Don’t make these mistakes with your field service solution

Take a look below at some of the most common challenges we encounter with field service apps, and how you can avoid them.

Imran Qazi General Manager

Don’t make these mistakes with your field service solution

Take a look below at some of the most common challenges we encounter with field service apps, and how you can avoid them.

Imran Qazi General Manager

Thinking of transitioning a key process to digital?

From transport to energy, organisations everywhere are increasingly implementing advanced apps to optimise their field service operations.

But if you’ve ever introduced new technology into your operations, you’ll know there are a whole host of challenges that can arise.

Take a look below at some of the most common challenges we encounter with field service apps, and how you can avoid them.

It doesn’t complement existing work practices
It only supports one part of a process
It asks for too much
Entering data is too cumbersome
It doesn’t integrate with business systems
There’s no offline capability

It doesn’t complement existing work practices

To ensure your solution is adequately adopted, it needs to be embedded into existing workflows to ensure critical information gets captured. Technology experts can help you map out your workflow in close consultation with users, and test assumptions at each development stage to ensure alignment.

It only supports one part of a process

If multiple tools and apps are required to complete a particular job, it’s going to require significant time and effort from your workers which is better spent carrying out works. One app to check the job, another app to report the infield activities, a phone to order parts… it’s a recipe for inefficiency. Your technology partners can help you take stock of your systems and build in the necessary integrations to ensure you are in fact, streamlining the process.

It asks for too much

An app’s user interface should be simple enough so that users only need to input information critical to the task at hand. The last thing you want is your app to be perceived as an overhead. This could lead to poor adoption, or poor-quality data submission. Your developers can help you design a simple and intuitive interface that makes sense for your users and your objectives.

Entering data is too cumbersome

Complex or fiddly data entry can be frustrating. Selecting items from long lists and sensitive entry controls will challenge the patience and skills of your most dedicated worker. To address this risk, organisations can look into approaches like barcoded equipment or image-recognition where appropriate, to replace cumbersome data entry approaches.

It doesn’t integrate with business systems

For those on the receiving end, field-based information can be challenging to process if using app-specific databases with no integration into corporate systems such as CRMs, finance or warehouse management.

There’s no offline capability

More often than not, field workers are operating in locations without reliable internet access. It’s important to make sure your app can be used anywhere, and is able to sync with your systems when you’re back online.

With so many people and processes to consider, there’s a lot of pressure on managers and ops teams to get it right. A good development team will be aware of these challenges, and will work with you to ensure your solution’s great from the get.

Click here to learn more about Lapis’ field service solutions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Imran Qazi General Manager

Imran Qazi is a General Manager at Lapis, with over 15 years’ experience in enterprise app and custom software development. Imran is passionate about helping organisations achieve their strategic objectives with seamless digital ecosystems, apps, custom software and process improvement. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Need some advice?

Get in Touch

Thinking of transitioning a key process to digital?

From transport to energy, organisations everywhere are increasingly implementing advanced apps to optimise their field service operations.

But if you’ve ever introduced new technology into your operations, you’ll know there are a whole host of challenges that can arise.

Take a look below at some of the most common challenges we encounter with field service apps, and how you can avoid them.

It doesn’t complement existing work practices
It only supports one part of a process
It asks for too much
Entering data is too cumbersome
It doesn’t integrate with business systems
There’s no offline capability

It doesn’t complement existing work practices

To ensure your solution is adequately adopted, it needs to be embedded into existing workflows to ensure critical information gets captured. Technology experts can help you map out your workflow in close consultation with users, and test assumptions at each development stage to ensure alignment.

It only supports one part of a process

If multiple tools and apps are required to complete a particular job, it’s going to require significant time and effort from your workers which is better spent carrying out works. One app to check the job, another app to report the infield activities, a phone to order parts… it’s a recipe for inefficiency. Your technology partners can help you take stock of your systems and build in the necessary integrations to ensure you are in fact, streamlining the process.

It asks for too much

An app’s user interface should be simple enough so that users only need to input information critical to the task at hand. The last thing you want is your app to be perceived as an overhead. This could lead to poor adoption, or poor-quality data submission. Your developers can help you design a simple and intuitive interface that makes sense for your users and your objectives.

Entering data is too cumbersome

Complex or fiddly data entry can be frustrating. Selecting items from long lists and sensitive entry controls will challenge the patience and skills of your most dedicated worker. To address this risk, organisations can look into approaches like barcoded equipment or image-recognition where appropriate, to replace cumbersome data entry approaches.

It doesn’t integrate with business systems

For those on the receiving end, field-based information can be challenging to process if using app-specific databases with no integration into corporate systems such as CRMs, finance or warehouse management.

There’s no offline capability

More often than not, field workers are operating in locations without reliable internet access. It’s important to make sure your app can be used anywhere, and is able to sync with your systems when you’re back online.

With so many people and processes to consider, there’s a lot of pressure on managers and ops teams to get it right. A good development team will be aware of these challenges, and will work with you to ensure your solution’s great from the get.

Click here to learn more about Lapis’ field service solutions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Imran Qazi General Manager

Imran Qazi is a General Manager at Lapis, with over 15 years’ experience in enterprise app and custom software development. Imran is passionate about helping organisations achieve their strategic objectives with seamless digital ecosystems, apps, custom software and process improvement. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Need some advice?

Get in Touch

Insights

Don’t make these mistakes with your field service solution

Insights

Don’t make these mistakes with your field service solution

It doesn’t complement existing work practices

It only supports one part of a process

It asks for too much

See Field Service Management solutions >

Entering data is too cumbersome

It doesn’t integrate with business systems

There’s no offline capability

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Need some advice?

It doesn’t complement existing work practices

It only supports one part of a process

It asks for too much

See Field Service Management solutions >

Entering data is too cumbersome

It doesn’t integrate with business systems

There’s no offline capability

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Need some advice?

More insights from Lapis

Melbourne Water’s Frog Census Working Overtime

Whale saving technology warrants wider application

Don’t make these mistakes with your field service solution

What makes a successful citizen science program?

The security flaw you need to know – ‘Log4j’

Why progressive web apps are good for business

Healthcare needs digital wayfinding – and here’s why