Does your business really need scheduling software?

If your business requires managing a mobile workforce, then certainly job scheduling and dispatching must be a very integral process of your business. If you are willing to invest in profound technology tools for handling the scheduling and dispatching process, then you must have heard about field service scheduling software suites that are very popular nowadays. If you are also considering to incorporate such software in your business operations, then before investing in any such software, you certainly want to have clarity on whether your business really needs scheduling software or not. Here are answers to a few questions that describe why scheduling software is a must-have tool for managing your field operations.

Q1. Is scheduling software only for larger teams?

Like many, you too may have this opinion that scheduling software suites are necessary for only those businesses that operate at a larger scale and require handling a bigger field workforce. However, the fact is, this software is all about making the scheduling and dispatching process convenient, transparent, and more accurate. It is about bringing in more refinement into your field operations so that the team can be more productive and efficient. The purpose of the software is to automate the process, do away with the manual handlings so that scheduling conflicts and challenges can be reduced. it is as applicable to a small team as it is to a larger team. And yes it is a scalable solution, as the team grows, it radically enhances your capacity to manage the schedules for a larger and more dispersed team.

Q2. Who can benefit from scheduling software?

The end beneficiary is of course the overall business. However, in terms of applicability of the software, it is designed for the scheduling managers and the field workforce. It is to improve their efficiency, facilitate convenience so that they can be more productive and accountable in their job roles.

Q 3. How a scheduling manager can benefit from the service scheduling software?

• The software helps the manager automate job scheduling and dispatching. He can assign the schedules by incorporating different custom filters such as the territory preference; job location proximity of the fieldworker; field worker’s availability and his skill sets; availability of the client and their preferred service hours or preferred technician, etc.
• The software provides the manager with a 360-degree view of the schedule calendar of the entire team. From a single dashboard, he can keep a tab of the job in progress, job accomplished, job pending, or delayed. He can update the schedules, make notes, create custom logics, and assign tasks to specific technicians.
• As the manager assigns tasks for the field workforce and marks their schedules, he can also use the field scheduling software to plan the optimal routes for each field worker. So that they travel efficiently through the shortest and safest route without wasting unnecessary time on the road. And all this happens in an automatic mode. Everything is a matter of one or two clicks or simple ‘drag and drop.’As the field technicians travel, the manager can also track their on-road movements and validate their check-in and check-out time from a job site.

Q4. What are the benefits of field service scheduling software for the field workforce?

• The field workers or technicians get automatic updates, reminders, and notifications about their schedules. So they don’t need to manually maintain any diary or log to keep a tab of their upcoming job assignments.
• If there is any change in their schedules, then also they will get automatic and timely updates regarding it. So there is no chance of missing or being late for a service.
• As stated above, they can use the software as a route planner also.
• They can update their job status like ‘Service Completed’ or any specific note right from the job site. This way they can be more precise about their daily reporting.

Conclusion

Scheduling software is all about improving the field operational efficacy of your business. It manages the workforce in a better way, reduces scheduling conflicts and productivity leaks, and most importantly makes the field activities more measurable and traceable.