Increased profitability and quality: the winning combination of efficient service management!
Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right tools - that's the perfect equation for successful operations management!
It's no mean feat, however, since these operations involve precise planning of missions, perfect coordination of field teams and mastery of the unexpected. What's more, it's all about keeping your customers satisfied!
However, since good operations management is a key performance driver, and above all a differentiating factor, it's out of the question to take it lightly.
That's why this article reveals best practices and software to help you become more efficient 💪.
Definition of intervention management
Intervention management refers to the process of planning and coordinating a technician's intervention activities, whether for:
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maintenance ;
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repairs ;
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on-site services.
These actions can be carried out on behalf of a company, an organization or a private individual.
With high-quality service management, you can be sure that your teams are working in the right place, at the right time, with the right resources. However, the smooth running of this often complex process requires the use of digital tools, such as :
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CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) software ;
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FSM (Field Service Management) software.
💡 Note: there are various types of intervention:
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preventive intervention, programmed to avoid future breakdowns or malfunctions ;
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curative work, which consists in repairing a problem once it has occurred;
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compliance intervention, to adapt a system to new standards.
The main challenges of intervention management in 2024
Just like other sectors, Field Service Management, and more specifically intervention management, is not spared by societal and technological evolutions.
This brings with it a host of challenges 👉.
Satisfied customers
In the age of hyperconnection, customers are less inclined to tolerate errors and delays. At the same time, customer satisfaction has become a key differentiating factor.
As a result, companies must ensure the excellence of their services, because if they don't, consumers will not hesitate to go and see if the grass is greener with the competitor.
☝️ One of your key levers is responsiveness. Customers expect rapid, well-coordinated action, especially when problems arise. Of course, the quality of the work itself also plays a role.
Process dematerialization
Field Service Management is also following in the footsteps of dematerialization, which is now being integrated into all sectors. And with good reason: the result is real savings in time and productivity, thanks in particular to the use of tools capable of automating numerous tasks.
What's more, dematerialization is part of a more environmentally-friendly, 0-paper approach, reflecting a commitment to a sustainable economy.
More efficient team management
Another major challenge facing organizations is team coordination.
This is an arduous task, especially when dealing with a large number of players, from customers to technicians to managers.
It's important to pay particular attention to :
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planning, taking into account not only organizational factors, but also customer requirements;
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communication in the field;
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resource management, to avoid cost overruns without compromising service quality.
Constant compliance with standards and safety
Last but not least, intervention processes must always comply with strict regulations, particularly in terms of safety. Failure to comply could result in sanctions, litigation or even accidents.
In the event of a problem, you need to have all the information you need to prove that the work has been carried out to the required standards.
☝️ Of course, prevention is better than cure. Organize regular training courses for your technicians.
What are the benefits of optimized service management?
Good service management means taking the above-mentioned issues into account to improve processes and deliver an experience that's as satisfying for the customer as it is profitable for the company.
Ultimately, organizations will reap numerous benefits, generally revolving around the following two gains: improved productivity and boosted sales.
Improved team productivity
Optimizing service management goes hand in hand with the use of dedicated software. And software means process automation, for the benefit of team productivity.
What's more, via the mobile applications of these technologies, technicians can access all the information they need in just a few clicks:
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service history ;
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manuals ;
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instructions, etc.
And all directly from the field. Downtime and idle time are reduced!
Boosted sales
Good service management also means lower operating costs. This process goes hand in hand with more precise planning, which in turn helps to manage resources more efficiently.
But above all, you're working towards the sacrosanct goal of customer satisfaction! For example, high-quality service management ensures that your technicians are more responsive in the field: not only do they arrive faster, but they also solve the problem more efficiently, without having to travel several times (the famous First Time Fix Rate).
A happy customer is a customer who stays loyal to you... and makes you more money!
How to manage interventions effectively? 5 best practices to know
#1 Centralize and analyze your data
In today's business world, everything is data. And it's data that drives business actions, including in Field Service Management.
Consequently, the first best practice is to centralize all information relating to interventions within a single software package, to better analyze situations and make the right decisions.
💡 Namely: wise managers will set up KPIs (average intervention time, number of interventions carried out per day, customer satisfaction rate, etc.), fed if possible by data updated in real time, to finely identify areas for improvement.
#2 Improve the planning and monitoring of your interventions
Between saving time, optimizing resources and customer satisfaction, you'll have understood just how important it is to improve planning, before the technician's tour itself.
We recommend that you :
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establish priorities, based on reliable, pre-defined criteria (criticality level, for example) ;
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analyze the causes of delays (this is where our famous 👋 data comes in) and learn from them;
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provide room for maneuver in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
💡 What is effective intervention planning? Discover the answer in our article Le planning d'intervention, un indispensable pour organiser vos interventions terrain !
#3 Implement preventive maintenance
Another best practice: schedule regular interventions to check the condition of equipment before a breakdown occurs. This is known as preventive or predictive maintenance.
It has the advantage not only of reducing the need for emergency interventions, which can wreak havoc with team organization, but also of cutting repair costs. Interesting, isn't it 😉 ?
#4 Streamline communication with teams in the field
Good collaboration between teams generally plays a big part in a company's success.
In our case, the challenge lies in dealing with mobile employees.
This means equipping them with devices that enable them to :
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access work information at all times ;
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report problems in real time;
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communicate easily with technical support.
#5 Turn to the right software
In fact, implementing the best practices outlined above goes hand in hand with the use of specific software.
These platforms optimize all processes, especially those of your mobile employees. So, when they're out and about, they can access the necessary data directly from their smartphone or tablet, and produce the required documents live.
At the same time, supervisors benefit from these technologies. For example, managers responsible for drawing up schedules can react more quickly to unforeseen events, and then communicate these to technicians.
Centralized information, performance analysis, collaboration... the benefits are still numerous!
How to choose your service management software?
The importance of functional coverage
The first thing to look for when choosing a software package? Its functional coverage, which must perfectly match your needs.
Scheduling, real-time tracking of interventions... certain functions are essential. However, we sometimes come across industry-specific features , leading to the development of more "business" oriented platforms.
🛠️ One example is Altagem Gestion Interventions, a mobile job and site management solution for landscapers. Combined with a mobile application, it includes all the tools needed to manage all the tasks performed by contractors and administrative staff. You'll gain in efficiency not only in planning and coordinating jobs, but also in communicating with customers and managing human resources. All in line with the needs of landscape professionals.
Other criteria to consider
To make the right choice, there are other criteria to consider too:
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Integration with other systems. This will enable you to benefit from the productivity gains mentioned above, including the avoidance of double data entry.
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Price. As with any tool, yours must promise the best possible return on investment.
💰 What about free intervention management software? Whether it's open source or not, intervention management software is an interesting alternative... but one that quickly presents limitations, particularly in terms of functionality and support. -
Customization and adaptability, essential for addressing your specific needs (creating customized workflows, adding specific fields, configuring access rights, etc.).
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Ease of use. We can't stress this enough, but a platform's lack of intuitiveness compromises its adoption and use by users.
Technical intervention management software: what to remember?
Like any industry, service management is subject to fierce competition. As a result, organizations must strive for customer satisfaction (a sine qua non for customer loyalty) as well as operational profitability.
And that's no mean feat, since you have to deal with players with very specific constraints, especially field staff.
Faced with such challenges, there's only one solution: digitalize operations. With the right service management software, you can automate tedious tasks, centralize data and streamline communication between teams.
The result is greater responsiveness (and even proactivity) on the part of your company... which won't go unnoticed by your beloved customers 😍.
Article translated from French