Growth in field service doesn’t come without its share of challenges.
Thousands of work orders can be a problem if you’re still using a messy system of papers, emails, and spreadsheets. And that can quickly turn into lost paperwork, missed appointments, and late payments.
The solution? Instead of reacting to every single job as it comes, start automating the work.
Cloud-based work order automation is a critical part of every growing field service business. It not only handles all the repetitive steps of the work order but also consolidates it in one place, so everyone can work on it together.
Ultimately, the goal is to help you become a smarter field service business by letting automation handle the tasks you don’t need to spend time on.
With a massive volume of work orders, every movement matters. Here are some of the ways work order automation is helping field service businesses easily handle thousands of jobs.
1. Using “If/Then” Rules to Automate Workflows
You should be thinking about creating rules, not work orders. Let automation handle the work order creation. What you need to focus on are the rules that trigger that automated workflow.
If/Then rules can be as simple as, when a work order is completed, automatically send the work order report and invoice to the customer.
But they can also be used for other work order tasks, such as creating work orders in the case of failed inspections. If your technician is performing a routine inspection and something fails, a work order can be created automatically to fix that failure.
That in turn could trigger additional work order automations, such as ordering the parts for the repair.
Having your work order system in a cloud-based field service software is key to this process. You need software that can create these rules without any human intervention. Then, it should generate work orders that multiple people, such as managers, dispatchers, and technicians, can work with in that one system.
By automating these simple steps, you save thousands of hours of manual work and make sure nothing ever falls through the cracks.
2. Customer-Based Trigger Automations
You don’t need to be the only person creating work orders. Cloud-based work order automation can pass that job on to the customer—without them even knowing they’re doing the work.
The best part? You’ll improve customer satisfaction in the process.
Work orders don’t have to start from a phone call. Many field service businesses have other triggers that customers can use to start the process.
For instance, QR codes can be generated for a wide range of problems, and the customer just needs to scan the right code. That triggers a work order without them picking up the phone.
Custom portals can also be deployed to let customers start the work order process themselves. They can add information about the problem and even photos to help with diagnosis.
You can even set up direct email addresses for customers to specifically ask for service. Automation can read the email and create the work order to begin the process.
Now, customers don’t have to wait on hold. They can use digital tools to assist them in getting the service they need instead. It saves everyone time, ensures work is getting scheduled, and keeps customers happy.
3. Preventative Maintenance Work Order Creation
With possibly thousands of pieces of equipment under your care, you shouldn’t rely on a single person to check the calendar for their maintenance. Cloud-based work order automation for preventative maintenance means you create the schedule once, and the software does the checking.
Build out a schedule of maintenance based on customer, regulatory, compliance, or seasonal needs. Add in parts, checklists, and select the technician you want. Then, whenever it comes time for that work order’s preventative maintenance, it’s created automatically, ready to be scheduled.
Preventative maintenance is proactive maintenance, and perfect for a proactive approach in using cloud-based work order automation. It creates a large volume of work that one person doesn’t need to check on. That ensures:
- You never miss a job, as the system creates a work order to meet your timeframes
- Complete preparedness, as technicians will have the parts and checklists they need to complete the job
- Guaranteed consistency, as you can design your PM work orders so they are completed the same way every time
By automating the creation of all your scheduled work, you keep your office team focused on growing the business, rather than checking calendars.
Let Automation Take Control Of Your Growth
Managing thousands of work orders doesn’t have to mean hiring dozens of office staff or suffering through endless chaos. The businesses that scale successfully aren’t working harder—they’re working smarter by trusting automation.
While it may seem odd to give up control of your business’s growth to automation, the reality is that you just need to be thinking differently about it.
Rather than thinking about the individual work order, you need to think about:
- The process around the work order and how it goes from start to finish
- The rules you would want to build to help trigger different actions
- The aspects of a work order that require human interaction, such as scheduling and planning
The largest benefit is that you become more proactive in your approach to the work order and ultimately, your business. You free up your office team from manual entry, your technicians are always ready with what they need, and your customers are happier.
To see how Fieldpoint can help you with our cloud-based work order automation tools, schedule a demo with us today.