Building the Ideal Workforce Scheduling App: What does it take?
Scheduling is obviously a key component in a field service operation. If you have multiple technicians, trucks, and customers you need to get on top of your scheduling process. To let this activity slip is to lose customers and see profitability decline.
Here’s the nightmare scenario:
One of your service technicians calls in sick. Another discovers they must pick up a missing equipment or tools from the plant because a new problem was identified. Still another crew is running late on a job. One of your technicians is stuck in traffic and is going to miss a planned call. And then, two high priority calls come in that require service today or will result in penalties. How do you adjust your schedule and workforce to compensate for all of these conditions?
If you, the field service technician and/or manager, could get exactly what you want, what would your ideal scheduling system look like? Would it be the old school whiteboard with sticky notes? How about a traditional enterprise scale installed software computer program? Or are you interested in a cloud-based web application?
What would a good scheduling application look like? Multiple users? Customer interface? GPS mobile tracking? QuickBooks integration? Record keeping? Mobile device access?
What’s a reasonable cost? Should it be a one-time purchase (with on-going upgrades) for installed software or should it be a monthly subscription for a web-based application?
How important is it to have a solution that does not require sophisticated, in-house IT support?
At Conductrus we are trying to assemble a master list of what the service industry would like to have in an ideal program. We're more than happy to sign up launch partners to use our scheduling app free of charge for 6 months in return for feedback and suggestions. See:
http://conductr.us/launch-partners/
But even if you don't want to try our app, please let us know what you'd like to see in a great mobile workforce scheduling application.
John Whitney AIA is Senior Vice President for Business Development at Conductrus, a software as a service (SaaS) provider of workforce scheduling software tools for businesses with mobile field service management needs. He is also Founder and Principal at the Clean Energy Action Project, a cleantech research and renewable energy consulting enterprise.