In 2020, research showed that around half (48%) of your competitors are still using manual administration processes and legacy systems to manage their field service operations.
Many businesses are yet to realise the benefits of changing their field service management processes from manual to digital. As a result, there’s a unique opportunity to get ahead of the competition by embracing a digital-first approach in your business operations.
This article explains three reasons why adopting digital field service management software can make your business more successful and efficient.
1. Improved Productivity
Eliminates Paperwork
Digital processes can reduce the number of mistakes or errors compared to manual methods. What if numbers on a physical invoice are miswritten, or if the handwriting is unreadable?
Software that incorporates any forms you have been filling out manually will enable you to work more efficiently across different teams, as all relevant documents will be easily accessible to everyone on the system.
A Clear View of Resources Available
Using software to manage your people allows you to match the right person to the right job quicker than ever.
Systems such as the BigChange Network —available through BigChange's management system — grants access to thousands of companies worldwide to sub-contract. Because of directories like this, you'll be able to fulfil jobs in a broader range of locations without having to hire extra resources or spend unnecessary amounts on travel costs for a job that's farther away.
Improved Communication
A survey conducted by Verizon Connect found that 48% of business leaders claimed their biggest struggle was 'keeping everyone updated about the schedule', and 45% suggested the biggest hurdle for them was 'keeping customers informed of technicians' estimated times of arrival'.
By storing all relevant information about a job in one place, you can use your field service management platform to improve communication across all parties involved. This transparency about every job will mean communication between all key stakeholders is easier, but it will also provide a better experience for your customers.
2. Providing a Responsive Customer Experience
In the field service business, high first-time fix rates are essential to a good customer experience. Companies with a first-time fix rate of over 70% manage to retain 86% of their customer base. Any less than this, and the retention rate drops by 10%.
When you use field service management software to manage your stock and assets, you can use the real-time information to give you complete visibility over your inventory and equipment. As such, your team can efficiently allocate the necessary items to each customer's job.
The system then makes sure your technicians can confidently arrive for appointments with all the right tools in their van to complete the job immediately. This removes the need for your team to return with parts or equipment that were missed in the initial planning.
When using a field management platform, your customers can also make and reschedule appointments themselves. Using a self-service portal means your employees can use the intelligent scheduling assistant to see which technician is suitable for the job. The system then allows you to make plans based on several factors such as:
- Job constraints (for example, are specific qualifications needed in this job?)
- Location
- Traffic information
- Vehicle type
If you have an optimised schedule, you can free up the capacity to respond to emergency call-outs and provide quicker service for customers that need your help urgently.
Plus, your customers will never be frustrated and wondering where their technician is. Instead, you can send texts and emails via the system so customers can track their technicians' vehicles live with geolocation.
3. Increasing Your Bottom Line
Ensuring Invoices are Paid Promptly
Ever since COVID-19 hit, late invoice payments in the UK have risen by 23%. Successful companies are considering more effective ways to ensure they're paid on time to thrive post-pandemic and so that they maintain good cash flow.
Ultimately, the longer it takes for your team to send an invoice, the longer it takes to get paid. Drawn-out manual payment processing procedures may also cause customers to forget about the invoice. However, using a digital job management platform such as BigChange, you can instantly use the integrated invoicing feature to obtain payments.
Once technicians complete their jobs, they can fill out the essential information directly on a smartphone and send the customers digital copies of the invoice. The invoices include all the correct customer details from the platform's CRM (customer relationship management) system — meaning errors are eliminated.
When the customers receive their invoices, they can make a digital payment straight away. Not only will more convenient payment methods ensure that you're paid quickly and on time, but customers will appreciate the convenience and be more inclined to use your services again in the future.
Reducing Travel Costs
Although you can't control the cost of fuel — which has hit a staggering eight-year high in the UK — you can ensure that your technicians are making the most efficient journeys between each job.
Field service management platforms have the potential to shave off a significant amount from your current fuel expenses. Using GPS vehicle tracking, the system provides you with real-time data on your technicians' locations, where they're working and whether there are any traffic issues. Your team can find the best route for hundreds of jobs simultaneously and reduce your cost to serve per customer call-out using digital software.
By cutting down the time each worker spends on the road, you can save money on petrol and increase the number of bookings they can attend per day. The software would also allow you to choose an available technician sooner than another, even if they are farther away. It will enable you to select technicians based on efficiency, not just location alone.
Make Running Your Business Easier with BigChange
BigChange is the complete Job Management Platform that’s helping field service businesses across the UK to win more work, take control of their operations and deliver winning customer experiences.
Bringing together customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management, business intelligence into one simple to use and easy to integrate platform your business can run on.
Want to find out more?
Discover how BigChange Job Management Software can make your business grow stronger here and arrange a free demo today.
