The field service industry grows stronger and more extensive with every passing day. As of 2021, there were roughly 22.000 field service technicians employed in the USA, and labor demand for these critical jobs has increased since that.
The most crucial metric in the field-service industry, beyond any doubt, is productivity in the field. The profit of a company is directly connected to the amount of work that field technicians do on the field at any given moment.
For that reason, companies that want to increase their profits need to keep track of operations and their successful and timely completion in the field. This way, they can stay ahead of the competition, maximize revenue, achieve high customer satisfaction, and lower costs.
When field production is reduced for whatever cause, the profit margin is also reduced. That is unacceptable in today’s ultra-competitive environment. Consequently, productivity must be a top priority for field service providers. Sadly, it is an ongoing struggle.
For example, during their work, field technicians regularly need to go back and forth to their office or get delayed by customer problems. As a result, time and resources are wasted in this situation, and new and existing customers get frustrated with the provided service.
However, with the help of technology, your company can easily overcome these issues. Below we will present to you the ways that you can utilize technology to increase the productivity of your field service teams.
Using Specialized Software Is A Must For Proper Scheduling
It goes without saying that your field service teams need the best equipment possible to be as efficient as possible. However, it is not enough to provide them with the latest mobile devices. What really makes the difference is utilizing specialized field service software.
Such all-in-one scheduling software can be a game-changer for your company. For instance, it might take a long time to track down crew members in the field and ensure they have all of the necessary papers to finish the task. Instead, by using proper dispatch scheduling software, scheduling and dispatch teams may assign field tasks with the touch of a button, adapt as the day progresses, and deliver fresh information to technicians when they need it.
Get Drones To Reach Difficult Terrains
Drones are becoming an ever-increasing necessity in the field service industry, not just a cool gadget. Your team of field service technicians must often overcome rugged terrain and remote areas to handle issues. In the oil industry, for example, drones have become irreplaceable pieces of equipment, as oil companies use them for mapping pipelines and inspecting and monitoring lines.
In that context, a drone can help you reach remote places, but also it keeps your workers safe, saving them the hazardous climbs or descent in dangerous areas. It can also save you a lot of resources as drones with cameras can visit the site and search for issues before an actual team is dispatched.
Invest In Data Management Solutions
The overwhelming majority of field service professionals asked about issues in their work say that accessing reliable, timely data is essential to the success of their operations. But when asked about the quality of the field data in question, a small number of them evaluated it as satisfactory.
This problem can be easily solved with specialized software investments that properly manage and keep data safe. Many of the available solutions offer increased access to data and provide technicians with the customer asset info held in an enterprise system, including complete maintenance histories and knowledge management systems that aid repairs.
Consider Implementing A Self-Service Portal
Nothing is more frustrating than an overwhelmed call center staff. It happens frequently that a customer will call your customer support line to ask about the service, the identity of the technician, or something alike. This information needs to be delivered in a matter of minutes for the call service to be satisfactory, leaving the team with less time to answer calls about bigger or more complicated problems.
Customers may be better off using a self-service portal to resolve minor difficulties, make appointments on their own, and verify information on services, allowing call center agents to boost their productivity and focus on things that add greater value to the company.
Final Thoughts
Investment in technology is significant for your company to stay in business and thrive. There is an ever-expanding field of technology that your company can invest in and bear the fruits of those investments later on. In an economy where technological advancements push the limits of business further and further, it is perilous to stay behind and leave your field technicians with obsolete technologies.
Productivity heavily relies on technological improvements and investments, so get that board meeting set up as quickly as possible and find financial instruments to support your people on the field. Field technicians with reliable, up-to-date equipment and resources are the best thing that can happen to your business.
