Underutilized Automation Processes That Can Change Your Business

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Last updated Aug 20, 2020 at 10:48AM | Published on Sep 5, 2017 | Blog

Field service automation can mean many different things, but in most cases, we think of something happening automatically after being prompted to do so, without human intervention. In most cases, we think of the Internet of Things technology, where sensors detect a problem in a piece of equipment and send a notification that a service call needs to complete.

However, there is plenty of automation in your field service software, which is prone to be underutilized by many companies, which could help improve efficiency and increase your business.

Business Alerts

Specifically, business alerts that pushed out to other departments can either be a reminder that action needs to be taken, such as a quote or sales opportunity, or that a part of operational requirements to be considered. And those triggers can be set up through two underutilized functions of the field service software: the mobile app and the business intelligence module.

Mobile Functionality

When we think of mobile, we believe in plenty of automation that already occurs, such as preloading the right checklists for an inspection. But field service technicians can start the automation process themselves by including calls to action in their work orders that trigger emails or new work orders. A technician could see a different faulty piece of equipment that needs attention and through their mobile app, inform the service department that another call is necessary.

Quoting

Or, by setting up quoting notifications, the sales department can be notified that a quote is needed for a new piece of equipment or a repair, triggered by the technicians’ input from his mobile app.

Automated Communications

While field service technicians trigger this automation, they can add additional growth opportunities for the business and can ensure these opportunities are not missed or not communicated from the field to the office. Rather than hoping a technician submits a quote request or sales opportunity, it’s all built into his mobile app that automatically sends out a trigger that action is needed.

Business Intelligence

Another underutilized area where field service automation can take place is in the Business Intelligence module, which can prompt many different actions for various departments. The module is customizable to display the figures for a specific department’s needs, so a service manager can see call volume statistics, who is their top technician, how much time each technician takes and time spent traveling. Similarly, a sales manager would want to see sales figures, which representative is their top salesperson, and what is selling the most.

Push alerts can be set up in the Business Intelligence module to inform managers of actions that need to be taken. Automation can be set up to send an alert if an invoice has been left pending for a certain amount of time, or if sales and service call figures are not on target for the month. With the customization ability of the Business Intelligence module, the options for push alerts are endless and can be designed specifically for your business.

These alerts may be as simple as reminding a manager that some form of action needs to take place, or they could revolutionize the way a company looks at themselves and their targets. The field service application can dive into the business numbers to pull out useful data that help push growth and build on otherwise missed opportunities.

Field service automation can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it, but in the end, it’s about making your field service software work for you, helping you grow your business and make informed decisions.