Water Consultancy and Contractor implements StaySafe to ensure lone worker safety.

Hydrosave has introduced StaySafe to ensure the safety of their lone workers. Hydrosave, an operational consultant and specialist contractor within the water industry, regularly sends fieldworkers out to locations across the UK to provide leak detection, water audits or sewerage surveys. With these lone workers at risk of numerous hazards, such as working below ground or in highways, Hydrosave has rolled out StaySafe to employees across the UK.

 

Fieldworkers can now use the StaySafe mobile app to log their arrival and safe departure from each external visit with the simple press of a button. This app is linked to a secure cloud-based monitoring Hub which accurately locates lone workers on a map and provides managers with real-time updates on their movements. If an employee fails to check in safely during a lone working session, has an accident or raises an alert, managers will be able to locate them and get help straight away. 

 

Previously Hydrosave relied on a buddy system for their staff, with employees pairing up and taking it in turns to check in with each other to ensure that their ‘buddy’ was safe. However, managers noticed that there were often discrepancies and they had very little control over how employees were carrying out the buddy system. This process also involved a high amount of paperwork which was inconvenient and time consuming for all employees. 

 

To overcome these issues, Hydrosave began looking for a lone working system that was more automated, easy-to-use and could be managed by head office. The company also wanted a method that was flexible and simple to operate and implement. Hydrosave trialed other company’s solutions but none of them proved to be as simple or effective as StaySafe’s solution.

 

After a very successful trial with StaySafe over a one month period, Hydrosave’s fieldworkers found that there was a significant reduction in  time spent trying to get hold of colleagues. It has significantly reduced the need to fill out time-consuming paperwork every day. Managers now have insight into where their workers are at any given time and can ensure that their staff are safe throughout their working day. Hydrosave employees feel much safer knowing that if an incident were to occur, managers are aware of their whereabouts and assistance can be sent directly to their location. 

 

Connell Shannaghan, Project Manager at Hydrosave comments, “Our overall experience with StaySafe has been really positive. We were initially looking for a safety solution that could help minimise the amount of paperwork management we were having to do. We also wanted something that was simple to implement and easy to use. StaySafe has fit into the company structure very well, it's much easier to supervise and track staff and our employees enjoy the simplicity of the app.”

 

Don Cameron, CEO at StaySafe, adds: “Latest HSE statistics show that the risk of an employee being injured from a fall or using machinery is present in nearly 50% of workplaces in the UK. Lone workers are particularly vulnerable if an accident occurs as there is no one to raise the alarm. We are proud to offer a lone working solution that helps keep employees safe whilst working in dangerous areas.”

In an article submitted by Synchroteam, we look into the advantages of the humble mobile phone. It's more important than you realise...

 

 

They say the best camera is the one you always have with you - and nowadays, this is probably your mobile phone. The same could be applied to the tools you use at work on a daily basis. Whether you’re a maintenance worker, a telecommunications engineer or an HVAC technician, there are probably a bunch of tools that you always need to have at hand. The ones you couldn’t go out in the field without, the ones that make your work easier. Well, guess what: your phone could be one of those.

Going mobile is probably one of the smartest changes you can apply to your field service company. It usually means being able to maximize productivity, and has a positive impact both on your workers and your customers. Nowadays technology can help companies thrive in many different areas of industry and commerce, and the field service sector is no exception.

 

Advantages of mobile workforce software

One of the first advantages you’ll notice when taking the leap into mobile is a dramatic improvement in communication. Technicians are now able to access any necessary information anytime, anywhere, right from their devices. They can check the customers’ job history, check if there’s stock of certain parts, or even send the invoice back to the office right after the job is done.

 

An improved communication makes any teamwork more efficient. Mobile devices help your team stay in touch, making job assigning and scheduling a lot easier. It also lets you know the whereabouts of each technician at any given time, and inform the customer of any possible delays or reschedules.

 

Using the appropriate app on your device, you’ll be able to optimize team routes, so that when the technicians leave the office, they’ll make the most of their time out in the field - and will surely avoid any traffic jams on their way. No more wasting time and fuel!

 

How to make the most of mobile integration

Let’s be honest: Including mobile technology in your daily workflow is not a piece of cake. It’s a process that can take some time, depending on different elements. But truth to be told, there are also some key points you should take bear in mind before taking the leap into mobile.

 

First of all, you should take all the necessary time to find the perfect solution for you. Going mobile means making a bunch of small but important decisions: which field software app should I use? What mobile devices do I buy? iPhone or Android?

 

If your mobile software of choice can be integrated with the system you’re already using at work, you’ll be saving a lot of time there. The perfect solution here would be choosing a field software management solution that includes mobile clients as well. Not only will you have access to all the information you already have, but also the technicians will probably have a much less steep learning curve when trying to familiarize themselves with the app.

 

All in all, when it comes to bring mobile technology to your field service company, the faster you can have it up and running, the better. Any system that can be integrated within the current company structure and workflow in days or weeks, and not months, means more benefits for your business. You’ll start seeing the return to your investment, both in terms of productivity and income!

 

 

Built-in apps can be field service apps!

Now, like we said at the beginning, the best camera is the one you have with you. Turns out some of the apps that come pre-installed in almost any mobile device today can also work as field service tools. Some of these apps that have a secret identity as handyman tools are:

 

Flashlight: you can have as many specialized field service apps, but sometimes all you need to make your work easier is a simple flashlight. The one that comes built-in with mobile devices comes in really handy, especially in those occasions when you’ve left the “real” flashlight back in the van, or it has run out of batteries.

 

Calculator: when taking measures for a new installation or invoicing a customer, number accuracy is a must. Take no risks here with the basic calculator that comes pre-installed with all smartphones.

 

Notes: when you enter the mobile software world, you’re also taking a leap into digitalization. And of course, this means saying goodbye to paper. In an all-digital, paperless office, using the built-in Notes app in your mobile device to jot down any important piece of information makes total sense!

 

Maps: most smartphones have a GPS chip included, which can help you find the address of your next customer in no time - together with the faster, more optimized route to arrive there.

 

Camera: we’ve mentioned cameras a few times already, so we couldn’t forget about them! The built-camera of your mobile device can be very useful when you need to take a picture of any job you’ve completed - for instance, for insurance purposes.

 

The best professional apps for field service

Besides the apps that come pre-installed on your device, you can also find tons of apps in app markets, both for Android (Google Play) and iPhone (App Store). Some of these apps, while not having been specifically designed for field service usage, can help you with work. Some of them are:

 

Evernote

Though you probably have a pre-installed Notes app in your device, Evernote adds some interesting features to the note-taking business. Things such as synchronization of notes across devices, and the ability to share documents easily with the rest of the team.

Slack

Remember when we mentioned communication before, as one of the key elements in your company that would benefit more from digitalization? Slack can also help with that. This app lets you organize instant messaging with your team in groups, channels and also private chats. In other words, this app lets you save time usually wasted in never-ending email chains and meetings, and devote that time to more productive things.

Dropbox

Besides notes and chats, you probably need a space online to store and share documents. And when talking about online file sharing, Dropbox is a great alternative. You can store and share files and, most importantly, create a backup copy of all the important documents saved in your company’s database. Other interesting alternatives for online storing are Google Drive and Onedrive (Microsoft).

 

Going mobile, but with precaution

Both built-in apps and the software available in app markets can be used as field service tools. But if you turn your mobile device into a work tool, there are certain points you need to take care of.

 

For starters, you should keep your device’s operating system updated to the last version. This applies to all the apps you use as well. The most recent versions usually add new features, and also fix bugs and security issues - something you should take very seriously, specially if you’re using this device for work.

 

Also, make sure you set up the lost phone system integrated both in Android (Android Device Manager) and iPhone (Find my iPhone). Thus you’ll be able to track, locate or even remote wipe the device in case it gets lost or stolen.

 

Last, but not least, both the mobile device and the apps you use at work are useless if you run out of battery. In order to avoid this situation, next time you pack up your stuff to go out in the field, make sure you throw a power bank in!

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Click here to find out more about Synchroteam

 

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FieldAware’s Marc Tatarsky explains how you can tap into your all-star resources and advance your field service operational maturity...

As your overall field service maturity evolves, one way to move your operational maturity to the next level is to extend the impact the field service team has on the success of the entire organization. To achieve this goal, field service leaders have several critical levers they must pull to gain momentum.

The first lever is to change the organization’s view of the potential role and influence of the most valuable resource within the field service organization - the field technician. The second lever is to integrate the tools that empower these all-star players with the broader business systems necessary to make them successful in an expanded role. And finally, they must encompass these efforts with a well-developed change management program. The program should focus on tooling the field technicians with the necessary skills for success, providing them proper training, and aligning their workflows and client interactions for a smooth transition to the expanded roles, ensuring long-term success.

 

ROLE DEFINITION IN FIELD SERVICE

As one of the first faces to the customer, the field technician has the potential to support or even take on several critical roles for growing organizations. These roles could include: 

• Customer Success
• Relationship Manager
• Sales/Upselling
• Marketing/Brand Ambassador
• Proactive Support

To take advantage of the field technician’s regular and in-depth interactions with existing customers, organizations need to embrace their expanded role. Resistance to change and under-utilization typical occurs due to one of two drivers – hyper-focus or fear/trust isolation.

Hyper-focus happens when there is a perception that the technician’s time and skills are too valuable to allocate to new tasks other than pure field service deliverables. Non-core field service activities could be viewed as distractions.  Fear/Trust isolation, on the other hand, is typically driven by broader siloed organizations that don’t trust the “ill-equipped” field worker to adequately perform tasks that are not considered core to their skill set. Many times, these fears are exasperated by limited training opportunities, poor system integration and data flow, and a lack of available supporting tools that would be necessary to capitalize on the expanding role of the field worker.  

 

Field Service SYSTEM AND DATA INTEGRATION

Some of these challenges lead us to the second critical lever - integrating FSM with other key Systems of Record. To achieve this next step in operational maturity, the organization must already be at a level of technical maturity that leverages an FSM platform that easily integrates and plays nice with other non-field service systems of record. These can include:

• CRM
• ERP
• BI
• EAM
• Inventory

Having access to data and workflows that interact with some or all of these other systems is critical in determining what areas an expanded field tech role could best add value to the broader organization.  One of the typical areas of role expansion includes supporting the sales process with upsells or relationship management.

To effectively and productively improve an organization’s capacity in these areas, the field technician must have access to critical elements of the CRM data on the mobile device while in the field.

When adequately equipped, with both data (key contacts, contract details, etc.) and workflow (sales/service order, upsell options, etc.), the augmented field technician role happily engages with customers.   When employed at the appropriate times, they can improve upsell-revenue opportunities and reduce churn metrics. When done correctly, these interactions are seamless and provide value to the customer as well as the service organization.

 

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

The final lever, change management, is often the most critical step even though it is the least complex and technically challenging. In this context, change management represents the longer-term set of processes, training, and workflows that help to ensure the new activities and responsibilities you designed for your all-star players can be successfully executed and deliver the value as promised.

Program leaders must carefully evaluate the data made available to the field technician on the mobile, design an aligned scope of tasks/activities, and identify triggers that are easy for the technician to utilize and execute as well as create training. 

Training should consist of both hard-skill (technical, data workflow, etc.) and soft-skill (business process, interpersonal, etc.) techniques. It should create steps and criteria for when to use the new procedures. Finally, you will want to establish success criteria so you can track the progress the field workers are making, how easily they are adopting and executing the new responsibilities, and ultimately measure their success in terms of financial impact.

 

ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES for field service organisations

The opportunities to leverage and build on the excellent customer service your field workers already provide are endless. In many organizations, the field technician represents the one employee that has an intimate pulse on your customer’s health and overall success with your products. As your Field Service organizational and technology maturity develops, expanding the role of these critical all-stars is a natural fit for improving the overall success of the broader organization.

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Marc Tartarsky is SVP Marketing at FieldAware. Find out more about the solutions Marc and his team offer @ www.fieldaware.com 

Enjoyed this article? You can read more analysis and news from Marc and the Field Aware team by clicking here 

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