What areas to focus on, however, is entirely up to your business needs and desires. How do you want your business to run for the rest of 2019? How about how it will run in 2020 and beyond? Have you thought about a plan that is looking five years or even 10 years in the future? Because you may need to start making investments today in order to achieve that business outcome by 2025.
There are a few key areas field service organizations are targeting to improve their field service management. Let’s take a look at where the investment dollars are going.
Optimize existing processes
The top objective field service management teams are looking to invest in is optimizing their ongoing processes. After all, when you’re taking count of how your organization runs, it’s at this time you will find your flaws. By reviewing service delivery processes, you will see where you’re still falling behind and what needs improvement. When we talk about field service automation, it’s at this stage where we start to think of all the manual processes that could be done automatically. And it is at this stage where investments in field service management software come into play.
Field service organizations need to adapt to changes happening in the industry. Because of this, they should be taking a yearly review of their processes and seeing what investments they can make. Resting on what is working today is a good way to be passed in the future by someone willing to invest in new strategies. And changing the way your existing processes work and redefining them is a great way to deliver exceptional service.
Increase technician expertise
As advancements are made in field service management software, advances also need to be made in staff training. That’s because, when you implement new technology, staff need to be trained in how that technology works. After all, what’s the point in investing in modern field service management software if your staff can’t use it. That includes things like: Field service mobile apps, Internet of Things (IoT) technology, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality and Integrations.
With products and equipment also getting more technically advanced, more training is being required for staff members. Technicians require a higher level of skill not just in their daily work, but to also complete their daily work. Instead of manual processes, they are using mobile apps to complete work orders. That can bring frustration for older technicians who don’t want to adapt to technology changes. So, field service organizations will have to look at increasing their training budgets if they want to move towards a field service management software. That way, they can cover their technicians’ lack of knowledge and move their business forward.
Implementing new field service management technology
New technologies are always being developed and it’s good to look at their use and what they can bring to your business. We have already touched on some of them, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and Augmented and Virtual Reality. And of course, there is field service management software that is becoming a capital investment for some field service organizations. That’s because it is the software that drives everything forward with new technology. That includes new scheduling and dispatch tools, mobile apps, analytical tools and integrations to other systems.
It’s a large investment to make when getting a field service management software. However, the changes to your organization will be felt by everyone. That includes automating and optimizing processes, helping with training, reducing manual work and going paperless. There is a reason they call field service management software an end-to-end solution. That’s because it will affect your business at every end and help you grow your revenue and provide better service to your customers.
Outsource more work to subcontractors and third-party vendors
Further down the list is the investment in the workforce. However, with a technician shortage happening across the field service industry, investment is being made in subcontractors. It’s actually one of the investments that are saving money and reducing costs. With subcontractors, full-time technicians are not being hired on and work orders are being outsourced. Field service management teams are being flexible now in how they provide service. That’s because they have options in subcontractors with a variety of skills. It actually is opening up new opportunities by hiring subcontractors in different areas or with different skillsets to complete jobs.
Field service management software is again at the front of the subcontractor movement. With the software, subcontractor management tools are available to help with the quoting, on-boarding and payment of work when completed. It’s making the subcontractor feel exactly like a regular employee in terms of scheduling and dispatch. But they have their own rates for labor hours and parts. However, with the field service mobile app, they can be scheduled as an in-house technician would be, with work orders pushed to the field. It’s become a way to reduce the cost of the workforce, without reducing the quality of the work.
Keep Investing in Field Service Management
The main key to take away is that in order to be successful in the field service industry, you need to invest in your field service management. There are plenty of areas you can invest in and look to better optimize your business. After all, it’s about providing your customers with the best experience you can offer them. And if you don’t invest in their experience, your competition will. See what a field service management software can do to affect change in your business today and in the future.