 18, 2016January 19, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Service managers are working to improve the quality and effectiveness of their service delivery. However, using improper field service software can hinder their ability to provide better management of their resources. This article describes the benefits of integrated field service software which 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.

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.

Organizations often work with a mix of different solutions for their day to day field service operations. This might be because the organization has outgrown original systems so other solutions have been brought in or have been bolted on or that the workflow is so specific to them, that they can’t find one solution that fits all their needs.

Whatever the reason the result can often mean that systems are used in isolation and data from one system doesn’t always work with others.

This can be frustrating and costly to a business as it can mean that data has to be entered into each system individually, taking time to do. If this input is needed multiple times there is also the risk of mistakes being made or data missed.

The Business Benefits of Integrated Field Service Software

The ultimate of any field service solution is quite simply a better workflow to and from the field. Ease of integration is a key part of any new solution as there is no need to upgrade the entire end-to-end system to simply allow this better workflow. There will have been significant investment into existing systems and extending the life of these systems is important.

For a business 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.

The Business Owner/Manager or CEO

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 Manager or Service Director

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. The team in the office can assign jobs faster with the improved scheduling and eliminate paper work with distribution of electronic work orders

The Field Technician or Your Field Employees

For a field worker 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.

Finance and Accounting Department

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.

Good integration of field service management solutions improves efficiencies, from the first call to the final invoice, by providing visibility throughout the business. This can feel like it is going to be an overwhelming task, but it doesn’t have to be.

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

Using Mobile Applications for Field Service

Posted on January 17, 2016January 21, 2022 by Field Force Tracker

Smart Mobile phone are everywhere, and mobile networks have become very reliable. This is the right time to deploy Mobile applications for field service. This article describes some changes how mobility will impact field service in the future. Using information here, you can develop a case for field service software 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. 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.

The question is asked about what mobility will look like in future. A recent study in field service technologies states that an interesting starting point for this is to look at what their survey respondents said when asked about why they were investing in field mobility.

The Field Service Technologies survey found that nearly half of all respondents state their primary objective with their field mobility investment is maximizing productivity. This was followed by 35% saying that improving the customer experience is most important.

Whatever your reasons for looking at investing in field mobility this year, You can always benefit by deploying mobile based software. Below we describe four ways to maximize your advantages from any investment that you make in a field service software.

Easy Integration With Existing Processes

Organizations with a team of workers out in the field often use a mix of different solutions and technologies to carry out their work. There are many different parts to the workflow and different systems are used to oversee these. This can often mean that systems are used in isolation and data from one system doesn’t always ‘talk’ to others.

Back office processes are essential to any service operation, so a field service solution which integrates easily with the existing systems is important. This means that all parts of the business and the workflow can be connected. There is visibility of the work and the day’s performance and decisions can be based on real-time information.

Make Better Use of your Existing Systems

Integrating with back office systems (such as accounting systems, ERPs or CRMs) means that the worker out in the field has access to the job history and customer records. They can get information about the job they are going to and also, if they need to, see what has happened before and why. Knowing the details of the job like this can make the difference between being able to sort out the problem first time or not. This means delivering better customer service, as well as reducing the need for further visits to fix the problem.

Get Up and Running Quickly for a Better Return

With any new solution, how fast you can be up and running is key. A solution which integrates easily with existing systems will be far quicker to implement – a great benefit in any technology choice. Being up and running in days, not weeks, months or even years, means your business is not affected and you get a better return on your investment as it starts straight away.

Keep it Simple

Managers and technicians all report that the difference between good and bad technology choices is often how easy it is to use. Taking time to learn new, complicated ways of working can mean that workers don’t like them and may go back to the way things used to be done or patch together their own way of working round it. With a solution that is easy to use alongside existing systems, the implementation is easier and the quicker people start using it, again the better the return on the investment.

Even if you are not 100% sure of your field service technology needs today and where to make that investment, with an easy to integrate solution you are able to future-proof your requirements because of the flexibility it can bring. It is provided via technology you already have – smartphones and internet – and upgrades, changes and adaptions can all be quickly and effectively made as your business needs change and develop.

For the best results, you need a solution that meets your business needs. Field Force Tracker helps field service companies simplify this decision-making of where to invest.

About Field Force Tracker