FLS - FAST LEAN SMART, UK Managing Director, Jeremy Squire shares his experience on the tools needed to overcome increasing last mile challenges...

Key to the success of your last mile service delivery is planning appointments (when applicable) and Engineer routes that are both achievable and efficient. Not all methods for this are equal and in this article we explore the alternative methods used by scheduling technologies and why you need a real-time appointment optimiser, even if you prefer to fix the jobs to Engineers on the day of service delivery.

With the right systems to support you, the appointment booking is opportunity to guide your customer to the most cost effective time slot for an Engineer with the right skills and parts.

Every Field Service software solution includes appointment booking and often describe this as ‘optimised’.  Look closely at how this is achieved, the majority are far from optimal and result in unachievable appointments, heavy involvement by Planners and Managers, and cause some Engineers to work excessive hours whilst others are under utilised. 

Which of these are familiar to your way of working? The good, the bad, the ugly…or the best!

 

The Ugly – ‘patch’ method

Engineers are assigned exclusive postcode patches and new appointments can be offered until the maximum daily limit is reached. There is often a long wait for an appointment, even though neighbouring Engineers have availability, and you can typically only offer full day timeslots. Before the day of service begins, the scheduling system or a Planner will put each diary in a good order for travel according to maps, or the Engineers do it themselves.

 

 

The Bad – ‘basic’ white space scheduler 

With this method engineers work within a maximum travel radius from a start point and there is overlap between coverage areas. Each engineer has a route optimised utilising a driving time calculation with speeds according to road type. Timeslot options for a new appointment are calculated by the system finding ‘white space’ in the existing diary of suitable engineers and presenting best (lowest cost) choices based on deviation from current route – the job is then inserted into the chosen place in the diary.

Periodically, every few hours or overnight, you run the scheduler which will move jobs between the engineers for better routes and efficiency.

The comparison appointment costs given by this method are inaccurate because they do not consider the overall schedule so you end up ignoring them and just offer up any of the available slots, even if this was 2 hours driving one day or 10 minutes the next. Diaries may appear full which causes a long lead time to attend appointments, but running the scheduler later reveals availability was there all along – too late!

 

The Good – ‘enhanced’ white space scheduler

The ‘enhanced’ is based on the same principles as the ‘basic’ but smarter. Routes are more accurate using travel times with actual average speeds for each road segment according to the time of day. It is still just looking for white space in the diary but, after the appointment is booked, it will re-optimise this and nearby routes, moving jobs between engineers, ready for the next appointment request. 

Whilst this is more accurate than the ‘basic’ method, the comparison of appointment costs is still incorrect for the same reason. Also, an appointment that is calculated unavailable might actually be available if the ‘real-time’ method was used.

 

The Best – ‘real-time’ appointment optimiser

This method is truly best-of-breed. The schedule is always optimised with time of day traffic based travel speeds. For an appointment request, the system performs a real-time optimisation for each time slot requested, incorporating all relevant Engineers and jobs. It advises the difference in cost for adding this job into the fully optimised schedule for each available time slot.

To be practical in a customer service environment this must be achieved in seconds, even for high volumes, which is why there are few vendors able to offer this.

This is the only method that enables your customer service team (or self-service portal) to correctly offer and guide customers to pick the most cost effective time slot choices – resulting in mileage reduction and time for more jobs.

The real-time optimisation will also reveal time slots are available when all other methods would say the diary is full - reducing the average time to attend an appointment.

With this approach, you always know the planned schedule is accurate ready for last mile delivery - your Engineers will be happy with the plan and you are less likely to have challenges during the day of service or let customers down. Planners can be reassigned to customer service roles and  Managers can instead focus on quality of service.

The benefits of a ‘real-time’ appointment optimiser for your last mile service delivery are clear and we at FLS are so confident that we offer to facilitate you to prove this in live operation before commitment.

 

Customer proof

As Richard Wilson, IT Director HomeServe Boiler Installations comments, “We wanted a more dynamic tool, one that could continuously optimise, looking at every appointment and every field worker collectively and scheduling everything in the most optimal way.”

And the results - “FLS has enabled us to get to our appointments 25% quicker than we were. It’s really highlighted how efficient your scheduling can be when intelligent software does it for you. We see FLS as a growth facilitator. The efficiency gains are such that we’re now in a position to scale up”

This article first published on the HSO blog offers five crucial steps that field service companies can take to get a better handle on the core processes of field service delivery...

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Follow the HSO blog by visiting https://www.hso.com/en-gb/blog/

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It’s a no-brainer that a flawless service process contributes to higher customer satisfaction and increased service revenues.
But how do you ensure fast and accurate invoicing, service technicians who are always well equipped to solve the problem at hand, and that the right resources are in the right place at the right time? This blog outlines 5 steps to an optimised service process with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service. 

 

Optimised field service scheduling:

When a visit by a technical field service engineer doesn’t go as planned for one reason or another, money is lost. The five most common reasons why a service is not completed on the first visit are: 

• The right part is not available
• The customer or the equipment is not ready for the service
• The diagnosis already made appears incorrect on site
• The field service engineer does not have the right skills
• The solution was temporary
• The above problems cost the service company money, the field service engineer time and the customer’s patience and satisfaction. Microsoft Dynamics for Field Service offers you Resource Scheduling Optimisation functionality that allows Field Service engineers to be scheduled according to the location, time, customer SLA, personal preferences of the customer and the right skills for the job.

The schedule can be viewed via a mobile device and includes optimised routes that the engineers should take. When a change is made to the schedule, because, for example, there is an unexpected job that requires someone with specific skills, the Field Service engineer receives a notification with a new route. This means that the right person is always at the right place. When the job is completed, a new job is automatically set up. As a result, the time of the Field Service engineer is optimally utilised and no time is lost. Projects can also be planned via the schedule board. When, for example, 50 boilers need to be replaced, it is useful to have a good overview of all available Field Service engineers, based on which the schedule is created as efficiently as possible, taking into account the individual’s workload. In this way, an optimised schedule is automatically drawn up, which dynamically responds to the customer, the Field Service engineer and the company. 

 

Authorise & mobilise Field Service engineer:

Field Service employees often feel alone on the job or do not have access to the right information to solve a customer problem. They want to take control and have insight into the job. When you let your Field Service engineers go ‘mobile’, the company benefits from: 

• On-time appointments through the optimised schedules and routes.
• Case history & instructions: all information about the customer is at hand and when necessary insight into all the steps to complete the task.
• Work order completion: the Field Service engineer can take photos of the finished job, collect a customer signature and even handle the payment.

The process surrounding the purchase of new parts with Field Service has also been optimised. If for example, a certain part is required for the job, the Field Service engineer can order the correct part directly. The purchase page can be chosen to ‘send to ERP’, as a result of which the order will immediately appear in the ERP system of the company. When a certain purchase amount has been preapproved, approval for the purchase can be given immediately, so that the part is immediately ordered. This makes the process more efficient and eliminates unnecessary waiting times. Mobility is a game changer within Field Service and allows for greater flexibility in the field. The possibility of a complete overview of the customer and real-time guidance is necessary for the independent appointment of the Field Service engineer and the optimisation of the customer relationship.

 

Using Machine Learning and the IoT in Field Service:

If your car breaks down, it would be handy if your car could indicate what exactly is wrong. This would save a lot of valuable time. This is possible with machine learning – keep track of which customers or machines often have problems, what the problems are, what solutions have been put forward and which ones were effective. If, for example, it becomes clear that the same solution is always effective for a specific customer, then in the future, the problem can be solved in advance by the Field Service engineer with the right skills or even by providing the right directions remotely. With Field Service you can make optimum use of the opportunities offered by Internet of Things devices. Through optimal application, problems are predicted before downtime occurs and before the customer is affected by the problem. With Field Service you can: 

• Detect and resolve problems before the customer knows about it and only deploy a Field Service engineer when needed.
• Use predictive maintenance effortlessly: repair, clean or replace parts when necessary instead of using a fixed maintenance schedule.
• Automatically adjust work orders and assign these to the correct Field Service engineer, when self-healing steps do not solve the problem.

 

Optimal use of the cloud with the Azure IoT Suite:

What exactly is the Azure IoT Suite? Let’s take a step back and start with the problem for which it was designed. We are currently experiencing tremendous growth in IoT solutions, but why now? The answer to this question is simple: the advantages of IoT solutions start to outweigh the costs that are incurred to implement it. The complex layout of IoT is pricey since you have to have sensors that safely send all data, the data has to be stored, processed and analysed and finally presented to the end user in a clear way.Today, the hardware is already much more affordable and the connectivity is cheaper. The Azure IoT Suite is a set of different technologies brought together in one tool in the cloud. What’s in this tool? 

• Data storage
• Data analytics
• Stream processing
• Predictive analytics
• Workflow automation
• Dashboarding

 Everything you need for optimal use of the cloud. 

 

Customer relationship optimisation:

In 2016, 62% of consumers worldwide indicated they would no longer do business with a brand due to a single bad experience that has taken place with customer service. This highlights the importance of excellent customer service.  With Customer Communications, Field Service helps you to retain your customers by providing optimal service, insight and by involving them in the processes: 

• Companies must gain insight and control the entire customer journey across all touchpoints.
• Maintaining the customer relationship should no longer be a statistical, ‘one-size fits all model’, but should be personalised for each customer.
• Companies have to meet the customer on their preferred channel (e-mail, chat, social media, web, telephone, shop, etc.).

 

And perhaps most importantly: the customer service doesn’t end with a single transaction, it is important to build a long-term relationship. In addition, real-time up-to-date stock management is a must. Poor stock management is, in addition to being a drain on the profitability of a company, an irritation point for the customer. With Customer Communications you always ensure an optimally personalised, proactive and predictive approach to the customer. That is what the customer wants from you nowadays and what companies have to offer.

This article first published on the HSO blog offers some key insight for field service organisations that are keen to empower their field service operation with automated field service scheduling...

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Follow the HSO blog by visiting https://www.hso.com/en-gb/blog/

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Few companies can remain competitive in today’s field service environment without effective management of time, costs and resources. Despite this, a staggering 52% of field service companies still coordinate work and perform functions manually[i]. The adoption of dynamic, automated scheduling software can free up time to concentrate on team development and maximising revenue. In this blog we share the benefits of, and the pain points eradicated by using automated field service scheduling tools.

 

Management of unexpected changes

No matter how carefully a schedule is planned, unexpected and last-minute changes can occur. Automated software solutions can minimise these risks, while maximising efficiencies. Re-optimisation happens in real time when changes occur, giving both the employee and customer an immediate update, even down to a specific time slot for an engineer’s arrival. With 89% of customers preferring an ‘Uber like” service for tracking technician arrivals[ii], it’s something that will delight customers and increase brand perception.

 

Utilising Graphical User Interfaces (GUI’s)

GUI’s are a popular way to manage resources for the field service industry, not least because it’s a quick and easy way to deal with large amounts of data. Using Microsoft Dynamics 365, team managers can use a calendar style view, showing each technician’s day, jobs and skill set, along with a map view for both staff and call out locations. It’s predicted that by 2020, more than 75% of field service organisations with over 50 users will deploy mobile apps that go beyond simplified data collection and add capabilities that help technicians succeed[iii]. These field operatives can benefit from a mobile app showing location and fastest route, customer assets and service history of the equipment needing attention.

 

Automating decisions using parameters

As well as helping to efficiently book service calls to your customers, automated scheduling software also knows when not to book an appointment. Customer satisfaction can quickly evaporate if technicians don’t have either the skill set or parts required to complete the job. Harnessing data on part availability and employee skills can ensure the right person with the right skill set and equipment is in place at your customer’s site, first time. This also translates into a reduction in repeat call outs and a much improved customer experience.

 

Effective reduction of waste

Time spent by employees travelling to customer sites comes at a cost to your business. They are on the clock during this time and yet it’s not a billable event for your customers. That’s where automated route and traffic mapping can help, like Microsoft’s Resource Scheduling Optimisation. Instant calculations occur, allowing the best available engineer to be selected and routed directly to the customer site – assisted by a simple drag and drop interface for work orders. This not only saves employees’ time, but also wear and tear on a fleet of vehicles and gives a measurable reduction in fuel costs.   .

 

Improving staff morale

Many Engineers like driving, but they all know it is inherently un-productive. What they really want to do is spend their time working on customer-sites. The reduction in the travel-to-work time ratio achieved by a well optimised schedule increases job-satisfaction levels for field personnelAs the global field service market is expected to reach $4.45 billion by 2020[iv], companies that adopt automation will reap the rewards.

From filling shifts in the event of unplanned absences to managing budgets, anticipating scheduling needs to maximising productivity; embracing the right solutions can reduce costs and mitigate lost revenues; while enhancing worker mobility and improving organisational performance.View our infographic about “A Day in the Life of a Field Service Engineer”  with HSO Advanced Field Service.

For more information about the benefits of automated field service scheduling please contact HSO. 

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[i] https://www.servicepower.com/blog/top-5-field-service-industry-trends-for-2018

[ii] https://www.reachoutsuite.com/field-service-management-stats-and-trends-2018/

[iii] https://blog.capterra.com/10-field-service-statistics-to-keep-you-in-the-know/

[iv] https://www.reachoutsuite.com/field-service-management-stats-and-trends-2018/

Kirona enable Riverside Housing Association to improve customer service.

One of the UK's leading registered social housing providers, Riverside Housing Association, has implemented Kirona's  Job Manager and Xmbrace DRS software to manage the work of responsive repairs teams across the north of England enabling the Customer Service Centre to deliver improved customer service.

Riverside provides affordable housing and support to people of all ages and circumstances. Michael McGowan, Projects Manager at Riverside explains: “Customer service excellence is key for Riverside, and as an organisation we continually measure how we are performing and address what improvements we can make. Customer feedback from our Star Surveys highlighted to us that improvements were needed regarding how repairs were reported, scheduled and managed. Riverside prides itself in transforming lives by providing well maintained, good quality affordable housing, so ensuring the repairs and maintenance of our properties is optimised is another key area for us.”

McGowan continues, “We have successfully rolled out Kirona’s dynamic scheduling software Xmbrace DRS and the mobile worker application Job Manager to approximately 70% of our housing stock. The software is used by our Customer Service Centres and to our contracting repairs partners across Merseyside, Manchester, Yorkshire, Humberside and Cumbria. We have seen an immediate positive effect since using it, with reductions in the time it takes to process a repairs request from a customer, with the customer no longer having to contact us multiple times to get their request scheduled, and the Customer Service team are delighted too as they are able to book and change appointments with clear real-time visibility of availability and jobs can be booked in the same area on the same day, reducing travel time.”

Ryan King, Mersey North Planning Team Leader commented “I find that DRS is very effective when it comes to the daily planning as it’s a clear system which offers benefits such as being able to batch the areas by post code per operative, it is also a helpful tool as we can use it as a database for repair information i.e. special instructions which reach the operative’s PDA device such as avoiding school run times.”

Neil Harvey, Kirona CTO, added “Riverside approached Kirona with a vision of how they wanted their services to improve, and we worked with their teams in an open and transparent way to deliver their workforce management solution to enable them to improve their customer service.”

 

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