Business tips

TOP FIVE KPIs FOR FIELD SERVICE SUCCESS

Over the past year, the world embraced remote working, but for field service managers it was business as usual. Here are five KPIs that will help you succeed – with or without a global pandemic.

1. USER ADOPTION

The greatest technology in the world is useless unless it has buy-in from the user. The golden rule is that it should be simpler and quicker to complete than paper forms and documents.

Mobile applications need to be designed for the mobile field worker, not office-based workers, otherwise they are unlikely to be successfully adopted. They should reflect the actual workflow of the user, while still capturing all of the data and information that is needed back at the office. And they should be specific to the task at hand, so workers only need to access and work with data that is relevant.

If you need a checklist for ensuring the application you are implementing is fit for purpose, try the five Es: effective, efficient, engaging, error tolerant and easy to learn.

2. PRODUCTIVITY

Many a manager shuddered at the thought of losing direct visual contact with their team during the pandemic. “If I’m not sitting there keeping an eye on them, how will I know they’re not down the beach eating ice-cream?” Some handled this fear with constant catch-ups on Zoom or Teams. Others used a different technique: before and after benchmarking.

Good applications incorporate measurement tools to calculate the productivity levels of each worker. These will record the time taken to complete tasks and the time spent on non-productive activities. They will include filters and map schedules to maximise efficiency in job allocation, and communication tools, for notes specific to each job.

If a worker is excessively late to a job or has taken a strange detour (via that beach, for example), your tools will make this clear. Maximum visibility leads to maximum productivity.

3. SAFETY

COMPLIANCE

Traditionally, workplace health and safety obligations have been managed via paper-based forms such as the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) or a Take 5. But would the worker always have the correct form with them? And enough of them? What about updates? Returning completed forms safely to the office for storage? Auditing and retrieval? All these issues can be solved by technology. This technology should incorporate enforceability within the workflow (so you can’t go on to further job stages until the JHA is completed), faster completion time, logical workflow, time and location stamping, updates, photographs and immediate safety reports.

4. CUSTOMER

SATISFACTION

Today, when customers order food it’s tracked every step of the way. They expect the same from your business. “Chris will be around sometime Wednesday after lunch” will no longer cut it.

Ensure your solution shows maps and the location of workers, plus reliable and accurate arrival times. It should be able to cope with meeting SLAs (service level contracts) too – many contracts stipulate these, and penalties may be incurred if they are not achieved. This gives customers peace of mind and confidence. And support staff can provide accurate updates without taking the field worker away from the task at hand.

5. ASSET UPTIME

A streamlined and fully comprehensive tech solution has a clear and significant effect on the bottom line via the successful completion of jobs. When breakdowns and servicing are handled swiftly and efficiently, there is less downtime for the customer, which has a direct flow-on effect on revenues. ■

This column was provided by Retriever Communications CEO Chris Calamos. For more information about Retriever Communications, go to retrievercommunications.com