We Answer Some Common Misconceptions About Field Service Apps

Many businesses with field based employees are considering the possibility of going paperless and transforming their processes into more productive, efficient, digital methods. They may, however, be hesitant due to some common misconceptions about the change to digital processes. We are going to discuss a few of these misconceptions and explain a bit about how Field Service Apps, such as Klipboard can really enhance, not complicate your business.

1. It must be time consuming and costly to setup up

It may seem as though setting up and implementing a digital system to replace old paper methods would be expensive and take time to get to grips with. However, although the initial outgoing cost for tablets or mobile devices on which the platform will run may seem like a large expense, in the long run it will save you both time and money. These are elements that impact the bottom line therefore, a measurable ROI (return on investment) can be established.

You probably don’t realise it but you are likely to be spending a huge amount on not only paper, printing, but also filing and storage of your captured information. The time it takes to enter and re-enter data, manage and store these paper documents, is not only inefficient, it directly costs you money in staffing and valuable hours which could be utilised elsewhere for the generation of revenue. A field service app such as Klipboard allows information to be sent from head office to the field based worker and for captured data to be sent back to the office in real time, speeding up the entire process, and in turn, eliminating costly, unnecessary processes to the company.

2. We are not technically savvy

It may be that you feel you or your staff are not that comfortable using technology within the business, and would rather stick to the well known methods of paper and forms. With Field Service Applications, you will be surprised at how easy and intuitive it is to use them. If you have a smartphone, use Facebook or any other similar application, you are already more savvy than you think! The purpose of a field service app is to make your life easier, not to complicate it and the best way to do this is to try it out and see first hand the benefits it can bring to you, your employees, customers and the business. Many companies offering Field Service Apps provide free trials so you can experience the benefits first hand before committing.

3. Paper works just fine – we’ll stick to our old methods thanks

It may seem as though the paper based methods you have in place at the moment are working well for you and you feel as though you do not need to update your systems. If you had the chance to improve the efficiency, productivity and overall happiness of staff and employees, why wouldn’t you change? The way in which the world is changing and the increase in technology around the world, means that you need to keep your methods up to date in order to stay ahead of the competition. Many companies within your industry will be making the jump to paperless methods so you need to make sure you stay one step ahead of the crowd and get involved sooner rather than later.

4. We would prefer a bespoke app that does everything we need it to do

Understandably, some companies feel that they want a Field Service App that is designed according to their needs. This is all very well but the cost involved in these bespoke creations is extremely high and the time it takes to develop these can be very long due to the complexity. The beauty of subscribing to a software service such as Klipboard, is that they are flexible, fast to deploy, continuously updated with features and offers hassle free support and maintenance.

As mentioned, with a custom app you have the difficulty of having to manage the updates regularly, the ongoing maintenance which are elements requiring technical expertise. Therefore adding more costs as time progresses on top of the large initial development cost. A subscription service will often be cheaper and more powerful than you may perceive. The subscription software provider is a specialist and is focussed on delivering excellence in this area – leaving you to only be concerned with the core areas of focus within your business. You benefit from being able to gain access to best in class software at a low cost monthly fee.

5. Our field based staff aren’t always connected to the internet

We realise that when managing field based staff, often employees are in the field or on the move, without access to an internet connection. Mobile applications such as Klipboard allow all tasks to be completed offline. When receiving or sending information to the employee in the field, a connection is required but once this has been done, the tablet user can then complete all tasks remotely, even with no connection to the internet.

6. We are required to store a hard copy of our documents

We hear many companies say that it is a requirement to have a hard copy of all documents for legal or security reasons. If this is the case, most Field Service Apps still provide you the ability to print all documents and PDF’s that have been created. The documents created on cloud based field service apps usually offer cloud storage, ensuring they are securely stored and easily retrieved at anytime for production of a hard copy if required.

7. We need to be able to create bespoke PDF’s at the end of a task or job

Understandably, companies require their documents to be in line and on brand to have a professional look that is consistent throughout all processes. At Klipboard, we have the unique  ability for you to style your own PDF outputs to make them fit in line with your brand. You can add images, signatures, logos, change font size, colour and much more so the documents you produce from the platform are consistent.

8. We are too busy to learn and teach users how to use a new platform

Most  Field Service App platforms are designed in an intuitive way so that the user can easily get to grips with the functionality. Good software providers will offer training along with training resources such as how to guides, videos, etc. Some, like Klipboard, will also offer help tools within the platform, for example when the user first logs in they are taken through a step by step process to familiarise the user with features and functionality.

Often it takes a very short amount of time to learn how to use the application and can be taught in a very short space of time. If most users are familiar with using online platforms such as Facebook and  Amazon or Microsoft Word, their  The time that these platforms save you in the long run by replacing lengthy paper based methods, means a little time spent learning in the beginning will quickly be made up in no time at all.
These points should hopefully outline to you how Field Service Apps are not just designed to help you go paperless but also assist with the management of your field based staff and enable your business to become more productive and efficient. For more information on how we could help your business by utilising Klipboard, please contact a member of our team here – we don’t only provide the software but the help needed to make the transition.