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Trade service businesses now have the ability to become experts with job management software thanks to simPRO’s new learning resource.

The ‘simPRO Learning | Toolbox’ is the job management software company’s latest global product release, specifically designed to educate and support clients who are seeking short-term answers or long-term knowledge about the technology they use for coordinating business operations.

The new solution offers a growing library of essential resources, including how-tos and standard workflow practice materials, which can be learned at any pace. The online materials are self-directed, interactive and delivered in short, five-minute topics, supporting users in just-in-time learning to get the knowledge when needed. Users also have the ability to complete entire courses on specific simPRO knowledge or workflows. All materials reinforce the learning experience with knowledge checks.

simPRO Global Head of Customer Success, Erika Entz, said simPRO Learning | Toolbox was developed as a supportive resource for time-poor customers who wish to stay up to date with business demands.

[quote float="left"]This is a major stepping stone for simPRO customers, to gain a deeper understanding of our job management software, which has become integral to the trade service industry[/quote]“This is a major stepping stone for simPRO customers, to gain a deeper understanding of our job management software, which has become integral to the trade service industry,” she said.

“The learning toolbox allows businesses to enhance their simPRO knowledge anytime, anywhere. The learning materials will help businesses get new team members up to speed faster, and the self-directed learning allows users to become job management software experts in their own right.”

Ms Entz said the simPRO Learning Toolbox’s wide variety of resources would help simPRO to provide job management software that will lead businesses to future success, and help to make modern software a more accessible mainstream tool in the trade services industry.

“simPRO is dedicated to supporting our current and future customers with a variety of learning resources to ensure we enable our customers to get the most out of their software.”

“We regularly update and add new content, providing our customers with just-in-time learning in our new simPRO Learning Toolbox in addition to other learning resources, such as the simPRO Help Guide, videos and Walk Me Throughs to learn more about our groundbreaking solutions.”

The self-paced microlearning materials are available to users anywhere, anytime with internet access.

The simPRO Learning | Toolbox is included with simPRO customer’s user licenses, and comes at no extra costs and launched on 26 September 2018.

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As part of a new mini-series of excerpts of from the latest white paper from IFS we take a look at how communication is changing and technology is evolving. In the first feature in the series we looked at how when it comes to communications, Customers Want It Their Way .At the end of that article we asserted that in truth, we live in a world of five generations of consumers and employees. The choice of communication channel is ours. We pick whichever works for us. And by the way, if you think letter writing is dead just ask any complaints team!

So what does this mean? Does it condemn organisations that want to do the right thing by their customers to every increasing cost? The answer depends on what generation of infrastructure you are using...

Are improving your communication channels a key issue for you?! The 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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While a choice of voice and text has been available to all current generations, their accessibility and immediacy has been transformed over the last forty years: from landline to smartphone, from letter to instant messaging. Our preferences tend to be based on the dominant channel(s) within our peer group.

But before we start to look at that, there is another stakeholder’s point of view that needs to be included beyond that of the customer. No prizes for guessing that the advisors’ experience matters in equal measure. Once routing and triage business rules have matched customer need with the best qualified, available person, your advisors assume prime responsibility for the quality of outcome and the customer’s retained memory of the service experience.

That’s a lot to get right, especially with five generations of customers and personas to take into consideration. In fact, it requires single-minded concentration and attention on the unique needs and expectations of each customer to nail those deliverables consistently.

While we might imagine that multi-tasking is the obvious way through a busy day, it has a price. Our attention span is finite. Split it too far amongst competing tasks and something has to suffer. More often than not it’s the nuances of each individual customer need that is missed when advisors find their focus and listening power distracted by the logistics of helping the customer towards their outcome.

"There are many triggers for losing focus on the customer experience. For instance, desktops can rapidly become a mosaic of overlapping application windows as information and workflow is requested and generated..."

There are many triggers for losing focus on the customer experience. For instance, desktops can rapidly become a mosaic of overlapping application windows as information and workflow is requested and generated.

Moreover, these are not consistent interfaces. They can range from mainframe style green screens to back-office ERP systems and cloud CRM interfaces. Legacy organisations typically expect advisors to toggle between half a dozen screens for certain customer jobs. There are even some sectors with double-digit complexity when additional third-party applications are used, such as customer eligibility checks.

Navigating all this is a daunting challenge for anyone just arriving at a new contact centre. They have the challenge of live engagement layered with the unfamiliarity of multiple systems and their idiosyncrasies. No wonder that much contact centre induction time is soaked up in systems familiarisation and training at the expense of customer experience skills.

On top of all that, it is not uncommon for larger contact centres to endure 20%+ annual attrition rates. Given the learning curve just described, a continual drag on performance and service reputation is created that is hard to overcome.

Finally, one of the most common complaints against the contact centre versus a typical online experience is that organisations never remember customers’ profile and history, despite asking for it multiple times. ‘Know me’ is a key mantra in digital economies.

But within the fast moving dynamics of a live engagement, advisors cannot be expected to hunt down relevant customer information in order to personalise an interaction. Even when captured in CRM, that information can remain hidden from view nestled behind multiple tabs and menus. No wonder we still hear the ‘system is slow today’ apology as the search for relevant details continues in the background.

There are multiple negatives from this way of working.

More time has to be spent on each customer, which inflates headcount costs. It then gets worse if the outcome is failure to find the right answer or get something done

immediately. Handoffs to other teams generate more work, inflate inbound queues with progress checking customers and put a big dent in the quality of customer experience for those who suffer.

Advisor motivation takes a hit too, as the pressure mounts on working harder. Command and control culture is reinforced to meet targets and the chemistry of an empowered employee culture driving positive customer experience starts to dissolve as a result. The ongoing stress of being underequipped and unable to do your best can hollow out the enthusiasm of even the most dedicated advisor.

But the good news is that it is possible to work smarter as opposed to expecting the team just to work harder. Advisors have the same right as customers to expect low effort engagement. This happens when a great desktop experience is enabling the right customer experience.

Want to know more? The 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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As humans, we communicate as readily as we breathe and eat. Whichever generation we are born into the desire to relate to the peer group we grow up with remains a constant. The difference lies in the communication technology at our disposal. in this the first part of a new series of excerpts from the latest white paper from IFS we take a look at how communication is changing and technology is evolving.

Are improving your communication channels a key issue for you?! The full white paper on this topic available to fieldservicenews.com subscribers. Click the button below to get fully up to speed!

Sponsored by:

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.  

While a choice of voice and text has been available to all current generations, their accessibility and immediacy has been transformed over the last forty years: from landline to smartphone, from letter to instant messaging. Our preferences tend to be based on the dominant channel(s) within our peer group

Source: Global Mobile Messaging Consumer Report 2016 Twilio

Generation Z parents famously wonder why voice has become such an alien channel to their children. Millennials can still manage a weekend catch up call to parents but typically revert to texting amongst friends, even though workdays become all about email. Meanwhile, silver surfers boast an expanded repertoire of being natively comfortable with live voice and increasingly up to speed with family group messaging.

Naturally, this personal use cascades into our lives as consumers and employees. Retaining our choices is expected. We still want to communicate in ways that suit us. Adoption of these expectations is as common in B2B as in B2C markets. The technology has become ubiquitous.

The problem, of course, is that brands and employers keep finding themselves behind the curve as new channels pop up.

Take messaging for example. The absolute dominance of Tencent’s

WeChat within Chinese daily life is such that cash and credit cards are already in rapid decline. We now see the same payment system being offered to Western brands that recognise revenue growth from Chinese tourists requires a trusted and familiar payment interface.

In terms of ‘messaging as a platform’, enabling users to get most things done in their lives, from booking doctor’s appointments to paying bills, the West lags the critical mass of functionality that WeChat has already gained. As of 2018, we are still at the very beginning of monetising messaging as a trusted channel between customers and organisations.

Although business case logic makes us hope that the latest channels will replace existing ones, the evidence says otherwise...

From a customer service leadership perspective, this must seem like a never-ending road. Although old as an industry topic, web chat remains the next new channel for many organisations. Even those already up and running are still sourcing the best practices required to engage effectively. Besides chat, many have also had to deal with social media and now find themselves being told that messaging is the next iteration.

However, the story gets worse.

Although business case logic makes us hope that the latest channels will replace existing ones, the evidence says otherwise. It is an expanding, rather than declining set that most organisations deal with. As such, it is hard to imagine that a single channel will ever emerge as the ‘silver bullet’.

Email is often written off as a legacy channel yet OFCOM’s 2017 communications report shows it remained the single most popular channel for 16+ adults in the UK. What does that imply if you want to be a customer-centric organisation?

Voice might be declining as is often reported, and yes, there are those millennial orientated brands that don’t do voice because their customers don’t, but it remains the dominant live channel of choice by some margin. For many customers, it has unique qualities. It’s faster than text as a form of communication. It’s richer in terms of emotion. Text channels have to augment with emojis.

As the dominant channel, it also attracts negative press for the lack of sophisticated routing many organisations still subject their customers too. First contact resolution without bumps is not as common as it should be. Customers expect low effort outcomes. Even so, once the right person is found, live voice still fulfils many of the expectations customers have for what a service experience should be.

In truth, we live in a world of five generations of consumers and employees. The choice of communication channel is ours. We pick whichever works for us. And by the way, if you think letter writing is dead just ask any complaints team!

So what does this mean? Does it condemn organisations that want to do the right thing by their customers to every increasing cost? The answer depends on what generation of infrastructure you are using.

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

 Sponsored by:

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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Web programmers and business managers across the United Kingdom will be able to integrate online applications faster and easier than previously possible thanks to a new API product released by global job management company simPRO.

simPRO’s ‘RESTful API’ product was developed as a software interfacing tool which allows various systems to connect and communicate with a new sense of efficiency, strengthening the bridge between simPRO and other platforms which may be used in the workforce.

An Application Programming Interface, or API, is broadly defined as software that allows two applications to talk to each other, acting as a messenger to allow third-party developers to retrieve and insert specified data into that application.

The simPRO API allows for seamless integration of data between it and other business software platforms.

simPRO Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Eastgate said the simPRO RESTful API would ultimately lead to better software integrations and an overall increase inconvenience for businesses.

“simPRO’s new API is a technical step forward, but its functions are good for users because external applications can be created to move data between simPRO and different applications,” he said.

“With the API you can now create integrations that connect simPRO to mailing and accounting systems, ecommerce, business websites, smartphone and tablet apps and document management systems.

“Thanks to simPRO RESTful API, businesses are able to integrate simPRO and third party applications easier than ever before.

“That’s what we strive to do at simPRO – removing time and complexity from modern necessities like program integration and online product use. We want to empower our partners in the United Kingdom to build valuable businesses around the information flowing through simPRO.

“simPRO’s new API systems will assist in managing workflows and improving efficiencies for thousands of trade service businesses,” Mr Eastgate said.

simPRO’s RESTful API was designed to be up to date with industry standards and features a Developer Centre where users can receive support through a dedicated forum and access assistance resource like code examples and program walkthroughs.

The new API will be made available world-wide upon release and be functional through simPRO’s Service and Enterprise range, making it accessible for a diverse range of users throughout the trade service industry.

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Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing, FieldAware offers us an excellent case study of how Meadows Service Group are overcoming the challenges their field service operation were facing...

Those working in facilities and property management today must tackle some seemingly overwhelming challenges that are facing the industry. From managing multiple sites and varied programmes while maintaining service levels and meeting customer expectations. There is compliance with strict regulatory standards to manage while juggling responsibilities around maintaining often ageing assets and infrastructure and facing pressure to cut costs and complete more work with fewer resources.

FieldAware has recently released a new customer case study for Facilities and Property Management, which looks at some of these challenges, how they are being effectively managed and the benefits that are being achieved.

The case study highlights how FieldAware helped Meadows Service Group – a subsidiary of Meadows Office Interiors – to drive revenue growth and deliver their service promise.

About the Meadows Service Group...

Founded five decades ago, Meadows Office Interiors – a market-leading contract furniture dealer – creates innovative workspaces that are strategically designed to help customers improve business performance, increase collaboration, realise cost efficiencies and build brand recognition. Recognising a customer need that extends beyond furniture delivery and installation, Meadows Office Interiors created Meadows Service Group to offer ongoing support to their customer base, ultimately maximising the lifetime and integrity of customers’ valuable furniture assets through furniture maintenance programmes, inventory control, asset management and more.

Keeping pace with business growth

Meadows Office Interiors has always had a strong focus on their customer-centric service and delivering exceptional value to their clients. Over the years, Meadows had operated well using manual processes to manage its operations, but the business was expanding rapidly and it soon becomes clear that more streamlined ways of working had to be introduced to keep pace with their growth.

“When we launched Meadows Service Group we started out with what now looks like fairly basic processes in the office,” explains Ethan Bajrak, Director of Enterprise Solutions with Meadows Service Group.

“But with the speed of growth we experienced, we quickly realised we had to be more strategic in the way we worked to effectively manage the operational side of the business, which was becoming more and more challenging. We needed to gain the maximum benefit for our clients and our teams, but the processes we used were not visible to everyone and were manually updated outside of our CRM and ERP systems. There was lots of room for error. With the business expanding, we were in real danger of our service levels slipping and missing opportunities. We knew we couldn’t carry on operating that way.”

Driving efficiency

The company needed better efficiency and control of the workflow, the crews, and their tools. But their existing CRM /ERP system, NetSuite, was very important to them so they wanted to leverage its use and not change their processes too drastically.

“Our first step was to see what could be done within NetSuite,” explains Ethan. “The next was to look for products that were tightly integrated with the platform. We also worked with our NetSuite integration partner to get their recommendations for products their other customers had proven success with. FieldAware checked all those boxes.”

Reaping the benefits

Meadows has been delighted with the improved day-to-day operational management they have seen and through driving the revenue growth of the Meadows Service Group. The company has increased visibility and control as they have been able to standardise their processes and capture all jobs accurately.

They have been able to minimise downtime, while also improving productivity. Everyone has a FieldAware portlet in NetSuite so they can see everything in real-time. Everyone can now see what’s on tap for all the resources, including employees, vehicles and special tools.

On-time arrivals at job sites have increased and a big part of this is that technicians can plan their day in advance and save time by not calling back and forth to the dispatcher to determine where they should report next. The company has much better tracking of technician’s time spent on each job which, in turn, allows them to bill faster and more accurately to clients.

“Meadows Service Group is a newer revenue stream for the company,” commented Ethan “and FieldAware is helping us manage the growth of this division while effectively delivering our service promise to Meadows’ clients.”

Translating into true ROI

So as the business continues to expand, the challenges can continue to be addressed and managed.

“Teams have an increased level of confidence in our service team and customers are pleased with the level of communication and timely response. Because of the real-time sign-offs in the field, and the additional documentation provided for each job, the customer invoice payment cycle is faster, which helps our accounting team.”

“Our technicians are more productive because they are equipped with all the information they need. We can handle more jobs and are seeing less errors and repeat trips, which translates into true ROI,” concludes Ethan.

For more information on FieldAware visit www.fieldaware.com

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Scheduling software has long been a foundational technology for field service companies allowing them to meet customer demands. Michael Blumberg lifts the lid on all of the key aspects of this crucial tool...

If you have spent any time in Field Service, you probably understand the importance of managing service delivery functions against key performance indicators (KPIs). Among the most critical KPIs in the Field Service Leaders track are First Time Fix (FTF), Service Level Agreement (SLA) Compliance or Onsite Response Time (ORT), and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR). These KPIs measure the effectiveness of a Field Service Organization (FSOs) in delivering quality service in a timely manner.

The inability to meet KPI targets may result in exponential costs, customer attrition and loss of revenue; whereas the ability to exceed customer expectations can result in customer appreciation followed by an increase in profit margins and sales. To effectively schedule/dispatch the right technician to arrive on time with the right parts and skillset plays a significant role in meeting these outcomes. This is definitely not a small feat for your typical FSO.

"Scheduling and dispatching Field Service Engineers (FSE) poses a challenge for most FSOs, particularly those with more than 5 FSEs. The reason behind this is there are many variables and factors involved..."

Scheduling and dispatching Field Service Engineers (FSE) poses a challenge for most FSOs, particularly those with more than 5 FSEs. The reason behind this is there are many variables and factors involved.

An FSO with only one or two FSEs and a few customers may not perceive scheduling to be a major challenge. The volume of service requests may be relatively low while the options of who, when and where to send them may be rather limited. Scheduling becomes more of a challenge as the volume of service requests (i.e., customers) and the number of FSEs increases.

Adding to this complexity are the business objectives and/or constraints an FSO must optimize to meet its scheduling requirements.

With additional constraints or objectives, the more difficult it becomes to produce a solid schedule. For example, if the objective is to only meet a response time commitment to the customer, then the decision is easy - assign the FSE who can arrive in a timely manner at the customer’s site.

If FTF, MTTR, and/or SLA Compliance targets are also part of the equation, it becomes even more difficult to produce that solid schedule. Adding a profit margin objective, high call volumes, multiple geographies, and a sizable pool of FSEs, the decision becomes even more overwhelming.

"The reason why scheduling is so excruciating of a task is that there are numerous factors that an FSO would need to create and evaluate to determine the optimal assignment for each FSE..."

The reason why scheduling is so excruciating of a task is that there are numerous factors that an FSO would need to create and evaluate to determine the optimal assignment for each FSE.

This is a time-consuming activity that requires an extensive amount of computational power to achieve. Many companies have suffered from a loss of time and resources in dealing with confusion and potential human error. The solution is Dynamic Scheduling Software.

Dynamic Scheduling Software provides FSOs with the feature-rich functionality that streamlines, automates, and optimizes scheduling decisions.

This technology ensures the FSO sends the assigned technician to the right job having the proper skill set and arriving on time. These applications typically leverage a scheduling engine that optimizes FSE job assignment. Scheduling engines vary in their complexity ranging from those based on business rules to Linear Programming (i.e. goodness of fit) techniques, Operations Research Algorithms (e.g., Quantum Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, etc.), or Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Self-Learning applications.

The complexity of the scheduling problem, number and types of resources involved, duration of tasks, and objectives to be optimized play a role in determining which scheduling engine is most functional.

Critical factors to consider may include whether the scheduling engine can handle:

1. multi-day projects or short duration field service visits,
2. people and assets (e.g., tools, parts, trucks, equipment) or solely people,
3. the number and types of KPIs that are part of the objective, and
4. route planning requirements.

In evaluating Dynamic Scheduling Software, FSOs are also advised to consider the following criteria:

• Cloud versus On-Premise Deployment Options
• Speed and Ease of Implementation
• Integration with Back-office Systems
• Availability of Real-time Visibility by the Customer
• FSO Requirements for Best of Breed or Integrated Enterprise Solution
• Total Cost of Ownership
• Return on Investment
• Vendor Industry Knowledge and Experience

There are over a dozen software vendors who offer some form of dynamic scheduling functionality for field service.

Obviously, no two Dynamic Scheduling applications are alike. Each one has their points of differentiation. The best solution is a function of the level of importance the FSO places on each criterion and how each vendor meets these criteria.

Regardless of which vendor is selected, the benefits of Dynamic Scheduling are clear.

In fact, industry benchmarks show that companies who implement these types of solutions can achieve a 20% to 25% improvement in operating efficiency, field service productivity, and utilization. The impact on bottom line profitability and customer satisfaction is substantial. To enable FSOs to provide customers with an Uber-like experience and significant profitability, FSOs should consider deploying Dynamic Scheduling Software as part of their service delivery infrastructure.

Michael Blumberg, is President of the Blumberg Advisory Group 

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