Field Service Automated Scheduling | Benefits & Use Case

Businesses rely on manual methods for their field service processes, but the use of spreadsheets for collecting, analyzing and actioning data in field service scheduling can be challenging as they were not designed for scheduling jobs. The data input heavily depends on the person entering the data, so if the person changes or the way of scheduling jobs changes, using spreadsheets as a reliable source of data can be limiting.

To achieve the key goals of speed and accuracy, it’s crucial to use Automated Scheduling software to balance the data entry and automatic data collection.

In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of automated scheduling and some use cases that demonstrate how it can be used in the field service industry.

What is Automated Scheduling

Automated scheduling is a process that uses data from your business and user-defined parameters and then employs AI to select the best employee for a particular shift. It helps streamline the scheduling process by finding and scheduling the right employee with the right job based on skills, availability, overtime limits, business budget, sales data, part-time/full-time status, and ability.

Automated scheduling also helps reduce overtime spending, increase profits, forecast labor demand, maintain compliance, build strong relationships, and allow for strategic planning. The technology helps ensure that the most efficient and cost-effective schedule is created. Automated scheduling also helps reduce human errors, as the system considers all relevant data points to create the most accurate schedule possible.

For example, Ultimate Home Services LLC (UHS) implemented Dynamics 365 Field Service and Resource Scheduling Optimization (RSO) to enhance customer experience and optimize their field services. They were able to make smarter scheduling decisions, match orders to technicians, and visualize their schedules on a board and a map.

The Importance of Automated Scheduling

With Field Service automated scheduling, your business can save time and money by automating service tasks. Here are the benefits of using Field Service automated scheduling:

• Reduced service time

  Automated service tasks can be completed quickly and efficiently, reducing the time your field staff spends on service tasks. This allows your field staff to spend more time helping customers with their problems and less time on tasks that are done better by technology.

• Increased efficiency

  Automated service tasks are organized and scheduled to ensure they’re conducted in a timely and effective manner. Businesses can significantly improve their efficiency by utilizing Field Service automated scheduling software to automate routine service tasks. They can quickly schedule meetings, book flights, purchase items, book hotels, order food, purchase gift cards, and more. By automating these routine service tasks, businesses can free up their employees to focus on more strategic tasks.

• Reduced service errors

  By automating service tasks, you can reduce the number of service errors. This leads to improved customer satisfaction and increased business profits. Investing in a service management system allows you to assign tasks to service agents and track these tasks in a precise and detailed way. This way, you can be sure that each service request gets the right attention and level of service. Increased frequency of service processes decreases the probability that they will be interrupted by unexpected problems.

• Increased customer satisfaction

  By automating service tasks, you can ensure that your customers are satisfied with the quality of your service, leading to increased customer loyalty and increased sales. Automated scheduling allows customers to schedule appointments online or via a mobile app, which is more convenient than traditional scheduling methods. Additionally, automated scheduling allows customers to see the technician’s estimated arrival time, improving the customer’s experience and reducing the need for follow-up calls.

• Increased business profitability

  You can reduce costs and increase profits by automating service tasks. This leads to greater stability and growth for your business.

• Optimize resources

  Automated scheduling also helps field service organizations optimize their resources. It allows them to match the right technician with the right job based on the technician’s skills, location, and availability. This ensures that the best-suited technician is dispatched to a job, which can improve the quality of service and reduce the time required to complete a job.

• Job Prioritization and Scheduling

  A facility management company uses field service automated scheduling software to prioritize and schedule jobs for their field workers. This helps the company to efficiently manage its workload and improve response time to customer requests.

  One of the most common use cases of automated scheduling in the field service industry is in the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) industry. HVAC technicians need to be dispatched to homes and businesses to repair and maintain HVAC systems. Automated scheduling can help HVAC companies match the right technician with the right job based on the technician’s skills, location, and availability. Additionally, it allows the company to schedule appointments based on the availability of parts and materials, which can reduce downtime and improve efficiency.

• Automated Job Allocation and Real-time Job Status Update

  A delivery company uses field service automated scheduling software to automate the allocation of jobs to their drivers and provide real-time updates on job status. This helps the company to optimize its resources and improve customer satisfaction.

  Telecommunications companies need to dispatch technicians to install and maintain telephone and internet services. Automated scheduling can help these companies match the right technician with the right job based on the technician’s skills, location, and availability.

Field Service Automated Scheduling: Case Studies

• Baxi

  Baxi, a division of BDR Thermea, is a leading European manufacturer and distributor of water and space heating systems. With over 6,700 employees and a turnover exceeding €1.7 billion, the company has a strong presence in continental Europe and the United Kingdom. It expands into new markets such as Romania and Argentina. Baxi’s growing business required a solution to improve the efficiency of job scheduling and reduce operational costs, enabling it to keep up with increased service demand from new markets.

  To improve job scheduling efficiency and reduce operational costs, Baxi implemented ServicePower’s scheduling solution. As a result, the company was able to adjust to market demand rapidly, allocate jobs more effectively, and achieve higher first-time-fix and schedule adherence rates, leading to improved customer satisfaction.

  With the implementation of ServicePower’s scheduling solution, Baxi experienced a 10% increase in customer satisfaction rates, a 30% increase in the number of service calls completed per day, a 15% reduction in travel costs, and cost savings from better capacity planning and reduced over-staffing.

• Camuzzi Gas

  Camuzzi Gas Pampeana S.A. and Camuzzi Gas del Sur S.A. are the largest natural gas supplier in Argentina, serving 2.5 million clients and managing 10,000 km of gas pipelines and a 50,000 km gas supply network. To optimize the planning of field operations, mobilize resources and improve customer experience, the company decided to implement Geocall, a field service management solution.

  Geocall allows businesses to manage commercial processes on the field such as installing meters, services on previously installed meters, and managing overdue payments. The solution includes a server component and a mobile component running on Android devices that allowed Camuzzi Gas to maximize the number of performed activities and reduce teams, the time required and distance covered.

  Additionally, it also covered emergency management, supported urgent intervention activities to reach a given location in the shortest time possible and provided real-time information sharing with the control center.

Takeaway

Automated Scheduling has the potential to make your field service business highly responsive and agile. Though designing optimization algorithms that respond in real-time to changes is a challenge. Many interrelated variables are working, such as job types, employee availability, and uncertain demands that require careful consideration when building AI scheduling algorithms. Still, if a company is determined to incorporate smart scheduling, it can relish the benefits outlined above in the article.

We help utility, and on-demand service providers deploy field management app solutions. Our solution system is completely customizable to meet the needs of your business. Our experience shows generalizing IT solutions reduces the value an organization can leverage from them. Contact our custom mobile app development company, and one of our executives will give you a demo to help you make an informed decision.