White Paper

This paper provides companies involved in field service operations an insight into the productivity revolution in field service. It suggests a proven course to quantifiable productivity, from sources such as those below:

• Field Personnel effectiveness, by reducing the costs and increasing their productive time
• Removing the paper and reducing the time whereby increasing company’s cash flows.
• New business and revenue sources.
• Increased Customer satisfaction.

Companies not trying to implementing the Mobile resource management tools could be left out and risk losing an early significant competitive advantage.

The companies that implemented Field Resource Management tools are proving themselves by being used by the field engineers in most challenging environments. The main benefits of the tool are as follows:

• The field force is instructed with an integrated work flow that work the way they do.
• The software tools can work when connected or not connected to the network operators via the hand held units.
• Project planning, implementation, training, support to assure up to date information.
• Low cost of ownership and, high return on investment both proven across industries.

The revolution in field productivity, the need is proven, tools are ready and rewards are waiting.

Dynamism is picking up in the field, wireless technologies and the consolidation of effective wide-area networks are creating the infrastructure on which genuine solutions may finally operate in the field service management tool.

Companies are recognising the opportunities of using the mobile solution. New companies are adopting mobile solutions because of opportunities, proven results and competitive pressures are driving more.

The benefits of implementing the Mobile solution application are as follows:

- The engineers can cut down time exhausted on timesheets and office paperwork, and creating time for customer service and income generation.
- During calls, service engineers continue on task, without disruption.
- Engineers center attention on repair not seeking out wireless secure spots or wired links as they move from one location to another location.
- Customer and quality database are captured real time which increases the visibility and correctness of information, and can support the accounting systems with no physical data entry.
- Higher engineers to dispatcher ratios
- Better cash flow
- Increased new opportunities and better call completion rates
- Engineers complete more work orders per week
- Customer retention through better service levels

Significant improvements can be made in

- Response time to customer calls
- Call completion rate, from real time data access and automated processes.
- Faster invoicing through electronic signature capture and integration with billing and payroll systems
- Better cash flow and accounts receivable outcomes, by reducing the disputed charges as the customer signature is captured.
- Service engineers with the tools, time and information they need to identify, close, and instantly record new income opportunities
- Better service engineer-to-customer interactions build income opportunities for the sales team.
- Direct dependable communications open the door to new service opportunities.
- By structuring service delivery to contract measure, service level agreements, mobile solutions assure expected, consistent service across areas and regions.
- Following best practices into workflow builds a positive and able service team, which in turn build customers’ self-assurance.
- A service expert free from busywork, schedule conflicts and out of control backlog has the time and inspiration to focus on clientele.

The companies who want to enter in the mobile field solutions are following the different approaches like “Wait and See” approach or through in-house “do it yourself” which carries risks.

In wait and see approach companies may wait expecting lower costs and risks further down the curve and forego the improved business performance and cost saving opportunities.

Some companies are opting for do it yourself approaches whose field service processes are unique for precise matching of workflow solutions. The risks associated with this type are delay due to custom work offers the longest time-to-solution. Acceptance of end users and failure to meet them may create friction between IT and users. Also these are more expensive, flexible and could impact on the retention of talented staff.

BDL Field Service/Mobile Solutions

BDL along with the supply of service solutions can provide a full range of networks, support, training etc which is an additional benefit to the end users.

The benefits of our systems are follows:

- It will provide true paperless operations to minimize the downtime, delays, errors due to manual entry etc.
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- It will also cut down the amount of time wasted in conveying the customer, asset information, contract details etc to the field force.

- Real time visibility of the field force.
- Automatic scheduling of the right resource, at the right time, based on skills and expertise, service-level agreements, drive time, availability, and other factors.
- Automatic transmission of assigned tasks to field resources according to your business practices.

- Job allotment and response times can be considerably reduced.

- Real-time updates of field activity.

- Mobile worker legislation requirements can be meet, ensuring workers view and accept health and safety information before starting to work.

- Reduction in paperwork both onsite and at the office

- Control Centre and Customer are better informed, on Real time.

- Engineers are better equipped with the right information - Customer history or previous maintenance work records can be attached to new job allocations improving quality and customer service.
- Information is available for safety and operational needs - The system captures actual start and finish times for measurement and analysis.
- The field activity can be seen thorough the real time data.
- Measurement of service levels, resource utilization, jobs allocation to employees, and operational cost can be easily seen.
- It provides analysis all the way to the customer or employee level (KPI). Analyses can be performed according to area, job type, employee skill, time frame, and other factors.
- Features of built-in measurements such as workload, amount of overtime, mileage traveled, and resource utilization rate.

- Using Remotecomm is a competitive advantage, it is a key selling point to prospective customers, where customers prefer Real time information.

- Customer relationships can be enhanced through access to timely and accurate customer history data before and during site visits

- Reduced senior management resource in day to day operations, allowing them to focus on developing the business and looking for new opportunities.

- Increased efficiency and Return on Investment.

- It is easy to measure business Service Level Agreements accurately against the real time data.

A Total solution comprising of all features as mentioned and in addition the system should consist of Inclusive Services like GPS, Resource Planning Tool, Resource Scheduling Tool, HHU warranties and reporting like System performance report, Daily Fault Status report, Device performance report, and other tools like Engineer KPI, Real time Asset Management, Device performance report, Device Reoccurring faults, Vehicle Management Report

The system can allow an office-based staff also to use the above facilities from any PC with internet connection.

The customer has access to all the management reports generated, via the Internet using the BDL web page. The customer can log into their account using a User Name and password. They can then access all the reports generated by the BDL Software. Following are some of the reports the customer can access: