FOCUS Keeps a Mobile Workforce in the Loop

The field workers of a utility or local government are the lifeblood of these enterprises. They do the important work that keeps field assets operational. Any mobile communications technology used by field staff must meet their special needs. When FieldTec developed FOCUS, they kept the mobile workforce front of mind.

The nature of field service tasks often means that the technicians need to get their work done quickly with minimal interruptions. When the field staff need support services from central office, they need access in real-time.

FOCUS streamlines communication between those who work offsite and those who work in the office.

Field personnel should not spend additional time contacting call centre staff and managers with status updates for individual jobs.

Field personnel who use FOCUS only have to input a minimal amount of critical data to communicate effectively with a central office.

FOCUS makes use of GIS data to semi-automate the reporting process. This further minimises the time a technician needs to spend on data entry.

The free flow of real time information between field staff, the call centre and supervisors facilitates appropriate work allocation. The technician’s job queues can stay full with tasks that match their skill set. This increases their productivity, as well as their job satisfaction because field staff are not sent to jobs that require work beyond their level of expertise.

When call centre and dispatch staff know the location of the mobile workforce, they can schedule the field staff for jobs that are close to their current location, cutting down the waste of long travel times.

FOCUS can operate when there is no internet connectivity. Field staff can do their data entry and FOCUS will update when the user is back in range.

With FOCUS, technicians and personnel in the field can have access to all the support systems and applications in the corporate office. Eliminating the wait for return phone calls or the need to go back to the office. This access facilitates real time problem solving where field and administrative staff can work together to achieve collaborative results.

Since most field users find FOCUS easy to use there is little time away from the job to complete training. All FOCUS training is performed by experts with relevant industry experience.

When the mobile and office bound workforce of a utility or local government are working together, the entire enterprise will operate efficiently. FOCUS keeps an open line of communication among all operational units of a business allowing for seamless collaboration.

The goal of FOCUS is to keep the customer satisfied.

More information: www.fieldtec.com

Source: WhaTech