Tracking Field Engineers: The Spanner in the Works
For most businesses, the pandemic put a spanner in the works. Suddenly, they had to shift how they operated from an in-office model to a remote setup.
However, field service businesses were operating remote models long before. They combined a central office with engineers in the field to create a spoke-and-hub organizational structure.
Historically, firms used clunky telephone systems to track engineer and job updates. Office managers would talk on the phone all day long, issuing various instructions. However, with the advent of field management software, that all changed. Almost overnight, it became much easier for firms to accurately track field engineers and job cards without any of the usual fuss.
The improvements this software offers are dramatic. Many solutions are “low code” or “no-code” meaning that you don’t have to hire specialists to use them. They also offer drag and drop interfaces, improving productivity and ease of use for HQ staff. BYOD setups are possible too, negating the need to purchase separate compatible devices.
The Value Of Field Management Software
During the pandemic, more and more companies began to see the value of operating such systems. It became clear that if they wanted to provide customers with a high level of service, they needed to upgrade their communication tools.
Improved Technician Tracking and Monitoring
For instance, field management software allows you to manage your technicians’ timesheets, see job reports and track travel times using data collected from their devices. It also permits GPS tracking, giving you a simple way of calculating hours travelled versus hours on site.
Software solutions also provide detailed dashboards and reports for monitoring the performance of field engineers. Many services, such as FieldAx, let you create customizable data streams and display them in easy-to-digest graphical formats.
Enhanced Job Assignment Processes
Field management software solutions improve how you assign jobs too. HQ-based managers can track the locations of field engineers and use this information to reroute them to the closest customers. Integrated Gantt charts show you precisely where your engineers are now, and when they will become available for the next job.
Access From Anywhere
Because field management solutions use the cloud, managers can access job card information from anywhere. This provides dispatch teams with a full view of the type of work being done, and how much revenue it is generating. Managers don’t need to coordinate from a head office any more. With the cloud, managing from home is easy.
Conclusion
Ultimately, services such as FieldAx simplify the task of managing operatives in the field. Software substitutes for long phone calls and provides a host of additional benefits, such as the ability to see where colleagues are in real-time, change work orders, view job cards, and communicate with customers via integrated CRM. Online payment tracking allows quick generation of invoices. And integrated payment gateways, such as Stripe, Authorized.net and PayPal, allow you to take payments more easily.