The public sector has some of the most interesting requirements when it comes to managing the way work is executed in the field. From utility installations to community-based health, service expectations are high, and budgetary pressure is even higher. As a result, today’s civil servants are overworked and under-utilized.
So, what is the solution to managing your field service employees in the public sector? Software that is designed to ease these burdens.
What is Field Service Management Software?
Field service managers and technicians are responsible for handling a number of variables before, during, and after completing required work orders. They need easy access to work order information and customer data, as well as the ability to collect data and submit reports on site.
Field service management software is used to plan, schedule, optimize, and dispatch work orders to an organization’s field force agents, providing them with the information necessary to perform work effectively and report on execution. In the public sector, field service management can be used to improve process efficiencies, boost productivity, enhance public services, and most importantly, result in notable cost savings.
Common Field Force Problems Faced in the Public Sector
As a field service agent working in the private sector, a typical day comes with a number of questions:
- What is my plan for today?
- What do I know about these customers/services?
- What’s the best route to take to avoid traffic?
- How can I record my visit without distracting the customer?
- Will I have the internet to access customer/product information on-site?
If you can’t answer these questions with your current technology, then you’re going to run into several issues every single day. When you can’t check your schedule and track your visits on the road, technicians will have to return to the office after each visit. That means more time is spent on traveling and checking in than it is on productive work.
In the public sector, most challenges revolve around manual data entry, process inefficiencies, miscommunication, and data inaccuracies. All of these general issues add up to a field service program that doesn’t deliver quality customer service and ends up costing more money in overtime and ineffective use of resources. With today’s field service management technology and readily accessible information at your fingertips, these challenges can be fully resolved in a short time frame.
How Field Service Management Software Eases Budgetary Pressure and Reduces Operating Costs
Field service management software can help federal, state, and municipal organizations become more responsive, effective, and efficient. Here are 5 ways that field service management software can have a huge impact on the public sector:
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- Effective Capacity Planning
Field service management software is an effective tool for public sector organizations to better plan and manage their skilled resources and workload. Better allocation of time and resources will help reduce costs, alleviate overtime, and ensure that every field-based worker is optimized. - Smart Shift Scheduling
With automatic scheduling, managers can easily create and distribute daily and weekly planners to their technicians quickly and easily. On the road, technicians can receive real-time changes or updates to their schedule, so they stay on track and in touch from anywhere. - Better Customer Service
With instant access to work order information, service updates, and route optimization, field service technicians can deliver the best customer experience possible. Field service management software provides the tools to make their jobs easier, which will translate on the job as well. - Service Performance Measurement
With the right technology, more accurate and timely information is entered, tracked, and measured every day. That’s why field service management software is a game-changer for government organizations in need of optimizing operations while improving employee productivity and performance. - Low-Cost Mobility
The reality is that not all technology is easy to implement at an affordable rate in the public sector. The good news is, mobile field service solutions are plentiful and can be integrated easily into your current systems.
- Effective Capacity Planning
OA Field Force Manager (FFM) for Microsoft Dynamics 365
In response to a growing need in our own customer base, the talented team at OnActuate Labs built an innovative mobile field service application that is easy to use, quick to deploy, and affordable for the Microsoft Dynamics community.
OA FFM is designed to increase communication between your field service workforce and improve how they interact and serve your customers. By reducing manual data entry and providing a user-friendly solution that integrates with Dynamics 365, OA FFM gives field service managers, sales reps, and technicians the tools they need to plan, record, and deliver efficient services from anywhere on the map.
For more information, take a look at our OA FFM app on Microsoft AppSource! We would also be happy to show you the solution in action – so you can see for yourself how easy and effective field service management in the public sector can be.
