Design a field management service app your team can’t stop using
The trick to getting a 100% app adoption rate
Bridging the communication gap between your field team and office staff is a constant challenge for any field service business, particularly if you use a paper-based admin system. Important job information slips through the cracks; double handling creates errors, delays compound and slows your decision-making, which often leaves your team scrambling and your customers out of the loop. That’s where a good field service management app can help your employees work more effectively together – and also deliver solid benefits for your business.
In this article, we explore the benefits of field service management apps and what design elements you should include to get the results you want.
The top 10 benefits of field service management software
A good field service management app increases efficiency, lifts productivity, and reduces costs. If you get the implementation of your app right, there are many benefits:
Workflow standardisation
We all know that the data needed to run a business has to be entered by someone somewhere. Where it gets annoying is when its repetitive slow and overly complicated. A field service management app helps improve your overall workflow by standardising and automating tasks. This not only improves clarity for your staff and your customers, it increases efficiency and makes sure the data is entered once, picked up by the machines and handled through automation. Automating parts of your workflow means your team are freed up to get on with more valuable things that delight your customers and add to your bottom line.Faster time to invoice
For field service businesses, invoicing is a necessary evil. Field service management software improves the collection of key job data and price calculations so you can invoice faster and get paid quicker.No more lost or illegible job sheets
Paper processes are inherently slow and can cause bottlenecks at any number of points in your workflow. They also make it notoriously hard to keep all team members on the same page, which can make or break the customer experience. With field service management software, field workers fill out all job-related information electronically, which office staff can access in real-time. Real time means problems are picked up quicker, communication improves, and you stop little problems from escalating into bigger problems unnecessarily.Faster response time and deployment of resources
Field service software can improve your scheduling in many ways. Field workers can access live schedules and receive last-minute notifications on their mobile devices. Sales and office teams can strategically plan a field team’s schedule to avoid unnecessary travel or backtracking. A more efficient scheduling process will please your customers and positively impact your bottom line.Cost reduction and resource optimisation
Every business wants to cut operational costs and increase revenue. Good field service management software will help close budget loopholes so you can be sure your hard work is reflected in your net profit. As a result, you’ll also be able to cut redundancies and optimise resource allocation.Workflow tracking and analysis
With a field service management app, you can analyse a field teams’ performance in real-time and spot potential inefficiencies before they become a problem. For sales teams, access to stock levels on their devices means they can manage expectations and avoid over-promising.In-field health and safety monitoring
Alongside the inherent risks of field service work, technicians are typically expected to finish quickly and to a high standard. Whether on a remote site dealing with hazardous materials or a complex project with multiple teams and equipment, access to health and safety systems and information can help ensure your people stay safe at work.Equipment tracking
With the help of field service management technology, you can connect and track the location of your equipment and collect data on individual machines – who used them, the condition they are in, and any upcoming scheduled maintenance.Increased competitive advantage
Field service management software can enhance the customer experience in numerous ways. Responsiveness, access to information, qualified specialists, and fast service are all factors that contribute to a high-quality customer experience. If you can consistently deliver professional services quickly, happy customers will become repeat customers and your greatest advocates.Higher employee satisfaction
Field service management software makes it easier for your staff to do their best work. Not only does your business benefit, but it leads to increased employee satisfaction and attracts more skilled employees.
How to make sure your teams actually use your field service management app
You’re thinking of developing a field service management app. The design is the easy part – if your app is deemed too hard or unreliable, you’ll struggle to get your team to move away from paper-based systems.In our many years of designing, building, and implementing apps using Salesforce, we’ve learned that certain design elements, commonly overlooked, can make all the difference to app adoption and success.
You have one shot at getting your team to adopt the app. Get out in the field with them as you gather requirements. It’s the only way to account for their considerations.
Don’t think about the app as just an in-field tool. Consider your end-to-end workflow and how the app integrates with existing processes and tools. If you don’t, you risk simply moving work from the field to the back office.
Will you have constant connectivity? If your team works in an area without data, can they still capture data? If not, they’ll quickly revert to paper-based solutions. Even if 1% of the time, the team needs paper as a backup, you won’t ever be able to escape the cycle. You might want to consider an offline app that works without the internet to truly replace outdated paper processes.
Is your app secure? Security can’t be an afterthought. Field service apps greatly increase your attack surface. You must determine what data you’re exposing to users, their permissions, who will have access to it, how to add and remove users over time, and how you will ensure you app isn’t exposing other critical systems.
Do you operate in a heavily regulated industry? If so, does the data storage system need to meet specific industry compliance regulations?
This app is not a one-and-done release – plan to iterate. Do you have the in-house development capabilities to update, upgrade and maintain your app? Maybe the underlying software your app is built on gets updated; perhaps you want to take advantage of evolving technology, or a third-party provider makes updates to its software.
The team at UiRev has experience spanning over 20 years in app design and development and thrives on solving complex integrations that deliver the best outcomes for your business.
