
Top Ten Reasons to Move to Mobile Forms in Field Service
Those working in field service understand that accurate data collection is essential for a successful business, but this is not always a straightforward task due to manual processes. How data is disseminated, collected, shared and used makes the difference between having an effective and productive field service operation or not. Paper-based processes are fraught with issues from delays in receiving vital information, to missing, incomplete information, or inconsistency in the data captured.
Field service companies face some unique challenges as some or all of their work can be emergency calls which come in through the course of the day. As the work wasn’t part of the initial schedule, the technicians may not always have the right paperwork or forms with them, so they are not working with all the information they need.
Many companies with a field service operation also cover a lot of different areas of work. These can be highly complex and workflows may have a number of dependencies which need to be stuck to, to complete the job. The field service work can cover everything from design to install, renovation, repair and service work, meaning each job is different to the last and again the use of paper-based forms to cover all work areas can prove difficult to manage.
In addition, those who work with compliance or regulatory obligations face even greater challenges in managing, recording and reporting information. It must be accurate, on time and auditable. The risks of, and penalties for, incomplete, unreliable and late reporting are just too great.
We recently launched FieldAware Forms to help field service organizations solve some of the challenges they face in managing information. FieldAware Forms is a powerful extension to our FieldAware solution which allows you to embed all your forms into the mobile workflow, expanding the capabilities of your field service management. It is bringing distinct advantage to field service work.
Here we look at the top ten reasons for moving to mobile forms - and going paperless - in your field service:
Improved efficiency
Information is entered just once on the technician’s device as the data is captured at the point of service. This removes any duplication of data entry at a later stage. Photos, scanned documents and signatures can all be captured at the same time and because FieldAware Forms updates your FieldAware solution, your other ERP, CRM and accounting systems are all automatically updated too.
More accurate information
Forms can be auto-populated and include drop-down menus, assisting data entry in the most accurate way with prompts for completion and skipping over irrelevant sections. The right, accurate information is captured first time, every time. This can be especially useful when training new starters or just ensuring that bad habits don’t creep in as corners can’t get cut.
Keeping everyone up-to-date
Any updates to forms or new forms can be sent to all technicians, electronically, at the same time. There is no need to rely on technicians coming into the office to pick up the forms and then some of your teams using a new set of forms and others are using out of date forms. Version control is simplified, especially useful for those in compliance and regulatory work.
Improved compliance
Data management can be core to compliance requirements for monitoring, reporting and auditing purposes. All data needs to be correctly captured, recorded and managed, FieldAware Forms allows the information to be more easily collected, shared and used. This not only speeds up processes but critically ensures compliance targets are met on every job, every time, by every worker. The ability to respond immediately to customers or regulatory authorities is increased and an audit trail is in place for accountability.
Better communication
Communication can be instant and in real-time with mobile forms. There is no delay, unlike paperwork being brought into offices. Forms can be customized to ensure that the information being collected is bespoke to the organization’s needs and can cover off the different areas of work that is covered.
Business intelligence
Information collected using mobile forms is accurate and reliable and can instantly give a real-time insight into the business. This not only gives those making on-the-spot decisions confidence in the information they are using, but also means the data can be easily searched, extracted, and analysed. This helps to transform collected data into actionable business intelligence.
Easy access to data
The days of searching through a filing cabinet are over. Using mobile forms, the captured data can be easily accessed by whoever in the business needs it and when they need it. The ability to easily retrieve the required information not only means time and resource is saved, but also reporting, cross-checking and auditing all become much more straightforward.
Managed costs
The costs associated with paper-based processes cannot be underestimated in terms of time, resource, transportation, storage and the actual paper itself. Sending and receiving the information by using the mobile forms eliminates these costs as well as streamlining the processes.
Faster invoicing
Some of the highest praise for mobile forms is the way all the information can be gathered and synced in the field, which means that the job is complete and ready for invoicing straight to customers. The sync with other systems, which integrate with FieldAware, means further double entry of data is eliminated, invoices are issued immediately therefore significantly speeding up the order to cash process too.
Improved service quality
On site technicians can collect information more efficiently, with greater accuracy and in less time using mobile forms. This information can then be shared with their customers electronically to help combat their paper-based challenges too.
FieldAware leads the way in simplifying field service.
FieldAware Forms is a powerful extension to your field service solution which allows you to embed forms into your mobile workflow, expanding the capabilities of your field service management.
To see FieldAware Forms in action, click here, where you can watch a video demo or request a custom 1:1 demo tailored for your business.
Or to find out more about FieldAware join one of our 30-minute webinars