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New levels of customer service performance are now the norm and it’s about time we all realised this,  writes Bill Pollock, President, Strategies for Growth

Until only recently, the Services Lifecycle Management (SLM) solutions purchase/acquisition cycle was a fairly closed-loop, highly structured, and oftentimes formal process. Potential users obtained most of their decision-making data and informational input directly from the vendors, sought the recommendations of published buyer’s guides and directories, and picked up on the latest “buzz” at industry trade shows or via services trade publications – all historically serving as powerful and rich resources.

This was the way SLM solution decisions had been supported and made for decades. But then, the LinkedIn, blogs and social media changed everything – including the means by which information is gathered, reviewed, and analysed; how potential vendors are evaluated and selected; and even the way in which customers position themselves as potential buyers in a largely buyer’s market.

The White House Office of Consumer Affairs has reported that dissatisfied customers will tell between nine and 15 people about their negative experience, with roughly 13 percent (i.e., or about one-in-eight) telling more than 20 people. Satisfied customers, on the other hand, will only tell about four to six people about their positive experience.

 

Therefore, according to the report, customer service failures are likely to be communicated two-and-a-half times more often than customer service successes. As a result, services organisations need to maintain a ratio of roughly 2.5-to-1 satisfied vs. dissatisfied customers just to break even in terms of word-of-mouth customer service feedback.

In all likelihood, customers will become even more critical – and communicative – about their service experiences in the future, based on the widespread usage of social media tools and technology devices. This presents a new front for services organisations to address in an increasingly social media-influenced marketplace; however, there are still many other challenges that must also be addressed.

The three most uniquely daunting challenges faced by services organisations over the past few decades have included the following:

 

• Transforming themselves from manufacturer/OEM cost centers to strategic lines of business (i.e., with their own executive-level management and P&L responsibility).
• Shifting their operational focus from company-centric to customer-centric, whereby the customer represents the focal point of their universe.
• Learning how to treat their business-to-business (B2B) accounts with the same high level of service and support that other vendors use to treat their business-to-consumer (B2C) customers.

Surely there have been other equally daunting challenges facing the services industry throughout this period, as well, including:

• The globalization of business operations.
• An uncertain cycle of volatile economic upturns and downturns.
• The proliferation of new technologies and applications.
• The continuing shakeout of marginal performers, and the resultant consolidation within the supply side sectors.
• The widespread growth of social media for business purposes.

However, while each of these business game-changers ultimately impacts all business segments, the three challenges outlined in the top list above focus uniquely on the services sector.

 

It is no longer good enough to tell your customers that your organisation is “no worse” than any of its competitors (the “like-company” comparison); because, if you do, you will risk hearing something in return such as, “I understand that. But what I don’t understand is why you can’t process my order as accurately as Amazon.com or QVC, or handle my return – and process my credit – as quickly as American Express!”

Companies like Amazon.com and QVC are maximizing their use of the Internet’s communications capabilities by making not only the purchasing process easy – but the returns process as well. For example, you might purchase an item from one of these vendors via telephone, laptop, iPhone, tablet or other handheld device. Once you obtain a customer number, it’s all very easy to place an order.

The overall customer experience is then heightened even further by the high level of communications provided to the consumer (i.e., the receipt of a near-instant e-mail confirmation of the order; the subsequent follow-up e-mails when the item is shipped; notification of when an item is on backorder; etc.). Even the return process is easy: if the item isn’t what you thought it would be (e.g., wrong color or size, you already got one for your birthday – whatever!) you can simply return it in the same packaging used for the initial shipping along with the supplied return mailing label, and a return receipt and credit notification will be forwarded to you (typically) in a matter of days – if not hours! By comparison, can your organisation match these industry-leading practices with respect to its parts sales?

By simply delivering (or promising) the same-old, same-old treatment to your existing customers, you are guaranteed to continue treating them as “just another business account” (i.e., the “B” in B2B). However, your customers are quickly becoming accustomed to being treated better as “C’s” by some of the most successful B2C vendors. They are also increasingly being empowered by the Internet; a seemingly unending number of new technologies, apps and devices; and the ongoing explosion of social media tools.

The time has come for your organisation to recognize that these “new” levels of customer delivery performance are now the norm – and that its customers will increasingly settle for nothing less than the best.

 

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The field service industry never stands still: new technology, new market conditions, new entrants, new customer requirements…they all make it essential to keep a watching brief on the changing business and technology landscape...

To help field service professionals keep up to date with these ever shifting sands Advanced Field Service have produced their Service Manager Handbook, and Field Service News will be bringing you a selection of features from this excellent resource for Service Managers working in all verticals, for companies big and small, across the next few months.

You can also download the complete edition of The Service Manager Handbook by clicking here and completing the brief registration form.

It’s an interesting time to be in field service. We are on the cusp of exciting new technology becoming an integral part of the way business is conducted.

At the same time, field service companies still face pressures to achieve more, at less cost, on a day-to-day basis. Advanced Field Service believe that when we reflect on 2015/2016, we will see that it is a time of consolidation, in which managers concentrate on improving efficiency and productivity levels using their existing processes and optimising their existing technology, rather than rushing to adopt leading-edge solutions. In the second edition of the Service Manager Handbook from Advanced Field Service, is therefore focused on optimising your processes and making your systems work harder for your business.

 

It shows how gaining insight into every corner of your business equips you to identify and understand those areas that are under-performing and to uncover and model best practice within your organisation.

Having the power to access critical data across all areas of your service business, make informed instant decisions and manage your operation – from the time the customer logs a call to a satisfactory conclusion – will keep you at the front of a highly competitive field. In this the first part of this new series we take a look at the most important part of any service business… the customer. We’ve all heard the old adage that the customer is always right, but that only holds true if they are the right customer. 

Modelling your ideal customers

In an effort to maintain business viability – and keep your engineers working out in the field – it can be tempting to take on low-margin clients. If business is thin on the ground, this is understandable. However, to build a sustainable business, you need to focus your resources on the jobs, contracts and clients that have most potential for profit, rather than trying to be all things to all clients.

Furthermore, all the following whittle away at your profit margins, and you can probably think of other time and resource wasters:

• Scope creep, where the job is bigger than first appeared
• Doing favours for clients (“While you’re here, can you just look at this…”)
• Providing free credit to late payers who go beyond your payment terms
• Providing an ‘archiving’ service, whereby customers call you to find out when a service or repair was last done[unordered_list] 

It’s worth stepping back and analysing your client base to identify: Clients who are already profitable: 

• How can you quantify for them the work that you do, so that it is recognised and suitably remunerated?
• How can you keep these clients ‘locked in’ by delivering service beyond the agreed service level agreement (SLA) but without draining your resources and revenues?

Clients who could become more profitable:

• How could you better manage the time you spend on their projects?
• Can you identify where you are providing more than you agreed within the contract and budget?
• Do you have an evidence base that will support you in negotiating with clients to pay more or expect less?
• Can you let them self-serve on their documentation through a customer portal to reduce calls on administration matters?

Clients who are unlikely to ever become sustainably profitable: 

• How could you readdress the balance and bring these clients back within acceptable parameters?
• If the evidence shows these clients are always going to be an excessive drain on resources, do you need to make the difficult decision to agree to go your separate ways in order to free up your engineers’ valuable time for more profitable jobs?

 

By gaining a better understanding of every client’s worth to the business, you’ll be well placed to decide where to invest your resources for optimum return, both in retaining clients and pursuing new business.  

Want to know more? To download the full 40 page eBook edition of The Service Managers Handbook 2015 instantly click here and completing the brief registration form.

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Implementing mobile apps alongside developing a good understanding of your customers can pave the way to harnessing the power of IoT, writes consultant Nick Frank.

The key to monetising the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data is not to focus on the technology itself, but the impact on customers’ business processes and business model. However, many companies do not find it easy to imagine how their business model might change. Many are lost in the technical jargon and the abstract nature of data and analytics.

Mobile apps present a pragmatic way forward for industrial companies to understand how connectivity technologies and data can make a difference to their business. By their very nature, mobile apps affect how people “do stuff” and so the business rationale is often easier to define and quantify. As managers and leaders become savvier about apps, their imagination starts to kick in and they see the possibilities new technologies can have on their customers’ business success.

But what exactly is a mobile app? A mobile app is a software programme designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. They can be relatively simple such as the weather app on your phone, or they can be tremendously complex such as running a VMI business with its own databases, analytics, integrating a number of legacy systems. Gartner a leading technology research and advisory company, expects that by 2017 mobile apps will be downloaded more than 268 billion times and mobile apps users will provide personalised data streams to more than 100 apps and services every day. Mobile apps have already become truly integrated into most people’s lives. Although the same is not yet true of business, perceptions are rapidly changing. Undoubtedly driven by their everyday life experiences, managers are starting to imagine the value apps can bring to their own business by linking people with processes and systems more effectively.

Talk to leading providers of mobile apps and they will tell you it is not a case of building an app that replaces an existing process. Yes, the app is something new, but if it does not make that process more efficient, then it has minimal value. Often the mistake many companies make is that they see mobile apps as a separate marketing tool or feature. Companies who successfully implement mobile applications take a more strategic perspective and see the app as being embedded within the business processes. These companies first examine their existing workflows in detail to uncover improvement opportunities. Then, they identify the business benefits they expect to receive from the solution and create the metrics that demonstrate value after the rollout. And finally, these organisations pay attention to the deployment in terms of end-user acceptance, testing, implementation and change management.

 

One such app developer, Lextech, even coined ROA, or “Return on App,” as a tool for measuring the value of the mobile app versus the investment in it. To make sure app projects are worthwhile, Lextech helps their clients find apps that provide a 100% ROA within 12 months or less. It is this emphasis on understanding what the mobile app can do for the business that is critical to success. This success can be measured in terms of cost saving, new revenues, customer satisfaction or even employee satisfaction.

The great thing about mobile apps is that they provide solutions to make life easier for employees on the move. Whether that be to automate a process or have access to relevant data, these solutions use the internet/telecoms infrastructure to increase the flexibility and effectiveness of people while they are outside the normal company IT infrastructure. These efficiencies can be easily quantified within the operation and when multiplied across many people, can have a significant financial impact. This makes building the investment plan and decision making much easier to push through than more intangible IoT/strategy/business model projects.

 

Often companies start with automating the workflow because clear time savings can be demonstrated and measured. For example, SKF, the leading worldwide manufacturer and supplier of precision bearings, spindles and seals, knew that their factory inspectors recorded huge quantities of information on paper forms and clipboards. They replaced their paper based inspection processes with an intuitive app that enabled data to be collected and automatically downloaded into the factories reporting systems, thus reducing the reporting time by 70%. But often there are many other benefits that are not anticipated. In this case, nearly real-time inspection enabled faster decision-making on quality issues, which in the end translated to better margins. Highly skilled employees were able to focus on adding value rather than administration. (Source: Lextech)

For example an industrial services company with over 100,000 employees in 150 countries had field workers who often needed to order materials for their clients that could range from cleaning supplies to HVAC systems. When they reviewed their workflow, it was apparent that the process was complex and inconsistent as it involved a mix of email, PDF attachments and phone calls. They defined a very clear metric, which was to reduce the turnaround time for a PO. Their solution was to replace the existing legacy system by developing a dedicated app that enabled the field worker to directly enter the relevant details, submit the request, and the manager to be alerted to approve the PO. By dramatically speeding up the PO process, not only has customer frustration declined, but cash flow has improved through faster invoicing.

 

But if we step back from these examples, what do we see? Companies are learning how to effectively use data and technology to improve their internal business processes. This journey is more cultural than technological. It is about companies and people not getting overly excited by technology for technology’s sake, but keeping their focus on the users and the business outcomes. Switch this same emphasis to their customers’ business, and they will be much better positioned to monetize the new technologies entering our everyday work environment at an exponential rate.

This change in mind-set is very real, even for companies that have already integrated data and intelligence into their own business model. For example in a recent FSN interview, Dave Gordon from Rolls Royce’s Defence business described how, even in a very sophisticated data driven business, the design of a fuel management app had a deeper impact on the business than he first imagined. The app itself came from a desire to better utilise the vast quantities of information being generated from their service contracts, which told them how efficiently their aircraft were being flown. Fuel consumption is a huge part of the total operating costs for all their defence customers, so designing a mobile app which ‘brought to life’ this data could help their customers significantly reduce their fuel bills. By using mobile app technology, they were able to work outside the existing IT architecture, which allowed greater creativity without losing out on security. Finally, the practical nature of the app caught the imagination of the Board of Directors, who appreciated the opportunities that data analytics and connectivity could bring to their customers.

 

The mobile app is just the tip of the iceberg. The amount of information and know-how successful industrial companies possess cannot be underestimated. One reason industrial brands are so robust is because they have delivered value, knowledge and outcomes over many years. For many businesses, the growth of digital services around mobile apps and IoT is a strategic imperative. Especially in industries that have complex supply chains requiring large quantities of technical information, the opportunity to gain competitive advantage through a knowledge platform that supports the supply chain ecosystem is significant.

 

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Filippo Zingariello, Director of Global Strategic Development at SKF described how their SKF Insight programme is critical to delivering value to customers in mission critical applications. This programme has a specific goal, “Bearing Health Management will make it simpler and more convenient for customers to conduct condition monitoring and increase reliability, simplify maintenance, extend bearing life and cut total life cycle costs.” SKF has developed 45 different iPad apps that enable customers to access the data and intelligence of their assets. With over a half million machines connected to the SKF cloud, mobile apps are one of the enabling technologies for a new SKF business models based on outcomes and intelligence.

Through these examples, we have seen how mobile apps are initially used by businesses to connect their employees to their business systems so they can deliver value more effectively. As that insight into the customer’s business model grows, so mobile apps become an important enabler for customers to connect with its products and services. In this way mobile apps are not just an interesting little icon on a screen. Rather, they are an important enabler for mind-set changes that will enable companies to harness the power of the IoT and analytics technologies.

 

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What should businesses consider when deciding whether an On-Premise or a Cloud solution is the best fit for their business? In Part One, we explored the attractions of the Cloud. In Part Two we take at look at why some field service companies still prefer an on-premise solution.

Judging by the amount of publicity recently about the Cloud and its benefits for business, you might think that every company is planning to migrate IT systems to it, including ERP and field service software, or at least thinking about it.

Filter out the noise, though, and it becomes apparent that there is resistance out there and for reasons other than mere reluctance to adopt a new way of managing the company's IT infrastructure. So why might on-premise still be best for your company?

Connectivity

A hosted cloud-based field service may not suit your business, advises Simon Spriggs, account manager Exel Computer Systems. "One reason many companies retain an on-premise ERP solution is the unreliability of their broadband connection. Broadband speed has a major impact on the efficient running of the business. It's not just field-service data going to and fro down that pipe, but everything the company does electronically. If the connection to the Internet fails, you won't be able to communicate with your engineers, manage workflows or give customers real-time information."

[quote float="left"]One reason many companies retain an on-premise ERP solution is the unreliability of their broadband connection.

 

Legacy systems

"Organisations which have made a big investment in data flows are naturally reluctant to migrate all their activities to the Cloud," points out Steve Mason, Vice President International Sales for Streetsmart, Click Software's service management app for SMEs and SMBs. While Click has been one of the pioneers of Cloud solutions, it also has a long heritage of providing on-premise solutions to customers who prefer to keep their activities behind the company walls. Mason likens the current debate to similar discussions that took place when companies migrated from investing in their own mainframes to having virtual servers. "It took time to build trust in those virtual systems. Moving all your processes to the Cloud is a major step: it takes time and people to plan it without disrupting normal business activities. Companies may well have more urgent priorities."

Larger companies will have made a significant investment in Enterprise-class software ERP and won't want that diluted by going to the cloud, accepts Mason. "Companies will have customised legacy software they are reluctant to adapt or processes they are not yet ready to change. They may also have a long-term contractual commitment to their systems integrator or software supplier."

When ERP systems were developed the need to incorporate mobile workforces was minimal" points out Neil Lewis, Consulting Director, EMEA Sales, ServiceMax. "Mobility projects were silos within a company. Today, not only are there much larger numbers of mobile workers, they need greater integration with those on-premise ERP systems from customer databases to accounts."

 

ERP solution providers have bought mobile solution providers to bridge the gap between ERP and mobile, he points out, but integrating old and new technologies is never straightforward. "How do you ensure the same employee can access the ERP from the office and from their mobile device. It might require modifications to the ERP or to the mobile system to get it to work and that is trickier with some ERP system than others. ServiceMax operate a single platform that automatically takes care of any device the field engineer is using. Configuration is done in one place and automatically deployed to the various devices."

Half-way house

Some companies have adopted a half-way house strategy in which they retain on-premise ERP, but migrate some activities to the Cloud, particularly those with a large customer-facing elements such as CRM and field service. "CRM was in the first way of Cloud migration because the need to deliver excellent customer service required greater integration with internal data silos than is often possible with legacy ERP systems," points out Mason. "Start with those apps which will leverage the most immediate gains to the business, make data streams more agile and easily-accessible from mobile devices, " advises Mason.

The complexities of integrating mobile workflow processes into legacy data streams is one reason field service solutions are often in the Cloud while ERP systems. "If your field service solution is browser-based, a lot of the integration issues are taken care of," remarks Spriggs. "It also future-proofs your investment."

Most of the field service software companies can integrate a Cloud-based field service app or platform with on-premise ERP systems. "Solarvista LIVE will connect to virtually any on-premise system via our NET technology which is designed to connect on-premise systems (private) to systems in the cloud (public)," points out Paul Adams, Marketing and Development Director, Solarvista. "Our connection tools support the major communication protocols, so you can be sure your data is secure."

"We have found that the service management industry is a diverse bunch with different requirements so we offer the ability to Pick ‘n’ Mix," says Colin Brown, Managing Director, Tesseract. "Some customers take the rental and support option but would rather install the software on their own server; other customers require remote hosting and support but they prefer to buy the software and others want the whole SaaS package of hosting, rental and support. With all three options, the internet and/or an intranet are the delivery routes."

 

Whether on-premise or Cloud solution, productivity will be affected if engineers are unable to work unless they are connected, so any mobile app should facilitate that, says Adams. "Our Mobile apps are designed for field-based users and operate on an occasionally-connected basis."

It's a mistake to assume that all field service platform solutions include off-line capability and automatic synchronisation, warns Lewis. "Engineers need to be able to download their jobs for the day, update schedules and customer history, for example, without being connected, and to have all that data automatically synchronised without manual intervention when communications are restored."

Security

While concerns over security have abated somewhat, some organisations remain sensitive about their data being in the hands of a third-party. With on-premise-solutions, all software resides behind that wall. Your own IT people can check authorization attempts and manage system access. There's always some risk involved in moving systems and data outside the physical walls of the business, which is there is so much emphasis on choosing the right Cloud platform provider and on service level agreements if you do go that route.

Some service organisations operate in industries where there are strict compliance and regulatory rules. Some sectors require high levels of access security, making on-premise solutions the pragmatic solution. However, bear in mind that asking mobile workers to go through myriad layers of protection to gain access to the system will have a detrimental effect on productivity.

 

IT resources

Don't under-estimate the IT skills and cost of investing in an on-premise solution, advise our experts. "Do you have the resources to manage IT requirements internally, including server management? What is the budget and the available IT resource to manage things on-premise going forward?" These are key questions, says Simon Spriggs. "If there are any concerns about the level of IT commitment required, the Cloud may be the way to go. However, it is worth remembering that the service model is always a more expensive option long-term than the outright purchase mode." This is especially true if you already have server agreements in place, he adds.

In conclusion

As with many aspects of field service, the starting point when deciding whether to adopt an on-premise or Cloud strategy for your IT needs should be to ensure you have a full understanding of your business processes and requirements and those of your customers.  Do listen to the pros and cons but ultimately only you can decide which is best for your organisation.

 

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Service organisations who have integrated field service and reverse/service logistics processes report a higher level of service performance than those who have not, reports Michael R. Blumberg, President and CEO, Blumberg Advisory Group, which has conducted a survey of 250 field service companies companies in the high-tech sector.

Much attention has been given in recent years to the need to automate field service and service parts logistics processes through the implementation of Enterprise Service Management (ESM) systems, . Although the benefits from improved automation are well documented, there is a segment of the market that faces challenges to achieving measurable gains in productivity and efficiency as it relates to key performance indicators (KPIs). This is especially true for KPIs associated with service parts logistics activities. We believe these shortcomings are due in part to lack of integration between field service and reverse/service Llogistics functions.

In order to validate this hypothesis, we conducted a survey among a cross representative sample of companies in the high technology service and support industry. Over 250 respondents participated in the survey, which was sponsored by IFS.  The survey results reveal a number of very interesting trends:

1. Greater reliance on remote support: The survey results support the growing trend toward resolving service requests remotely without the need to dispatch a field service engineer. 40% of companies can resolve more that 25% of service requests remotely by sending out a replacement spare part. Over one quarter of respondents expect this trend to continue to increase over the next 18-24 months.
2. Best of breed solutions outperform integrated solutions: Despite the breadth of functionality found within integrated enterprise systems, our results indicated a higher level of satisfaction with Best of Breed solutions than with Integrated ESM platforms. Over one-third of respondents were extremely satisfied with their Best of Breed ESM solution compare to 14% with integrated ESM platforms. We believe this is because best of breed solutions are more focused on the detailed processes and transactions involved in managing a field service and/or reverse logistics operation.
3.  Perceived gaps in reverse logistics functionality: Many companies perceive their ESM solutions have gaps in the ability to deal with reverse/service logistics issues particularly when it comes to depot repair activities. For example, 27% of respondents claim that their ESM is not very effective in tracking the results of depot repair test and screening activities. Another one quarter indicated their systems are not very effective in automating the work flow or business rules associated with processing returned materials.
4. Integrated automation is critical to success: The level of integrated automation between field service and reverse/service [ogistics functionality has a direct impact on ESM effectiveness. More importantly companies with a high level of integrated automation perform better on key service performance metrics than those who do not. Companies with some level of integrated automation experience a higher SLA compliance rate than those have no integrated automation (93.4% v 87.9%) as well as a lower no-fault-found rate (26.1% v 38.3%).[/ordered_list]

In summary, our research findings reveal that companies who have been able to successfully integrate field service and reverse/service logistics processes report a higher level of service performance than those who have not. The most effective integrated solutions are those that incorporate integrated, best of breed functionality for both field service and reverse/service logistics processes. More importantly, the data reveals that these integrated, best of breed solutions are not only highly effective in managing ongoing service requirements but essential to overcoming critical business challenges such as improving remote resolution rates and improving field service engineer productivity rates.
We’d like to thank IFS, a leading provider of ESM systems, for sponsoring our research study. IFS has made available the results of our study in a 14-page whitepaper that can be downloaded at Whitepaper Download. To better understand the implications of these findings to your organization or to define requirements for a best of breed, integrated solution, schedule a free strategy session with us today by clicking here.

 

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Businesses that ignore health and safety laws risk serious repercussions, warns  health and safety consultants Arinite.

In the UK compliance with Health and Safety laws are mandatory for every company and could result in huge fines, or even prison sentences, if ignored.

Despite this,  a common consensus is that health and safety checks are not a priority for many companies: they are expensive and offer no immediate profit. However, having appropriate systems to improve working conditions will make a company more trustworthy and respected in the industry and are a huge benefit in the long run.

The government doesn't take health and safety violations lightly, and you shouldn't either - 94% of all prosecutions resulted in convictions. Prosecution cases instituted by HSE and local authorities can result in fines, imprisonment and even immediate prohibition of the business.

When deciding on prosecution and penalties, the authorities take in the following into account:[unordered_list style="bullet"]

• The severity of offence
• The attitude and documentation of health safety management by the company
• What effect prosecution would have on the company financially
• If there is substantial evidence for a conviction
• If there will be a deterrent effect on other offenders[/unordered_list]

When fining companies after a prosecution, judges and the courts refer to sentencing and fine guidance, together with preceding similar cases (case law). Legal proceedings can be started by either the HSE or a local authority. Between 2009 to 2014, the average number of convictions by the HSE were 471 with the fines  being approximately £28,929. This   Infographic from Arinite reveals the  number of prosecutions in various sectors and the penalties incurred.

 

The services industry received the lowest number of convictions between 2009/14, but had  the second highest costs of fines, at £37,944 per claim. In the Utilities and Waste sector there were 22  convictions and an average fine of  £56,629. In Construction there were 166 convictions with fines averaging £18,602.

The services industry covered so many different forms of work there is a huge range of hazards that need to be considered – anything from dangerous electricity outlets to harmful substances, making the services industry safety one of the most critical areas to take care of.

Benefits of Health and Safety

Providing a safe environment for employees can be a challenge, especially when they are work involves being on other companies' premises and sites. Keeping up with standards and constant changes is not an activity to be taken lightly. A health and safely breach within the service industry could lead to serious harm or even a fatality.

Creating a good working environment doesn’t just benefit you in the long run, it can also work short term. Allowing staff to have more faith in the company boosts their happiness and productiveness, increasing profit. Having good health and safety also limits the number of sick days taken by employees.

 

Putting regulations in place has serious financial benefits; information from HSE shows that having the correct procedures in place results in average savings of £300 for minor injuries, £20,500 for serious injuries, and £200,000 for any permanent or life changing injuries.

How to avoid fines

It should be every company’s aim to reduce the health and safety risk as much as possible, though it is not possible to eliminate every hazard. Conducting a risk assessment is a great way to see what improvements your business needs: judging where the most life-threatening hazards are allows for extra precautions to be put in place.

Key methods to improve safety at work:

1. Always work to your risk assessment and report any accidents – keep detailed reports of any injuries (no matter how small) as this will allow you to minimise all potential risks.
2. Personal protective gear is essential - in the services industry, protective items should be provided by the employer as it helps limit the likelihood of injury.
3. Minimise any fire risk.
4. Electricity –if there is often a high chance of electrocution with the over use of power sockets and water hazards, aim to cut down on overcrowding sockets and reduce overheating.
5. Take time to be safe – it is important to be thorough with your inspections, to talk to your employees to find out if they have any health issues in the work environment.Place your list items here

Health and safety should be at the heart of your business and influence every decision about the work place that you make. Having a stable and reliable safety system is essential; the cost of putting these in place massively outweighs the uninsured expenses that occur in dealing with a work place incident.

 

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Tecalemit is a leading UK supplier of vehicle servicing equipment. It first began using Tesseract’s service management software in 1999 and has been pursuing increased automation, greater efficiency and better service ever since assisted by its growing and developing relationship with Tesseract.

Tecalemit Garage Equipment Company Ltd is one of the most recognised brands in the automotive industry, both in the UK and worldwide, and has been operating for nearly a century. The company and its partners design, manufacture, supply and maintain a huge range of vehicle servicing equipment and MOT testing equipment, such as roller brake testers, vehicle lifts and emissions testers.

In the UK, equipment is stocked in two main warehouses and sold to Tecalemit’s ever-expanding network of customers across the country. They range from small and independent vehicle garages and workshops to major national and international car and motorcycle companies.

Once the equipment is sold, Tecalemit have a team of  60 factory trained and accredited engineers in charge of maintaining the equipment, from planning maintenance and servicing to remedying faults and breakdowns.

The customer  service centre is based in Plymouth and handles 500 calls a day from more than 50,000 customer sites across the country. With such an extensive customer bases, it is important for  Tecalemit to have an efficient service management system in place.[quote float="left"]The customer service centre handles 500 calls a day from more than 50,000 customer sites across the country.

 

Tesseract: the early days

Back in 1999, the Millennium Bug was a popular fear for businesses relying on computers and software throughout the world and Tecalemit harboured growing concerns about their own Unix-based service management system. It was not particularly user-friendly or efficient and bore some functionality aches. The fear was that it was going to crash when the year 2000 hit. Therefore, Tecalemit opted to implement something new and browser-based, with much greater functionality and
flexibility.

Tesseract was shortlisted along with three other systems, and eventually selected on the basis of cost, user-friendliness and powerful functionality. Tecalemit incorporated Tesseract’s core system which managed the logging of calls, stored immediately accessible data, and gave Tecalemit the ability to generate countless reports, providing much greater visibility.

Moving into the 21st century

Development and evolution at Tesseract is constant and Tecalemit have benefited from evolving with them, regularly adding new software components. This development has been particular comprehensive in the last five years, with a move from paper-based systems to electronic ones.

For example, Tecalemit have replaced a paper-based diary system with Tesseract’s electronic diary. This gives them much greater visibility over what is going on with service activities, and receives regular upgrades. Another paper-based system that has been replaced with an electronic syustem is stock-taking, which is now faster and more accurate.

One of the most recent implementations is the Quote Centre, which enables and manages the generation of quotes and converts them easily into customer contracts.

Field service management overhaul

The biggest development, however, has been the overhaul of Tecalemit’s field service management system, thanks to the implementation of Tesseract’s Remote Engineer Access module (REA).

 

Tecalemit began using Remote Engineer Access (REA) in January 2014. Before this, Tecalemit's  allocation of jobs and deployment of  engineers to customer sites was a largely manual process. Tecalemit would receive a call, log it on the Tesseract system, and the office would fax, phone or post details of the job to the relevant engineer. Once a job was complete, the engineer would fill in a paper job sheet and post it to the office.  There was no visibility, no instant data, and processes such as parts ordering and invoicing took a lot longer.

“We wanted to streamline the system,” says David Monteith, the Service Office Supervisor for Tecalemit. “We wanted faster invoicing, faster ordering of parts, better visibility, and we wanted to be able to see jobs through to completion directly and with all the relevant information to hand. REA has totally delivered on all those counts.”

REA has allowed engineers to generate live reports, order parts, close down jobs and raise same-day invoices from their tablet devices. They can input their data into the Tesseract system – data which is then fed back to the office directly and instantaneously. In addition, REA has a useful offline function. This means engineers can input data even when they are working at sites with minimal or no communications signal: that data is sent through to Tecalemit as soon as the signal is restored.

Tecalemit has also started to use Tesseract's contract management system, which raises planned maintenance tasks for equipment that has been installed at customer sites. In total, the system raises approximately 500 planned maintenance tasks each month. These jobs are assigned to the engineers, who then use REA when carrying out and completing the job.

 

Next step: automatic job allocation

However, there is one undertaking that remains predominantly manual and is still part of this process, but it’s one that Tecalemit are looking to automate: deciding which engineer should attend to which job.  Currently the service controller decides who to assign, looking at skill set and geographical location, among other factors. The service controller then notifies the relevant engineer using the REA system. In all, this is a time consuming process with scope for human error.

Tecalemit are planning to incorporate Tesseract’s Diary Assist scheduling system to automate this task. It will assign engineers to particular jobs based on skill set, availability, travel time, work time and shift patterns, call response time and customer site cover times.[quote float="right"]We can see Diary Assist saving us a lot of time

 

“We can see it saving us a lot of time,” said David Monteith. “We plan to integrate it with our contract management system. That system will raise the calls, then Diary Assist will take over and allocate the call logically and geographically sensibly. Then we have REA to cover the job itself. It is just another step towards automating and streamlining what we do.”

The future is bright

Tecalemit have watched their processes develop, their efficiency rise and their service to customers improve since they welcomed Tesseract into the fold.

“We now have faster, more accurate information,” says Monteith. “We have cut down on admin, including paperwork and postage, and we can now respond to customers more efficiently. Our staff has better visibility as regards service history, what equipment they’ve got and what needs doing and,  with less admin requirements, can concentrate more on their overall role. We will continue to look at what Tesseract offers, too, because they are very good at driving change and there is always room for improvement.”

 

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Does your field service business need a customer portal? Yes, says Jenna Puckett, associate technology analyst at TechnologyAdvice.

Great field service management is the backbone of many businesses but in an increasingly connected and impatient world, it’s becoming harder to delight customers.

Consumers expect visibility and control when they interact with businesses, particularly when field service is involved. After all, in an age when customers can track the status of their pizza delivery from their smartphone, they expect to know when a technician will arrive at their home and how long they’ll be there.

Service companies must keep up with tech-savvy consumers in order to meet their ever changing demands. To keep pace with customer expectations, more and more businesses are adopting modern field service management software solutions.

 

Since FSM software varies greatly from vendor to vendor, it’s difficult to pinpoint which functionality can help your business the most. To many businesses, a customer portal may seem extraneous. But companies can experience myriad benefits by putting everything at the customer’s fingertips.

Let's examine why this FSM software feature is not just an extra but a necessity.[ordered_list style="decimal"]

1. Increase customer satisfaction
   Successful field service management operations play a critical role in customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customer portals can help increase customer satisfaction.
2. Add convenience
   A self-service portal allows customers to manage their account with your company. By logging into your website, consumers can perform a variety of tasks, such as:[unordered_list style="bullet"]
   • Request service and schedule appointments 24/7
   • Track repairs, as well as appointment details and status
   • Send messages directly to a technician
   • Review their service history
   • Find maintenance tips
   • Learn about product upgrades
   • View account info and manage payments
   • Get support for sales and product questionsPlace your list items here

   As traditional business hours become increasingly inopportune for communications, a self-service portal provides added convenience for customers. In fact, a CSG International study revealed that 86 percent of consumers would pay a premium off up to $25 for enhanced scheduling options, including the ability to choose a specific technician arrival time. By allowing customers to choose a time that fits their preferences you can distinguish your service from competitors.

3. Provide transparency
   Many customers have trouble staying apprised of FSM job details such as technician whereabouts. Providing consumers with a three to four hour arrival time window is becoming less and less acceptable.[quote float="right"]A portal that allows customers to see their technician can build trust.

    

   The same CSG study found that an overwhelming 89 percent of respondents prefer a tool that provides technician location and continually updated estimated arrival times. Over 70 percent also wanted the ability to see the technician's name and photo. A portal that allows customers to see their technician can build trust and provide transparency into your operations. And if technicians are running late, a courtesy call, email, or mobile alert shows your customers that you value their time.
4. Reduce confusion
   TechnologyAdvice’s recent field service customer satisfaction survey revealed 23 percent of respondents that had to pay for a visit were not told the amount during the visit. This can lead to confusion and frustration among consumers, who may feel inadequately informed or purposefully kept in the dark.To eliminate this confusion, businesses should focus on providing customers with any costs upfront through an online portal, or at least giving technicians access to back-office systems and customer account information. This avoids any surprise over the final amount due.
5. Improve resource allocation
   In addition to increasing customer satisfaction, a self-service portal can also help improve your business’s resource allocation. When a consumer request service or schedules an appointment, they fill out all the details online, which outlines the necessary skills and equipment for the job. These details can be used to determine the best technician for an onsite visit. Additionally, when customers choose their own appointment time, this information can be used to automatically schedule the rest of the technician’s route.
6. Reduce costs
   Best in class organizations are more likely than their peers to provide customers with the ability to accomplish the following via self-service portals:[unordered_list style="bullet"]
   • Create service tickets
   • Order service parts
   • Reschedule technician visit
   • Leave post-session feedback

   Not only do these self-service options increase customer engagement and loyalty, but they reduce administrative and overhead costs as well. When customers can manage their own account, your customer service department benefits from further reductions in routine tasks. Additionally, contact center inquiries regarding technician arrival time is decreased since
   customers are able to track the job each step of the way.

7. Boost revenue
   Customer portals aren’t just for customers. By providing online access to account information, field service business can communicate with customers in new ways. A self-service portal also opens the door for marketing strategies that can increase the bottom line. For example, in addition to bill pay and service help, FSM companies can use a customer portal to automatically alert consumers. These notifications are an opportunity to upsell through product upgrades and cross-selling.
8. Manage expectations
   

   Above all else, a customer portal is a way to set up customer expectations.

    

   The proliferation of the Internet means consumers expect a modern service experience. Simply sending an email is no longer enough. Customers want to login to their account, troubleshoot their own issues, view their warranty, review past services, and read about similar issues in a community forum. Supporting this journey leaves your customers feeling empowered. If they still require help, they can request, schedule, and track the entire process from the same place.Self-service portals benefit both customers and your business. FSM businesses should focus on customer communication preferences and providing visibility into relevant job information, including cost, procedures, and technician status. It’s getting increasingly difficult to meet customer expectations and outperform the competition. By helping customers help themselves, a self-service portal can be your secret weapon.[/ordered_list]

 

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Solarvista’s Paul Adams explains why pre-project preparation is perhaps the most important stage of any software implementation...

OK so you’ve made the case to your board that your field service operation will be more efficient and cost effective if you can move to a new software system. Finally you get the green light to go ahead select and your software and then before you know it your facing managing a huge change to the way your business operates.

Getting the implementation of this software right or wrong could be the difference between your company flourishing or floundering and if it was you that put the case together for this software, then the same may likely apply to your career as well!

So what are the biggest risks and most common pitfalls companies face with enterprise software implementation?

Well perhaps one of the biggest risks around the implementation of field service management software, or indeed any enterprise grade software, is simply understanding and managing expectations. What expectations do you have of your software supplier: i.e. are they just to supply the software or is there an element of change management to be undertaken by them as well?

Software providers can give as little or as much assistance and guidance as you need, but remember we have to know exactly what it is you need before we can agree to do it!

 

It’s absolutely key to discuss with your software provider exactly what your expectations are and through open and honest dialogue you and your provider will be able to agree clear goals and also make sure all expectations are both realistic and easily measured.

Often it is the work that goes on in the pre-project phase that will define how successful an implementation is. It may be natural for some companies, especially larger organisations, to be assessing their processes on a semi-ongoing basis.

However, for many, especially those companies that are going through a rapid period of growth or expansion, this may not be the case. Often the strategic, forward looking stuff can be tricky simply because the number one focus of satisfying customers dominates absolutely everything.

Understand your processes

However it is crucial that before even getting a software vendor involved you make the time to identify exactly what your current ‘as-is’ processes are. What do you and your team do at the ground level day in and day out?

Here it’s all about understanding those nuances and where efficiencies can be made. Understanding where bureaucratic processes have evolved into some monstrous beast and inefficient processes are not questioned simply because they’ve just always been done like that.

Really having a good understanding of your day-to-day business processes is something that any company can do and having this insight is one thing that will massively help further down the line.

When it comes to the actual implementation very rarely is software implementation project just a software implementation project.

Software is generally implemented to automate manual process, and by automating manual process you’re effectively doing someone’s job for them. Therefore it’s natural if you get a lot of fear at user level during such a project. If your team don’t know what is going on this can be even further exaggerated. There may be whispers around the office of forthcoming job cuts as systems become automated when more often than not the investment in software is a clear indication of the company’s future growth and prosperity.

 

So there is a massive element of change management to be considered as part of the wider project plan. Again setting expectations is key.

It’s vital you outline the reasoning for bringing in the new software, what that means in terms of changing processes and then what that in turn means for the individual end-users - how will the change will benefit them?

And whilst the responsibility for managing this process of course ultimately lies with your company, a software provider can certainly offer guidance and expertise in not just implementing software but also in implementing projects. We can help guide you through the transition and help you manage expectations of both the executive board and the user base.

At Solarvista we often play a big part in the project management as when implementing software we typically go through the business process analysis stages with our customers. We work alongside our customers to understand their processes so we can outline where automation can improve the workflow. In that sense a software provider becomes absolutely integral to the whole change management process, and again a clear understanding of where you are currently and where you see yourselves post implementation will make the whole project run much more efficiently

Ultimately the key factor is knowing your scope, knowing what you want and understanding your expectations. It’s an often-heard phrase in project management that people don’t know they want it until they’ve not got it.

Unless at the start of the process you know exactly what you want, your expectations may well be different from reality. This could then have a serious impact on the success of the project as it could potentially cause delays and additional costs.

Understanding the scope of the project at the outset and really getting to the nitty-gritty of that understanding is therefore key.

 

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