How FSM Managers Can Improve Communication Between Office and Field Teams

Most FSM businesses struggle to see real success despite investing in a competent workforce. The reason is communication gaps. Often, communication gaps between the office and field teams cause work inefficiencies that hamper service quality. Communication-related issues can lead to delays, operational overheads, and angry customers. These issues snowball into revenue loss and may even put the viability of the business at risk.

Top Ways to Enhance Communications Between Office and Field Teams

1. Implementing Real-Time Communication Tools

Most FSM managers still rely on legacy communication tools such as phone calls and generic messaging apps. They use multiple channels and ad-hoc systems. This spread communication across many channels, making communications inconsistent. Traceability also becomes difficult. There is no proper record of communication. Also, the communication is often synchronous. Field teams have to stop working and attend phone calls. And they may not remember all the verbal instructions.

Real-time communication starts with instant scheduling. The field service management system integrates calendars. These calendars display jobs assigned to different technicians by day, week, or month. The service manager can list unassigned work orders by priority or location. They can also identify work teams free to take on jobs and make optimal matches instantly.

Mobile apps enable real-time, structured, and asynchronous communication. Field teams receive instant push notifications when FSM managers assign or reschedule jobs. Such automated notification eliminates the single biggest communication gap in field service.

Integrated messaging capabilities enable asynchronous communication with full traceability. Field teams can access the communication when they are not busy and can also retrieve it later for reference. Improved traceability also improves accountability.

At the client end, self-service portals allow them to initiate service requests. The FSM manager can check these requests out. They can generate instant quotes and estimates. On approval, the field service management system creates work orders. The FSM manager assigns these work orders to field teams. A ticketing system enables real-time tracking of each such request through to its logical conclusion.

2. Centralizing Work Orders and Updates

Service businesses may invest in robust communication tools. But field agents may still not have ready access to relevant information. Information often lies scattered across different databases or devices. Field teams spend considerable time and effort to retrieve information. Also, the information may be incomplete or an older, redundant version. Field teams often waste time on follow-ups, double-checking information, and seeking clarifications. For instance, if they do not have a copy of the work order, they may seek clarification from the client. This may be at odds with the FSM manager’s instructions. They waste time on clarifications, or do not work according to the specifications. The net result is inefficiencies and waste.

Field service management systems allow service managers to centralize work orders and updates. Service managers can upload data and records to information repositories. Mobile apps connect to these repositories and offer information through integrated dashboards. Information access and retrieval become easy, with no data silos.

Field teams can access information on the go. They can access the work order, service history, and other relevant information. They do not waste time seeking clarifications or on follow-ups. Issues related to version conflicts also go away.,

FSM managers and work teams can also update the work orders to reflect the latest situation. For instance, some clients may make an extra request when the field team arrives on-site. Or, on inspection, the scope of work may be larger than anticipated. In such situations, the work crew can update the work order and generate a new estimate. The system becomes flexible and resilient.

On work completion, field teams update information through timely reports. They use the mobile app to collect electronic data, including before-and-after images of the equipment. FSM managers and clients get the work completion reports, complete with images where relevant.   Custom job reports offer clients detailed proof of work.

2. Scheduling Regular Check-Ins and Briefings

Regular check-ins make field service operations proactive and dynamic.

In field service, managers cannot supervise operations in real-time. A system that requires regular check-ins of work teams enables tracking work progress. Managers can exercise greater control over operations.

Consider a technician who spends more than the benchmark time or takes too long to check in at the next location. A system of regular check-ins after finishing a task or reaching specific milestones makes such lags explicit. The service manager can track work progress proactively. If they notice a lag, they can connect with the work team to understand what is going on and make timely interventions.

When technicians check in at a location, attendance tracking gets automated. FSM managers can track the worked hours to generate timesheets and handle payroll. Such check-ins also enable proactive performance management. For instance, if a field team runs late or lags, the FSM manager can investigate to identify and fix the underlying issue.

Likewise, monthly performance check-ins and regular briefings help review workflows and activities. Team members can use the field service management system to generate activity reports and transaction logs. Field teams and FSM managers remain up to date on common issues. They can analyze workflows, learn from previous issues, and improve for the future.

Regular check-ins and briefings make field service management proactive. Regular analysis and follow-ups improve first-time fix rates. The workflows become seamless, leading to fewer emergency calls.

Field service businesses that institute check-ins and briefings improve productivity by 10% to 25 %.

3. Ensuring Clear-Cut Instructions

Field service success depends on work teams receiving clear-cut instructions. Instant communications, centralized work orders, and check-ins make field operations seamless. Field service management systems improve service managers’ ability to give clear-cut instructions.

Information repositories provide field agents with easy access to reliable information. Service managers can upload a copy of the work order, service history, and other relevant details. The field agent technician can download it in the field using their app. 

Integrated CRM allows field agents to access customer information, including contact details.

Forms and checklists structure workflows and guide the work team to work in specific ways. FSM managers can create and upload forms using the field service management system. Field agents can download these resources using their mobile apps. For instance, a safety checklist guides technicians through the precautions to take and the order of work progression.

4. Encouraging Feedback Loops Between Field Staff and Office Teams

Feedback loops between field staff and FSM managers pre-empt disconnect and streamline operations.

Field service management systems enable the creation of such feedback loops as part of the workflow.

Logic-driven forms enable robust inspections. Service managers can use field service software to create forms that adapt question flow based on responses.

Mobile apps allow field agents to capture electronic data, including images. They can use such data to generate reports. A report with before-and-after images offers conclusive proof of job completion.  Field teams can also use their mobile apps to capture the client’s electronic signature as proof of work completion.

Integrated inventory management syncs job allocation with inventory availability. Work teams can also return unused parts after completing their work.

5. Tracking Metrics and Taking Data-Driven Decisions

Analyzing field service management data enables tracking performance and identifying communication gaps.

The mean time to repair (MTTR) and the time spent by the technician at each stage allow FSM managers to track job progress. They can intervene if they notice a lag and resolve any issues. Tracking these metrics at the employee level provides the basis for performance management. The manager can communicate exactly what needs improvement. They can also structure training programs around such insights.

Analyzing the first-time fix rate (FTFR) is the basic step towards seamless operations. A first-time fix occurs when everything falls into place. The scheduling is perfect, there is inventory to execute the job, the dispatch is efficient, and work takes place without any glitches. FSM managers can use the field service data to

A conscious effort to improve FTFR is, in essence, a push towards hyper-efficiency.

Tracking metrics allows FSM managers to rely on data and make informed decisions. In the absence of reliable insights, they often communicate based on assumptions and anecdotal feedback. Data-backed communications improve operational efficiency, technician productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Adopting a digital field service management system such as ReachOut improves field service communications.

ReachOut is a best-in-breed field service software, offering comprehensive features and functionality. Remote teams using the suite stay aligned and productive. Managers get better control and insights into operations. They can communicate easily with work teams and streamline workflows.

Click here to find out how ReachOut can transform your business. Sign up for a free trial now.