Many field service providers choose to stick with a reactive approach to business. And there certainly is enough work for them to find out there. But you must have a proactive mindset and business strategy to move your business forward. Proactive field service businesses anticipate their customers’ needs and emphasize preventative maintenance. If they do…
It never fails. Technicians are calling out sick, customers are calling in with same-day requests, and then your field service company’s biggest customer calls in with an urgent problem at their most remote satellite location. You don’t have a choice. You have to dispatch someone immediately. Every field service provider has encountered some variation of…
Supply chain management (SCM) is a big deal. After all, a well-managed supply chain enables you to maintain a competitive advantage, tackle complex challenges, and capture new opportunities. It’s also an expansive, complex strategy spanning everything from procurement and shipping to manufacturing, inventory, and supplier relations. In this article, we’ll explain what SCM is, why…
For patients, home healthcare services are, well, regular healthcare services – delivered in a different (read: more convenient) way. For providers, venturing into the field means taking on way more than most businesses – either in the healthcare space or more traditional field services orgs – are prepared to handle. That means, you’re juggling all…
Your business is distribution, but increasingly, every business is in the technology industry. In order to build a resilient operation that can withstand pandemics, supply chain disruptions, and whatever else may come along, you need the right technology stack. Historically, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems have been separate, siloed platforms.…
Historically, discrete manufacturing companies focused mainly on making and selling products and equipment — with minimal effort or consideration re: what happens after the big sale. Manufacturers have always shouldered some responsibility to honor warranties, support 3rd-party technicians and service providers, and investigate recalls. But — these “post-sale interactions” were largely about meeting compliance requirements…
You manage operations for a distributor company, and you want to help operate more efficiently. But you’re not sure just how bad the situation is. Maybe it’s better than you think? You’re also not sure of the data you need to evaluate the situation. That’s where distributor scorecards generated from a business intelligence platform come…
In choosing the proper IT infrastructure for your wholesale distribution company, you need to first understand your options, and the pros and cons of each type of architecture. The technology landscape and options can be confusing. In this post, we take a look at three common methods wholesale distribution companies use in structuring their IT…
The capability to leverage business intelligence and business analytics tools is critical for distributors. Intelligence helps you understand how well you’re operating and the reasons why. Analytics helps you predict what will happen and make the necessary adjustments ahead of time to achieve your business objectives. You can determine how things are going with vendors,…
Resource routing and project management are some of the most important capabilities a field service provider needs to possess. This guide explores best practices for coordinating everything from routine calls to complex field service projects. Your bid was successful, the customer accepted your quote, and you secured the contract on a major new project. That’s…