Software programs and technology improvements make jobs easier, particularly when running a field service company. Managing a field service team can be difficult in and of itself, but doing so manually can rapidly become a nightmare. With all of the new technology being developed and introduced around you, it is best to accept it and fit it into your current workflow to create a more efficient process. 

Today’s blog will cover three field service technologies that you should be aware of.

Automated Scheduling and Dispatching tool

Managing your field team and coordinating them through work orders throughout the day manually can get confusing fast, as there will be a tireless amount of calls and emails back and forth between the staff in the office and the field team. There are more chances of error and time wastage when scheduling manually, as customer information or time might be inaccurate or not heard. According to Verizon, 40% of field service companies face scheduling and dispatching inefficiencies. With scheduling and dispatching being a vital process in field service operations, it should be done efficiently. With the advancement of technology, field service companies can now schedule and dispatch their field technician digitally using online software. Automating this process reduces the dispatcher’s stress by almost half as it lessens the amount of back and forth communication and errors. Correctly scheduling and dispatching your field team will lead to happy customers and job satisfaction. 

Route management feature

Field workers spend most of their time out on the field commuting to different work orders and locations. With that said, it is in the company’s best interest to ensure that their workers out on the field are given optimal routes to work orders. According to a traffic data company INRIX, the average US driver spent 97 hours stuck behind vehicles in 2018, translating to two and a half work weeks. Traffic causes a lot of unexpected downtime and unnecessary stress for drivers and technicians. 

With a coordinated GPS tool, dispatchers can send technicians optimal routes to avoid traffic and get to their work orders faster. This will ensure that deliverables will be delivered and completed on time and reduce technicians’ time on the road. It will also reduce fuel consumption and costs for the company. 

To some extent, traffic is inescapable and delays do occur, but frequent delays can have a negative impact on the company’s production and profitability. When technicians are given optimal routes, they are less likely to be worried about time and more confident when they arrive on-site to assist their customers.

Inventory management

Field workers carry many pieces of equipment and inventory throughout their work orders; they use many different parts and tools that may need to be tracked for inventory management purposes. Doing this by hand can be exhausting, especially when dealing with a bigger team and many parts. Managing inventory is important because it gives management an idea of how much stock there is left. This will allow them to order what they need proactively. But doing this process manually is not the ideal way as there are chances of error when accounting for inventory. With a digital inventory system, technicians can manage their inventory as they use them. ServiceEcho’s inventory management feature automatically adjusts the total inventory count based on technicians’ documentation of what they used. In addition to the system, the solution also gives management and the people in the office push notifications alerting them of low stock. This will ensure that the field team will always be aware in advance and have enough time to order the parts and equipment needed for work orders. 

All in all, it will reduce the chances of disruptions and downtime due to a shortage of equipment. 

ServiceEcho’s field service management software is a multi-solution software that makes managing a field service business effortless and efficient. Book a demo to learn more about the other field service technologies our solution has.