While it seems like the most obvious way to control costs, slashing budgets isn’t the most effective way. Instead, businesses gain more from strong incident management procedures. In particular, the follow-up stage of incident management involves identifying and rectifying areas of lost revenue. For field service outfits, assessment often includes a range of departments, processes, and personnel. For example, managers might review everything from back-office communication to equipment repair data following an incident in the field.
Fortunately for field service outfits, rapidly-evolving tech tools like field service management software makes it easier to track and control issues throughout the operation. Here are three areas of incident management where field service management software can help you improve.
Of all the areas of poor incident management that result in lost revenue, subpar first-time fix rates may be the most significant. A single missed appointment can cause ripples across the business. When a field service company dispatches a technician to a job, the assumption is that the work will be complete. But what happens when it’s not? Another job has to be scheduled, another technician dispatched, more miles driven, more materials used, etc. These mishaps don’t seem like a big deal, but over time those unnecessary expenditures can really put a dent in a company’s bottom line.
So, how does field service management software help? First, many of these cloud-based solutions are embedded with work order management modules that are superior to the antiquated paper methods of yesteryear. Dispatchers can include all pertinent details in the job, including contact information, historical documentation, apartment entry codes, and customer preferences. The most robust of these solutions also empower field service leadership to create custom workflows.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: A technician goes to load the truck with materials to complete that day’s run, only to find that a critical part needed for several of that day’s jobs is completely out of stock. The best-case scenario is that customers take it in stride and understand. The worst-case scenario? Customers become angry and move their business to a competitor.
This is a problem that plagues field service companies more often than many would care to admit. However, it’s completely avoidable with the help of field service software. Asset and inventory management modules allow field service companies to stay on top of stock levels for important materials and tools. As an added bonus, some platforms even feature automation that enables leadership to set warnings when stock levels reach a certain threshold, triggering an alert that it’s time to purchase a new supply.
You know what they say about the best-laid plans, right? Even a perfectly organized schedule is bound to have a wrench thrown in it. There are inevitable issues like customer delays, cancellations, or road emergencies. In order to navigate those complexities, field service companies need the ability to pivot on a dime. That type of flexibility is only possible by utilizing everything field service management software has to offer, including real-time scheduling and rerouting.
Field operations teams can make schedule changes on the fly, pushed instantly to technicians’ mobile devices. This is a failsafe to ensure that work goes on despite unplanned snafus. In the event of an unexpected emergency, it’s possible for field ops groups to quickly identify the location of all technicians and dispatch the nearest one by tracking their mobile devices. Additionally, the module has turn-by-turn directions that always provide technicians with the fastest, safest, and most direct route. That type of visibility and functionality can help a company save on expenses, minimize damage during a crisis and make customers happier.
EnSight+ is a field service management software solution that can provide companies with each of these benefits and more. Our solution is completely customizable, which means it can be designed to meet your unique needs, specifications and can be operational in four weeks or less. Interested in learning more? Book your demo today.
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