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Why Offline Mobility for Salesforce is a Gold Mine for Field Workers – Real Case Demonstration

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One of the Most Common Use Cases: Break & Fix Scenario – Jacob’s Story, Part 2

Remember Jacob, the field service technician at Gold Star Heating & Air?
We introduced Jacob’s story in last week’s blog: Why Offline Mobility for Salesforce is a Gold Mine for Field Workers – Real Case Demonstration.
This is how a typical day of a field service rep equipped with Resco Mobile field service app might look.
salesforce-field-service
If we can recall, Jacob has been notified of a new task on his tablet through the app, a new customer visit – “Furnace Inspection & Repair”. What’s next?
3. Jacob accesses details of the work order to execute his task more effectively
Jacob accesses the app to get work order & customer details and all the information he needs. Getting a 360‘customer view helps him give customers a persona = associated with previous communication history, perhaps integrated with other contacts, accounts, assets, cases and service contracts.
He opens a work order labeled Furnace Inspection & Repair. While getting into his car and going through the client’s details, he realizes, the app went offline. No need to worry, any data/information added/modified within the app can be done, no data is ever lost. Work as if you were online. 🙂

Jacob’s company must be able to access to all the Salesforce data stored in the back office at all times. Therefore, they utilize a solution that enables field agents, not only access cached data, but also edit, create or delete the new ones.

The ability to access and collect information offline is crucial for any field service management solution.
The customer happened to already experience struggles of a similar kind, with the boiler in the company, as seen from their common history. The preview of the case statistics and records makes it easier to identify the approximate duration of the whole operation and can assure the client that it won’t take longer than up to 4 hours to get the furnace inspected and fixed. He can even contact him before arriving to the spot, using call or email features directly from the app.
The app locates the customer quickly via Route planning that comes as a part of his field service app. He plans his route all the way.
rescomobilecrm-salesforce-map

Maps & GPS navigation help technicians see all tasks’ locations scheduled for today. They are able to edit the details of the whole plan, when an unexpected inspection occurs.

For example, they can add a customer’s location to the map, even when the app is offline. Once they get the connection back again, the app will sync all the data up.
Role of mobility?

  • Interactive maps & GPS Navigation: ability to see all the locations of customers
  • Technicians and managers can prioritize and sort tasks based on distances, and get navigated via the shortest route
  • Increased cut-downs of field costs (fuel…)
  • Optimized time to travel

4. At the customer’s site – Jacob is well prepared with a product list
Jacob arrives to the customer’s site, very well prepared. He has delved deep into the previous records and case files that are all provided within the app. Now that Jacob knows of past incidences, he can start right where things were left off, and work his way around all areas needed for inspection. Additionally, the mobile app contains a list of the needed products/parts available held at the local warehouse.

Basically, every field agent can carry a list of products/manuals relevant to the particular case right in his pocket with ease, all in a single mobile service app.

Role of mobility?

  • Perfect parts management = a list of parts/products that are relevant to the case + availability of products\parts in the local warehouse searchable within the app
  • More accurate time estimates to fix a particular issue (especially when there was a similar case before)
  • Improved customer satisfaction

5. While completing a task, Jacob captures pictures, looks up information in manuals, and even has a video call with the back office – all within the app
There is more to the job than just the actual inspection and consecutive fixing. Jacob can document the whole inspection, to get a better picture of the case for when the situation occurs in the future. And the ability to take pictures and record videos of broken parts on spot enables him to ensure, the inspection goes well from start to finish, reassuring the customer of faulty parts, and more.

Mobile-equipped field agents are free to look up information in manuals, instructions, presentations, videos, service history overview, and other related records included in the app.

There is more – he can even have a quick video call with the back office professionals straight from the app!
Mobile field service is not just about how technicians access the data within the system. How they’ll add fresh information is just as important. Fortunately, mobile devices provide a variety of options to work effectively, while on site. From quickly typing in the details and pre-filled options on forms, to checkboxes and drop down picklists. This way Jacob is never leaving without thoroughly finishing his job.
Role of mobility?

  • Dramatic improvement of “first-fix rates” (in Jacob’s case, there are literally zero cases, where he had to return to the same place more than once, or to cut down a case into several visits)
  • Technicians boost their knowledge of service operations thanks to documents and multimedia included in the app

6. Task completed! Jacob can now generate an invoice with a captured signature
So the job is done, but obviously Jacob cannot leave before payment. With mobility, the customer makes the payment directly on the spot without having to worry about it henceforward. 
The field technician creates an invoice. Jacob decides to choose an invoice template that he has already generated before in the account of his customer and a similar case. Once the invoice is generated, he is able to share it automatically with both, the customer and back office/field manager, so the payment will run across as soon as possible. He then updates the payment details and closes the work order using the app only.

Customer information, billing and payment with a signature, is automatically updated in the database at the technician’s office.

Role of mobility?

  • Mobile Invoicing includes signatures (no need to use any papers)
  • Finished work order is sent directly to the back office
  • Once the case is approved as successfully finished by the back office/field manager, there is no additional paperwork or follow-up to be done at the office

7. To put a ‘top-class end‘ to a successfully elevated case, Jacob gets use of the extra features, the mobile app has to offer
Jacob often uses the mobile app to gather customer feedback, so he could know how to shape up his skills & knowledge for the next case. There is a possibility to send a detailed work order report to the back office. Jacob types down all the resources utilized, all pictures and videos captured, in the right order.

To make sure everything went smoothly, the mobile app will notify Jacob in a few days to follow up with the customer to see whether everything is running well.

In addition, with information synchronized from the technicians to the back office, other departments can also leverage these updates. For example, sales teams can review and analyze it to better target the customers’ future requirements.
Role of mobility?

  • Easy gathering of customers‘ feedback
  • Automatically generated follow-ups on cases
  • Precise targeting of customer needs
  • High customer retention, loyalty, and satisfaction

Well done Jacob.
Jacob’s customer is happy and their furnace is back-up and running pronto!
Perhaps you found yourself in the story?
Whether you put yourself in Jacob’s shoes or have an area in which needs improvement and can be done with field services, give Resco Mobile for Salesforce a free try.
Drop us an mail at mobilecrm@resco.net, and let us show you how field services effectively done, is a gold mine for success in the field.

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