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WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR FIELD SERVICE AND SERVICE TECHNICIANS

3 min. reading time

26 November 2021 · Christoph Bertram

I n field service and technical field service, scheduling is particularly difficult. Many variables come into play, from travel times to appointment cancellations to emergency assignments at short notice. Workforce management software offers companies the opportunity to deploy their resources according to demand and at optimal cost.

In this post we'll introduce the basic terms and industry standards to assist your move towards supported and fully automated field workforce management, through software.

WHAT IS WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

Workforce management stands for a holistic approach to flexible, demand-oriented staff deployment. It determines staffing (field resource) needs, it optimises staffing structure and capacity planning, and it ensures efficient personnel management and smart time management. Workforce management software is a collective term for solutions that help companies with staff scheduling to meet appointments and SLAs. It includes tools that ensure that the right employees are in the right place at the right time to achieve maximum productivity.

AIMS OF WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

The main purpose of workforce management software is to make relevant key data visible and to optimise scheduling. Thus, the implementation of workforce management software results in numerous advantages for field staff and service:

Optimisation of efficiency and productivity
Flexible adaptation to changes in workflow
Better use of existing capacity
Reduction of labour costs
Transparency in work decisions
Target accuracy in staff deployment
Creation of demand forecasts

Another positive effect: companies that improve working time planning and work organisation often record higher employee satisfaction and motivation. After all, in field service and technical service, time and route planning is particularly important. Good planning ensures that your employees do not experience any idle windows and can finish their work on time.

A purpose-built solution for this area makes sense, ensuring optimal scheduling and deployment/dispatch and effectively reducing unproductive time.

ADVANTAGES OF SOFTWARE FOR FIELD SERVICE AND TECHNICIANS

A company's workforce is often its largest cost. In the absence of a reliable management system, many work orders (appointments) result in overlapping driving routes and tours, unnecessarily long tours as well as increased labour costs. Unrecorded times lead to wastage.

To avoid these negative impacts, companies are turning to innovative workforce management technologies that are scalable, responsive and meet the needs of dispatch, field and service workers. AI-powered calculations work in the background, considering dozens of factors and truly assisting with decisions based on the exact, and often unique outcomes required.

The big advantage is that with the help of scheduling and route planning solutions, companies can ensure that every worker is deployed where they are really needed and deliver results. Daily, weekly, and seasonal planning is demand-oriented and flexible, which increases productivity.

Ultimately, workforce management software is a technology that simplifies workforce scheduling and improves the performance and satisfaction of customers and employees alike.

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WHY SHOULD YOU USE WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

Workforce management software is able to streamline tedious and error-prone scheduling tasks. By handling processes digitally, you can reduce errors. You save time and make important data available more quickly.

Modern workforce management software offers you a wide range of functions and a high level of data security. The software solutions make your workforce planning easier, because employees can make changes at any time. With a mobile application they can adjust appointments, document the completion of a job or add emergencies directly on site.

REACT AUTOMATICALLY TO A CHANGED ORDER SITUATION

The software automatically adjusts the changing order situation in real time. This approach gives field staff more time to focus on their actual work. Employers, on the other hand, can use these peaks and troughs in staff utilisation to plan better and make the best use of their budgets. In any case, the goal of these solutions is to increase productivity while minimising costs.

Modern workforce management software helps companies to ensure simple and optimised staff planning. Because this not only guarantees greater efficiency, but also has many advantages for the employees on site.

Dispatching can automatically adjust route planning, react in real time to unforeseen events and thus avoid unnecessary detours and downtimes. The ability to react at short notice to changes in daily schedules and order planning is one of the greatest advantages of software solutions for field service and technical service.

CONCLUSION: MODERN SOFTWARE MEANS RESOURCE OPTIMISATION

Today, more and more companies are finding themselves in turbulent market situations. With service contracted and retail service diversification, order books and/or the number of customer types and their jobs fluctuate greatly. The digitalisation of field work is evolving and advancing to leave some businesses playing catch-up. The more recent demand for labour presents companies of all sizes with challenges across all departments.

Inflexible scheduling and rigid processes are no longer in keeping with the times. Instead, a high degree of real-time responsiveness is required. The right tool for this is software that specifically supports workforce management. Can this save costs and increase efficiency? The answer is yes. Important processes around field service and technical service are optimised and accelerated.

Workforce management software for field staff and service technicians optimises scheduling and route planning in particular. With a solution that optimally plans ahead and yet reacts flexibly to day-to-day business, nothing stands in the way of success.

BEGIN YOUR FIELD FORCE PLANNING AND SCHEDULING SOFTWARE JOURNEY

With a handle of the basics, gain an understanding of tools to optimise the field experience and manage efficiency for your workforce and customers. Book a short discussion or contact us at info@fastleansmart.com.

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