Introduction
Successful field service management involves a high degree of coordination. Ensuring your field workers arrive on the job site safely and on time can be a challenge. It takes skill and dedication to pull off consistently. Businesses want customers to receive their services professionally and promptly.
Luckily, field service management software solutions can help.
Azuga products can provide businesses with the tools they need to manage field workers effectively along with detailed insights into their field operations.
What is Field Service Management?
So what exactly is “field service management?” Field service management involves the management of field service operations—both personnel and equipment—while employees are out on the road or at a client’s location.
“Field service” is defined as any service undertaken out in the field such as at a residential home or business—anywhere not on company property. It often refers to dispatching employees to a client’s location to repair, install, or perform maintenance on systems or equipment.
Employees who work in the field—also known as “field workers”—frequently provide specialized and skilled services to their clients. Often field workers are a blended workforce including full-time and part-time employees and contractors. This can make scheduling difficult.
Some field service management responsibilities include:
- Vehicle tracking
- Scheduling and assigning work orders
- Gathering field data including when employees start and finish their work
- Dispatching employees
- Taking care of driver safety
- Managing product inventory
- Managing workers and technicians
- Cooperating and talking with workers in the field
- Providing information such as job data and customer history to field workers
- Routing workers
In addition, part of field service management is integrating management operations with back-office systems (including billing and inventory).
Field service management software can make the job of managing field workers a whole lot easier and can even improve the efficiency of your operations.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of field service management software.
Benefits of Field Service Management Software
For years businesses have used manual processes for field service management such as paper records and phone calls. These outdated and inefficient methods are no match for modern field service management software.
Companies can benefit greatly from using field service management software. Here are some examples of how.
Facilitate Inter-Departmental Coordination
In some cases, field workers need to rely on the experience and expertise of other employees in their company—for example, technicians may need accounting to explain complex billing issues while at a client’s location for service. Field service management software can connect field workers with employees in other departments quickly and effectively.
Better Workforce Management
Field service management software provides managers with the tools needed to monitor, track, and dispatch company resources. Software performs these tasks much more quickly and accurately than manual methods.
Access to Real-Time Information
With field service management software managers have access to real-time information about their fleet operations. One example of this is managers can see exactly where their vehicles are located at all times.
Automation
Managing field workers with manual methods can be repetitive and take up a lot of time. With field service management software, managers can automate a large number of tedious tasks like scheduling. Using software reduces the likelihood of human error jeopardizing your business.
Improve Customer Service
Ultimately investing in field service management software allows businesses to respond to customer issues faster. This can cause a reduction in the number of customer complaints a company receives.
Automation
Managing field workers with manual methods can be repetitive and take up a lot of time. With field service management software, managers can automate a large number of tedious tasks like scheduling. Using software reduces the likelihood of human error jeopardizing your business.
Improve Customer Service
Ultimately investing in field service management software allows businesses to respond to customer issues faster. This can cause a reduction in the number of customer complaints a company receives.
Lower Costs
Using field service management software can lower the costs of workforce management. It can also lead to improvements in cost efficiency as the software allows managers to allocate resources more efficiently.
How Field Service Management Integrates with Azuga Fleet
Field service management integrates seamlessly with Azuga products including Azuga Fleet. Azuga provides companies with all of the tools they need to successfully manage their field workers. Azuga Fleet can benefit both office staff and customers. Here is how Azuga Fleet’s features support exceptional field service management.
Monitor and Improve Driver Safety
Azuga Fleet provides information on dangerous driving habits such as hard braking, speeding, and cell phone use. Managers can use this information to identify field workers who need training or coaching on their driving. Azuga’s DriveSafe can block smartphone distractions such as calling, app use, and texting while the vehicle is moving. Field workers are safer on the road with the Azuga fleet.
Log and Categorize Trips
FleetMobile captures data from every vehicle an employee drives—even if they switch vehicles in the middle of a shift. Managers have access to extensive trip logs with Azuga Fleet. In addition, trips can be tagged as either personal or business. This allows drivers to properly categorize any personal use of their work vehicles.
Improve Operations
With Azuga Fleet businesses can streamline dispatching. The software can send out automated dispatch notifications, schedule calls, and assign workers. Managers can monitor status, drive time, and miles traveled for each call.
From the live map view managers can see where fleet vehicles are in real-time. Additional information on each vehicle can be accessed such as speed, driver, and job. Azuga also includes weather information.
Azuga Fleet’s Scheduled Maintenance feature reduces the likelihood of unexpected vehicle downtime and ensures your vehicles are kept in excellent condition.
Understand Field Work Better with Insightful Reports
Using Azuga Fleet can provide in-depth information on operating costs, vehicle usage, and driver performance. Reports help managers optimize their fleet operations. Azuga even provides custom reports free of charge.
Software Integration Partners
Azuga’s products support integration with a number of third-party software services including WorkWave. WorkWave specializes in field service management for enterprises.
Conclusion
Field service management integrates extremely well with Azuga products. Whether you need to track vehicles, look at trip logs, or dispatch field workers autonomously Azuga has you covered. Fleet managers can also gain access to a wide selection of detailed information on their fleets with Azuga.
If your business operates in the field and wants to improve the management of your field workers, vehicles, and equipment, then Azuga is the right software solution for you.
