When it comes to mobility for Field Service Management, change is good. Making field service more mobile may feel like disruption, but the process brings with it many benefits. Advances in mobile computing and software enable your team to function more effectively and contribute to stronger customer relationships. Here are some of the benefits of mobility for field service that we have seen while working with many clients implementing cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for field service management.
Better Customer Retention
Field Service operations has long been a department fraught with time-consuming, hands-on processes. Clipboards, faxes and last-minute phone calls have been the norm. Indeed, field service has always been a highly mobile area of a business, just not enabled by mobile technology. Technicians are often the last to know about substitutions, payment issues, scope of work or problems associated with scheduling. This can result in a negative experience for the customer, who may even start to anticipate that something always goes wrong in field appointments. As your techs scramble to keep up with details, or arrive missing critical parts and so forth, customers start to believe they cannot count on successful and complete service calls.
ERP mobile cloud field service software offers a way out of this trap. It puts the field tech in constant digital contact with the home office, along with systems for scheduling, inventory, billing and customer support. Mobile field service software makes techs prepared for their appointments, able to anticipate the parts they need while being aware of customer’s contract standing and warranties. Thus armed, the tech becomes an agent of customer engagement, contributing to a sustainable relationship and high rates of customer retention.
Learn more in How Field Service Companies Can Exceed Customer Expectations with Acumatica Cloud ERP.
Better Communication
Traditional systems for managing data when technicians are in the field tend to be deficient. With mobile ERP for field service, techs can easily communicate with each other, the main office, customers and suppliers. Younger technicians, themselves comfortable with modern devices and apps, can be easily managed in the field. They are virtually connected with more senior employees who may be needed on a more complicated call, yet can assist by communicating through the software.
Mobile Technology as a Driver of Better Field Service
The Internet of Things (IoT) can enable proactive customer support. IoT equipment sensors will monitor everyday functions of essential machinery in real-time. With mobile field service software connected to IoT devices, technicians and/or field service departments are able to receive automated updates or alerts when machines are in need of maintenance. Customers are informed straight away, and issues are resolved with little to no downtime. Technicians themselves are able upload new versions of IoT software and even remotely reboot equipment without visiting the site.
Learn more in Advantages of Mobile Capabilities for Field Service.
A Smoother Work Day
Mobility has had a positive impact on the day-to-day experiences of field service management employees. Technicians have more organized and transparent workloads. Their supervisors do not have to make multiple phone calls to figure out where they are and what they’re doing. Everyone has more clarity regarding scheduling, supplies and work order changes because operations has implemented mobile device data capture and transactional data is automatically uploaded.
Less Confusion, Because Everyone Is in the Loop
Moving a company to ERP mobile field service software should lead to a decline in the confusion that is endemic to field service departments. It seamlessly connects all stakeholders with the same updated information available on multiple devices on multiple platforms in many locations. The toolset makes dispatching go more smoothly, too, enhancing efficiency and streamlining the various workstreams that support field service.
Mobility is the Future of Field Service
Mobile field service software is definitely the future of field service. It’s almost inevitable. The question is how extensive your company’s mobile field service technology will be. Now is a good time to start thinking about it. As we have seen in case after case, the software makes life easier for everyone involved while simultaneously bolstering customer relationships.
If you’re not sure where to start, you’re not alone. It can be a bit daunting to determine the best approach to implementing mobile field service software. The technology cuts across multiple processes, organizational structures and systems. We can help. We’ve taken many clients through the process of designing and deploying mobile field service software. To learn more, or see a demo, contact us and we can talk.
Additional Field Service Resources
What is Field Service Management Software and Why You Need It