Field Service News

BigChange Field Service Software Facilitates Business Transformation for Pinnacle Group

Jan 19, 2022 • News • BigChange • Digital Transformation • field service management • Service CRM • EMEA • COMPLETE SHUTTER SERVICES

Pinnacle Group has transformed its customer experience and increased operational efficiency following the implementation of the latest field service management software from BigChange.

Pinnacle Group has transformed its customer experience and increased operational efficiency following the implementation of the latest field service management software from BigChange.Supporting over 300,000 homes, 200 schools and 100 public and private buildings, Pinnacle is one of the UK’s largest facilities management providers. Using BigChange, Pinnacle has achieved a significant improvement in transparency and communication with clients by delivering live operational information and has overcome challenges resulting from the pandemic which saw a reduced workforce facing an increased workload.

USING BIGCHANGE'S FIELD SERVICE SOFTWARE, PINNACLE CAN RECORD, MONITOR AND CONTROL EVERY TASK IN REAL-TIME

“Since implementing BigChange we have seen real time savings and productivity gains resulting in better quality of service, reduced resources and costs, and increased client and customer satisfaction,” commented Raaj Bharania, Pinnacle Group Business Manager. “This can be directly translated into contract extensions and new contract awards.”

Pinnacle is a community-facing, people-first business that delivers, manages and maintains communities and places – including multi-tenure housing, schools, open spaces, public and private buildings, retail schemes, distribution centres, manufacturing plants, utilities and broadband networks – as well as a range of complementary employment and wellbeing outcomes. Formed in 1994, Pinnacle operates nationwide with major hubs in London, Chelmsford, Slough, Birmingham, Leeds, Morecambe, Stoke and Carlisle. Pinnacle provides integrated Facilities Management across all sectors and the frontline operation makes around 1,400 call outs per day with an 80/20 split between scheduled and reactive.

Since implementing the complete job management solution, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, Pinnacle can record, monitor and control every task in real-time. Details of site inspections and service delivery visits are captured, recorded and reported, complete with before and after photos, using a traffic light system allowing operatives to self-certify works.

“By giving clients access to the BigChange platform we have been able to reduce the time spent monitoring and reporting as they can access the information they need when they need it,” said Area Manager Marcin Rosiak whilst Business Manager Seundouss Laroussi added, “BigChange has been transformational for us, and our clients, and we cannot imagine our operation without it!”

BigChange has already been deployed on over 90 percent of Pinnacles soft FM contracts where it has been tailored to meet specific KPIs, SLAs and reporting requirements and roll out on the remaining 10 percent is ongoing. Further planned work includes the transition to a completely paperless operation and the use of BigChange to improve workforce engagement and health and safety management.

State of the Field Service Sector

Nov 15, 2021 • News • BigChange • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA • field service industry • Field Service Expo

During our Field Service Expo, which took place in Birmingham on 27th and 28th of October, BigChange held a presentation discussing the findings of a major research project that the company has conducted about the state of UK's field service sector.

Customer Service 2.0

Nov 04, 2021 • Features • White Paper • BigChange • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA • customer experience • Customer Service

In this final feature from a recent white paper published by BigChange, we explain why businesses are increasingly looking at customer experiences as a new source of competitive advantage.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content BigChange who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

USER EXPERIENCE AS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

The field service sector is incredibly competitive.

Fewer than half of field service firms are currently profitable. A quarter of reported losing money in the 12 months to July 2021 and one in eight fear they could go out of business in the next year.

With costs rising, especially for fuel and materials, the scope for field service businesses to compete on price is getting smaller.

Businesses are instead looking at customer experiences as a new source of competitive advantage.

Our survey looked at what ‘good’ looks like in the sector, and the evidence suggests that standards are getting more exacting.

Two-thirds (68%) of leaders say ‘Good’ customer service now means same- working-day fixes for reactive jobs.
And nine out of ten say within 24 hours is the minimum.
Two-thirds (65%) say good service involves the customer being kept fully informed digitally with precise arrival-time updates, details of who is doing the work, confirmation of work completed, and instant invoices.
More than half (54%) say that, when it comes to operations, a ‘good’ system is one in which every part of operations – from job scheduling to invoicing – is automated and optimised within a single system.

When it comes to customer service, the bar is rising quickly.

The Amazon Effect

The Amazon effect means customers are demanding better. Rapid progress in online retail has created an expectation for quick, reliable, effective services and real-time digital updates in all walks of life.

What does it take to deliver good customer service for field service firms?

68% of leaders say 'good' service meands same-day fixes for reactive jobs
65% say good service involves the customer being kept fully informed

54% say a single system optimising activities is essential for good operations

Let's Grow Stronger

BigChange is the complete Job Management Platform that’s helping field service businesses across the UK to win more work, take control of their operations and deliver winning customer experiences. Bringing together job management, mobile workforce applications, CRM, finance and business intelligence into one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, BigChange liberates you from inefficient paper-based processes and the complexity of multiple different technology systems that hold your business back. Loved by office and field teams alike, our customers are achieving industry leading results and return on investment. The BigChange team is committed to customer success and no matter your sector or whether you have a mobile workforce of 10 or a 100, we’re here to make a big difference to the way you work and to help your business grow stronger.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Further Reading:

Read more about Leadership & Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com/leadership-and-strategy
Read more about the impact of COVID-19 in the Field Service industry @ www.fieldservicenews.com/covid-19
Read more about BigChange on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/bigchange
Learn more about BigChange @ www.bigchange.com
Follow BigChange on Twitter @ twitter.com/bigchangeapps

Complete Shutter Doors Boost Productivity by 20% with BigChange Tech

Nov 03, 2021 • News • BigChange • Digital Transformation • field service management • Service CRM • EMEA • COMPLETE SHUTTER SERVICES

Industrial doors company Complete Shutter Services has doubled its business and boosted productivity by 20 per cent since implementing field service management software from BigChange.

Industrial doors company Complete Shutter Services has doubled its business and boosted productivity by 20 per cent since implementing field service management software from BigChange.Providing a complete job management platform, BigChange cloud-based office software synchronises with a rugged tablets used by field operatives to provide real-time 24/7 visibility of every job nationwide.

Established 35 years with headquarters and factory in Rotherham and a factory in Harlow, Essex, Complete Shutter Services designs, manufactures, installs and services door systems for clients including BP, Shell, Jewson, Homebase, Marks and Spencer and the Co-Op.

BIGCHANGE IS A COMPLETE JOB MANAGEMENT PLATFORM BRINGING TOGETHER CRM, JOB SCHEDULING, LIVE TRACKING, FIELD RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT INTO ONE PLATFORM.

“We’re in an increasingly competitive market and it is crucial to keep ahead’” says Paul Quealey, MD, Complete Shutter Services. “Our clients are also now much more demanding when it comes to reporting on jobs – they expect accurate and real-time reports. BigChange allows us to do just that and the platform is so easily adaptable that we know we’ll be able to meet any client need.”

According to Quealey, the biggest impact of BigChange has been in improving the quality of its services. The software guides field operatives through procedures on site ensuring everything is done correctly with consistent and complete reporting every time; backed up with time recorded before and after photographs. “We’ve possibly increased the quality of our services by 70 per cent with BigChange. That’s key to retaining and growing our business and the way we have deployed BigChange gives us a key competitive advantage,” he explains.

Complete Shutter Services was one of the first adopters of BigChange and played a central role in developing the platform for use in the industrial doors industry. BigChange is a complete job management platform bringing together customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management, and online portal into one simple to use and easy to integrate platform. Jobs are automatically allocated based on real-time engineer availability, skills, live location and parts stock. This is significantly increasing productivity; minimising customer wait time and driving first time fix at competitive cost for clients.

“BigChange has delivered huge cost savings and we’ve increased productivity in the office by at least 20 per cent and we’ve made similar gains in terms of the number of jobs completed daily,” Quealey explains. “It’s also made business expansion very easy. New engineers can literally be up and running in minutes using the very easy mobile app. And when we opened a new office in Harlow, we just connected online to access the cloud-based software giving all the IT we needed, instantly.”

Complete’s field engineers use the platform to complete their timesheets and vehicle checks, before instantly accessing job information. Linked to vehicle trackers, the software provides navigation with live traffic to ensure the best route is taken and customers receive ETA updates by text and email. On arrival, engineers can create instant estimates and the app guides them step by step through health & safety and job-specific workflows including photo capture. On completion, the system generates job-cards that are automatically shared via a customer’s booking portal or via email.

“Invoices can be raised immediately on job completion and since the system allows us to provide such good proof-of-service, disputes are very much a thing of the past. For management, BigChange really does bring peace of mind. We’ve got access through a BigChange management smartphone app that gives us complete round-the clock visibility of everything going on. It means we are always in control and able to provide the high levels of service whatever the operational challenges,” Quealey adds.

5 Enemies of Growth - What is Hitting Field Service Firms Hard?

Oct 28, 2021 • Features • BigChange • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA

In this third feature of a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by BigChange, we analyse the key issues that hit field service businesses in the past 12 months.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Despite rapid growth, businesses with field-based teams reported three key issues that had materially hit their business in the past 12 months.

Covid-19 and its consequences

81% of businesses said the pandemic had hit turnover or profits in the last 12 months. Four in ten reported that it had led to staffing difficulties.
Expensive materials and fuel

Three-quarters of companies say the rising cost of materials (76%) and fuel (74%) are hurting their business. In the 12 months covered, pump prices for petrol rose by 18% t o near-record levels; diesel leapt by 16%.

Firms expect the same factors to dampen or even eliminate profitability in the next 12 months.
Staying within the rules and regulations

Compliance challenges – including those stemming from the pandemic – are hurting firms. Two-thirds of field service companies say that new regulations hit their profits in the year to July 2021.

In the last 12 months, more than half breached industry regulations in ways that led to a fine, loss of reputation or loss of work. A quarter (25%) incurred financial penalties for breaches.

The risk of accidentally contravening rules and regulations increases as companies expand rapidly. Two further issues for firms also emerged in our analysis.
The productivity pinch point

When it comes to employment, the trades have outperformed the rest of the economy in the last year. The number of people working in field service firms increased by 48%.

But this increase was slower than the 70% rise in workloads.

Firms anticipate further growth in workloads (74%) in the next 12 months, and a lower increase in the extra employees they will take on (54%).

There will be pressure on already busy field service teams to work even more efficiently.
Rising debt levels

The amount of debt taken on by field service businesses increased by 50% over the last 12 months.

While some businesses have used finance to underpin their expansion activities (average debt increased by 43% at firms reporting good profit and growth prospects), the biggest increases in debt levels were among loss-making firms borrowing for survival.

Average debts were up 117% over the last 12 months at businesses that said they were struggling and feared going out of business and increased by 61% at loss-making firms where leaders believed a turnaround was possible.

Access to Government-backed finance made it easier for most businesses to borrow last year. This debt will add an additional cost burden to some already struggling firms.

STATE OF THE FIELD SERVICE SECTOR

Demand and workloads are soaring. Essential costs are on the rise. And recruitment is challenging. Many firms in the survey have addressed these challenges by pushing hard to improve productivity.

Where is time and money lost in field service businesses?

2Poor management oversight: 27% said difficulties getting complete and up-to-date management oversight stops them from working as efficiently as possible. 82% want oversight of all parts of operations in real-time.
Outdated technology: Clunky legacy workforce-management systems that couldn't keep pace with the demands of today were an efficiency issue for 27% of firms.

Poor planning and workflow: 24% say that wasted time between jobs, including travel, is harming efficiency efforts.

As a result, many are now looking to optimise operations with technology.

Less strain, efficiency gain: The rise and rise of job-management technology

73% of field service businesses increased investment in technology in the last 12 months. Technology spending increased by an average of 54% year on year.
Firms expect to keep up these rates of tech-spending growth into 2022 as they turn to technology for management oversight, process automation, job scheduling and route planning.

Year on year company growth was faster, on average, for users of field service management technology. And those growing quickly are doubling down on technology: they are more likely than other firms to invest in it over the next year.

Productivity

Where is time and money lost in the field service business?

27% say difficulties getting real-time insights harms efficiency
27% of firms felt outdated technology was an efficiency issue

24% say wasted time between jobs is harming efficiency

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Further Reading:

Bouncing Back:Demand Surged as UK Lockdown Eased

Oct 21, 2021 • Features • BigChange • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA

In this second feature of a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by BigChange, we have a look at what happened in the field service sector after Covid measures began easing in the UK.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

GROWTH IN TURNOVER, WORKLOAD AND PROFIT ACROSS THE UK FIELD SERVICE SECTOR

Britain’s trades have bounced back from Covid-19 lockdowns and disruption. And they expect more growth in the 12 months to come.

Plumbers, electricians, maintenance companies and other firms with field service staff report that workload, turnover, and profit have increased significantly since Covid measures began easing in July 2020.

In the 12 months since then (August 2020-July 2021), these companies have reported:

Turnover up by 79% on average (compared with the previous 12 months)
Workload up by 70%
Total profits up by 66%

A third of companies increased profits by at least 50%. Three-quarters (74%) increased turnover; a pattern repeated when it comes to demand for work and total profits. One in five has doubled turnover since July 2020.

The sharp bounce back comes after a period (August 2019-July 2020) when Covid-19 significantly affected business activity.

Since then, growth has been particularly strong in the facilities management, fire and safety, hire, and plumbing and heating sectors.

But surging demand is not benefiting everyone. For every strong, profitable business in the sector, another is struggling to keep up – just breaking even or even losing money.

Demand for facilities management, building maintenance, electrical contracting, fire and security, and plant hire services bounced back particularly robustly – each sector recording workload increases of more than 70% year on year.

AVERAGE GROWTH RATES FOR FIELD SERVICE FIRMS

Looking forward, more than eight out of ten firms expect turnover to grow into 2022. One in five (19%) expects to at least double turnover by next summer.

Only 2% expect to be less profitable this time next year.

Overall, the picture is of surging workloads, turnover and profit – albeit from a suppressed start point. Like a coiled spring now released, the sector is growing very fast.

Many businesses will increase prices to help offset increasing costs. Prices charged across the field service sector rose by 47% in the last 12 months and are predicted to increase by a similar amount over the next year.

However, there are still concerns that growth in profit will continue to lag behind the rise in turnover, and that predicted profit increases will not be enjoyed uniformly across the sector.

13% of field service firms say they are already struggling, and fear that they could go out of business in the next 12 months as costs continue to rise and Covid-19 support measures are phased out.

This includes many that experienced booming demand last year, but couldn’t pass on their increasing costs to customers in the form of price rises.

STATE OF THE FIELD SERVICE SECTOR

Strong Growth and Profit Prospects

22% of field service leaders told researchers their businesses were performing incredibly well, with good profit and growth prospects. This equates to 276,000 firms nationwide
Half (50%) of these firms experienced increases in demand for their services of between 10% and 99% over the last 12 months, while another quarter (26%) saw workloads double

On average, these strong growth businesses have seen workloads rise by 97% while achieving similar increases in turnover (99%) and profit (100%)
These champion businesses increased employee numbers by 58%, prices by 62% and investment in technology by 76% in the last 12 months

Small Profits Firms

26% of leaders, the equivalent of 323,000 UK firms, reported their businesses were succeeding in making a small profit each year
Workloads increased by 57%, on average, ahead of both turnover (49%) and profit (43%)

These businesses plan to increase prices by 42% over the next year to offset rising costs
They expect to increase employee numbers by 37% and investment in technology by 42% in the year to July 2022

Small Profits Firms

A further 26% of field service businesses – 330,000 across the UK – broke even over the last year

On average, these Breakeven Businesses put up prices by 31% to stay on top of costs, and increased turnover by 57% from a 39% increase in workloads
Employment in these businesses rose 26% on the year and is predicted to grow at a similar rate (29%) over the next 12 months

The businesses plan to increase their investment in technology by 36%

BIGCHANGE'S GROWTH MATRIX

Loss Making Turnaround Firms

Around one in every eight leaders (13%) said their firms were currently losing money but expected to be able to turn their fortunes around over the next year. We estimate that 161,000 field service firms nationwide are in this situation
Increases in workload of 46% in the last 12 months were met by a 55% increase in employee numbers

83% of these businesses said higher labour costs had hurt their businesses last year.

Small Profits Firms

Another 13% of leaders told researchers their firms were struggling to the extent that they could go out of business within the next year. This equates to a further 161,000 businesses across the UK
Their struggles aren’t due to a lack of demand. Struggling businesses took on the highest average increases in workload (146%) and turnover (151%) of any segment

However, meeting this demand required a 92% increase in employees, a factor that 91% price increases couldn’t offset
97% of strugglers said they were severely impacted by Covid-19, while the rising cost of materials, fuel and people were negative factors for more than 80% of these firms.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Further Reading:

Three Ways to Increase Profits for Your Field Service Business Post-COVID

Oct 18, 2021 • Features • BigChange • field service • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA

BigChange shares with Field Service News how field service organisations can increase their profits in the post-pandemic world.

During August 2021, BigChange engaged the research consultancy Opinium to survey field service businesses about how they fared since the UK government eased their strictest lockdown measures.

Although, for the most part, many companies are doing better now than they were in July 2020, the study revealed that fewer than half of companies reported making a profit. In fact, those in the worst affected category fear they will go out of business in the next year as costs continue to rise and COVID-19 support measures are phased out. Here are three ways to increase profits for your business and bounce back post-pandemic.

HOW TO BOOST YOUR PROFITS

1. Reduce Travel Expenses

One of the best ways to maintain a healthy profit margin is to reduce business expenses. With petrol prices rising by 18% and diesel leaping by 16% to a near-record level over the last year, it's worth looking at your current travel costs and devising ways to minimise them.

If you're currently relying on spreadsheets to schedule your technicians' working days, you could be missing out on the opportunity to optimise their routes. Thankfully, technological advancements in recent years have made it simple to assign relevant workers to jobs based on their location, skills and qualifications and vehicle type.

A job management platform optimises routes, which helps to reduce the amount of time each technician spends on the road. Lowered travel times increase the number of appointments technicians can attend each day, making it a worthwhile investment.

2. Improve First-Time Fix Rates

Did you know, companies that achieve a high first-time fix rate of over 70% enjoy a 4% increase in revenue? Subsequently, it's crucial to equip your technicians with everything they need to complete their assignments the first time.

Keeping a close eye on your stock, equipment, and assets will ensure that you always have the correct items for each job and allows you to attend more reactive appointments. Modern asset management systems give you complete, real-time visibility over your inventory and allow you to assign gear directly to jobs.

By allocating equipment before each job, your technicians can rest assured they have the right tools to finish the work there and then. Plus, an increase in first-time fixes will liberate more time for your workers to take on additional jobs — which will prove to be particularly lucrative, as the workload has increased by 70% across the field service industry.

3. Digitise Your Processes

On average, we found that users of job management software grew faster than businesses still relying on spreadsheets and paper processes last year. Better still, those that made the most of the latest technology are now in a better position to take on further work and deliver it profitably in 2022.

Using job management software like BigChange, you can digitise all your processes and manage them on one easy-to-use platform. As a result, your back-office team can handle bookings — from the moment the customer makes an appointment right up to invoicing and payment — at the click of a button.

Furthermore, the system records all customer interactions, meaning you'll have a comprehensive record of information to refer back to whenever you need it without having to sift through mountains of paperwork. Additionally, you'll reduce business costs by eliminating the need to store documents on-site or pay for storage.Consequently, your team will have more time to spend on activities that contribute directly to business growth, leading to significant profits further down the line.

JOB MANAGEMENT PLATFORMS ARE THE FUTURE

It's no secret that COVID-19 has taken its toll on field service organisations. Currently, fewer than half of field service firms are profitable. That's why business leaders will need to think outside the box and look for innovative solutions that will help their companies bounce back.

In order to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in a turbulent economic landscape, you must consider how technology will help you overcome the obstacles you're facing presently. Job management platforms arm you with all the tools you need to boost profitability and provide a great return on investment, which will benefit your business long after the effects of the pandemic have disappeared.

HELP YOUR BUSINESS BOUNCE BACK STRONGER THAN EVER ON BIGCHANGE

BigChange's job management platform is helping field service businesses across the UK win more work, take control of their operations and deliver winning customer experiences.

Bring your customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, workforce management, financial data and business intelligence onto one easy-to-use platform and begin enjoying the benefits of a smarter way of working today.

Want to find out more? Discover how your business can grow stronger on BigChange here and arrange a free demo today.

About BigChange

BigChange is the complete Job Management Platform that’s helping field service businesses across the UK to win more work, take control of their operations and deliver winning customer experiences. Bringing customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management, business intelligence into one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, BigChange liberates you from inefficient paper-based processes and the complexity of multiple different technology systems that hold your business back. Loved by office and field teams alike, our customers are achieving industry leading results and return on investment. The BigChange team is committed to customer success and no matter your sector or whether you have a mobile workforce of 10 or a 100, we’re here to make a big difference to the way you work and to help your business grow stronger.

BigChange will be exhibiting on stand D1 at the Field Service Expo.

HealthCheck of UK Businesses Running Field Service Teams

Oct 14, 2021 • Features • BigChange • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA

In the first feature of a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by BigChange, we look at their first health check of UK businesses running field service teams.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

These trades are the backbone of the economy: plumbers, electrical engineers, construction businesses, maintenance companies, environmental services, and many others with field-based workers.

One in five UK businesses rely on field service teams to deliver their services. We estimate that there are now more than 1.2 million field service businesses in the UK employing 6.7 million people.

Because they all run field service teams, they face similar opportunities and challenges:

Managerial oversight
Job scheduling and management
Recruting suitably skilled workers
Compliance
Maximising job efficiency
Competing on customer experience

During August 2021, we engaged the research consultancy Opinium to survey businesses of all sizes with field service teams.

Opinium spoke to 504 leaders from businesses in the building maintenance, cleaning services, drainage, electrical contractors and electricians, facilities management, fire and security, plant hire, industrial doors, plumbing and heating, and the waste and recycling sectors.

We asked about business health and how they fared from August 2020 to July 2021 – the first full 12 months since the easing of the strictest UK lockdown measures.

72% OF THE UK FIELD SERVICE BUSINESSES ARE GROWING, BUT ONLY ONE-IN-FIVE ARE GROWING STRONGER

Across the field service sector, firms have performed significantly better since the end of the first strict lockdown in July 2020

Workloads are up 70%, and turnovers have soared as prices charged for services increased by an average of 47%
Demand for facilities management, fire and safety, plumbing and heating, and plant hire services bounced back particularly welL

While the headline figures are positive, the benefits of booming demand are not enjoyed by everyone

Turnovers rocketed across the sector, yet fewer than half of companies reported making a profit. 26% of firms lost money in the 12 months to August 2021 as the industry was hit by Covid-19 complications, compliance issues and surging costs
One in eight field service firms fear they could go out of business within a year
More than eight out of ten firms expect turnover to grow into 2022. But a talent crisis means firms face this increased demand without employee numbers increasing at the same rate. 56% of field service leaders reported difficulty retaining frontline operators.

Productivity is now a major focus for field service firms

Poor management oversight, outdated technology, and poor planning and workflow were significant barriers to more efficient work. 82% of field- service leaders said they wanted oversight of all parts of their operations in real-time

Our analysis indicates that there is a big difference between growing and growing stronger

The strongest firms took advantage of rising demand to do more work, but remained in control of costs and became more productive
In contrast, many firms now struggling for survival, grew too quickly. They took on the highest increases in workload and turnover of any segment, but doubled the size of their workforces and their levels of debt

Customer experience is key for competitive advantage

Facing rising costs, the ability to compete on price is getting smaller. Customer experience has become the new source of competitive advantage. Most leaders said good service now requires same-working-day fixes for reactive jobs (68%) and that customers be kept fully informed digitally (65%)

Technology is critical in helping firms thrive

Technology spending across the sector increased by an average of 54% in the last 12 months as firms focused on job management, productivity and customer experience
Users of job management technology grew faster, on average, than those relying on spreadsheets and paper processes last year. They are in a better position to take on further work and deliver it profitably in the year ahead
Most leaders expect spending in this area to continue growing into 2022

A Defining Period for the Field Service Sector

The following 12 months will be pivotal for field service firms. Everyone has the opportunity to grow, but they must manage significant cost increases and face major challenges recruiting and retaining skilled frontline operators. It will be a year of abundance for some - gaining market share and driving growth in turnover and profitability. Others will see their margins eroded further. Everyone would benefit from becoming more productive and competing on customer experience rather than price.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Further Reading:

Read more about Leadership & Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com/leadership-and-strategy
Read more about the impact of COVID-19 in the Field Service industry @ www.fieldservicenews.com/covid-19
Read more about BigChange on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/bigchange
Learn more about BigChange @ www.bigchange.com
Follow BigChange on Twitter @ twitter.com/bigchangeapps

Field Service Businesses Bounce Back from Covid, but Soaring Costs Mean One-in-Eight Fears Failure Within a Year

Oct 11, 2021 • News • BigChange • field service • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA

Demand for UK trades has boomed since the end of the initial lockdown in July 2020. Plumbers, electricians, building-maintenance firms and other trades making up the UK’s 1.3-million-business field-service sector have seen their workloads increase by 70 per cent year on year, according to a new report published by field service management software provider BigChange.

BigChange’s State of the Field Service Sector report, now available at Field Service News, reveals that three-quarters of trades businesses saw demand increase in the year to July 2021. Almost one in five (18 per cent) took on over double the work they did in the 12-month period before. BigChange’s research indicates that demand for Plumbing & Heating, Plant Hire and Drainage increased fastest.

THREE-QUARTERS OF UK BUSINESSES SAW DEMANDS AFTER THE FIRST STRICT LOCKODWN ENDED, BUT MANY ARE STILL SUFFERING THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, COMPLIANCE ISSUES AND SOARING COSTS

Despite soaring turnovers (up 79 per cent on average) and average price increases of 47 per cent, fewer than half of trades businesses (48 per cent) said they were profitable in the year to July 2021. Debts have increased by 117 per cent among the worst performers in the sector, and one-in-eight firms fear they will fail within a year as Covid complications, compliance issues and surging costs continue to hit hard.

Most businesses surveyed (81 per cent) said that the pandemic had continued to impact their finances negatively in the last 12 months. 67 per cent said their margins had been squeezed by the cost of complying with new regulations, and rising prices for materials, fuel and labour are cited as ongoing problems by more than 70 per cent of respondents.

Richard Warley, BigChange CEO, comments: “While demand for the trades has boomed since the first lockdown, this backbone of the economy is not as strong as it might look. Only half of firms are profiting from this extra work. There’s a big difference between growing and growing stronger.”

“Many trades businesses have seen profit margins hit by a perfect storm of Covid, compliance and rising costs. One-in-eight fear they won’t last another year, partly because they’ve taken on more debt and racked up colossal overtime bills meeting customer demand.

“The strong, profitable businesses are succeeding by working smarter to stay in control of their operations, keeping a lid on costs, and making their teams more productive. They are using technology to improve management oversight, plan better and automate processes, and improving communication and response times as part of efforts to make the customer experience their new source of competitive advantage.”

You can access Big Change's State of the Field Service Sector white paper here:

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Further Reading:

Further Reading:

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

BIGCHANGE IS A COMPLETE JOB MANAGEMENT PLATFORM BRINGING TOGETHER CRM, JOB SCHEDULING, LIVE TRACKING, FIELD RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT INTO ONE PLATFORM.

Further Reading:

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

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Further Reading:

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

THREE-QUARTERS OF UK BUSINESSES SAW DEMANDS AFTER THE FIRST STRICT LOCKODWN ENDED, BUT MANY ARE STILL SUFFERING THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, COMPLIANCE ISSUES AND SOARING COSTS

Further Reading:

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