There’s an old adage in business that applies to many different functional areas. A few encapsulate the meaning of the way that data entry does: Put good in, get good out. In computer science, the adage has a slight twist—garbage in, garbage out—and an acronym, GIGO. Whatever your phrase preference, the meaning is the same. If you’re doing something wrong up front, you can expect the outcome of those efforts to also be wrong.
When it comes to data entry, “garbage in” can spell bad news for field service management organizations’ operations. Data entry errors can result in technicians showing up at the wrong address. At the wrong time, or even for the wrong job. Fortunately, technology is reducing some of the data entry burdens and helping to reduce the risk of inevitable human errors. Also, it’s having a monumental influence on other aspects of operations. Read on for a few of the top ways improved data entry accuracy through automation is transforming businesses.
It’s a given that automated data entry will lead to more accurate information, but what else can it do for the business? The first thing we wanted to highlight was how it can save your employees’ time. It’s not unusual for field organizations to have one or more employees dedicated to data entry. While this is a necessary role, it’s certainly not the most engaging work—hence the reason for automation.
Work that could take humans multiple hours to complete is reduced to minutes or seconds with automation. But equally as important is what employees do with that newly gained time. Field service management leaders can redirect those employee efforts toward more meaningful tasks. Things like enhanced customer service and other roles that augment the customer (and employee) experience.
Automated data entry improves the accuracy of what gets entered into the system. but it also increases collaboration among employees. In systems that rely on manual data entry, other departments are at the mercy of the speed of whoever is entering the data. This often causes bottlenecks and delays and results in teams working in silos.
However, with automation rapidly entering data, more employees than ever before have those pertinent details at their fingertips in near real-time. Further, employees in leadership positions have increased visibility into the data entry process and can work more closely with frontline employees on areas where improvement is needed.
Remember GIGO, or garbage in, garbage out? We’ve talked a lot about avoiding garbage in through more accurate data entry, but what about the ability to sidestep the garbage out aspect of the equation? What good does that do for field service management organizations? One of the most significant benefits on this front is achievable through reporting.
Finally armed with readily accessible, accurate data, field service management organizations can focus on reports that provide actionable insights. For example, businesses can pull reports based on customer location, top-selling products or services, employee utilization, and so much more. Ultimately, the data gleaned from those reports offers leaders the details needed to confidently make future business decisions.
While data entry automation can have a significant impact on your business, automation can help you in other ways. The EnSight+ field service management software solution uses elements of automation to help companies just like yours more effectively manage their mobile workforce. To learn more about our solution and see it firsthand, book your demo today.
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