Manual data entry can take up valuable time, and is ultimately not the most productive use of your time as a field service business. Collecting data manually often requires an ample amount of labor, re-collecting or re-entering, or having to track the employee who collected the data when the writing is illegible. All of these circumstances can ultimately cost your business when extra time and labor is used, causing longer wait times and downtime.
In this blog we will discuss the ways in which manual data entry can cost your business, and what you can do to avoid these costs.
Extra Labor
Bringing documents, files, pens, and paper to the worksite to collect information manually is not a productive use of a field technician’s time. Papers can get lost and field technicians can run out of time, leaving room for error in the data entry process. The extra time that is required to enter data by hand leaves less time for field technicians to focus on their service job in the field. This extra labor time spent on manually documenting jobs takes away time that could be spent serving your customers. A field service management software helps eliminate the extra labor time in field data collection by providing mobile checklists and forms for quick and easy data entry.
Manual Data Re-Entry
Oftentimes data that is entered manually has to be re-entered due to incorrect or inaccurate entry or lost documents. Paper-based processes are outdated and inefficient for present-day field service businesses, especially if you are looking to be more productive. Paper processes create opportunities for error in data collection, including misplacing documents and capturing inaccurate data. Both of these situations of error can cost your business; re-entering data and searching for lost papers require extra labor and work hours. A field service management software helps minimize these errors by allowing field technicians to enter data efficiently via a digital checklist or form.
Illegible Handwriting
Technicians who are busy in the field are not always going to prioritize writing neatly in the field. It is common for office staff to find completed documents and notes that are difficult to decipher, which may indirectly add to your business costs. When office staff or other field technicians are unable to read data or information that has been collected manually, they are sometimes left with no choice but to either track the person who collected the data, or proceed with inaccurate data. Either way, these situations can cost your business, and it is important to make sure that your field technicians are able to capture data accurately. A field service management software eliminates the possibility of office staff or other field technicians having to spend time deciphering messy handwriting.
Eliminate Manual Data Entry Errors with ServiceEcho
Collecting information or data manually can result in errors that cost your business over time. Extra labor in collecting data manually, having to re-enter inaccurate or lost information, and illegible handwriting are all situations that can cost your field service business money. A field service management software, such as ServiceEcho, can help digitize and simplify your data collection process. Custom mobile checklists, forms, and data entry fields are some of the ways our software can help your field service business eliminate manual data entry errors and increase productivity. If you would like to eliminate manual data entry errors in your business, book a demo below to learn more.