Field service: Balancing costs with clients' needs

Field service is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK, making optimisation of processes essential for companies involved in the area. Balancing good customer service against the need to keep costs down is a constant challenge, but technology exists to allow firms to become more efficient and effective.

Benefits for customers, challenges for operators

Sending staff into the field has numerous benefits for companies. Often representing the only face-to-face contact a customer will have with an organisation, these workers can help retain clients and can be given the ability to allow them to extend or upgrade service levels.

But service companies face issues in recruiting skilled workers and engineers, while winning business [Winning Business] is made ever more difficult in a tough economy as price pressures increase. And faced with a need to deliver on Service Level Agreement commitments, many companies struggle to find the balance they would have been able to strike much more easily in the past.

Technology in field service

However, by making use of mobility solutions, service providers can ensure they improve efficiency while delivering a quality service. Lost revenue can be minimised through mobile dispatch solutions, which coordinate efforts so the most appropriate technician is dispatched to the job - taking into account how near they are, what tools they have available and their skill level.

High fuel prices are an ongoing problem for all businesses with fleets on the road, as the AA has found the UK has the seventh highest prices for petrol and second highest for diesel in Europe. But by taking advantage of solutions that can reduce the mileage that needs to be covered, operators can deliver significant savings - not just in fuel outlay but in cost per job, with greater utilisation of the workforce quickly making a major difference.

Related Solutions:

	Fuel Savings Our customers experience an average of 10% savings on their fuel costs - in many cases, this saving reaches 15%. How? MiX Telematics’ proven telematics solutions include a range of fuel-efficiency-boosting features that enable fleet customers to better manage their drivers and vehicles.
	Vehicle Tracking Bringing the ability to track vehicles across the globe from your PC or even the palm of your hand, MiX Telematics offers the best and most comprehensive vehicle tracking solutions in the industry.