Enhancing Efficiency and CEM Through Cloud-Based Mobile Field Service Management
By: Alex Hamerstone
Outsourcing software and software infrastructure maintenance continues to gain popularity as companies look for ways to cut costs without losing capabilities. The expense and effort of
maintaining server and network infrastructure to support software installs, not to mention the labor and costs associated with patches, updates and upgrades, now outweighs the previous
trepidation about cloud-based applications. Furthermore, the cloud provides speed and power to make faster, near-real-time business decisions with higher volumes of data, and it even employs
added security measures to protect enterprise data better than a company can within its own four walls. With these converging factors, now is the ideal time for communications service providers
(CSPs) to consider cloud-based solutions for transformative business projects.
Field-service management (FSM) software is no exception to this trend. In fact, FSM is a prime candidate for change among CSPs considering a transition to the cloud. For example, 10 field
technicians with 10 jobs presents millions of scheduling options and scenarios, so scheduling and assigning thousands of technicians to tens of thousands of jobs clearly requires immense
processing power. Add the complexities of technicians with varied skills and experience, vehicles with varied equipment, customer scheduling preferences, geography, and countless other variables,
and the routing and scheduling options quickly escalate into the billions.
The practice of making sure the right field employee gets to the right job is essential for many service companies; often a service call represents the only face-to-face interaction a customer will have with the company. The customer’s impression of an organization’s ability to deliver on its brand and customer-service promises is made or lost during the final interaction on his or her doorstep. So, getting it right the first time is all the more important. The cloud can help.
The reliability and sophisticated computing power delivered by cloud-based FSM software empowers CSPs to ensure that the right technician arrives to perform the right service, supported by the
proper knowledge and equipment, on time every time. Cloud-based solutions also support real-time visibility in the field, enabling organizations to communicate with employees and customers
before, during and after each appointment. The result is more satisfied, engaged and loyal customers.
