Automation has become indispensable in today’s fast-paced world. Regarding the field service industry, automating processes through technology plays a central role in managing field service operations, including dispatching, scheduling, order management, and more.
Automating field service operations
The benefits of automation notwithstanding, research shows that more than 52 percent of field service companies still coordinate work manually, which is rather unfortunate, considering that 76 percent struggle to achieve revenue growth. With automation, however, a company can streamline procedures to get the job done more efficiently, resulting in high revenue.
With that said, there are numerous reasons why you should invest in a field service automation software or application; here, we highlight seven benefits of automating your field service operations.
1. Work order automation
Automating work orders is one sure way of streamlining field service operations efficiently. Basically, automation helps to create work orders automatically, which means technicians never miss an urgent call. It also supports major operations, from creation to delivery to processing, while ensuring that repetitive work orders are not duplicated.
Work order automation plays an integral part in the creation, implementation, and completion of a task. Since monitoring the progress of an order is no longer a hassle, dispatchers can successfully reschedule a task, monitor attendance, and perform other activities more easily. In an increasingly competitive industry, the importance of work order automation cannot be understated.
2. Interactive scheduling
Automation has made scheduling more manageable as dispatchers can communicate with technicians to schedule or reschedule a task promptly. With mobile field service applications, dispatchers can access technicians’ schedules to make changes or assign time slots as needed. As such, all parties can address any changes made to their schedules without having to go back to the office to check the whiteboards.
For sure, managing the schedules of field technicians can prove to be a daunting task. For the sake of efficiency, technicians ought to embrace automation to streamline the process of scheduling. This way, they can be sure to work on orders in a timely fashion while ensuring they are up to date with any changes made to assigned tasks.
3. Ability to harness the power of mobility
The use of mobile applications to schedule work and monitor progress has allowed technicians to perform their duties more efficiently. As research reveals, the field service industry leaders agree that field service applications have greatly helped increase personnel performance. This means that technicians can;
• See real-time alerts when a job is scheduled
• Schedule appointments faster
• Create work orders from anywhere
• Keep precise timesheets
• Access custom inspections remotely
Unlike before, when you had to have access to a computer to check the progress of an order, now you can leverage technology to access important information through mobile applications. This works to solve the issue of time wastage, hence promoting business growth.
4. Increased customer satisfaction and retention
Every business has customer retention and satisfaction as a top priority, and the field service industry is no exception. With automated field service operations, technicians can avoid late arrivals and late response to emergency calls, ensuring that customer needs are taken care of on time.
Lack of field management and poor scheduling are common issues in the field service industry. And as you probably know, they can have a negative effect on your business. You can avoid the complications resulting from leveraging features such as GPS tracking and electronic scheduling to address customer requests. This can help to boost customer satisfaction and retention.
5. Lower operation costs
Running a field service business can be quite costly, a reason you need to keep track of your expenses all the time. While here, you can integrate automation to lower operation costs and optimize profits. For instance, you can use GPS tracking to identify drivers who deviate from the route or stay idle during work hours. You seal the loophole where your money gets lost by addressing this issue, which translates to more profits for you.
Ideally, you can lower costs by keeping track of;
• Number of jobs scheduled
• Number of jobs completed
• Time spent on a job
• Travel time
• Return visits, etc.
Complete more tasks using fewer resources with automation. When you automate processes, your back-office has more time to take care of other responsibilities since automation handles the menial tasks of data processing and entry. This will allow you to work with a leaner workforce without compromising productivity.
6. Resource optimization
Resource optimization goes a long way in determining any business’s profitability, regardless of the size or industry. Thanks to technology, technicians can anticipate a problem way before it occurs, which allows them to sort it out on time. This way, they use fewer resources and time to solve it, thus saving many resources they could otherwise have used.
The results of automating field service operations can also be seen in the longevity of asset life; since technicians can offer predictive maintenance before an issue becomes problematic, assets will be used minimally, which means they will be used for longer. This contributes to the profitability of a company in the long run.
7. Enhance professionalism
Automation makes processes seamless, which works to reduce errors that can compromise operations. Needless to say, professionalism is paramount in the field service industry as a small mistake can cost you big time. In any case, it is your obligation to address customer needs with ultimate professionalism to market your brand, retain clients, and remain profitable.
Automation has also made it easier for technicians to send invoices more professionally while still in the field. Therefore, a dispatcher is able to see the time spent on a project, materials used, and the client’s response to the services provided. All these processes can be consolidated through software and applications, thanks to the power of automation.
The takeaway
In an era where technology is central to virtually every aspect of life, you cannot afford to downplay automation’s importance. It is evident that only companies that embrace automation can be guaranteed to keep ahead in customer satisfaction, efficiency, and profitability.
At Gruntify, our sole aim is to help you take control of your company’s data by providing you with an app that consolidates all the important processes. Contact us to learn how this application integrates with your field service operations!
