How can you help your field technicians become more productive

Field technicians are arguably one of the most important parts of any field service business. Without them, a business can’t function at all. That’s why it’s important for you to pay a lot of attention to improving the day-to-day of field technicians so that they can work better. 

One thing to keep in mind is that the evolution of technology has slowly taken over almost every facet of life, both in personal and professional areas. That’s why businesses should be open to introducing new technology-based methods to speed up their performance and boost their productivity. Most of today’s innovation helps to improve and simplify field service and maintenance tasks, automate actions, as well as streamline processes and responses. It takes care of all the hassle related to old-fashioned and previously used methods to handle everyday tasks.

If you’re searching for new ways to help your field technicians improve their fieldwork, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered a few of the best tips and tricks out there to help you get started. 

Using time tracking software 

Time tracking software helps field service businesses track all kinds of time-related details of different projects. It allows field service businesses to get information about an employee’s overtime and vacation days which are used to calculate payouts. Among other things, time tracking software makes it convenient to keep track of the working hours of every field service technician. 

Atto, for example, provides accurate time and location (GPS) tracking alongside many other perks that thousands of businesses use every day. The on-duty and off-duty systems capture the data of every technician within two clicks. Businesses then have a precise overview of who is available, who is on vacation, who is on a break, and who is working. With this kind of information, a business can optimize and schedule the field workforce to maximize productivity and make sure that jobs are completed on time. You no longer have to keep the physical data of all on-duty field technicians, because everything is digitally stored and ready to be accessed anytime.

Benefits of using time tracking software

When your field technicians have a reliable system to track their working hours in place, then they will only have to focus on completing jobs. A few more benefits include:

• Automated clocking in and out

• Enhanced policy adherence

• Complete visibility of your workforce

• Reduced conflicts over payroll

• Reduced manual labor and paperwork

• Reduced chances of errors in reporting

• It saves time for the technician as well as the office staff

• Captures the non-working time, like breaks and vacation days

• Adds notes to explain the absences like early finish, late arrival, etc.

To put it in simple words, a time tracking software can do pretty much all of the paperwork regarding working hours for field service businesses. Technicians no longer have to worry about submitting accurate timesheets or recording their work. Everything is available and automatically updated with just a few taps. When you take away the administrative side of their job, all they have to focus on is perfecting their craft and efficiently completing jobs. It relieves mental strain and lets them focus on work.

Dispatch the right technicians 

As we all know, a field service business is a kind of business that delivers its services to people by sending their field technicians to the sites where they’re needed. This means that dispatching the right technician for the right job is extremely important. It’s not only good for the business but also the technician. Only an expert field technician can do an excellent job in an assigned task that corresponds to their experience and skills. 

Dispatching field technicians who don’t have the right skill set for a job will only make the job harder for them to do. And if a job is difficult, it will not be fun or fulfilling. Your technicians should be comfortable doing their jobs, otherwise, they will struggle and risk not completing the job successfully. This runs the risk of clients not being satisfied with the work, the technicians not being happy with the job they do, and an overall bad review for your business.

So, besides integrating a time tracking application software into your business, dispatching the right technician is also very important. It will help the technician work efficiently in the field of their expertise. 

Route technicians efficiently

Labor costs and fuel can run up the bill on the service order; therefore, it is in the business's best interest to ensure that the technicians take the shortest and the fastest routes to their destinations. In this way, a field service business can easily and efficiently map the easiest, fastest, and most efficient route between the actual business building and the job site. 

Being able to reduce the travel time of field technicians will increase productivity and not let technicians spend a lot of time on the road. Atto, besides offering accurate time tracking, also offers the option to track the location of your employees. You can track the usual routes and go through your data to determine which roads are the fastest. It also helps them avoid traffic while traveling to the job sites. 

Regularly check tools and machinery

Tools and machinery are a major part of a technician’s work. Having some sort of logging system regarding equipment enables both businesses and field technicians to diagnose issues quickly. They can do so by viewing the service history of every piece of equipment, as well as previously used service tickets, notes, meter readings, and more. 

This piece of information is much valuable as it has the capacity to drastically reduce the amount of time that a field technician may spend troubleshooting, getting new tools, or fixing old ones. One example is sending out field technicians with faulty batteries. They won’t be able to power a certain piece of equipment, which in turn would delay the completion of a job. Staying ahead of faulty equipment is a must if you want your technicians to improve their work.

Whether you’re integrating a time tracking software, establishing a regular route-checking system, or staying on top of equipment maintenance, any innovation that you bring will help improve your technicians’ day-to-day. It’s important to keep in mind that your technicians are an integral part of your business. Including them in the decision-making process will make things run more smoothly and you won’t risk any potential problems. And remember that their opinions and suggestions are incredibly helpful when deciding what you need to do to make their job easier and satisfying.