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Nov 16
0

Mobile Field Inspection Software

By | Insights | No Comments

We live in the age of smart-watches that tell us how many steps we’ve taken, calories we’ve burnt, give us notifications from our phones etc. And yet the field inspection industry has been rather hesitant in embracing technology to make use of its full potential. In this article lets go over a few reasons why field service management companies may find it difficult to move to the new world order of mobile phones and web apps.

Inertia

One of the major hurdles in the widespread adoption of technology in the field inspection industry is the inertial tendency of habit. It is difficult to change the way things are routinely done. There is obviously the discomfort associated with the transition phase when employees and administrators have to relearn the techniques used to perform tasks, that they used to do with ease earlier, out of habit. But besides that, there is the very real economic cost of downtime associated with the transition period, when the system is being installed as well when productivity drops while the workings are being learned.

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Usability

Physical forms are intuitive and easy to use, we’ve been using them for centuries. It’s easy to quickly jot down observations, make notes etc on a handy piece of paper, there’s a reason that 3M’s Post-it notes became a runaway success once people got their hands on them.

Nowadays though, the handheld electronic mobile device is ubiquitous. It is, as a matter of fact more likely that one would have a mobile device at hand than paper to take some notes on today! When dealing with physical forms though, obviously dedicated forms are used for the recording of information and not a scrap of paper found at hand. It would however make the process of recording information much easier on the agent involved if the forms are stored on a digital device and possibly the agent’s own device as per the BYOD philosophy.

The process of actually filling out the forms and recording the data, are currently at about the same level of difficulty; writing or drawing on physical forms and keying in text or drawing onto a device screen. Most people nowadays are not only well accustomed to using a virtual keyboard on a device screen to enter text but are fairly adept at it too.

Bottleneck

When the information has to be used however, things change. The data on physical forms has to be fed into a digital system, since we use digital systems nowadays. They have to be painstakingly entered which is a cumbersome process. This is a major bottleneck in the process as no other work can be done until this information is entered. The physical forms have to be brought or sent to the location where the data can be entered as well for this to happen.
Alternatively, when it comes to software, the data is entered into a digital system at the beginning of the process. This digital data can be automatically synchronised with the back end or even just sent electronically if it has to be sent in as well. Thus the data is instantly sent back for reports to be created or for any other purpose eliminating that bottleneck altogether.

data-entry-error

Archival and retrieval

Forms often have to be pulled up for reference in the future and archiving them properly can make this process swift. Physical forms need to be stored physically and indexed properly for reference to be an option in the future. They take up a lot of space and need an enormous amount of sifting whenever information is to be retrieved.

The same task in the digital realm is uberously simpler. The data can be archived to be stashed out of view for daily activities, but when retrieval of information is required, a simple search string could be used to pull it up given that the entries are all indexed.

Added functionality

Digitally acquiring data would also mean that images can be added directly to the form data for a clearer picture to be obtained of what is being inspected.

Automated reminders can be generated and sent to both agents as well as administrators informing them of pending inspections that are nearing their due date. Agents can also receive push notifications on their devices  that will inform them of tasks assigned as they get assigned to them.

The digitizing of data at the onset has the added benefit of automation; when data is entered digitally, the data can be reformatted and reports comprising the data can be generated automatically. Software systems would speed up the entire process manifold.

Another added benefit is that the mundane, repetitive tasks that agents previously dreaded doing, will be made much simpler if not allowing them to completely avoid doing them altogether, thus giving them more productive time to thoroughly complete their inspection tasks.

Wrapping up

Sorting, retrieval, archival, etc all take merely seconds to do rather than being the laborious process that they would be in the case of physical forms. At the end of the day, moving to a digital, mobile field inspection software solution may take a little time and effort to do, but will be worth the investment.

Mar 07
2

10 most Important Skills for Compliance Managers

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The primary and essential duty of a compliance manager is to keep the ethical integrity of a company intact. He/she must make sure that the business activities of the organisation are carried out within a regulatory framework. Compliance officers can only carry out risk management process by effectively planning programs and enforcing policies within the organisation. Certain designed duties and tasks of a compliance manager involves the following:

  • Assessing business and operations’ risks.
  • Conduct audits to ensure adherence to standards.
  • Identifying compliance issues.
  • Ensuring written and verbal policies and regulations of an organisation are kept in check.
  • Develop risk management strategies and processes.
  • Investigation on compliance procedures and necessary follow-up action.

Coveted Skills for Compliance Managers
To execute above tasks and to effectuate desired value, the compliance manager must possess a defined set of skills and expertise. Top most important skills for compliance managers are compiled in the list below:

1. Organisation skills: Compliance managers should be capable of multitasking within clearly defined timelines. An idea of the existing rules and regulations for maintaining compliance within an organisation should be made aware among its employees and staff by a compliance officer. Clear goals should be developed prior to the compliance process and those should be fulfilled within fixed dedicated agenda. He should be clear about what needs to be done and how and when he is going to do it. Breaking down audit into component parts and delegating tasks will also help.

2. Communication skills: Like most job profiles, compliance managers are also supposed to possess both written and verbal communication skills. Interpersonal communication including listening and decision making will help an auditor to effectively carry out compliance process. Reflection and clarification on regulation topics should be maintained by a compliance officer.To keep all the sectors and resources that should abide by a compliance process in alignment, the compliance officer must have quality communication skills. Effective communication is a necessity for propagating the findings during an audit report.

3. Problem Solving skills: Effective problem solving requires a combination of creative and analytical thinking. Compliance officers face the problem of unclear and vague regulatory policies, cost issues, irreversible business failure issues, etc. The risk attached to a particular policy-making should be identified by the field officer. This helps him achieve a simple structured solution process. Problem solving can only be completed with right implementation and concise monitoring of solution. The process should be carried out in pre-planned steps and for the chosen solution, correct feedback should also be given. Auditors should have a grasp on business acumen and sound judgement on next course of action.

4. Assessing and interpreting risks: The main steps in a risk management process involves identification, analysis, planning, monitoring, reporting and control. Compliance managers must be familiar with all these steps and should choose to operate accordingly. Lessons should be learnt from previous regulation errors which will help in avoiding future non-compliance. To assess risks and analytically interpret them, base knowledge about regulation concepts and its part in the specific business must be identified. Risk management process involves statistical analysis. Compliance managers should be capable of assessing a particular risk and interpreting its implications on the organisation.

5. Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is a desirable skill for a compliance manager. Rational and clear thinking about risk analysis should be done on the part of the inspector. Critical/analytical thinking is important for auditors as they are required for analyzing data and offering more strategic input. Practical solutions should be conveyed to tackle problem statements. Compliance managers should have the ability for reflective and independent thinking and should be able to understand the logical connection between business policies and compliance regulations.

6. Creativity: A compliance manager should have creative skills. They should be able to perceive the compliance and regulation measures within the business. Creativity helps in seeking and finding connections between seemingly unrelated risk analysis management and decision-making. Creative capacity will also help in generating solutions to unique compliance issues. A compliance manager requires creativity and innovation to combine current business processes with effective compliance/ audit inspections and reports.

7. Integrity: Integrity is a must for any profession. Compliance managers are no exception. Regulation management process can only be implemented and accomplished effectively if the officers carrying out the inspection reports have strong moral principles and honest quality. They should uphold being in an undivided and unbiased state while executing their tasks. Compliance managers should be trustworthy. They should also have confidence and resilience when faced against tough situations and dealing with audit reports.

8. People skills/relationship building: The ability to read people and presence of mind is important for any auditor. This also helps a compliance officer in building trust and credibility among his clients. Compliance managers should be non-confrontational and non-aggressive and a healthy workplace requires them. Compliance and regulation policies/principles are fulfilled to the best of their potential by understanding situation of companies, moderating responses to errors, effective contact and proper empathizing. Relationship building among clients and companies can help earn trust, respect, credibility and productive interactions for auditors.

9. Business/IT Knowledge: Knowledge on latest business technologies and IT requirements will not only ensure an error-free audit session but also helps the compliance manager in climbing the career ladder. This would help with continous learning and teamwork on behalf of the inspector. Shrewd astute business acumen is necessary for a compliance officer and this involves flexibility about unforced regulation errors and adaptability to different audit environments. IT knowledge also plays a huge part as the role of an auditor is defined by the combination of accounting and technical know-how. Primary IT tools should be mastered and compliance related technology should be accounted for.

10. Knowledge about vulnerability/security: A particular audit/compliance process will only go right as per plan if the compliance manager have a crystal clear idea about the security policies associated with the specific audit. Vulnerabilities that could occur for the process should be identified and auditor should be able to discuss prevention measures or repair steps depending on the status of the report. Compliance managers should have a clear understanding of different security standards like ISO standards, interception regulations, control and abuse policies, monitoring and evaluation techniques, review and report performances.

Compliance managers are supposed to oversee compliance programs and generate audit reports with efficiency. The general purpose of accomplishing a perfect compliance process can only be achieved if the compliance officer is capable of essentially sticking to the above listed skills. To execute qualified responsibilities and duties, the compliance manager must follow the general principles detailed for each skill set. Ensuring compliance with all applicable rules, laws and regulations alongwith respecting the wide range of roles and responsibilities within a firm is a priceless task. Compliance managers should follow these requirements with no slippage in the work assigned to them by being aligned to the skills described in the article.

Mar 07
2

How to put Together an Effective Audit Program

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Compliance audits are all-inclusive reviews of an organization’s fidelity to regulations and policies. They determine whether a process or business transaction within a firm has followed applicable rules. The different set of rules and regulations pertaining to a particular business can be various. These could include rules created by the organization for itself through corporate bye-laws, plans and procedures: external regulations imposed on the business; specific set of standards that the business chose to follow; etc. Compliance audits are generally performed by authorities within the organization, those who are hired by the organization or auditors working for an external regulatory agency.

Benefits of an Effective Audit Program

The various benefits of conducting an effective compliance audit program are as follows:

  • Establishment of policies and regulations within an organization.
  • Practising necessary oversight on ethics and moral values.
  • Educating employees and staff about transparent compliance programs.
  • Excellent monitoring on organizational activities and business procedures.
  • Ensuring consistent disciplinary enforcement on operations.
  • Active feedback based on current issues and appropriate response to prevent future issues.

Steps for effective Compliance Audit Program

Despite its famed history, companies facing audits and inspections still face a dilemma regarding the process. This can be attributed to numerous reasons involving flaws in fraud identification and risk management process; lack of awareness about internal auditing; faulty inspection, assessment and/or feedback; confrontational approach in the work environment; ineffective time and skills management; lack of proper communication and process analysis skills; etc.

To tackle the above-mentioned issues and to fulfill the goal of an effective audit program, the following steps are necessarily required:

  • Select the team – The first step in accomplishing an effective compliance program is selecting the right team for the audit. Understanding the seriousness and importance of the audit, experienced individuals with an eye for detail must be selected. The main inspector chosen to monitor the team and oversee the process must be the most qualified candidate. An audit team should be formed by ingraining the key element of quality which will ensure the presence of integrity, ethics, personality, responsibility etc.
  • Schedule the audit process – Once the team is selected, the specific organization in question where the audit is to be conducted should be considered. Divide the company into different parts and lock in a priority order in which these parts should be audited. Highest priority must be given to departments with highest risk of vulnerability. Assigning priorities will make risk assessment a systematic process and integrates problem solving with judgement on a positive note.
  • Refer standard policies – When the organization and functioning industry of the target audit process is chosen, the standard policies and regulations pertaining to that specific firm should be taken into account. The best case scenario is that organizational procedures can be obtained and cross-checked with existing regulations. Business statements also should be referred to and evaluated. This will give the audit team a first-hand idea about the compliance program associated with the company.
  • Determine time – The next step in the audit preparation process is determining the right timeline. Usually audits tend to disrupt the functioning of an organization and this would create an imbalance in productivity. Certain audit processes are supposed to last for a long time-period mainly owing to strength and spread of the organization. The timeline for an audit should be determined in a way allowing the departments to maintain duties and fulfill responsibilities. A specific time should be allotted to conduct audit thoroughly and the rest should be dedicated to company activities.
  • Conduct audit/compliance – The major step in the entire inspection process – the chosen team on the determined time at the specific organization conducts the audit. The primary series of activities include notifying the organization about the process; planning the action with an opening meeting among the team; doing the fieldwork. Fieldwork is the most essential activity among the lot. Active communication has to be established among the team members and regulations concerning the organization must be verified. A planned effective audit process must be finished in due time and then the audit team can move on to the next step.
  • Create reports –  Creating reports based on completed audit process is the next step. The reports must be authentic and dynamic.A non-confrontational approach has to be followed and strictly correct report should be done. Different sets of assessments collected from individual auditors must be jointly considered to complete a fully fledged report. While creating reports, transparency must be maintained and necessary prioritized report should be generated.
  • Review reports:  Once the compliance audit report is created, it should be reviewed among the team by holding a meeting. Concerned stakeholders within the organization should also be involved in the meeting. This will give them a chance to speak out their minds about particular topics in the generated report. When the audit report is reviewed and if/when necessary changes are made, final report can be prepared. The main thing to remember here is that the audit process is a collaborative effort.
  • Publish reports and recommendations: When the final report is done, the audit team can publish the same. If the organization is not adhering to the standard regulations, action must be taken. However, lighter offenses should be treated as such and required recommendations for change can be discussed. Based on organization’s reactions and comments to the published report, follow-up action must be taken. Grievances should be addressed as well as methods to ensure adherence to future compliance stipulations  should be undertaken. A final closing meeting will keep the already built working relationship between all the concerned authorities.

An effective compliance audit process ensures an organization is following regulations and avoiding sanctions. This article has tried to achieve just that by explaining steps to develop and enact an efficient audit process. When a business process accomplishes structural risk management program, it will help the business deal with the compliance issues as well as helps with efficient monitoring on the part of the concerned authorities. In conclusion, the benefits of managing an effective audit program is visibly profitable to an organization and gives it much needed transparency and reputation.

Dec 17
1

Software Everywhere – Webinar

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Deepu Prakash – Head of Process and Technology Innovation at Fingent Corp, talks about the ubiquity of software in the compliance industry, the Volkswagen pollution scandal etc in this webinar conducted in early December. He talks about the various other aspects of how software is helping bring industries forward while also forcing them to take steps in order not to be left behind, giving unique industry level insight into their functioning from his experience at various corporates such as Sony, Samsung etc.

 

 

Software Everywhere Webinar – ReachOut from Fingent Corporation on Vimeo.

Nov 30
0

5 Tips To Help Make Your Compliance Inspections Go Smoothly

By | Insights | One Comment

Inspectors and auditors are unfortunately, not very welcome because of the perception that they are intruding into the normal functioning of the organization or department and that they are there to find fault in the department’s work. Compliance inspections, however, require the cooperation of the departments involved either before, during or after the inspection.

An adversarial environment doesn’t instill confidence and doesn’t incentivize cooperation. Fostering a collaborative environment helps those being audited to feel that you are indeed, there to help and that you are on their side.

Here are a few tips on how to do, just that.

Make You and Me, a We

Change your language ever so slightly, to use the collective pronoun. Saying “We can do ‘x’ to make ourselves compliant.” will help the team bring down their walls and accept that you are there to help as compared to saying “You can do ‘x’ to make yourself compliant.”

Offer Alternative Solutions from Experience

When an issue is detected and a CAPA initiated or required, share your observations on how the issue can be effectively tackled based on your previous experience in dealing with similar issues at other audits. Sharing your experience with the team will help them

Advise Rather than Instruct

Offer corrective or preventive action to be taken as pieces of advice instead of as instructions. “Doing ‘x’ will help rectify the issue” and “You have to or must do ‘y’ “ may not seem to have much of a difference, but the subtle changes between the tone in the two statements can leave the auditee feeling defensive or receptive to feedback.

Let an auditee tag along when possible

It may take more time to have someone from the department tag along while you conduct your audit, but this will help them understand that you are there to work with them, not against them and are actively trying to involve them in the auditing process.

Conduct an Open Meeting with the Auditee

Try to conduct an open meeting shedding more light on the main objective, scope and purpose of your visit. Try to state and stress on the fact that the most important aspect of your audit is not to detect the non-conformists but rather to help develop and improve their capabilities and systems.

Compliance Inspections

Bonus Tip: Avoid Filing Non-Critical Findings as Critical Findings

It may be tempting to file an issue as a critical issue to bring it to the notice of the administration and get it sorted out faster, but trying to solve issues within the department on the floor may be more productive and will help build trust, besides being faster.

Do you have a tip? Is there something you do, that you think significantly helps your audits?

ReachOut App helps businesses conduct paperless inspections and increase the efficiency of field inspectors exponentially. Data from current and past inspections are available at all times through the web and mobile devices and helps companies track their conformity status. Contact us to for a free no obligation product demonstration and find out how we can help your business.

Aug 25
0

Pharmaceutical Representatives

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Brandon worked his way up the ranks in the Sales department at a pharmaceutical company that was deemed one of the fastest growing companies, by Forbes.

 

He knew how difficult it was to get appointments with medical practitioners, to organise visits efficiently etc often having to go back and forth between an area and another just because he couldn’t organise his appointments geographically.

There was the constant note-making and losing of those notes, while later, the worries about whether representatives were indeed putting in the hours that they were supposed to be dedicating because of how much effort was required, now that the workload had drastically increased along with competition too.

 

He noticed those same difficulties being faced by his workforce and the slump in workforce satisfaction because of the increased effort required.

Thus, when he decided to give ReachOut Execute a shot, he instantly saw how it was so much more beneficial to the way work had to be done when compared to how he had to go about it.

 

His field representatives could now schedule appointments in geographical order so that they could effectively finish all the visits at a particular location before moving to the next, saving time and resources. They could get reminders and notifications, if they were running late for a meeting or a scheduled appointment. They now had access to all the information that they needed, at their fingertips through the mobile app, including information about the products: consumables as well as others, that they had to familiarise medical professionals with.

 

Specific tasks could now be assigned to specific agents based on their geographical location, their workload or their performance. Knowing who exactly was getting work done better allowed for employees to be rewarded better too.

 

He found that his workforce was performing better, as well as feeling better as the workload decreased while productivity increased thanks to the efficiency with which field representatives were doing their work with the tools provided.

The representatives got a hang of how to get things done, almost instantly thanks to the intuitive interface in the mobile app. Simple and subtle things such as integrated navigational directions from Google as well as speech-to-text capabilities made their jobs easier for them too.

 

Brandon saw the landscape and the way things functioned change as they stepped into a new era of working more efficiently and smartly.

Aug 24
0

Mobile Non Destructive Testing and Inspection Software

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The sector of non-destructive testing and inspection requires intricate data collection recorded in a very detailed and methodical manner.

Non-destructive testing involves non-invasive methods of analysing the the properties, such as strength, durability etc of a material, components, system of components etc without causing it any damage or changing it in any way.

It is a very valuable technique of testing for research, troubleshooting and product evaluation as it saves time, resources and thereby significant capital too.

Testing of any kind requires elaborate observations to be taken in a very systematic fashion in order not to miss anything that happens during the testing process. A lot of times, small things can go unnoticed by people who conduct the test due to human error, stemming from everything from negligence to random chance circumstances and just plain ol’ Murphy’s law.

 

The use of a mobile application to track the progress of testing procedures as well as to record observations, helps in multiple ways:

 

Firstly, it ensures that a systematic procedure is followed, avoiding the accidental skipping of steps, the application can be designed to instruct the observer to follow certain steps and require them to provide feedback for the same before moving on to the next step. This ensures that a thorough analysis is done and that no bias can set in that may change the total data collected.

 

The loss of any observed data due to loss or destruction of a physical medium used to record observations can be prevented by doing away with the physical media altogether. Forms, notebooks, and paper tend to either get misplaced or get damaged easily leading to losses in data that can sometimes even go unnoticed, leading to lapses in the data used for analysis.

 

The entry of data into a digital system directly from the source also completely gets rid of the need to re-enter information that has been recorded on physical media, as most analysis required data to be fed into a digital system following which report generation etc are done through it.

 

The solution of a mobile application for non destructive testing can be used in a large variety of industries, including:

  • Forensic engineering
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Electrical engineering
  • Civil engineering
  • Systems engineering
  • Aeronautical engineering
  • Metallurgy
  • Medicine
  • Archeology
  • Art etc.

Field service management products like ReachOut provide these solutions, custom built for a particular industrial application leading to much higher efficiency.

 

Reach out to us for a free consultation or demonstration, to see how ReachOut can help your specific business at: https://www.reachoutsuite.com/contact-us/

 

Jul 28
0

Market Research Software

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Market Research

Market research is a very important aspect of the feedback cycle when it comes to any business, but more so in the retail industry or healthcare industry.

There are various aspects to market research including measurement of quality of service and compliance with regulations.

Mystery shopping is a method used by companies to crowdsource the work to a degree having volunteers or dedicated agents go to various retail establishments and go through the general process of making a purchase while making notes of various aspects of the procedure behind the functioning of the establishment.

It’s essentially a surprise quality audit, without alerting the staff of an audit.

Generally mystery shopping agents are given instructions beforehand, to make observations on a number of different aspects of the decor, branding, customer service etc of the store that they have to conduct a quality audit of. They may be asked to take pictures of various aspects of the store, ie whether a particular brand is displayed with proper lighting, whether the store cleanliness levels are met etc.

In addition to getting directions to locations to where the audits have to be performed, data can be recorded and catalogued much more efficiently by using a mobile app like ReachOut Execute. It can have questions in any particular order, asking for the time taken to greet the agent, the cleanliness of the staff, the speed of checkout, the sales arguments used by the staff etc.

All this information can be entered into the app directly, which will be stored locally on the device till the entire audit is completed and then automatically synchronized to the backend server. This makes it easier for the agent to conduct the audit as well as avoid missing to catalogue  any aspects of the audit.

This information can be instantly and automatically transferred to the backend where the data is to be analysed for potentially required remedial measures and measurement of degrees of compliance.

On the management side, it would make the assignment of each audit simpler, as a manager could first assign the audits to the specified agents with specific instructions that they have to go through before starting their audit. The manager could create the list of questions with requirements for photographs etc and map the questions to show up based on the answers that the agent provides. The information once automatically synchronised can be used to generate a report or even analyse and compare the data graphically. The data can be archived after its immediate purpose is complete for future reference without cluttering active workspace.

The fact that the data does not leave the company servers at any pint of time and thus privacy and data ownership are maintained within the company ensures that sensitive information remains secure.

For all this and more, an audit management tool such as ReachOut Execute can help streamline auditing tasks while increasing efficiency and accountability.

For a free demonstration on how exactly ReachOut can help your business, go to: https://www.reachoutsuite.com/contact-us/

Jul 28
0

Software for Home Healthcare professionals

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Home Healthcare

The home healthcare industry is a very important and delicate sector. Split second decisions can save or cost a life.

When it comes to home health care or domiciliary care, caregivers are faced with scenarios where patients have to be given specific treatment based on the progression of their symptoms. Since patients generally cannot be transported with ease, the care is provided at their residences and by caregivers, but not necessarily doctors.

Having a method to document symptoms and progression of the same, as well as the ability to have a doctor go over the same to prescribe specific changes in the care techniques or medications prescribed can be vital.

Using conventional methods, there is a large scope for error that creeps in when certain observations can potentially be forgotten to be catalogued, there is a potential for mistakes to be made as specific procedures may be skipped by mistake and there may also be a delay in diagnosing a medical condition as the observed data will take time to get to a medical practitioner.

 

A mobile application would allow caregivers to document and instantly share medical information, including symptoms of their patients, with doctors to get diagnosed faster, as well as to help caregivers to attend to specific scenarios. This helps both the caregivers and the patients immensely.

Having a methodological list of tasks to be completed can also help caregivers who don’t have much experience to tend to tasks such as attending to bedsores, wound cleaning, disinfection etc.

The capability to take pictures during these tasks also helps in cataloguing all tasks done, while providing valuable feedback to doctors who can possibly diagnose an issue remotely, thus allowing for treatment to be administered faster than if conventional methods were followed.
ReachOut Execute offers all these features and more allowing a nursing care provider to responsibly ensure that caregivers can work more efficiently, be accountable and more importantly, take better care of patients.

Reach out to us for a free consultation or demonstration, to see how ReachOut can help your specific business at: https://www.reachoutsuite.com/contact-us

Jul 21
0

Facilities Management Software

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Inspection SoftwareEleanor has been in the Facilities Management industry for over a decade now, let’s take a look at how ReachOut helped her business go from being just decent to one that market leaders started to reckon with.

 

Providing exceptional service to her clients while helping her employees in any way she could, had always been Eleanor’s main mantra.

When her facilities management business expanded, she thought that she would be able to provide her services to more people and also provide jobs to more people too. While both of those things happened, something she didn’t expect did too, she started getting more complaints about the work conducted and employees were becoming increasingly dissatisfied as well.

She did not know what was going wrong now, she was doing the same things that she did back when she was a small company with a booming business with both extremely happy customers and employees.

Well, Eleanor first started her business in the late 90s and she diligently went through all the the accounts managed, herself. She also met all the employees to assign the tasks that had to be completed. This worked well for the company at the time because of its’ size, but as they scaled up and grew as a company, employees were finding it difficult to keep track of the tasks that they had completed, the locations that they had to go to, to complete the tasks etc. It was even difficult to follow up on their invoices and payslips because they were based on the work done. All this led to disenchantment amongst the staff and managers which translated to poor service and customer dissatisfaction. Eleanor wasn’t brought into the loop though on all the problems because, again, they weren’t clearly documented and there was no way to track where in the system, the process was failing.

That’s when she got a call from a representative who wanted to let her know about the ReachOut suite of products, amongst which ReachOut Execute, a work order management solution was suggested as a potentially useful solution. She didn’t know of any issues that had to be solved in particular, but she decided to hear them out, and decided to implement the system in her company.

The changes were remarkable and almost instantly noticeable from the day the system was deployed. employees who were out getting tasks done could now check in digitally through the mobile app on their smartphones, which were enabled with GPS tracking once they checked in. They got navigation and directions directly through the app so that they could pick which was the best route for them to take to get to their destination. They were now also able to send quality checks for the work done immediately and record initial inspections of the location through the app. The real-time alerts of when a job was completed and the ability for managers now to instantly see the quality of the work meant that their invoices and payments were made faster.

Managers could now see which employees were better at what and assign tasks accordingly, even based on the location proximity of the employee at the time for urgent tasks. Managers could also see which employees were doing a better job and completing tasks on time with notifications and reminders for jobs that were nearing their deadlines.

Assigning tasks also became easier as they could create forms for different tasks and reassign the form for another similar task at a different location as needed.

Despite all the changes made to the systems that they had in place, adoption was a fairly speedy  affair with the learning curve being rather short.

Eleanor now has a much more successful business which is more efficient and productive. More importantly though for her, her employees aren’t burdened anymore and so are happier, in turn making her customers happier too.

 

If you would like to see what ReachOut can do for your business, drop us a line at https://www.reachoutsuite.com/contact-us/ for a free demonstration.