Why use Connect2Field for your Service Business

1.    Field Technician Productivity

Service Businesses face numerous obstacles each day which undermines their productivity,
creates work delays and downtime. For example:

• Instead of beginning their day with a service call, they have to visit the office to pick up their schedules, job cards for the day.
• Possibly, the job sheet does not have enough service details, so they have to call office frequently to get details, or possibly inventory/parts related questions.
• Different technicians might record job completion notes differently. Hence there is no consistency of reporting of work completion back to office and accounts.

2.    Paper Work

A pile of paper work going back and forth from office to field technician, decreases technician productivity & efficiency on one hand,
and affects clients account management back in office, on the other. For example:

• The printed job sheet might not have complete service details; hence the field technician is not empowered to carry on the job.
• A large pile of notes get returned to office for account processing at the end of the day, which can be cumbersome.

3.    Inconsistent Call Reporting

Different technicians might record job completion notes differently. Hence there is no consistency of reporting of
work completion back to office and accounts.

4.    Emergency Calls - Locating Technicians on Field

Service Emergency calls are very common in this industry. Companies frequently face the challenge of locating their field staff, adjusting their dispatch boards and communicating schedule changes to the field technician.
Possibly may take several phone calls and even voice mails to reach the technician and communicate the schedule change.

5.    Real Time Inventory Management

It is not uncommon to want products/parts which doing a service job. Not having a real time access to inventory may lead to schedule changes or wasted time on phone.

6.    Client Account Management

Billing for service work can be a time consuming process. For example:

• Technicians make hand written notes and report job completion in batches. It may take several days or possibly weeks to decipher that data, do actual data entry and finally invoice the customers.
• By this time it becomes difficult to answer any follow up questions, your customers may have.
• All this creates a delay in payment cycles, increased outstanding invoices and decreased cash flow.

Connect2Field is world's easiest job management and scheduling tool that helps running your service business more efficiently. Let us see how Connect2Field addresses the above challenges:
1. Real-Time Communication

With Connect2Field Dispatch system, you can create jobs from office and these are immediately delivered to their hand held devices. This ensures:

• Field technicians have instant access to their schedules and work orders.
• Field Technicians complete the jobs via their hand held devices and the status is immediately reported back to office.
• Real time alerts to field staff via email/sms improves efficiency and decreases productivity downtime.
• The mobile software seamlessly synchronizes with the admin software; hence the information is always accurate, detailed and complete.

2. Consistency in Data/Job Status Reporting

With Connect2Field, handwritten job notes are a thing of the past. Jobs are entered in the admin software using a standardized format. Complete Client Details, Service Details, Appointment Details, Custom fields using Drop down lists, Check boxes, pre-defined Service Notes, pre-defined Job Start and Finish Questions etc, ensures ease-of-use features streamline data entry. This ensures:

• The field technician now has detailed notes and site history at their finger tips.
• The field technician is now better prepared to manage the task and possible customer questions.
• The field technician can now focus on the service task, rather than spending time getting organized and chasing missing information
• Click by click job status is reported back to office; hence Dispatch team gets real time feedback on job status and progress. They can effectively use this information for further job allocations.
• All field staff report job status with notes in a standardized format with consistent detailing.

3. Locating your Field Technicians via Maps

Pictures speak louder than words! This can’t be any truer than with integrated Map functionality in the Connect2Field Admin Software. Now you can locate your field workers on a Map with exact job locations and status. Telephone calls are not necessary and you can use the built in Email/Sms feature to get in touch with your technicians

4. Easy Emergency/Schedule Change Management via Scheduler

• Create new jobs, modify existing schedules with a click of a button and drag drop feature, using the Connect2Field Scheduler. The change is immediately transmitted to the field.
• Also check the field technician’s schedules time line on a Daily, Weekly or Monthly basis. This helps with meeting your customers Emergency Service needs.

5. Decreased Paper Work

• Using the standardized work flow and the ability to enter job status and comments there is standardization for Job Reporting. All this is done electronically, hence decreased paper work.

6. Improved Accounting & Business bottom line

• Using the Connect2Field mobile interface, the field technicians are transmitting completed and signed work orders as soon as the work is done. The benefits are:
• Decreased time in data entry by the accountants.
• Prompt and even same day Invoicing.
• Short payment cycles and eventually increased Cash Flow.

7. Improved Customer Service & Happy Customers

• The benefit of real time communication and having detailed job information empowers your technician and
• gives them a definite competitive advantage.
• Having a technician show up with details on current service issue builds confidence with the customer.
• Prompt invoicing for the work completed assures the customer that his or her needs are being handled efficiently and effectively.

8. Generate new business

• Connect2Field provides technicians with the opportunity to generate new business at every service call, via the ability to create jobs from the field. This proactive approach of additional work recommendations, maintenance or repair suggestions can be entered into the mobile device and jobs can be booked while on the go!
• This translates into greater profitability for the business on one hand, and on the other, regular maintenance and repairs saves your customers money in the long run.

Let us see how Connect2Field can be adapted to the work flows of a typical Service Business..
For this lesson we would replicate the business workflow of a
Company..

Above list shows the typical work flow design for the Plumbing / Mechanical Contracting Business..
The above list is exhaustive and Connect2Field allows you to add details to each section to match your unique business flow..

Let us now see how all this integrates with Connect2Field system

Above is the Job Card screen.. This is used to Add/Edit/Dispatch jobs to your Field staff..

1. Shows where you choose your Client Details
2. Shows the Job Types for your business along with Service Descriptions
3. Shows the Appointment Settings

Further down this screen you can Add Products/Services to the job.. See below:

A product and a Service has been added to the job..

Let us now see how your field technician will see the above jobs on their mobile devices..

1. Shows the Job Details page on the mobile, which your technicians can read when starting a job..
2. Shows the Start Questions we saw in the "Work Flow" sheet above..

During the final stages of the job, your technician can select products and finish the job

1. First screen shows the product screen on the mobile.. The products/services we added from Admin Panel are pre-selected for the job.. Your technician can add more products from here, like we did for this example: we added a Water Efficiency Test to the inventory..
2. Shows the Job Finish Questions from the "Work Flow" sheet above..

Connect2Field has a built-in module to capture Clients Signature as a conformation for job completion, as above..

Connect2Field Admin has a built-in module for maps.. This facilitates:

1. GPS Tracking your technicians to find their exact location
2. Seeing all the allocated jobs on a map..

Connect2Field enhances field communication and automates the multi-faceted process of service contracting while providing a standardized method of workflow. By using the Connect2Field Dispatch tool, a contractor can look forward to better communication between the office and the field, increased productivity for their technicians, improvement in customer response time and service, a faster billing cycle and happier customers.

Are you also looking to automate your Service Dispatching and Tracking? Tell us your business/industry type and ask for a Demo.. We are happy to show you how to adapt Connect2Field for your business.. Do write to us: support@connect2field.com