By David Crary
Truthfully, unless you are under the age of 16, or maybe even 10, it seems that everyone has a mobile device for personal use. I see toddlers playing with grandparents' phones and they know games better than grandpa. Toddlers can also put together amazing photo shows with tablets. Seems they are born with more technologically savvy brains than we could ever dream of.
And with smart phone technology, the wave in green industry businesses is to provide a mobile device with every team leader or employee. These devices, coupled with mobile field service software, creates key efficiencies when in the field and allows you to gain the most benefit from your field service management software.
Looking to buy mobile field service software? The following six questions should be asked when deciding which software solution will be best for you and your business:
- Which platform should you chose? Be sure that the mobile field service software that you choose is compatible with your existing mobile devices. Are you using Android or iOS? For many it is a personal preference. We prefer Android over iOS as we have found that the devices are less expensive and it functions the same (if not better) than IOS devices.
- How easy is the software to use? Ask your field technicians to watch the demos and comment. Be sure that they believe that the data entry is intuitive and easy. The quicker they adapt to this technology, the faster you will be reaping the rewards of a paperless business.
- Does the software offer bilingual capabilities? With many employees in the green industry speaking Spanish, you want your field service software to display in Spanish as well as English. Don’t let language be a barrier for improving efficiencies in your business. If your field techs or crews can't read the software text, they aren't going to be using the software.
- Does the process enforce consistency? When service is delivered it is important that the technicians perform the same process with their mobile device. This consistency will lead to better adoption by the technician as the repetitiveness of the action will create a comfort and willingness to be a key part of the solution. It makes it easier for your office team because every work order has the same data. It will also be beneficial to your customers that will see invoices in the same format with the same information every time regardless of who does the work.
An example of this is parts selection. When entering the parts used, do your field personnel type in the part, or do they select it from a list? Selecting it from a list ensures you get the same data every single time, regardless of tech. Another example are field notes. Don't make your guys in the field enter notes unless they absolutely have to. Instead, your software should let you create a list of common field notes that they simply select. It's a time saver that leads to more accurate data in the long run.
- Do you need to customize data collection? Not all companies are the same. Your company may have some unique characteristics that you want to put in your field service workflow software so be sure that the solution offers this customization for your favorite bells and whistles. In HindSite, for example, you can create what are called assessments - simple surveys that your field teams complete after every job or after they've finished a specific service. It helps you capture more information over time, information that can help you deliver better service to your customers.
- Is connectivity an issue? Can the technician enter the data without a cellular connection and then once back in the office use Wi-Fi to sync the data to the system? This can save you a lot of money with data plans from the cellular companies so be sure you know the answer to this issue, especially if you're in an area with poor cell phone coverage.
Deciding on how to move forward with your mobile field service software and incorporating the mobile enhancement will deliver efficiencies for your business. Make this move soon so your training can move forward and 2014 can be your best year ever. You may want to consider letting your youngest family member taking a peek at your device, he/she may teach you a few things about your field service software!