Smartphone as a Type Writer: Not What Technicians Want in Field Service Apps

Blog, Field Service, Mobile App & Checklist

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Last updated Dec 23, 2019 at 4:44PM | Published on Jan 10, 2014 | Blog, Field Service, Mobile App & Checklist

Smartphone as a Type Writer: Not What Technicians Want in a Mobile AppMobile field service apps should improve technician productivity and make their lives easier.  But many field service apps are designed to have a technician tap away on a 3.5-inch screen.  Rather than typing just use the phone for its original intention? For talking! Imagine that, talking into your phone instead of using it as a typewriter.

Virtual personal assistants are native features of iPhone and Android devices.  Products like Siri and Dictation capture voice memos and transcribe the field notes for you; there’s no need to tap away on your screen to complete work order details.

For technicians who need to access to tight spaces, capturing voice notes is much easier than swiping and tapping on a keyboard. Filling out a detailed work order from a small screen is difficult. Reports will take longer to complete or even risk abandonment due to frustration. Using the native voice feature increases work order completion rates, resulting in faster billing for jobs completed.

How the Virtual Assistant Came to Life?

The inception of the virtual assistant started from a research project called CALO, developed by SRI.  The not-for-profit research institute was founded by Stanford University trustees to incubate leading-edge innovations. The CALO project was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense for $150 million. The intent was to create a personal assistant to help their overloaded military commanders with their chores.

In 2007, a few passionate Researchers from SRI and an Entrepreneur came up with Siri.  Finally in April 2010, Siri was acquired by Apple.

How to Turn On Siri?

Siri is easy to turn on.  There are a few settings that have to be activated in the General and Privacy Settings for it to work. Once you turn it on, field service technicians will truly see the real value in a smartphone.

Activating Siri for Mobile Field Service