How Field Service Management Software Can Help Your Business Grow
In the modern day, business growth is largely dependent on tools, processes and systems. Outdated systems can stint your organisations growth and limit your ability to scale. In this article, we will discuss two main ways that Field Management Software like Husky can enable business growth. Continue reading to discover how Husky can improve the delivery of your service and help you to manage your projects more efficiently. Improved Service Levels Husky allows you to streamline your processes to ensure your service is delivered to the best of your ability. Our software makes it easy for you to schedule jobs for your employees. These schedules can be set to recur and can be edited in real-time, meaning they are always kept up-to-date with any changes to their daily schedule. Moreover, Husky improves the communication between office and field staff. With the Husky mobile app, your field staff can receive job information and instructions from your office staff via their mobile devices. Similarly, your field staff can relay information such as pictures, signatures and other materials back the office whilst on-site. Therefore, communication between different departments in your organisation is streamlined to ensure that your service is delivered in the quickest time possible. Improved Project Management Husky helps you to complete projects on time and within budget. Our world-class reporting centre allows you to generate reports to gain valuable insights into mission critical KPI’s. These reports can then be used to analyse the amount of time your staff spend on each job and how much each job is costing you. As a result, this data can be used to inform ways in which you can better manage your projects, such as by showing you where time and costs can be reduced. Final Thoughts Thank you for taking the time to read our article. We hope you now have a better understanding of how Field Service Management software can help to grow your business. If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. A member of our friendly team will always be happy help.
Essential KPIs in Field Service Management
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are of vital importance in field service management. Organisations must be able to effectively track and measure their KPIs over time to make continual improvements to their operations, and ultimately, achieve long-term success in the market. What Are KPIs? A Key Performance Indicator is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives. Organizations use KPIs at multiple levels to evaluate their success at reaching targets. 3 Essential KPIs in Field Service Management Business Process KPIs Business process KPIs mainly relate to the efficiency of a business’ daily operations. In the field service industry, some of the most important business process KPIs include: Order fulfilment cycle time (OFCT) The OFCT is the length of time it takes to fulfil an order; from the moment an order is placed to the completion of the project. Travel time and distance It is important to measure the length of time your workers spend travelling to jobs and the distance they travel. Reducing the time and distance travelled by each worker will enable you to boost productivity and lower fuel costs. Time to schedule Time to schedule is a KPI which can be measured by calculating the length of time it takes between an order being placed and the delivery being scheduled. Taking too long to schedule jobs can cause customers to become quickly disgruntled. Employee absence rate Employees failing to turn up to work is never a good thing. Not only can absenteeism negatively impact the delivery of your service, but it could also indicate the level of job satisfaction amongst your workforce. Service Delivery KPIs Delivering a high-quality service to your customers should be at the forefront of your goals as a business. In our opinion, there are 2 essential KPIs relating to service delivery, namely: Delivery in full, on time (DIFOT) The DIFOT KPI involves measuring the percentage of jobs which your business delivers within the timeframes you agreed with your customers. A low DIFOT percentage could indicate that your operations are inefficient, or that your agreed timeframes are overly optimistic. Productivity ratio This KPI measures the amount of time your field staff spend doing productive tasks. Understanding this metric will allow you to see where time is being wasted, and which activities are preventing your field staff from actually “doing their jobs.” Customer Service KPIs Our final essential KPIs are associated with customer services, including: Average customer ratings Customer ratings should be tracked in all businesses, no matter what industry you operate within. They are most commonly tracked by asking customers to complete online reviews and feedback forms. Ratings will help you to understand the quality of your service and can highlight areas in which your business can improve. Customer retention rate What percentage of your customers return to you in the future after purchasing your service? Obviously, if customers aren’t coming back then there may be a problem with your service. Gaining feedback to understand this metric in greater detail is always the best course of action. Final Thoughts Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We hope you now have a better understanding of the essential KPIs in field service management. If you have any questions regarding any of the topics we discussed, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. A member of our friendly team will always be happy to help.
How Husky Benefits Our Customers
Husky has helped many field service businesses across the UK and around the world to automate their operations using artificial intelligence. Our software allows you to digitalise your current business processes (e.g. sales, quotes, job scheduling, invoicing, reporting) and makes it possible for you to manage your business within one centralised platform. As a result, our customers are able to streamline their workflow and boost their operational efficiency, providing them with a competitive advantage over their slow-to-adapt rivals. But don’t just take our word for it. Read further to discover what our customers have to say about Husky. A Review of Our Customers Customer 1: Nationwide Frame Services (NFS) NFS are a leading supplier and installer of UPVC windows, UPVC doors, composite doors and bi-folding doors to the new build industry. Before switching to Husky, they were completely paper reliant and found that the influx of work mixed with quick growth forced their move away from paper-based processes. After working with NFS for some time, we asked them to describe how Husky has benefitted their business the most, to which they responded: More efficient scheduling via Husky’s user-friendly drag and drop scheduler. Reduced their requirement for manual data input via Husky’s automated alerts. Furthermore, NFS representative Adam Heyes, had this to say about our software: “Husky allowed us to utilise our industry knowledge to build a business specific system for all our processes. All our existing forms could still be used but in a digital and paperless format. Since using Husky we run the majority of our business through one centralised platform.” Customer 2: Sherratt Landscapes Sherratt Landscapes are an established commercial landscaping business based in the UK. Sherratt were searching for a new software platform having gone through 3-4 different systems in as many years. The focus for Sherratt was to create a smooth workflow including lead tracking and automate quotations, and since using our software they have realised the following benefits: Able to schedule over 15 types of different work tasks instantly. Able to easily gather images and signatures within Husky. Eliminated paper processes. Eliminated double entry and manual data input mistakes. Able to format invoices to their specification. The Operations Manager of Sherratt Landscapes, Mike Williams, told us more about Sherratt Landscapes’ switch to Husky: “We built a system around our business, this was challenging however as our business changes Husky can be changed to match. The flexibility of the software is its biggest attribute.” Customer 3: Groundworks 95 Groundworks 95 have been providing industrial maintenance services to a wide range of commercial and residential properties for over 35 years. They wanted to create a simple process that would not overbear their workforce in terms of change. Here’s the benefits they received as a result of implementing Husky: Eliminated paper processes. Able to complete jobs more efficiently and eliminated manual data input errors. Able to easily complete risk assessments and read method statements with the click of a button via the Husky mobile app. Able to add extra features and reports to the system as their business changes and grows. When asked about how Husky has helped Groundworks 95 the most, a representative from their business named Olivia Canitrot explained: “Husky has given our team in the field the ability to fill out risk assessments, manage jobs & keep tabs on open projects while we monitor it all in real time. This aids our operations greatly and gives us further clarity on the day to day running of the business.” Our Case Studies If you would like to read more Husky case studies, you can access them by clicking here. Final Thoughts Thank you for taking the time to read our article. We hope you now have a better understanding of how Husky can automate your business to become more streamlined and efficient. If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. A member of our friendly team will always be happy to help.
Tips for Effectively Managing Your Field Staff
Managing field staff requires high levels of organisation and strong communication if you wish to be successful. It can certainly be more challenging than managing office staff, particularly if you don’t have much experience in managing remote workers. Over the years, we’ve worked with many companies, ranging in size, to help them improve the way they manage their field staff. Here are our top tips for success: 1. Implement a clear and reliable communication system The key to field service success is to have frequent two-way communication between your office and field staff on a daily basis. A system must be put in place in order to rapidly communicate new pieces of information across your workforce. Field service software solutions, like Husky, allow you automate your communication process and help to connect your staff with one another, wherever they may be located. 2. Delegate jobs to the right people As a manager, it is vitally important that you understand your staff members, and know all their strengths and weaknesses. Equipped with this knowledge, you will be much more likely to delegate jobs to the best-suited employees. Not only will this improve the quality of your service and customer satisfaction, but also your staff members are likely to feel more engaged in their roles as they will be making use of their most valued skills. 3. Understand each job role you are responsible for managing As well as understanding staff members and their skill-sets, you should also take time to learn about each job role you are responsible for. Knowledge of each job role will allow you to understand the complexity of the role and the workload of each employee. As a result, you are likely to be more empathetic to your staff and you will have a better gauge on whether their performance is up to scratch. 4. Acknowledge top-performers Management isn’t just about telling your staff what to do and “bossing” them around. Not in the modern world anyway. Positive reinforcement in the form of praise or rewards will help to boost the confidence and morale of your workforce, leading to improved job performance. Field service software solutions, such as Husky, make it easy for you to identify the top performing employees in your business by offering insights into the work they’ve completed and the amount of time each job took. 5. Lead by example As always in any management position, it is your job to lead by example. Clear communication starts at the top and will likely filter down through your employees. Give your workforce the foundations to succeed by supporting them on a daily basis and behaving professionally. Final Thoughts Thank you for taking the time to read our article. We hope you now have a better understanding of how you can effectively manage your field staff. If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, or any questions relating to field service software, please do not hesitate to get in touch. A member of our friendly team will always be happy to help!
How Field Service Management Software Can Save You Time and Money
When running a business, each task undertaken by your employees takes time and costs money. The main goal of Field Service Management software is to improve communication and efficiency in your business, and ultimately save you time and money in the long-run. Here are 4 ways that Field Service Management software, like Husky, can save you time and money: 1. Improved Scheduling Field Service Management software makes it easy for you to schedule jobs for your employees. Not only can these schedules be set to recur, but they can also be edited in real-time to ensure that your staff are always kept fully informed about their daily operations. As a result, the following common errors will be much less likely to occur: Attending incorrect addresses. Attending cancelled jobs. Sending staff who lack the required skills for the job. Attending jobs without the necessary resources. Sending staff who are further away from the job site than other staff. In reducing the number of times these errors occur, Field Service Management software can save you lots of time and money. 2. Improved Communication between Office and Field Staff With Field Service Management software like Husky, your field staff can receive job information and instructions from your office staff via their mobile devices. Similarly, your field staff can relay information such as pictures, signatures and other materials back the office whilst on-site. Therefore, the communication between different departments in your business is streamlined to ensure jobs are completed in the fastest time possible. 3. Use Reports to Gain Valuable Insights Field Service Management software often allows you to generate reports to gain valuable insights into mission critical KPI’s. As a business you can use these reports to understand the amount of time your employees are spending on jobs, and how much each job is costing. Consequently, you can take advantage of this information by analysing why your employees may be spending longer than expected to complete jobs, or why jobs may be costing you more than expected. Using this information, you could then make adjustments in your daily business activities to improve your efficiency in these areas. 4. Reduced Manual Data Entry When managing many different sites and customers, organising job information can quickly become complicated. Often, companies use spreadsheets like Excel to manage this information, however as you may know, spreadsheets require lots of manual data entry and are prone to human error. Fortunately, Field Service Management software like Husky allows you to manage and store all relevant job information in one centralised platform which can be easily accessed by your staff, wherever they are located. Husky’s user-friendly interface and simple workflow can enable your business to: Reduce time spent on manual data entry. Reduce the number of errors made when entering data. Avoid duplicate data entries. As a result, your staff will be able to spend less time managing data, and more time delivering a high-quality service to your customers. Final Thoughts Thank you for taking the time to read our article. We hope you now have a better understanding of how Field Service Management software can help your business save time and money. If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, or any other question related to Field Service software, please do not hesitate to get in touch. A member of our friendly team will always be happy to help!
Difficulties in Managing a Mobile Workforce
Managing any workforce can be a real challenge and when your workforce is mobile, this becomes even more so. With jobs, stocks and invoices constantly being tracked, having a disjointed workforce will make this a lot harder than it needs to be. This can cause a negative impact on the business and crucial time may be lost trying to bring this all together. Field Service Management software enables you to efficiently manage your mobile workforce through one tool. Leading to a more streamlined business whilst increasing customer satisfaction and productivity. With many more compliance and industry regulations to contend with, Field Service Management software will make it easier to monitor this. Scheduling Field Service software will improve your ability to schedule and plan the weeks and months ahead. Many products have a large scheduling calendar where you can see all upcoming jobs and availability. Having an overall picture like this helps massively with scheduling new jobs. You can see which days are most free and which operative’s are most available for the job. Workforce transparency & Communication Field Service software connects your back office staff to your on site operatives. Both sides have visibility of the information they need in order to complete their jobs in line with customer expectations. Maintaining Evidence of Work This is a key aspect in any business however this can get lost when managing a mobile workforce. Husky allows your field operatives to capture images and information of the work before, during and after the job. This data can be uploaded to Husky’s cloud based platform with the click of a button and is stored there indefinitely for back office staff to view and access. These images can also be sent to customers for greater service. Growth This increased productivity and managing of staff and costs will ultimately lead to business growth. Having access to these key metrics enables you to increase customer satisfaction, reduce costs and increase future revenue. Security Using a cloud-based Field Service Management tool protects against data loss and provides a full audit trail if there is a security breach. Good Field Service Management software platforms will also securely integrate with many of your other business software to give you the complete workforce management system. Final Thoughts Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We hope you now have a better understanding of difficulties you may face when managing a mobile workforce. If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our friendly team is always happy to help!
The Benefits of Managing Jobs Remotely with Cloud-Based Platforms
In a year where working from home (WFH) has become the norm for the majority of the UK, companies have had to work hard to make WFH accessible for everyone. With the unexpected pandemic, bosses were having to play catch up to get their staff up to speed with their new WFH environment and the ability for them to access all work systems away from their ordinary workplace. Almost 10 months down the line, most companies are now fully functional in the WFH set up and are well aware of the benefits that working remotely brings. One of the big problems at the start of the pandemic for businesses was enabling staff to successfully work remotely, with work systems and software only accessible from the office. This is why many companies have now moved to cloud based systems, meaning their staff can access work systems on any device and from anywhere, even when on the move. Here are just a few of the many benefits of managing jobs remotely with cloud based platforms; Accessible out of hours Many companies finish their working day at 5-6pm. Then they are unable to do any work until the following morning when they arrive to start the next day. Using a cloud based platform enables employees to work out of hours if they need to, from the comfort of their own home. Work from anywhere Even if you are out and about, you can still log onto your cloud based platform from any device. As long as you have an internet connection through WiFi or 4G network. This means you can WFH, work from a coffee shop or work from another country. Flexibility Managing your jobs remotely ultimately gives you greater flexibility. You should be able to work when you need to work. Not only when you are sat in one particular seat in the office. Many jobs provide real time data so it is important that you can see this as and when it comes in. Not just when your in the office. Final Thoughts Ultimately managing jobs remotely allows you to be more streamlined as a business and will certainly be of vital importance in the forthcoming era of virtual working. If you would like more information regarding any of the topics discussed in this article, please do not hesitate to get in touch! A member of our friendly team will be happy to assist you.
Our Field Service Software Sales Process
Our sales process is something we pride ourselves on. Unlike some other companies, we are genuinely interested in finding the best solution for your needs. If we believe that our product is not right for you, we will be the first to say – even if that means recommending a competitor. We take this approach because we like to develop long-lasting and strong relationships with all our clients. We understand that selling our solution when it is not the best fit can cause endless headaches down the line. We have written this article to be totally transparent about our sales process – how it begins, how we interact with our clients and develop an understanding of one another, and how we go about demos and proposals. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will be better informed about the way we operate. 1. You Need to Get in Touch Via live chat, web form, email or inbound call. 2. We Set Up 15-Min Discovery A chat to discover more about your requirements and make sure there is a big enough gap/pain for us to continue the sales process. 3. We Set Up In-Depth Discovery An in-depth screen share to discover more about your requirements. Here, we want to get as much info, docs and knowledge of the problems the client faces in the current state. 4. We Set Up a Focused Demo We set up the demo to focus on your exact problems working as you do in the current state. No more generic demos. We need 3-4 days from the in-depth discovery to prepare your personalised demo. 5. Scope of Works/Proposal Only when we feel happy that our solution is a great fit for you will we create a scope of works and proposal. If we cannot write a full scope of works in regard to our clients’ needs and implementation requirements, then we will revert to the discovery stage before raising scope/proposal. 4 Steps we need to satisfy to successfully KNOW you! Use our short and long discovery calls to satisfy the following: Current State – The state of play at the moment, the problems and pains it is causing. Future State – Where you ideally want to be how much that can impact your business. Decision Criteria – How are you going to make a decision and what is your plan? Buying Process – Who is involved? We need to make sure they are in the relevant meetings as we don’t want a key person to miss out.
Signs You May Need to Change Your Field Service and Job Management Software Provider
Field Service and Job Management software can vastly boost the efficiency of your business operations. There are several high quality and viable software solutions available in the market, and the implementation of these types of solutions will most likely transform the way you manage your day-to-day activities. However, not all solutions were made equal, and what has worked for you previously may not necessarily be the best option today or in the future. Here are some signs you should look out for which may indicate you need to change your Field Service and Job management software: 1. Poor Scalability Poor scalability is one of the leading causes of dissatisfaction with software solutions. As your business grows, your software must be able to grow with you. If your current software can only handle a limited number of users, you may want to start considering other options available to you. 2. Poor Flexibility Not only do you need your software to be scalable, but it should also be flexible. A lack of flexibility may be a sign that you need to change software provider. You should be able to tailor and customise elements of the software you are using in order to meet your ever-changing demands. 3. Real-Time Communication Issues Frequent communication issues between your office and field staff may be an indicator that you need to upgrade to a different software provider. A good Field Service and Job Management software should make it extremely easy for staff members to communicate, regardless of where they are located. Communication issues in your business is likely to result in lower productivity levels and poor customer service. 4. Lack of Software Development Software can fast become stale and obsolete if the developers aren’t working hard behind the scenes to keep making improvements. Listen to the feedback of your staff members – if they are often complaining of performance issues and bugs in the system then it may be a sign that the software is not being updated regularly enough and you may want to switch provider. 5. Inability to Reach Maximum Efficiency Field Service and Job Management software should enable your business to operate at the optimum efficiency level. Just as you should be listening to the feedback of your staff, you should also be listening customer complaints. Slow project delivery times may indicate that your software is in fact holding you back. Solve Your Software Problems by Switching to Husky Husky allows you to automate your office, workforce and client communication. With our software you can be assured that as your business grows, Husky will grow with you as there are no limitations on the number of users Husky can withstand. Furthermore, the flexibility of Husky is second to none. Our intelligent software gives your business the ability to fully customise the way it is run, and every form within Husky is editable to match your requirements. Moreover, communication is made simple for users of our software. Office and field staff are able access the Husky app on their mobile phones to send any job information (e.g. directions, pictures, dates, materials required, signatures) via email and SMS. From the initial lead, to the works being completed and invoices sent, our software can streamline your entire process to ensure your service is being delivered to the best of your ability. Final Thoughts Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We hope you now have a better understanding of the signs which may indicate you need to change your Field Service and Job Management software provider. If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our friendly team is always happy to help!
Benefits of Moving Away From a Paper-Based Process
There are many businesses that still use paper for their processes including quotes, jobs and invoices. Over time, these businesses have found a way to use paper documents to suit them. However, if we compare paper based systems to digitalised platforms, many cracks in the former start to appear. Here are some of the benefits of moving away from a paper based system; Extra Office Storage Space Remove those filing cabinets! Digitalised platforms store all of your information securely in the cloud so you won’t need to have droves of paper clogging up your office. The cloud allows you to find what you’re looking for in just a few clicks, so you can say goodbye to flicking through hundreds of paper documents and spend that time on more important things. Secure Most digital platforms are protected and backed up daily or hourly onto secure servers. This eliminates the risk of damage that can occur to manual documents or theft. Digital platforms also save your information from a fire or natural disaster. Saving Costs Most software platforms require a subscription, however you will recoup a good portion of your outlay once you go paperless. No more printers needed, no more stock piling of different sized paper and one pen will last each office member for a full year! Easy Editing If you wanted to make changes to a paper document, you would have to draw or write on the content again which makes it look messy and can lead to poor organisation. Digital platforms are editable and maintain a clean look throughout your processes. Environmental Benefits Saving the trees! Ditching paper brings huge benefits to the environment and boosts your green credentials.
