HVAC is an industry within field service where time and efficiency are crucial. If a client’s heat goes down in the winter (in most parts of the world) or his or her AC goes down in the summer (ditto), it...
There are two major factors impacting how you approach work order management in the next 5-10 years. Those are: ● Shifting customer expectations ● A VUCA mindset in the service industry We’ll take those one-by-one now. Shifting customer expectations: Stories...
A few years ago, we put in a call to one of our clients to ask about pain points in his business and what we could help with. When he answered the phone and we started discussing how his day...
If you run an HVAC company and are concerned about the efficiency or effectiveness of your technicians, there are a few different considerations you need to run through. Step 1: How are you measuring effectiveness?This varies by HVAC company. The...
If you think about the last 20-25 years of business in any industry -- but definitely within field service management -- one of the most interesting things that’s happened is that challenges to business growth have moved from “external” to...
By some research, 37 percent of field service organizations are still primarily using a pen-and-paper model for record-keeping, business decisions, and essentially running their entire businesses. That’s 3 in 8, despite the fact that it’s 2016 and we’ve managed to...
Even if your field service operation is a small business, there still might be “silos” within it. One person might focus on scheduling, and another might focus on bills and invoices. Small, family-owned FSOs can have silos – separate departments...
Running an electrical field service management operation can be among the more challenging FSOs to manage. (No offense to any others, of course. All have their challenging days.) If a client calls needing an electrician on-site, there’s a good chance...
In terms of your financials and accounting, what’s most important to your field service organization? Some might say (maybe with a hint of humor) “Making sure we make a lot of money.” That’s a good goal! (Although in all honesty,...
By some measures, the productivity app market is growing about 150% per year. Everyone wants to be more productive. In an era where “busy” can pile up quickly (tasks, responsibilities, and checklists), it’s often hard to navigate from “busy” over...
We’ll be honest with you upfront, although sometimes it’s tough to hear: your small business (or larger business) field service organization is not perfect. (**Ducks as you throw stapler at us!**) No business is perfect, whether you make a lot...
One of the biggest time drains in small businesses can be e-mail. Globally, it’s costing organizations billions in productivity. While one of the benefits of rapid mobile adoption is that it made everyone more connected -- so it’s easier to...