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While Augmented Reality (AR) offers a range of benefits, why do challenges around its implementation still exist? Field Service News’ Deputy Editor Mark Glover explores some of the technology’s major milestones, including its role in the industrial environment, and asks what’s needed to make it a ubiquitous part of an engineer’s toolkit...

Oftentimes field service directors and managers can see the importance of investment within a dedicated Field Service Management (FSM) ahead of their colleagues in the boardroom. In this series of articles Kevin McNally, Sales Director, Asolvi outlines how to build a case for investment to drive your field service operations forwards.

In the first instalment in this series, we looked at how FSM systems can deliver easy Return on Investment, in part two we explored how investment in FSM solutions can help you achieve better staff retention and now in part three we turn our attention to how the implementation of an FSM solution can improve worker health and safety.

 

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Is building a case for investment in FSM a key topic for you?! There is a full white paper on this topic available to fieldservicenews.com subscribers. Click the button below to get fully up to speed!

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Perhaps the easiest argument to put forward to an executive board when seeking approval for investment, aside from outlining a clear ROI, is when that investment will mean ensuring the working environments you place your employees in meets any necessary health and safety requirements.

Of course, in a field service scenario, it is not necessarily possible to control the environment in which your field workers will be undertaking their role.

Therefore, monitoring their safety and ensuring they follow all due protocols and procedures is of huge importance.

So let’s take a quick look at some ways in which FSM systems can help you keep your field service engineers and technicians safe.

 

Geo-Fencing And Lone Worker Support

One reason field service technicians and engineers are particularly vulnerable is simply the fact that they are often working alone - so should an accident happen it could go unnoticed for some time, delaying any necessary medical attention.

There are many lone worker solutions out there, but it is optimum if you can identify a solution that can integrate into your wider FSM system so it can take a data feed of where the engineer is scheduled to be at any given time.

In fact, once that data feed from your scheduling solution is in place, it is possible to establish geo-fencing to make sure that should your engineer either stray outside of where they are supposed to be, or should they fail to arrive where they are supposed to be within a parameter of acceptable margin, alerts can be triggered helping to avoid potential tragedies that can arise from lone worker scenarios.

Indeed, this is one of the key areas in which the importance of the easy flow of data across your field service eco-system can be most easily highlighted – as the benefits literally could mean the difference between life and death.

 

Smart Scheduling To Ensure Your Engineers Are Safe

The next item on the list is an obvious one, and one that any good dispatcher even working without an FSM solution will pride themselves on doing – however, by automating it we can remove the potential for human oversight and error.

Many FSM systems will allow you to set clear parameters against a job during set up so that should maintenance or repair need to be scheduled then unless those parameters (such as the job requiring specific qualifications or more than one technician being required) are met the job cannot be scheduled.

This relatively simple, yet highly effective inclusion within an FSM system can ensure that the right engineer(s), with the right qualifications, are sent to the job, helping to avoid any potential health and safety issues that could result from under qualified or undermanned service teams being sent out.

 

Guide Your Engineers When Onsite To Safe Processes Every Time

Even the most experienced engineers can make mistakes – and these are oftentimes the result of simple complacency – again something that can be overcome through the use of mobile tools often found within an FSM solution.

For example, by building a checklist on the engineer’s mobile device that is built into their workflow you can ensure essential steps aren’t overlooked.

It may seem like an obvious thing for the experienced engineer to be told to switch off a core valve or even mains power to an asset before undertaking maintenance, but it only takes one rushed moment of forgetfulness on a bad day to cause an accident that could potentially be fatal.

But your FSM solution could help avoid that entirely by only allowing the engineer to begin work on the asset once they have completed the H&S checks on their mobile device.

 

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Want to know more?! There is a full white paper on this topic available to fieldservicenews.com subscribers. Click the button below to get fully up to speed!

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Sponsored by:

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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 who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content.  

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