One of our Service Contractor customers recently told me that before implementing an integrated Work Order system that he “would not want to have been one of their technicians”. They would previously arrive at a customer’s site with no information on service history, flying by the seat of their pants. This approach created an environment fraught with opportunities for error. With no past history, the technician would often have to re-learn work that had already been done, possibly even having to ask the customer about work done in the past. All of this would lead to wasted effort and missed billing opportunities, not to mention a lack of professionalism shown to customers.With recent advancements in technology, Field Service is rapidly moving from paper to electronic data collection for these and many other good reasons:
- Immediate notification and transmission of detailed Work Orders to field personnel
- Electronic trail of communication so that information is not lost
- Site service history for complete visibility into prior work done
- Availability of Inventory levels and tracking of truck inventory
- Ability to create proposed Purchase Orders from the field
- Electronic capture of customer signature when work is done
- Automatic update of labor, materials and other charges back to office Billing system
With up-to-date information available technicians are able to arrive informed and ready to get to work. Customers appreciate the professionalism as well, creating a situation where everyone wins.
If any of this sounds familiar, please contact us and ask us how we can help improve your service operations.
