Field Services – A customer centric and crucial part of the business
It is crucial for organizations engaged in field services to ensure that end-users, both businesses & individuals, are able to have their equipment and systems in smooth running condition. These services have the unique aspect of a direct contact with the customers for every instance of rendering their services. This direct interfacing and the accompanying quality of service delivered can make or break their business. It is, therefore, extremely important for such organizations to always strive to engage with their customers and deliver the desired level of impeccable service via a pleasant and hassle-free experience.
The rapidly changing scenario
This has become increasingly important today as compared to say 3 years ago, as the rapid digitization has been disrupting traditional ways of conducting business in the field services sector. Newer entrants that are tech-savvy are reaching out to customers like never before, using cutting-edge technology to send technicians and field experts to render first-class services at low costs. Traditional companies thus need to gear up towards these innovative and specialised models by revamping their own ways of working.
The use of technology comes to the fore with systems that focus on customer-centricity and build their business models around the customer. Field services enterprises are leveraging the advantages of systems like Microsoft Dynamics 365 to integrate all aspects of their organization to deliver world-class service levels for the new-age customers.
So, what exactly do they stand to gain with Dynamics 365?
Synergy all across
Dynamics 365 can enable a field services organization to align all functions like Customer Care, Customer Service, Field Service, Sales, Finance and Marketing, based on a single unified view of their customers to ensure smooth delivery of service across all points of contact.
Schedule Management
Time management and schedule planning are very critical to this line of business. Manual interventions are cumbersome and prone to errors. With Dynamics, scheduling tasks can be fully automated. Resource and field technician allocations can be done automatically based on intelligent skill sets and resource calendars fed into the system. It is all very interactive for ease of use. Users can raise requirements and take appointments in advance that aids in efficient planning. Any dynamic changes such as new orders, clashing services, or cancellations are automatically adjusted and rescheduled. For support on the road, the Dynamics suite also integrates with geospatial mapping to connect the field agents to the dispatchers and vice versa.
Mobile all the way
The Mobile CRM can help anyone on-the-go with detailed up-to-date data and information pulled out in real-time from within the systems of the organization. Therefore, data duplication errors are ruled out. This can be extended to allow access on workforce’s personal devices via secure channels. This form of BYOD is a powerful enabler that opens up opportunities to create apps that enhance the consumer experience. Thus, employee engagement and morale get a boost that results in better productivity.
Customer and Partner Relationships
The seamless information can now run via multiple communication channels, helping companies to meet SLA’s with higher efficiency. Partnering relationships are crucial in this sector, such as with vendors for software, equipment or parts. Automating the contracts across all vendors can play a key role in ensuring better relationships and robust transactional flows.
Preventive and predictive is now possible
With innovative technology like IoT and AI, the field services can move to a new paradigm, one that works on preventive or predictive maintenance in contrast to a reactive fix-as-it-breaks approach. Dynamics 365 empowers remote monitoring and control, as well as automated fixes in case of auto-detection of malfunction. This saves the cost and time for the actual visit by a field crew member to the site. The data collated from the client sites also empowers companies to analyse performance and build models and tools for preventive maintenance and even make realistic forecasts. This can lead to better scheduling and resource planning.
Powerful analytics
With data from the ground such as RFID’s bar code scanners, credit card readers, as well as equipment failures, resource utilization, service technicians’performances and efficiency, customer feedback and response time visibility, CRM dashboards can be created for getting deeper insights and real-time tracking capabilities. KPI’s can be measured, tracked, and used for performance target setting. Field activities can be tracked across supply chains and inventory movements as well.
Lean Work Order and Inventory Management
With automation comes the power to pre-define the process that is needed for a work order that is created from multiple sources within the system, such as CRM, web portal visits, app check-ins, or emails written by customers. Inventory is capital intensive, often forcing field service companies to stock up spare parts across thousands of items. Tracking these across warehouses, storage centres and allocation to field agents becomes simpler with inventory management support provided by Dynamics.
Of course, a product is as good as the service it delivers. Microsoft Dynamics is a full suite of solutions for Field Services. It is configurable, customisable, and adaptable in a variety of formats to match the specific needs of a business. We, at Techminds, have the required know-how of the intrinsic capabilities of the Dynamics system and offer custom software services as per the needs and timeframe of your company.