TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT

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www.ServicePower.com

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TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 2

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE AND ROI . . . . . . . . 2

ISSUES THAT REDUCE FSM ROI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. Loss of Intrinsic Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2. Manual Changes Override Built-In Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3. Failure to Update Software to Meet Changing Business Needs/Goals . . . . . . 4

4. Failure to Keep Up with Consumer Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

5. Failure to Use KPIs to Drive Business Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MAXIMIZE YOUR FSM ROI WITH THESE 5 EASY ACTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1. Offer Continual Training & Education for FSM Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2. Develop Organizational Policies That Address Employee Interaction with FSM Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3. Perform Regular Health Checks & System Updates to Your FSM Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

4. Conduct Regular Market Research/ Ask Your Customers What They Want . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

5. Consistently Track KPIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ABOUT SERVICEPOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 3

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE AND ROI Businesses of all shapes and sizes endeavor to maximize their profitability. While a business’s mission may be to deliver an unrivaled customer experience, operate with a newfound social awareness, or encourage sustainability and environmental practices, the business cannot guarantee its long-term survival without generating and sustaining profitability at some point in its lifetime. So organizations seek ways to maximize their earnings through increased revenue and reduced operational costs. For field service organizations, the driving revenue generator is their field service division so, naturally, they look to invest in solutions to help them generate more profits while reducing costs, without sacrificing the customer experience.

Field service management software is designed to streamline business processes and increase productivity and efficiency that pertain to an organization’s field service division. Through automation, business intelligence and other technical advances, field service management software solutions address fundamental field service problems, such as field service technician inefficiency (long travel times, poor response times, lack of information), poor customer service (long appointment windows, multiple tech visits, lack of information) and cost per customer. Since field service management solutions are designed to address these core field service problems, a transparent and guaranteed return on investment (ROI) is promised by vendors.

However, because field service is a continually changing, on-the-go environment that faces challenges from personnel to changing technology, a field service management solution must be agile and properly maintained for an organization to receive a continued, reliable, ROI. Many organizations find after making a large investment on a field service management solution and deploying it, that the ROI of the solution drops considerably after a period of time. This paper reviews what causes field service management ROI to drop post-deployment and how organizations can address these areas in order to continually maximize their ROI while meeting their KPIs. This paper will serve as a reference tool for your field service organization on how a continued investment in your field service management solution will allow you to reap the benefits and maximize your earnings at the same time.

• Reduced number of dispatchers = Reduced cost

• Reduced fix time in the field/higher first time fix rate = Reduced travel costs, reduced overtime, etc .

• Increased average calls per tech per time period = Increased revenue or margin

• Eliminate unbilled labor or parts = Increased revenue

• Increase part fill rate = Reduced costs

• Reduced parts order error percentage = Reduced costs

• Reduction in receiving and shipping costs = Reduced costs

• Optimization of recommended stock levels = Reduced costs

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 4

FAILURE TO UPDATE SOFTWARE TO MEET CHANGING BUSINESS NEEDS/GOALS

No organization is static: it changes and grows with trends, technology, society and time. In the process, an organization’s needs and goals also change, to reflect outward growth. This may mean adding new field service divisions, new product or service lines, adding employees, going public, and more. However, even after going through big alterations that fundamentally change the way an organization operates, many forget to “bring their software along for the ride.” Field service management software should be regularly updated and customized to fit a growing, changing company, but this often gets overlooked. When an FSM is no longer working to meet the specific needs and goals your organization has in place, it is no longer bringing you value or a return on investment.

CURE:

Perform regular health checks and system updates and stay in communication with your FSM solution sales associate. It is also critical to continually evaluate the overall field service operation to identify how changes in the business affect processes, which in turn have a downstream implication with the software performance.

LOSS OF INTRINSIC KNOWLEDGE

When a field service management solution is implemented and deployed, there is a core group of employees who are heavily involved with the process. They are trained on the software, actively involved in the deployment process, and have most likely been involved in the vendor selection process at the very beginning of the FSM journey. In order words, these employees are your field service management experts, and they know the ins and outs of the software and how it works within your organization. However, as time goes on, employees get promoted, move positions, or leave the organization. With them goes the knowledge about your solution, leaving gaps in knowledge that directly affect ROI.

CURE:

Document and archive what is implemented and the business processes it supports, and offer continual training and education for all employees that touch your FSM solution on an ongoing basis.

MANUAL CHANGES OVERRIDE BUILT-IN OPTIMIZATION

Once employees become comfortable with your new FSM solution, they often want a more active role in the scheduling processes managed by the new software. Change is difficult for humans to adjust to, and employees often wish to revert to the “old way” of doing things. They manually override the software’s scheduling automation, which in turn affects the built in optimization, impairing promised productivity and efficiency improvements.

CURE:

Develop organizational policies that address employee conduct/interaction with new software and track user activity with an audit trail or dashboard.

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ISSUES THAT REDUCE FSM ROI

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 5

4 5 FAILURE TO USE KPIs TO DRIVE BUSINESS DECISIONS

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are established to help an organization drive its bottom line and maximize earnings while providing better visibility of performance in all aspects of the business. In regards to field service, the goal is to use the business intelligence collected from an FSM solution, as well as all of the other systems and individuals within its field service ecosystem to help make key decisions in regards to execution, hiring, policies, etc. But, when KPIs are disregarded, or put on the backburner, ROI is impacted. Without KPIs playing an integral part of business decisions and the future of the organization, your return on investment is unknown because areas of improvement become undefined.

CURE:

Consistently track KPIs and regularly review results and adjust to business needs.

FAILURE TO KEEP UP WITH CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY

The B2C technological landscape is competitive, vast, and continually changing. Between social media, access to a large variety of new devices, and tech-savvy customer-service giants like Amazon, consumers have been molded to expect instant gratification when it comes to both product and service offerings. However, organizations often make the mistake of not being proactive when it comes to tracking these trends and technologies and adjusting their customer service accordingly. Even if your service is fast, responsive, and efficient, but you don’t offer customers the ability to schedule their own appointments, or view the status of their job, they will quickly move on to the next guy. Your ROI is directly affected by the customer response and, in turn, by customer loyalty or attrition.

CURE:

Conduct regular market research and ask your customers what they want from you.

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 6

OFFER CONTINUAL TRAINING & EDUCATION FOR FSM EMPLOYEES

Choosing and implementing a new field service management solution, no matter how accessible (e.g., SaaS-based) or user friendly (e.g., great UI), is a large undertaking for an organization of any size. Empower your employees to utilize every inch of your new solution by providing support, training and further education to supplement the technology.

• Hire designated FSM managers and/or architects to address employee issues and questions quickly, in-house.

• Offer yearly certification classes to employees that are expected to have the most interaction with your FSM solution.

• Provide monthly trainings for new employees or employees looking for a refresher.

• Give employees the opportunity to continue their FSM knowledge by offering the option of attending user conferences, webinars, and FSM vendor “universities.”

• Secure support from business leaders to invest in regular process workshops to stay ahead of potential business requirement or competitive changes that impact how software is configured and used.

HOW THIS HELPS WITH ROI:

When your employees are fully trained and comfortable with your FSM solution, and it’s supporting your current requirements, it is utilized to its maximum potential.

MAXIMIZE YOUR FSM ROI WITH THESE 5 EASY ACTIONS 1 SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICEPOWER:

In addition to our suite of FSM solutions, we offer consulting services to our clients. Our field service experts can conduct a workforce performance analysis which defines opportunities for ServiceSsheduling, for instance, to be better used to maximize productivity and utilization of field technicians. We can also identify workforce fraud perpetrated by 3rd party contractors in an outsourced field service network. Additionally, our experts can consult with your field service organization to assist with building and executing a cohesive service channel strategy analysis, which includes helping you craft a strategic plan for mix labor channel resource use. Additionally, we conduct an annual user conference for all our current and prospective customers to provide software updates, classes, support, and teedback.

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 7

DEVELOP ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES THAT ADDRESS EMPLOYEE INTERATION WITH FSM SOFTWARE

You have probably heard the phrase “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, that’s a bit harsh. Change is difficult, for anyone. But by being proactive when implementing a new solution and not waiting for things to go wrong, you can avoid headaches and issues like “breaking the software.” Set expectations, upfront, about how employees are to use your new FSM solution (sometimes what-to-do and what-not-to-do documentation is a safe answer). Additionally, you can monitor user activity of your system to spot issues before they arise.

HOW THIS HELPS WITH ROI:

By putting policies in place, you are minimizing the chance that users will make manual changes to your FSM solution to fit their needs and expectations. This issue is also addressed through continual employee training, as mentioned in the first action. Manual changes stop builtin optimization, which increases human error and introduces operational inefficiencies such as prolonged travel times, skill level mismatches, etc.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICEPOWER:

Our Service Scheduling product offers user administration features and a dashboard to help you keep track of system and user activity, ensuring that manual adjustments aren’t hindering the effectiveness of your solution.

PERFORM REGULAR HEALTH CHECKS & SYSTEM UPDATES TO YOUR FSM SOFTWARE

Vendors consistently provide updates and new releases of their field service management software to address software issues, organizational needs, new integrations, and technological changes. The best way to stay abreast of these updates is to maintain a relationship with your FSM software sales associate, as well as continue annual support and maintenance contracts. Additionally, make sure your organization conducts regular audits of your software to ensure that the functionality still meets your needs and goals and that the solution is scalable as you grow. Lastly, to make sure your solution is performing optimally at all times, task your IT department with performing health checks.

HOW THIS HELPS WITH ROI:

Software updates keep you up-to-speed with the times and in-sync with current technologies ensuring that your software is helping you maintain a competitive edge and driving your business growth. Updates and health checks also ensure that the software is working as it should, and you aren’t running into hindrances (such as bugs) that would greatly reduce the solution’s effectiveness.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICEPOWER:

ServicePower is in it for the long haul. We invest in long term relationships with our customers. Our team of consulting experts are available to help ensure that not only the software is up to date, but we can also help identify changes in business requirements and processes necessary to deliver exceptional customer service and compete in the changing service environment.

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TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 8

Do you know what your customers are looking for when it comes to service? What are their expectations? What drives their business decisions? The customer experience is a key component of a field service management solution. Your solution can improve efficiency and cut costs, but ensuring customer satisfaction is key to customer retention and long-term revenue. . Customer engagement is directly associated with the technology customers use to interact with your organization. By conducting current market research and customer surveys you can understand what your customers want, what technology they are using and adjust your field service and customer service accordingly.

4HOW THIS HELPS WITH ROI:

Return on investment is often measured based on customer retention and customer satisfaction, two elements that are usually the biggest drivers of revenue. When you are able to match customers’ expectations by using new technology to engage them and providing services that enhance their experience, you ensure both customer satisfaction and retention.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICEPOWER:

ServicePower’s solutions offer built-in customer surveys so you can regularly measure customer satisfaction while allowing customers to communicate what they want from you. This research can then be used to redefine KPIs, offer new technological customer solutions, and ensure that your FSM solution is driving customer demand.

CONDUCT REGULAR MARKET RESEARCH: ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WANT

TOP 5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE ROI POST FSM DEPLOYMENT 9

• Jobs per day – should influence hiring and firing decisions

• First time fix rate – should influence training, parts ordering, and customer communication decisions

• Mean time to repair – should influence hiring, training and scheduling decisions

• Travel time – should influence fleet management, route, and service area decisions

• Mean time between failures – should influence product development, M2M and scheduling decisions

• Visits per call – should influence training and parts management to ensure field techs have the right knowledge, or access to it while onsite, as well as parts to complete a job the first time on site.

• Parts per call – should influence not only parts management, in terms of forecasting what parts should be stocked on trucks to ensure first time fix rates, but also can influence manufacturing upstream for self servicing field organizations.

• Missed Customer Appointments- should influence customer satisfaction as well as job scheduling and tech management.

• Job completion rate – should influence hiring, scheduling and capacity decisions

CONSISTENTLY TRACK KPIs

Key performance indicators help you determine how your business, or in this case your field service, is doing. Without these, you are operating blindly and have no way to measure any return on investment if you have no baseline. Make sure you have measured your KPIs ahead of your FSM deployment to use as a baseline comparison. Here are some field service KPIs you should be tracking and using to influence your business decisions.

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A field service management solution is a big investment for your organization and, as a result, you should expect a large return. These five actions will give your organization the power to maintain that ROI for years to come, ensuring that the solution you picked pays for itself tenfold. A FSM solution just needs a little sunlight and water, so to speak, to work optimally for you.

Avoid post-deployment neglect and ensuing ROI drops by investing time in both your resources and the solution itself. ServicePower will work with you to ensure you are getting a solution that fits your business needs and goals, and will provide support long after deployment to ensure that your ROI is better than expected.

HOW THIS HELPS WITH ROI:

Tracking your specific field service KPIs gives you visibility into the strengths and weaknesses of your field service. An optimized FSM solution can then be adjusted, using soft constraints and other customization, to help you meet your goals and get the most out of your solution.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICEPOWER:

ServiceScheduling’s highly configurable scheduling parameters allow an organization to adjust the automated optimization based on custom KPIs and goals such as skills, knowledge, overtime, travel, etc. These adjustments can align directly with your established KPIs to ensure you are getting the most bang for your buck. ServiceStats, fully integrated with both ServiceScheduling and ServiceOperations provides real time business analysis, identifying, collecting and measuring data from across the field service operation, enabling manager to make data- based changes to the operation to maximize its performance.

CONCLUSION

Service

www.ServicePower.com

About ServicePower Global, Mobile Field Service Workforce Management

ServicePower employs some of the most experienced field management experts in the world, enabling the company to provide expert consulting and services to its clients:

• Cloud or on premise deployment options

• Professional, proven implementation

• Business consulting services

• Outsourced service management

Through continuous innovation, ServicePower offers its clients a global, end to end workforce management platform, including best-in-class scheduling and mobile dispatch technologies, industry leading 3rd party claims and dispatch management, and improved business process management through intelligent parts planning and business intelligence.

Start powering your mobile workforce today. Email us at sales@servicepower.com to see more.