How Can Service Technicians Benefit From Field Service Management Software?

Why should service technicians use field service management software? The answer is simple – because of the many benefits it offers.  Optimized scheduling, improved work efficiency, easy work order management, and streamlined inspections and audits are just a few. However, service technicians are often reluctant to opt for a field service management tool despite the many benefits. This blog will help you understand why field technicians must invest in FSM software and how they can leverage the tool to reap more success.

1. Optimized Job Allocation

Field service management streamlines scheduling and dispatching. It allows schedulers to allocate jobs considering the availability of staff and their skill sets. 

Schedulers get a bird’s eye view of the jobs assigned to each technician in an easy calendar view. They can use such views to assign jobs equitably. The basis for scheduling jobs becomes skills, availability, and proximity rather than random or ad-hoc arrangements.

For the technician, there is no more scrambling or frantic phone calls to find the next job. The mobile app delivers notifications and updates to the phone, eliminating miscommunication. They can access their daily schedule anytime to plan routes and prioritize tasks.

Optimized job allocation translates to a smoother workday with less stress and uncertainties. 

2. Integrated Inventory Management

A field technician who arrives at a client’s premises with the right tools and parts to do the job creates a positive impression. On the contrary, showing up at a client’s site ready to fix their problem only to discover a missing critical part is a disaster. Customer satisfaction takes a severe blow if the technician has to return to the warehouse to collect parts for an urgent repair. The costs and inefficiencies associated with the rescheduling become a double whammy for the business. 

Field service management syncs scheduling and dispatching with inventory. Schedulers can assign jobs, as well as the tools and inventory needed for them. The field technicians can go to the work site equipped with a complete arsenal of tools to do the job well. There are no mix-ups, and their productivity improves.

Having the right tools for every job allows field technicians to focus on their core jobs without worrying about spares or tools. They no longer need to scramble for supplies or return to the warehouse for supplies. They can do roe first-time fixes, delighting customers in the process.

3. Lesser Time on the Road

Field technicians who use the field service mobile app linked maps for guidance spend less time on the road. The app’s route optimization feature helps prioritize tasks and minimize travel. They also do not have to waste time seeking directions to their work site.

The field service mobile app integrates with maps to guide field technicians through the best routes. This allows them to avoid wasting time in traffic jams or making the wrong turn. 

When field technicians reach their work sites faster, they can complete more work orders per shift. Completing jobs faster means handling more work orders per shift. Productivity and job satisfaction improve. Technicians who get paid per work order increase their earning potential. 

Faster arrival times translate to less customer downtime and happier clients, which in turn means better ratings and a positive work environment. 

4. Better Support

Often, field technicians are on their own during fieldwork. There is no active guidance from the supervisor. Reaching a busy supervisor who handles multiple field agents is not easy. Phone calls and messages are unreliable. If a field technician hits a snag, the only recourse is often to work on a hunch or reschedule a visit. 

The field service mobile app bridges the disconnect between the field technician and the office. The system logs every message for easy reference and ensures nothing gets lost. Technicians can revisit past advice easily. 

Service managers can create and share forms and checklists through the app. They can share safety protocols, step-by-step task guides, or even order-of-work progression checklists. Field technicians can download them from their mobile app and access them anytime, anywhere. They no longer have to scramble for instructions.

5. Ready Access to Information

Field technicians need ready access to relevant information to do their jobs well. Lack of information leads them to waste time seeking instructions. When they seek instructions from the field, the inability to connect to the office leads to delays. Relying on the customer can be tricky since the customer may instruct differently from the work order specifications. 

The field service mobile app offers technicians access to relevant knowledge from their work sites. 

Service managers can open job cards and upload them to the field service management software. Such job cards may contain customer details, service history, a copy of the work order, and all other relevant information. Field technicians can access these job cards from their field service mobile apps. They can execute the work equipped with complete information. Without such job cards or access to knowledge depositories, field technicians often work blind. 

6. Freedom From Time-consuming Paperwork

Data collection, reporting, and paperwork are indispensable for field service work. However, field technicians lose valuable time over such tasks. These tasks come with the opportunity cost of completing additional work orders. 

Moreover, manual reports and paperwork are always prone to errors and omissions. In a typical field service enterprise, the field technician takes down paper notes and uploads them to the system at the end of the day. During such end-of-the-day reporting, the technician may omit vital information or make a mistake in figures. 

The field service mobile app aids data collection and makes report generation easier. Field technicians can use the app to collect electronic data. They can also use such data to create custom reports and email the intended recipients without waiting for the end of the shift. Field technicians can also collect electronic signatures as proof of work done. 

7. Automation of Critical Tasks

Effective field service management depends on automating critical tasks. The field service mobile app aids automation to make the lives of field technicians easier. For instance, they can mark a work order as complete, and the system auto-generates invoices. The technician can email the invoice to the customer and collect the payment before leaving the premises. Back-end integration with accounting software spares technicians from time-consuming clerical tasks. 

Good field service management software, such as ReachOut, improves field technician productivity. The improved job output increases their motivation and job satisfaction, leading to an upward spiral of happier field technicians. The better job output leads to happier customers and more work, and the cycle repeats itself. 

In Conclusion

The field service technician is the public face of the service business and often the only human point of contact. Happy and more productive field agents have a positive spin-off for the business. To ensure they are rightly equipped to do their work efficiently, we have built a simple, easy-to-use field management software that eases service technicians’ work. With digital forms, route optimization, CRM, and other power-packed features, ReachOut ensures that work is simple, smart, and effective in the field. 

Explore more about how ReachOut can make your service technician’s life easy. Request a free demo today!