Businesses in every industry are facing the “big data” dilemma. Customer records, transaction details, various performance metrics—it all piles up in your back-end systems, and if you’re lucky, you know what to do with half of it. A recent survey by IDG Enterprise reported that the average company now manages 164 terabytes of data. Year-over-year, that number is growing as fast as 56 percent.
Field service companies in particular know the challenges of information overload since their operations generate heaps of data about technicians, assets, equipment, customers, job details, and geographic information. If your company uses disparate systems and paper-based methods, you probably feel pretty overwhelmed, maybe even helpless, about your data. Can you pull it all together into one place? And if you did, would it even be accurate?
If you’re using field service management software, on the other hand, you already have centralized access and the analytical tools to interpret your data. But then what? What can you do with the data?
Leveraging Data for Competitive Advantage
Too often, field service companies see data as a necessary but innocuous operational component, like gasoline in a vehicle. But data is powerful and dynamic—a valuable business commodity that can improve your bottom line. Analyzing data successfully is about making the right choices as a business:
- Day-to-day choices: decisions made on the spot that pertain to the logistics and minutiae of field service (route planning, schedule adjustments, issue resolution, etc.)
- Big picture choices: more strategic decisions that have long-term effects on the business (workforce restructuring, pursuance of new markets, procurement of new technology, etc.).
The best way to make “right choices” is to make data-driven choices, not to mimic competitors or go with your gut. That means mining your software systems and using empirical, quantitative methods to derive actionable intelligence. The IDG survey states that almost 60 percent of modern businesses say that “improving the quality of decision making” is the top reason they invest in big data initiatives.
Tangible Ways to Use FSM Data
Still, the phrase “big data” can be a bit confusing. How much data constitutes “big” data? What is a big data initiative? Should you hire a “data scientist?” In reality, you should avoid these abstractions. Instead, try to identify specific areas where the data in your FSM software can help you make better decisions. Here are five strategies to get you started:
1. Dynamic scheduling:
When it comes to scheduling your service calls or planning routes, the first-come, first-served approach seems fair on the surface. Assign each technician or driver a territory and let them work through stops one-at-a-time. But this approach lacks discretion and fails to use available data. Dispatchers can use FSM software to plan routes and appointments based on worker availability, job cost, parts or skills needed, and geolocation factors. This method ensures that the right agent will always be assigned to the right job at the right time. It also means agents won’t drive out of the way to do a job they may not be suited for, or might lack the right parts for.
2. Predictive analytics:
Field services, perhaps more than any other industry, is heavily influenced by the “internet of things” or IoT. According to the FTC, there are approximately 25 billion connected devices worldwide. As remote sensors, meters, monitors, and other connected devices continue to grow in popularity, companies have an opportunity to tap into these data streams. By measuring temperature, pressure, flow, and voltage, a service agent can (ideally) predict and prevent problems before they emerge. This remote monitoring process can be used for consumer assets like air conditioners, thermostats, home appliances, and utility meters. Or, it can be used for company assets, such as industrial machinery and fleet vehicles.
3. Identify service inefficiencies:
Upper management can use reporting and analytics features built into their FSM software to find recurring problems or service bottlenecks and isolate common causes. Maybe a particular route is plagued by late arrivals, or the same part has failed in multiple pieces of equipment. Service inefficiencies can also be caused by environmental factors such as traffic, weather, and geography. A data-driven approach to problem-solving will save time and effort that might have been expended on guessing and “seems like” statements. E.g. It seems like we’ve encountered this problem before. In turn, customers and stakeholders will benefit from faster solutions and less downtime.
4. Track key performance indicators:
A continuous improvement mindset requires diligent tracking of key performance indicators, or KPIs. By measuring KPIs, managers can establish a baseline and set goals for individual agents based on previous performance. This means agents can be evaluated based on start/end times and first-time fix rates. Some companies even implement employee incentive programs to encourage better performance. KPIs also help different business units suggest operational improvements. For example, a CFO might want to know the average revenue/cost per service call and share ideas for streamlining onsite work. Missed KPIs for service completion, meanwhile, might signal a need to expand the workforce or concentrate operations in a particular region.
5. Route planning:
For all practical purposes, field service and mobility are inseparable. That’s why most FSM solutions incorporate mobile tools for scheduling, job management, and route planning. Route planning and navigation apps feed customer and geolocation data into complex algorithms to get your agents and contractors where they need to be, faster. Most of these apps also account for speed limits, real-time traffic, and road delays, which saves time, lowers fuel use, and lets technicians worry about the job at hand. To give an example, the United Parcel Service (UPS) is saving an estimated 10 million gallons of fuel and $300 million per year by using a custom routing tool called ORION (On-Road Integrated Optimization Navigation).
Making the best analytical use of your FSM software really isn’t about “big data.” You don’t need millions of data points and a dedicated data scientist to make a decision about which service call to schedule first (in most cases). Companies with the most competitive field service understand the importance of relevant data, and they use this approach to make better decisions.
If you’re already using FSM software, this is easier to achieve than you may think. First, inventory your data. To what metrics and intelligence does your FSM system provide access? Second, identify the tools you can use to interpret this data (custom reports, analytics, modeling, heat maps, etc.). Finally, use the acquired insights to get onsite faster, do better work, and lower costs along the way. Measure, analyze, apply.
Field Guide for Managing to Service KPIs
All businesses try to use data to meet key performance indicators for each role. Your service department is no different. Download our informative white paper to learn specific KPIs and strategies for CEOs, Service Managers, Schedulers, and Technicians.
Image Credit: Amy Ashida / TechnologyAdvice
