The Importance of Assessing Your Field Service Operations

Gone are the days when field services could be an afterthought. In today’s competitive business world, field service operations are essential for delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving growth.

You already know the importance of optimizing operations, but how systematic is your optimization plan? Have you considered the benefits of conducting an operational maturity assessment?

If you’re serious about optimizing your field service operations and shifting them from a reactive to a proactive business model, then conducting an operational maturity assessment is a critical first step. You will gain the insights you need to make meaningful improvements to your field services and connected business operations.

Let’s explore exactly why you should assess your field service operations, how it can help you reach mature field service operations, and how to start with this process today.

What is Field Service Maturity?

Field service maturity is the degree to which a company has implemented technology to improve different technical and administrative operations. Field service management (FSM) technology can help companies automate tasks, track assets—technicians, vehicles, inventory, and capital equipment—and manage customer interactions. All of which can lead to improved customer satisfaction and reduced costs.

There are many different frameworks for assessing field service maturity, but the simplest way is to break it down into basic, developing, and mature stages.

Basic

At this level, field service teams rely primarily on paper-based tracking and simple digital tools like spreadsheets to manage work. Work orders might all get completed, but processes are slower than they could be, and workflows need more visibility. In other words, little is measurable, and tracking metrics beyond work order closure rates is often impossible. Also, field service teams typically sit in their own siloes at this level, not integrated with other teams or wider business operations.

Developing

At this stage, field service teams have implemented some degree of technology and have closer to real-time insight into their operations. That allows them to gather more data to measure key performance indicators (KPIs), which starts a powerful feedback loop of improvement.

They are seeing where their workflows excel and where they fall short. Identifying problem trends can also point teams toward where to work more proactively. For example, if you regularly see the same failure six months after an asset’s deployment, you can establish a better-suited preventative maintenance schedule.

Mature

Finally, we have mature field service operations, which are fully proactive. Here, operations are fully automated and managed on an FSM platform that not only integrates all field service workflows but integrates with the wider business.

Technicians become a front-line interface between the company and their customers. Instead of simply delivering a service in response to customer requests, the field service team is creating a competitive advantage for the company by reducing operation costs and improving customer experiences.

IoT sensors and other technology also provide even greater insights into the assets your team services. That enables predictive maintenance scheduling and even more granular data for tracking KPIs.

Why Should you Move Field Services from Reactive to Proactive?

Reactive field service teams wait for customers to report a problem. Going on-site, they aim to fix a technical fault as quickly as possible, but that is about it. Organizations with this mindset typically view field services as just a cost center.

On the other hand, proactive field service operations leverage preventative and predictive maintenance plans and apply customer service best practices to shift field services to become a profit center. Proactive field services are typically better at reducing downtime, improving customer satisfaction, and supporting better decision-making within their own organization.

• Reduced downtime—Thanks to easier predictive and preventative maintenance capabilities, FSM technology can help you eliminate problems before they crop up, reducing customer downtime.
• Improved customer satisfaction—Reduced downtime and efficient, professional service calls will make your customers even more satisfied with your service. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and repeat business.
• Lower costs—By giving you tighter control over inventory, processes, and schedules, FSM technology can boost first-time fix rates (FTFRs), so your technicians spend less time and use fewer parts to resolve customer problems.
• Better decision-making—FSM technology can help you collect and analyze data at every point in your field service operations. These insights inform your leadership’s strategic decision-making and allow you to make better operational decisions about how, when, and where to deploy your resources best.

Why Should We Conduct an Operational Maturity Assessment?

No two field service operations are alike, but most teams can follow a straightforward operational maturity assessment to understand where they can make the most meaningful changes to their operations.

You will understand your current operating conditions

You cannot embark on a journey until you clearly understand your starting point. An operational maturity assessment provides valuable insights into your existing processes, systems, and performance metrics. Are they truly as effective as you think they are? Are you overlooking any meaningful KPIs? Or can you simply not measure them yet?

By objectively evaluating your operations, you gain a comprehensive view of your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This awareness is the foundation for building strategies to enhance your field service operations.

Identify inefficiencies

No matter how well-established your field service operations may be, there is always room for improvement. Conducting an operational assessment helps identify inefficiencies that may hinder your company’s growth and reduce customer satisfaction. It lets you pinpoint bottlenecks in your operations you might not otherwise see during day-to-day work. It will also streamline processes and eliminate redundant activities.

Learn how to leverage new technology cost-effectively

Technology plays a pivotal role in transforming field service operations. An operational maturity assessment can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your current technology infrastructure and determine if it aligns with your business goals. Whether adopting Dynamics 365 for Field Service or integrating other innovative solutions, the assessment enables you to leverage technology to automate processes, empower your workforce, and improve overall operational efficiency.

And drive continuous improvement

Operational maturity assessments should be seen as something other than a one-time quick fix. They are part of an ongoing continuous improvement process.

By conducting periodic assessments, you can track progress, measure the impact of implemented improvements, and identify emerging challenges. This iterative approach ensures that your field service operations remain agile, adaptable, and constantly aligned with your business’s and customers’ evolving needs.

How Velosio Can Help

Assessing your field service operations is critical to reaching full operational maturity. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of your current state, identifying inefficiencies, leveraging technology, and driving continuous improvement, you can optimize your operations for success. With Dynamics 365 for Field Service as a powerful tool, you can streamline processes, empower your workforce, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Ready to establish a baseline for where your operations currently are at? Sign up for your Field Service Operations Assessment with our experts today.