Actualités

FieldService – information at hand’s reach

29.04.2011

Companies that sell or maintain various types of equipment in their everyday operations often encounter problems that are hard to eliminate without support of adequate IT systems

In order to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of their operations, Consafe Logistics specialists have developed FieldService – a mobile solution for maintenance engineers performing repair services directly at the customer’s site.

fsFieldService solution from ConsafeMobility offering automates the maintenance service order execution process – from the moment when the call center employee takes the breakdown information to invoicing by the accounting department. Experience of companies where FieldService has been implemented demonstrates that smooth management of maintenance employees has its impact on revenue and customer satisfaction levels.

FieldService involves a series of tools that simplify procedures and allow engineers and other maintenance employees to perform field operations more efficiently. The essence of the application is the flow of comprehensive information about the order that the system hands over to persons responsible for performance of individual tasks. Due to this the maintenance engineer, both on site and on his way, has access to updated lists of visits containing the full description of the site and the kind of breakdown. He can also read reports on previously performed works and the spare parts database. Applications might be integrated with Call Center, ERP, CRM and FK systems. Capital expenditure is also decreased, as the very use by the mobile maintenance engineer of the mobile terminal, which performs functions of five devices – mobile phone, mobile PC, photo camera, barcode scanner and GPS receiver, helps significantly reduce the number of purchased equipment.
FieldService in practice

First, the call center employees receive the notification from the customer which requires equipment repair service, which is entered into the system. Then, each order is analysed by the maintenance service manager, who assigns to it a set of spare parts and tools necessary to perform the repair on site. The maintenance engineer, through the mobile computer reads the problem description and recommendations related to the repair, the customer’s address and the set of tools he should take from the warehouse and the storage room. The next phase is repair performance – information about the time when the employee leaves for the customer’s site is entered into the system through the mobile computer and given an adequate status. the FieldService solution also supports employees during repair works – through scanning of the barcode of the repaired equipment they might access information about previous repairs and exchanged spare parts. After the repair, the device provides the total cost of service order and time of its performance. These data are the basis for the invoice, which the maintenance engineer being on site might send directly to the accounting department.

"Benefits from the system are appreciated particularly by companies for which repair delays are equal to financial penalties for untimely delivery of obligations," – says Marcin Michalski, Project Manager at Consafe Logistics. "Real-time access of field employees to information about current orders and availability of tools in the storage room helps the maintenance engineer to perform his work not only faster, but also more efficiently," adds Marcin Michalski. Companies might thus be secure against delays and optimise costs of personnel and handling of paper documentation.

Conditions necessary to implement FieldService mobile solutions are met by any company with maintenance team of at least 15 employees. More importantly, smooth operation of the application does not necessitate any IT infrastructure with CRM or ERP system – all operations related to FieldService database updates can be performed from a Web browser.