As part of Field Force Tracker’s current mobility campaign, we discuss what to expect from mobility as tool in modern field service.

Using Mobility to Meet Field Service Goals

Before we discuss what is needed of field service mobility, it is important to understand the goals of any successful mobility organization. A field service organization is a revenue enabler for the manufacturing organization. But for a small service business, it is the business in itself. So what should be the objectives? Lets discuss those.
Best-in-Class organizations have four main target areas (in order of priority):

• Improve customer retention and loyalty
• Improve service-related profitability
• Improve quality / relevance of service data
• Improve service information capabilities (i.e. mobility, knowledge sharing)

Focus on Mobility

With advancements in field service management software going hand-in-hand with the mobile evolution, the focus in service operations is quite firmly now on the field worker themselves.
This is quite right too. The technician or engineer has long been the face of the organization and often the only direct contact a customer will have, so the customer experience they are able to deliver counts for a great deal.
The technician needs a mobile solution which helps them to do their job in the best possible way.

The technician needs a mobile solution which helps them to do their job in the best possible way. The workflow to and from the back office has to be seamless as this quick and easy access to information enables better decision-making and ultimately improved resolution.
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 task at hand but also what has happened before and why.

Knowledge of the different elements of the task are often fundamental in the delivery of service excellence and turning up to site with this information at hand or having access to it, as we know from business or personal experience, delivers an improved customer experience.

Maximizing Value of Field Service Mobility

Any mobility solution should be easy to use. Overly-complicated systems will be bypassed and worked around or ignored all together
From working with a range of companies, who are either looking at developing their mobile strategy or starting out from scratch, we’ve found that there are some common principals.

Ease of integration is key. You don’t need to have to think about changing your whole field service solution. Extending the life of current systems is all important so look at mobile solutions which will leverage and expand their use.

Implementation 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.

Any mobility solution should be easy to use. Overly-complicated systems will be bypassed and worked around or ignored all together. The easier to use, the quicker the adoption and the better the ROI.
All mobility software needs to be agile and able to move with the next generation of mobility. Developments are moving fast, so providers keeping their solutions up to speed is important.

It is crucial for any mobility solution to work across mixed digital devices. The apps will need to work across different operating systems too.

Vitally, mobility is about the anytime, anywhere access to information and it is essential that your solution makes it as easy as possible to achieve this.

Next Evolution in the Mobility

Real-time communication technology, combined with field service automation solutions will bring service businesses an entirely new way to communicate across the organization and with customers.
We’re excited about embedded communications in mobility, as with customer expectations higher than ever, the ability to streamline the service process and deliver faster, better service creates a richer customer experience.
Real-time communication technology, combined with field service automation solutions will bring service businesses an entirely new way to communicate across the organization and with customers.

As an example, innovative collaboration tools improve task completion through real-time contact with remote experts through a smart phone or tablet, for improved first-time resolution rates. These capabilities are akin to augmented reality without the prohibitive costs of the hardware. Remote experts can assist multiple technicians, so speeding up the completion and accuracy of the work, while balancing the cost of an organizations service delivery.

At Field Force Tracker we see this as a game changer for any company focused on enhancing the customer experience.