Your field service business may have potential to be more productive and efficient.
Utilizing paper processes to complete invoicing, work orders, scheduling, and track inventory are limiting productivity and the potential for more efficient communication practices. Failing to switch to a cloud-based software, such as ServiceEcho, to manage field services can not only reduce productivity and increase costs, but also frustrate your customers.
In this blog, we will talk about how paper clutter reduces productivity and the solution to increase productivity and efficiency in your field service business.
Inventory and waiting times
Work history and inventory counting can be difficult to keep track of if you are using a paper process. Field technicians may make mistakes in collecting and bringing tools which may require them to make multiple trips, resulting in long waits for customers. By using a field service management solution, field service workers can be updated in real-time about inventory and what tools are required for each of their jobs. Easy access to work histories allow field service workers to feel informed and prepared for each of their jobs, resulting in less waiting times for your customers.
Communicating arrival times
Customers may feel uninformed about arrival times or the whereabouts of their field technician if paper processes continue to be used. Angry or frustrated customers may have to call office staff about the arrival time of the field technician which could consume valuable time. ServiceEcho allows customers to receive faster updates about their technicians through our GPS feature. The technician’s location can easily be seen by office staff through ServiceEcho, resulting in less confusion and anxious anticipation of customers.
Invoicing and billing
The invoicing process is much longer when it is completed on paper. Field technicians who fill out paperwork for multiple jobs per day can result in messy illegible handwriting, misplaced papers, and frustration. Without the most updated information, office staff and field service workers can grow frustrated with wasting time trying to find information about appointments or special notes about jobs that are lost. In addition to office staff and field technicians, customers may also grow frustrated waiting for invoices and bills for a service job. However, field technicians who are able to complete the needed paperwork for invoicing and billing on a mobile app are going to be more productive. Field service workers won’t have to worry about writing neatly or organizing paperwork in their vehicles as they move from job to job. Payment delays are less likely to happen as field staff can document information quickly and efficiently on their mobile devices, updating office staff in real-time.
The solution
Traditional paper processes create issues for field service businesses as more time is spent searching for information rather than serving your customers with the best service experience. Field service management software, such as ServiceEcho, eliminates paper clutter and increases productivity. ServiceEcho ensures that your field technicians are not without the most current and updated information about inventory, work orders, work history, and other relevant information provided by office staff. Our solution makes invoicing a faster and more efficient process, leaving more time for your service technicians to work on other orders. If you would like to reduce paper clutter and improve productivity in your field service business, book a demo now to learn more.