Digitally Connected Workflows for Field Service Management

Work Order Management

The foremost challenge lies within a lack of efficient work order management. Many field service providers use outdated processes in task identification, allocation, completion and inspection, which impacts service quality and may even in result in customer resentment. With no integrated processes to manage work orders, various tasks in the above phases could not be tracked, leading to mismanagement and delays.

Another reason for the lack of efficiency in work order management is usage of disparate systems for different activities. In such a scenario, on-field agents could not communicate with their supervisors and it becomes nearly impossible to monitor them and provide assistance in real time.

Scheduling Conflicts

With the magnitude of service requests that come in every day, it becomes difficult to create a schedule that would not collide with other tasks. Furthermore, business more often depend on scheduling software that are not integrated with other operational processes. This causes imbalances in the schedule and makes it difficult to adhere to deadlines.

Scheduling conflicts also arise due to mismanagement of prioritization of service requests. Total dependence on manual methods to prioritize requests is not viable nor efficient. Wrong judgement related to request prioritization increases the caseload, fosters customer dissatisfaction and also makes technicians more prone to errors.

Service Validation

Was the service rendered satisfactory? Did the express their satisfaction post-service? Were all the necessary protocols followed? Were the quality standards maintained? These are some of the questions that could be answered through service validation, something that many businesses lack.

Validating service quality is not possible if the records are maintained on paper. A supervisor could not track the status of service delivery unless there are digitally powered processes that integrate all operations. With no regular inspection and validation, service quality would deteriorate over time.

Service validation significantly improves service quality and helps you understand the customers’ perception of your business. The lack of this last crucial step hinders customer retention and robs your business of the opportunity to make your processes better and more streamlined.