Service-based businesses offer specific utility to customers, regardless of their industry. Service businessesmust employ technicians who can perform installation and maintenance in the field because mostservices are always delivered on the customer’s location. There are many examples of such service providers like electricians, plumbers,dry-wall repair, home renovation, landscaping,catering, automobilerepair and maintenancecontractorsetc. Now-a-days, most manufacturers are providing on-site servicing instead of asking the customer to bring in the product to a service center.
Field service management solution is essential for organizations with technicians in different locations. It can help them manage work orders, monitor their field activities, automate information, optimize routes, and reduce costs.
Field service software provides the tools you need to achieve service excellence.
Followingare the main challenges that any field service company usually face.
Transition to paperless
Digitalization is the only way to centralize information and free up time to increase productivity. Paper based processes can be slow, costly, and error prone. Information exchange becomes smoother and more efficient when you digitize your workflows, from the initial service request to the signed work order report.
A water heater company that provides water heater installation, repair, and service in Washington, Oregon and California dealt with multiple technology systems to manage the business operations. They have seen a significant improvement in the quality of business processes, service delivery, and customer experience since they adopted Dynamics 365 Suite (Dynamics 365 Field Service, Dynamics 365 for Sales, and Dynamics 365 Customer Service)
Customer relationship management
On-demand Delivery has exceeded customer expectations. Customer loyalty is highly tied to the quality and service received from a company in today's technologically advanced world. Take Amazon's simple case and see how its prime delivery service has gathered a large user base. Amazon has made same-day delivery possible, which is a great way to meet customer expectations.
This is just one example of the trend. Customers are getting used to faster delivery times and shorter waiting times. Customers expect to be kept informed throughout the entire order process. Field service professionals in every sector must perform their best to ensure the business's success. Many companies are using chatbots to keep the loop going. Companies face challenges in meeting customer demand changes and making customers feel involved.
Respect for precise scheduling
Monitoring your field workforce daily and ensuring they follow their schedules is crucial to your field operations' overall performance. This can be a problem for companies, particularly if they still use manual methods to schedule field jobs. Field service automation solutions can automate scheduling and track the real-time coordinates of your field team. This allows for better task distribution and limits deviations.
Integration with enterprise systems is easy
Some fields can be prepopulated with data from an enterprise information system to help technicians avoid making mistakes when filling out electronic forms. Integration does not end there. A best-of-breed integrated field service management solution can be interoperable with your enterprise resource management solutions (ERP) or customer management system (CRM) using web services and application programming interfaces.
Management of work orders
Field service management businesses are dependent on work orders for their survival. Work order management can be difficult and time-consuming. Customers can contact businesses to request assistance or schedule services.
Back-office agents must manually collect customer information from customers who have previously provided it. Once they have collected all information, they will manually create work orders and provide location details before forwarding them to the dispatching department. All of this can't be automated. A lack of a central database can lead to duplicate data entry and other field service problems.
A well-designed field service management system should include a work order management suite that allows back-office staff to create, store and track orders in an intuitive and easy way.
Route planning
Manual route planning can be chaotic. Paper-based routes cannot consider relevant factors such as the location of a technician and current traffic patterns. They become unsuitable when there is a slight alteration in the plan, which happens more often in field service.
Poor or incorrect route plans can lead to missed appointments and service delays. This can also result in increased travel expenses. Without a 360-degree view and accurate traffic information, route plans are not as effective. Poor routing can only drain the technician's time and energy at their next service site.
Field service management solutions should provide real-time visibility of the technician's location. Businesses can also use it to route technicians to the right service location. Field service apps consider factors such as the technician's current location and real-time traffic information and then suggest a route for the technician.
New technologies for field services
It's crucial to find digital transformation solutions and processes that allow field technicians to perform at their best to meet new challenges. The service team can gain valuable insight into equipment usage and other factors that could lead to breakdowns. They can also use AI to predict when to visit to prevent breakdowns. These insights can help customers lower maintenance costs and increase equipment performance.
Here are some latest technology-driven field service management solutions:
Self-service takes centre stage: Self-service is a way for field service teams and customers to solve problems faster. When customers and field service workers can communicate in real time, both parties can stay in sync.
Route-planning software: Field agents can optimize trips with multiple stops. They can predict the most efficient routes and reduce fuel consumption. Many of these software features include GPS tracking to let employers see where field agents are and check if they are on time.
Internet of Things (IoT): IoT, and other connectivity solutions, open up a new world of possibilities in service management. Predictive maintenance means customers will only face problems once it is too big.
Cloudification allows remote work: Thanks to cloud technology's speed, scalability and collaboration capabilities, we can now close the distance between office and field-based team members. No interruptions to workflow.
Field service management solution that works
Field service management is complex and requires coordination at multiple levels. The right FSM software will help you address both the common problems faced by field service organizations and the unique challenges your business faces.
There is a field service solution for every need, whether you are looking for an enterprise-level solution such as Dynamics 365 Field Service or automated features such as WorkWave service manager etc.
Dynamics 365 Field Service Benefits
Customers expect fast service, which is why customer relationship management (CRM) practices are important. Integration of CRM applications with field service applications can improve the customer experience (CX). An application that allows customers to give feedback is more valuable. In 2022, the cloud field service management market was expected to reach $2254.5 million.
Dynamics 365 Field Service is one of the top-rated solutions for field service management. This platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide tools that allow field service technicians to be managed, routed, and scheduled. This platform uses predictive technology to automate scheduling and improve business workflow. D365 offers intuitive tools that allow you to analyze data based on type, status, and resources. It lets you quickly track your resources, cost, time and inventory.
Kirti Sethiya
Kirti is an Associate Principal at Advaiya and is a technology enthusiast specialized in business applications and analytics. She has been an integral part of Advaiya for over seven years, contributing to myriad deliverables involving business intelligence, technology marketing, and business consulting.
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