05 Jun 5 Ways Mobile Field Service Software Improves Your Business
No matter the industry — oil and gas, energy and utilities, telecom — large, complex field service organizations must constantly improve to retain customers and maintain a competitive advantage. Consistently improving field service KPIs like productivity, safety, CSAT, SLA compliance, and field technician utilization requires the strategic utilization of business-specific software and hardware tools and technologies.
Most larger field service organizations have highly configured field service software in place with rules and logic to facilitate business requirements and track field service KPIs. These back-end software systems often run the gamut from traditional business-centric enterprise applications to more specialized packages tailored specifically for field service management.
Many times, the field service technology stack comprises multiple systems, adding complexity and making it difficult to get actionable data to and from the field. To help bridge the gap between the field, managers and customers, field service organizations are implementing mobile field service software. The software and accompanying mobile apps complete the loop of information, providing myriad opportunities for field techs to serve, sell to and delight customers.
Below are five ways mobile field service software improves your business:
- Improved field tech productivity – By creating and deploying mobile apps that are tailored to your specific business processes and requirements, you allow field technicians to be more productive while delivering better service to customers. With instant access to real-time knowledge and data from the back-end system on equipment history, maintenance, and warranty information, they can make better decisions and quicker fixes. As a direct result, first-time fix rates improve as does CSAT.
- Reduced costs – With mobile field service software, your organization can avoid hiring teams of mobile app developers and the associated high costs of ownership. With a quick time to market, you can put apps into the hands of your field techs within a few weeks. This allows you to focus on what you do best: deliver services efficiently and profitably to your customers.
- Reduced complexity – Mobile field service software allows you to build and deploy mobile apps to your field techs no matter what device they are using. It could be an iPhone or iPad, Android mobile device, or Windows Surface tablet. You don’t have to worry about how the latest mobile operating system update will affect your apps because they run across devices, seamlessly. You can also integrate with multiple back-end field service software systems. It reduces a layer of complexity if your mobile apps are able to update two or more back-end field service systems at once. This also enables your technicians to operate more effectively when they have data from disparate systems in a single mobile UI. This makes your field business process more efficient.
- Streamlined business processes – Fully connecting field techs with back-office systems and customer data requires field service apps that are customized to your infrastructure and operating processes. Generic, out-of-the-box apps that come with field service software are not specific to your unique business and the unique needs of your field techs. To do their jobs more efficiently, your field techs need mobile apps that streamline their specific tasks and workflows. It is difficult to deploy generic field service apps, inventory apps, or inspection apps and expect them to work for your business. Mobile field service software usually includes a drag-and-drop mobile app configuration tool. This lets your admin can easily configure mobile apps in a coding-free dev environment, making it simple to iterate apps based on technician feedback and/or changes in business processes.
- Quicker invoicing – With mobile field service software and field service apps that are customized to your business, field techs can tap into back-end financial or purchasing systems to enable on-the-spot invoicing and customer sign-off. Field techs can get signatures, take credit cards, or process invoices for new services. This improves customer satisfaction and days sales outstanding.
In summary, mobile field service software allows organizations to better connect the back-office with field techs and with customers, resulting in reduced costs, increased profitability, and an exceptional customer experience.
To learn more about mobile field service software, visit our Product page.
To learn more about more about mobile field service apps, check out our comprehensive guide.