Nearly everyone is carrying a smartphone around today. Sorry flip phones, you had a good run, however, the ability to have the power of a personal computer in the palm of your hand is too much to pass up, as our communication methods have changed from calling other people, to using more text-based communications.
And as new innovations in mobile technology continue, field service providers are finding innovative ways for their technicians to succeed in a mobile world. By 2020, it is expected that more than 75% of field service organizations with over 50 users will be using mobile field service apps, beyond just simply collecting data. More information and abilities are now been given to technicians and mobile field service management software is changing how organizations do business.
Complete History in Your Hands
Mobile field service management software isn’t just about getting current data into the system faster, though, dynamic checklists and mobile field service apps have made it easier to complete work orders. But it also gives your technicians the entire scope of a piece of equipment’s repair history, as technicians can access previous work orders, notes, and parts installed, all by a few touches on their native mobile app. It takes the guesswork out of recurring issues, as technicians can go back and see if the piece of equipment is having the same issue over and over again, and what was done to address the issue before. And if the problem continues to occur, field technicians can offer up new solutions or suggest a complete replacement of the equipment.
Mobile Field Service Management Software Increases Speed of Repairs
The main objective of every field service technician is to have a high first-time fix rate. You don’t want to come back a second time, as customers want a resolution to their problems on the first visit. But when technicians show up to a site, they sometimes don’t know what they are getting into, or what is broken, and they can only carry so many parts in their vehicles. Mobile app technology, however, gives them the full warehouse at their fingertips, as inventory control features let them know if a part is in stock or if it needs to be ordered. A first-time fix may just require a quick run back to the warehouse, or have it delivered to the site.
Collect Data That Speeds Up Billing
Data collection is an important function of mobile apps and mobile field service software. But one small portion of data that technicians can now collect is speeding up the billing process. Electronic signatures can be done on a mobile phone of a tablet, closing out work orders quickly from the field. No more are hard copies of signatures and work orders required, which would have to be brought back to the office for processing, but instead, it’s all completed instantly from the field, speeding up billing times to minutes, as opposed to days.
Mobile field service management software continues to add new functionality for technicians, and whether your organization has 50 users or more, or is still growing, there are plenty of scenarios where a mobile solution would help your technicians succeed more in the field.