As service operations look to carve out as many savings as possible, many are turning to mobile solutions to save money, reduce technician down time and generally make service organizations more efficient and profitable.
Intelligent Management conducted an hour-long webinar last week, titled “New Mobile Workforce Management: Insights to Increase Your ROI,” that featured interviews with three utility executives about how they used mobile solutions to increase efficiency and pad the bottom line. (Registration required to listen to the webinar). Executives from Chicago-based ComEd Utility Solutions, Indiana-based Vectren and Forida-based JEA were interviewed for the program.
Although the execs come from large companies, the insights apply to field organizations of all sizes. Intelligent Management‘s Phil Carson offers a short synopsis of the program, including key takeaways, for those unable to dedicate an hour to listen to the audio. Highlights include:
Improved Dispatch & Routing
Take advantage of technologies on the market that allow managers to track their fleets, provide more accurate dispatch and improve technician routing. It’s also important to create an intuitive, easy-to-learn system — an important consideration for service organizations with extensive fleets and technicians in the field, but applicable to smaller field service organizations to ensure employee buy-in. The easier the uptake, the better the chances your technicians will use the system.
Consolidation & Increased Visibility
By folding the disjointed — and often manual — management systems into a cohesive system, field managers can experience tremendous ROI. Flexibility is also essential in any new system, allowing for on-the-fly changes based on technicians’ needs. Additionally, Utility provider JEA found substantial success after implementing an automated dispatch system, allowing techs to more easily report on job progress.
We’ve covered the massive business opportunities of mobile for service firms, and the utility executives’ experiences highlight the recurring themes: Mobile solutions, even small initial steps, can hep service organizations of all sizes cut costs, improve customer loyalty and increase productivity.
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