Hartwig Turns to Fieldpoint For Mobility and Ease of Use
A Field Service Software Case Study
When someone needs to have their mill, lathe, grinder, or CNC machine tool repair, chances are they are turning to Hartwig, who has become one of the nation’s leading machine tool and manufacturing support solution companies in the United States. Their support of the machine tool industry has helped decrease downtimes and improve the overall efficiency of the equipment they produce, which has made them the first line of support for the machines they sell.
With almost 60 years in the industry and a growing organization located in 14 states, Hartwig has continuously looked for ways to improve their service delivery and successfully meet the demand for excellent service of their products.
Previously, Hartwig had been using a customized CRM system in which they had built their own module for service delivery. They used the CRM system for timesheets, but it didn’t come with any out-of-the-box products that would help fit their future objectives, so they turned to Fieldpoint’s field service software for a solution to streamline their service delivery and pursue a mobile approach to their field service practice.
“We were trying to find ease of use,” said Seth Machlus, Vice President of Operations with Hartwig, Inc. “Fieldpoint met the needs of our service managers, met the mobile needs that we had for our field service technicians, and the price point was reasonable.”
Going Mobile for Simplified Reporting
Whether one of Hartwig’s technicians are completing an inspection as part of their preventive maintenance plans, or one of their engineers is responding to an emergency call, a system was needed to streamline how the information from the field was being sent back to their offices, and an easier way for technicians to complete their work orders.
“We were trying to simplify the amount of information that we needed our service team to input,” said Machlus. “We needed something that was quick, mobile and collected data that was pertinent to move on to the invoicing. The less information and time the service technician needs to enter data to complete a work order, the more time he can spend resolving the customer’s issues and improving customer satisfaction.”
When completing service calls in the past, Hartwig’s technicians and engineers needed to bring laptops with them on-site and connect via VPN to their previous custom-built CRM system to upload information on their work orders, plus fill out any timesheet information needed. It was multiple steps and required technicians to carry laptops and find a wireless or cellular connection as the product did not have an offline module, as opposed to using their smartphones or iPad to complete administrative work.
With Fieldpoint’s mobile field service app, they’re able to fill in their information on their mobile device without having to go through that process with the laptop. They were saving five to 10 minutes per case if not more. When you start to get into the appointment side of Fieldpoint and the minimal data that is necessary to put in, we cut that down significantly
Having a mobile app has helped speed up administrative times for Hartwig’s technicians, who no longer require access to their VPN, or an Internet connection, as with Fieldpoint’s mobile app, they are able to work offline, yet still collect the required data needed to finish maintenance. Upon connecting with a network, the information is uploaded to the Fieldpoint field service software, including timesheet material and work order information, streamlining the process of invoicing customers, as it all remains in one system.
“When you can do everything with the phone or mobile device, where you don’t have to worry about a wireless or cellular connection, booting up your laptop and all that, it’s speed of use,” Machlus said.
Hartwig’s decision to go with Fieldpoint’s field service software was primarily for the mobile field service app to make it easier for technicians in the field to transfer information back to the office. Fieldpoint’s consultant and support team fulfilled the implementation of the software to ensure functionality that Hartwig required and the process in which it would best suit their operation was designed and installed while offering support for any additional issues that would arise.
“Fieldpoint has done everything they could,” said Machlus. “The consultant has been fantastic getting everything done. We are very pleased right now with all that’s happened and what we’ve got in return. I know we’re only touching the tip of the iceberg with how we are using the system, with more time and experience we’ll be doing things at a speed we never thought we could with a field service system.”
Meeting the Need for A Streamlined Process
With Hartwig’s team of more than 80 technicians ready to support their customers with Fieldpoint’s field service software and mobile app, their service operations have been streamlined, providing a reliable system for the technicians to get their information and data back to the main office,
while offering an easy-to-use solution through mobile devices.
“It’s more about the ability to cut through some of the requirements and make it easier for our service team,” said Machlus. “The process is more streamlined. It met the needs of the service managers. We are very pleased right now with all that’s happened and what we’ve got.”