ReachOut 2024 Recap: Product Updates and Enhancements
2024 has been a transformative year for ReachOut, marked by exciting product updates and major UI enhancements. This year, we set out to deliver new ways to save field service businesses more time and money.
As we count down to the New Year, let’s give you a quick rundown of the updates that have made ReachOut even more powerful, efficient, and user-friendly for field service operators. Dive in—you might even uncover a feature that could be a game-changer for your business in the coming year!
New Features for Tracking Jobs
From job progress bar to geofencing, we’ve launched a pack of job tracking features in ReachOut. The top features include:
Geofencing to Track Field Agents: This year, we introduced geofencing technology in ReachOut to provide real-time location tracking for field teams. It helps validate whether your field technicians are within their assigned work zones, even before they start their job assignments.
Customer Location Mapping: The new geofencing feature also helps you add customers and their locations using latitude and longitude coordinates, even if you don’t have their physical address in your client database.
Job Progression Bar: We’ve incorporated a Job Progression Bar in ReachOut this year. It gives you a quick snapshot of the current status of a selected job. The different types of statuses provide better transparency on the job progress and its current state.
Reassign Pending Tasks: This year, we implemented a streamlined method for marking ReachOut users (field agents) inactive based on their current status. This method allows you to reassign their pending tasks and inventory easily. Field service techs can now switch user roles without affecting their job assignments.
Add New Customers: Now, you can add new customers from wherever you are using the ReachOut mobile app. No more returning to your office desk to add a new customer to your database!
View Customer Profiles: In addition to adding a new customer, you can view all of your customer profiles right from your mobile device. We’ve launched a new, dedicated section in the ReachOut mobile app that allows you to view and manage customer information.
Track Agent Attendance: You can also track your field service agents’ attendance using the mobile app. Admins can download detailed attendance reports to enable accurate payroll processing.
UI/UX Improvements
Throughout 2024, we’ve worked on enhancing our users’ experience. Here’s what we’ve been up to:
Log in and Sign up UI: We’ve improved the user interface of the Login and Sign up pages in ReachOut. The UI changes will make the onboarding process more convenient and faster for existing and new users.
Onboarding Page UI: We want every user to enjoy hassle-free onboarding with ReachOut. That’s why we have enhanced the “Let’s Get Started” UI on the Overview page. It helps create a personalized route for you to get started with ReachOut.
Front-End UI Overhaul: ReachOut’s front-end UI has undergone a complete technology upgrade recently. It makes the application even more user-friendly, faster, and navigable for everyone.
Notes Add-on in Tickets
The Notes Add-on in ReachOut’s Ticket (Work Order) Management now has a fresh UI and significant functionality improvements. The key changes include:
Add Notes From the Field: Service engineers/technicians using the ReachOut mobile app (Field Agent Mobile App) can now add notes corresponding to each job in the field. While adding notes, they can also include attachments, such as photos and annotations, all through the mobile app.
Note Creation by Admin: Back-office admins can also create and add notes for field service agents during dispatch. It gives them more visibility into the scheduled jobs.
Add Internal Notes: Now, your team can add internal notes against all Work Orders and Inspections scheduled via ReachOut. Adding internal notes allows admins to provide instructions or reminders to field agents working on specific tickets. It helps you save time and money and avoid the need for rework.
New Asset Management Feature Launched
This year, we launched a new asset management feature with advanced capabilities. The new feature replaces the outgoing ‘Entities’ feature in ReachOut. Here’s how the modern asset management feature will help asset installers and maintenance companies:
Create and Manage Customer Assets: As a service provider, you can add, define, and organize customer assets with clear categories in ReachOut. You can also link customer assets to jobs (work orders and inspections) to ensure a smooth workflow and view the basic asset details linked to each customer on ReachOut’s web and mobile applications.
Onsite Asset Registration: Your field service agent can register new assets from a customer’s site using the ReachOut mobile app, regardless of the job ticket they are working on. It helps ensure better time-to-value in asset installation and maintenance.
Maintain Asset-Specific Documents: You can also upload, define, and manage asset-related documents and manuals in ReachOut that are relevant to each asset category. Systematic maintenance of contracts, insurance, warranties, and other legal documents helps improve your compliance with industry regulations and standards.
Power Your Field Operations with Complete Digitization
ReachOut’s standard form builder, a reliable data collection tool for field techs, now features a modern UI. Here’s what we are up to:
Format Changes: The conventional page-like format used in standard forms has been replaced with a modern section-style format. This change allows you to customize and define page breaks in job reports.
Image Upload for Each Question: When using the standard forms, you can now upload images to individual questions as needed.
Image Grouping: When using forms, you can now group images by form names or tags. It allows you to identify relevant images during job report customization quickly. You can also choose specific job gallery images to include in job reports.
Usability Enhancements in Customer Hub
Here’s how ReachOut’s Customer Hub feature has evolved in 2024.
Approve Quotes: We’ve included the Quotes and Invoices feature in ReachOut’s Customer Hub. Now, your customers can view and approve your Quotes directly from the Hub, saving you hours of manual work.
Partial Payment Invoice: Now, you can allow your customers to make partial payments toward a service invoice. You can mark such invoices as “partially paid” until you receive the full payment from your customer.
To meet your field service company’s diverse requirements and budgetary considerations, we’ve launched a range of new pricing tiers that will offer you more flexibility and convenience.
Looking Ahead
2024 marks a year of continuous innovation for ReachOut. We have successfully brought in a suite of UI enhancements and feature updates to help field service teams maximize efficiency, drive revenue, and prepare for busy seasons.
From Geofencing to Asset Management and Mobile App upgrades, these updates give service providers everything they need to manage field service tasks and teams, both in the office and at work sites. As we look toward 2025, we’re committed to streamlining your operations and elevating experiences for your employees and customers with more exciting updates.
Digitize your field service operations from scheduling to invoicing with ReachOut. Connect your technicians with the companion mobile app to execute jobs and reduce paperwork in the field. Try ReachOut now and give your customers the fast and quality service they deserve.
Liji is a passionate enthusiast in field service management, bringing a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the industry. With a keen interest in optimizing service operations and improving field service efficiency, Liji is committed to sharing insights and best practices that empower businesses to excel in their service delivery.