What to Look for in a Field Service Mobile App

What to Look for in a Field Service Mobile App

When choosing a field service mobile app, there are several important factors to consider. Here are some key factors to look at to ensure the app meets the unique needs of your business, and helps you achieve your goals:

Firstly, what exactly is Field Service Management Software?

Field service management software allows field service businesses- where jobs are performed in the field versus at the company remove the need for paper and streamline their operations using a software like Miracle Service.

Using the software, field service businesses can manage service calls, assign technicians to jobs, automate billing, track inventory, organize contracts, document maintenance checks, provide insights and much more.

For example, field service software can help the medical equipment industry schedule maintenance checkups for their customer’s equipment like X-Rays, MRI machines and laboratory equipment.

What is a Field Service Mobile App?

A field service mobile app acts as an accessory to the main software system allowing technicians to manage service calls from their mobile devices.

Technicians can view their scheduled and open service jobs, relevant customer data, a customer’s location, driving directions and service history for that customer.

They can track labor time and travel mileage, record parts used on the service job, upload job documents, checklists and photos and capture customer signatures on a completed work order. (See the Miracle Service Mobile Field Technician Console)

What to Look for when choosing

User-Friendly

The most important factor to consider when doing your research on field service mobile apps is if it’s easy to use.

Anyone, no matter their level of experience with technology, should be able to navigate the menu intuitively. Technicians should be able to quickly see their calendar for the day as well as their upcoming schedules. Entering information on the job should be quick and easy. One feature to look for is one-click start/stop work and travel buttons to make tracking labor and travel times almost effortless.

Cross-Functional

 The app should be available on all mobile devices like tablets, iPhones, iPads and Android devices to allow for the most flexibility. Since the app is synchronized to a central database, data entered in one platform should be available in the others.

Offline Functionality

The best part of having an app is being able to use it on a job site or on the go. If technicians don’t have access to wifi or data, the app should also have an offline option, so nothing stops their workflow.

Real-Time Communication and Status Updates

The app should allow technicians to communicate with their team back in the office, respond to service calls and update job statuses in the moment.

Automation

The automation of a field service mobile app should make a technician’s job easier while they’re in the field.

From their mobile device, technicians should be able to update job details, order parts and supplies, track labor and travel and complete service details.

Performance Tracking

A field service mobile app should give managers and supervisors access to data on how many calls technicians are responding to, how long a job takes and the cost and time to travel to a job.

Key indicators like estimate vs time to repair, reschedule reasons and parts cost per technician, is just some of the critical benchmark reporting that should be available.

What Are the Benefits of a Field Service Mobile App?

Improves Customer Experience

Technicians can get all the information they need to complete a job from the app.

They can immediately access up-to-date customer profiles, contracts, equipment information and service notifications – complete with visual alerts – as well as what parts they may need for a job and where to find them in a warehouse or truck stock.

A field service mobile app makes their job more efficient which not only allows them to respond to service calls faster but allows them to complete more jobs making everyone happy.

Access to More Data Helps Improve Workflow

If all the technicians in a service team have a field service mobile app, businesses can access key productivity and performance data in their reporting.

Having access to data allows managers to pinpoint inefficiencies and make improvements.

Saves Time and Money

With a field service mobile app, technicians can save time by completing paperwork from a job site reducing the need to travel to the office with paperwork at the end of the day, helping save money on gas too!

By optimizing scheduling and reducing travel and paperwork, this helps field service businesses be more productive. With more time, businesses can respond to more service calls and increase revenue.

Increase Revenue

In fact, using field service management software with a mobile app can lead to a significant increase.

A study by Aberdeen Group found that service companies saw a 28% increase in service profitability and a 14.5% increase in service revenue.

Make your business more efficient and profitable with a field service mobile app today.