The paper work order is alive and still kicking. We’re trying to change that at ServiceMax, but the fact remains, paper is still used in quite a few field service organizations, even today. But what are some of the real tangible benefits of moving from paper to an automated system?
Here are just a few examples of a monetary gain, an efficiency gain and a “peace of mind” gain that many ServiceMax customers have seen once switching from the old clipboard to our end-to-end field service solution:
Monetary:
How many times have you not been able to bill a customer because your service tech misplaced the work order? Have you ever received a paper work order that is unreadable because of your technician’s physician-like handwriting? Do your technicians need to start or end their days at dispatch to pick up and drop off paperwork, wasting gas and time in the process?
With ServiceMax, there are no paper work orders. The data goes straight from the mobile device or laptop into ServiceMax. No need to pick up or drop off their work orders, they simply look them up on their intuitive daily calendar. Since they are typing in the data, you no longer have an issue with unreadable work orders.
Efficiency:
One field tech I spoke with recently told me that for every kitchen manager he had to sign off on a work order (and there were many, this is a major tech company with multiple campuses around Silicon Valley), and they had to distribute it to many managers, directors, bean counters, etc. Pre-ServiceMax, his office manager had to receive the work order, and scan and send it out via email to the parties requesting it. This could happen up to 5 – 10 times per week.
Since implementing ServiceMax, they are able to have the customer sign off on the work order on the mobile device, and send a PDF copy of the Service Report to any individual they wish using the ServiceMax Mobile Application. That office manager now has time to accomplish tasks that do not require scanning and emailing.
Peace of mind:
Ever had a customer call in to your business while your technician was en-route to change details of the work order, or the location? What about getting newly generated work orders to your technician during the middle of the day? (Make’s me nervous just thinking of those technicians writing details on a napkin while at lunch.)
With ServiceMax, you can use the dispatch console to strategically assign new work orders to your technicians (even during the middle of a shift) and you can rest assured that they have the most up to date information and location on their work orders.
Field service organizations and trees alike can rejoice that while paper may still be a reality in many field service organizations today, with the huge potential gains from switching to an automated system, paper’s days are surely numbered.
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