Think about all of the individual apps, files and messages you interact with every day. There are field service management apps, emails, text messages, spreadsheets, contracts, web forms, PDFs, social media messages and on and on.
Now multiply these interactions by the number of employees in your company. For many service companies, these interactions can add up to thousands of separate tasks every day, and the the majority of them are performed manually.
The tasks performed can be grouped into departments or roles, including:
- Customer service
- Dispatch
- Accounting
- Sales & marketing
- Field service
- Human resources
For many small-to-medium size service companies multiple roles are often performed by a single person.
For an HR manager, their duties usually include hiring, screening, on-boarding, and in some cases payroll and managing benefits. These separate tasks involve many tasks, including: writing and posting job descriptions, posting ads to multiple job websites, responding to emails, reviewing applications, checking references, performing background checks, filing documents, and more.
How Can Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical and Other Service Companies Use Workflow Automation?
There are many ways that field service companies can use workflow automation to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Here are just a few examples:
- Scheduling and dispatch: Automating the scheduling and dispatch process can help ensure that technicians are dispatched to jobs in a timely and efficient manner.
- Invoicing and billing: Automating invoicing and billing processes can help save time and reduce errors, as well as improve cash flow by getting paid faster.
- Customer communication: Automating communication with customers can keep customers informed about the status of their service requests, schedule appointments, and answer frequently asked questions.
- Inventory management: Automating inventory management can help track and reorder supplies as needed, reducing the risk of running out of vital materials on a job.
- Quality control: Automating quality control processes can help service companies ensure that all work is completed to a high standard and meets relevant regulations and codes.
These are just a few of the ways workflow automation can help field service companies save time, reduce errors, and improve the efficiency of their operations.
Next up: Learn about Workflow Automation Tools.
