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How Field Service Augments Sustainability and Boosts Profits

How Field Service Augments Sustainability and Boosts Profits

Adopting sustainable business practices serves environmental causes, but the true benefits of added sustainability have more far-reaching capabilities than saving the planet alone. Developing sustainable practices in the workplace has the potential to improve human health and environmental well-being, while also increasing profits for participating companies. Implementing field service software driven by artificial intelligence (AI) empowers field service organizations to embrace sustainability by streamlining workplace operations, reducing waste, limiting budgetary spending, and improving work order accuracy. Field service software helps organizations develop more positive reputations as businesses that care about both the environment and their customers.

Listen Now: How sustainability initiatives and FSM technology intersect

The Cost-Effective Advantages of Sustainable Workflows

Developing and adopting more efficient and environmentally-friendly workflows for field service technicians presents an array of worthwhile benefits. In addition to working towards a cleaner, healthier environment, businesses in the field service industry can take advantage of time-saving opportunities, cost-reducing procedures, and a more functional, economically and environmentally-sound operation.

This article will cover four of the key benefits that come from using ServicePower’s capabilities, each of which can be used to secure a more sustainable business model for companies.

 

Reducing Travel Time and Expenses

By utilizing route and AI-driven scheduling optimization software, field service professionals travel more efficiently and cost effectively. Field service software makes it far easier for technicians and other field workers to make fewer trips to and from job sites, take shorter routes to save time, and reduce the expenses that frequent travel incurs (e.g. gasoline, vehicle maintenance).

In practice, using ServicePower has led to a 15% reduction in travel time on average for field service workers. Furthermore, ServicePower’s AI-based field service management scheduling capacity has helped customers reduce gasoline needed for traveling to and from job sites by 3 million gallons.

It’s also worth noting that by using Internet of Things (IoT) technology such as smart devices, field service workers are better able to manage inventories, predict maintenance needs, and prevent vehicle or equipment breakdowns that are significantly expensive to remedy.

Augmented reality (AR) tools also play an important role in diagnostic processes. With ServicePower, field service professionals can troubleshoot and diagnose potential issues remotely. In some scenarios, field service-related issues can be remedied from that point, without forcing the field technician to travel to the job site in order to complete the task at hand. By removing the need to drive to and from customer job sites, technicians refrain from using gasoline and help lower their carbon footprint. 

 

Faster and More Effective Job Completion Rates

Adopting field service software helps organizations embrace remote work and improve efficiency, therefore improving sustainability. As mentioned above, augmented reality programs enable remote diagnostics and troubleshooting techniques, which greatly reduces the need for on-site visits. 

On top of the potential to save time and travel expenses, using augmented reality also reduces the occurrence of human errors which would otherwise require some degree of rework at a later time. Thanks to the visual overlay components of augmented reality, field service technicians and other professionals have real-time, accurate images to rely on for diagnostic purposes.

With increased efficiency thanks to augmented reality and AI-driven scheduling, field service organizations can increase first-time fix rates by as much as 40%. This means a reduction in technician travel, better customer experiences, and also improved carbon footprints. 

 

Cloud and Mobile Solutions

ServicePower’s cloud and mobile-based solution harnesses the power of real-time data collection and analysis. Because the technology collects and stores all of the data from past, present, and scheduled jobs as the information arrives, field service professionals can view work orders any time, anywhere. 

Accessing accurate and real-time inventory levels and secure customer data on the go helps technicians come better equipped to job sites with the right tools they need to complete the job on the first try. AI-scheduling and mobile route optimization software ensures that technicians take the most efficient route to equipment warehouses and customer job sites, helping reduce travel time by 15%. 

In addition, cloud and mobile solutions make it easy for employees throughout a business to connect and communicate with one another and with customers on the go. Alterations to technician schedules can be updated in real-time, and technicians can even communicate with customers about updates regarding a service job. This helps 

improve the technician’s ability to react flexibly to changes without requiring redundant travel times due to miscommunication or last-minute changes. 

 

Environmental Benefits and Social Responsibility

Perhaps the most promising component of ServicePower’s implementation is the environmental impact that more efficient business practices stand to yield. Through optimized route planning, remote diagnostic tools, and decreased travel needs, businesses can reduce their carbon footprints. By reducing the amount of travel required for service providers, businesses can expect to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce travel expenses as well. 

ServicePower has already led to an annual reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 30,000 tons.

 

Technology’s Role in Field Service Sustainability

Technology plays an important role in making sustainability a more accessible goal for companies. By using the right field service solutions and mastering the latest technological advancements, managers and technicians can completely transform their otherwise wasteful workflows into efficient, sustainable business models. 

As mentioned, the key features of field service management software that empower companies to increase efficiency, sustainability, and profitability include:

  • Internet of Things (IoT) Technologies
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Augmented Reality (AR)
  • Mobile Capabilities
  • Cloud Security

Sustainable Business Tips

The right field service solution can introduce a world of efficient and environmentally-friendly workflow capabilities. With IoT-driven servitization, field service organizations can embrace a predictive maintenance service model that eliminates the need for redundant service trips and equipment downtime. AI-driven schedule, dispatch, and route optimization help technicians stay local and avoid wasteful routes. AR and mobile technology empower technicians and customers to communicate in real-time and access a wealth of actionable information at their fingertips. This reduces the need for multiple trips to service a single job, making field service customers and the environment happy.  

By focusing on reducing each field service provider’s carbon footprint, managers and other business leaders can introduce numerous eco-friendly efforts throughout the company. One goal might be to transition from traditional fuel-burning vehicles and equipment to electric or hybrid service vehicles. Another might involve business leaders and public relations professionals introducing company-wide environmentally conscious practices for employees. Remote work options, waste reduction, smart utility usage, and other simple behaviors stand to not only enhance the sustainability efforts the business is already pursuing, but these measures also encourage employees to become more involved with achieving the company’s eco-friendly goals.

 

ServicePower Boosts Sustainability & Profitability

Using ServicePower to enhance your company’s sustainability initiatives presents the potential for compressed travel times, reduced travel costs, less wear on vehicles and equipment, better predictive maintenance options, greater technician efficiency, and connectivity regardless of location. With ServicePower’s intelligent field service solution, you can increase profits while improving your carbon footprint and customer experience. 

 

To discover more in-depth coverage of field service sustainability, read our expert Field Service Sustainability eBook.

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