Benefits of team access to work orders in Field Service Management

Anna Gorina
December 20, 2023

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Work orders embody the essence of planned tasks, maintenance schedules, and essential instructions vital for ensuring operational efficiency. Picture a scenario where a company handles work orders using archaic paper-based methods. The inefficiency in this approach becomes glaringly evident: misplaced documents, delayed updates, and a lack of real-time insights. This cumbersome process not only hampers workflow but also complicates problem resolution in critical scenarios.

For efficient technical support, field service teams need to be equipped with the solutions that would help them gain visibility on the customers’ problems at any time, in the office and mobility, and foster cross-functional collaboration.

In this article, we will discuss the situations where team access to field service work orders becomes indispensable and how the integration of remote visual support can enrich work orders to give field service teams visibility of customers’ problems.

1. When does team access become imperative?

Let’s consider some of the most common situations that underscore the significance of having team access to work orders readily available for effective problem resolution and timely service delivery.

Situation 1. Urgent troubleshooting

If a customer reports an unexpected severe problem with equipment, immediate insight into previous maintenance history, equipment specifications, and documented troubleshooting steps can help expedite the resolution process without compromising service quality or operational efficiency. This can help save the asset from a total collapse or a replacement of a faulty part of the equipment.

Technical support teams will be able to provide professional guidance before even traveling on-site. Timely response done remotely eliminates unnecessary expenses associated with equipment replacement and dispatching unprepared technicians.

Situation 2. The customer’s problem is too complex

Complex maintenance activities often demand a collaborative approach. Imagine a technician is dispatched on-site but by the time he arrives, the problem has become worse. Luckily, he can receive expert assistance in one click. He needs to trigger a video call inside the same work order with the help of integrated remote visual support. Several experts can be present during the session and provide input.

Alternatively, the technician can record the problem on his own and let the experts consult it autonomously inside the work order. The experts can provide feedback. All the progress (comments, added media files, etc) will be saved in the work order, allowing the technician to see the comments.

As a result, such enriched work orders become repositories of knowledge, facilitating informed decision-making and enabling efficient resolution of intricate maintenance tasks.

Situation 3. Historical data is needed to resolve the problem

If the company does not have the archive of encountered problems, in case the malfunction reoccurs, the experts will have to waste time by solving it “from scratch”. On the contrary, the historical context provides crucial insights into past solutions, enabling experts to devise more accurate and effective strategies for resolving persistent issues. By leveraging it, they gain a deeper understanding of the problem’s evolution, facilitating quicker and more targeted problem resolution.

Additionally, these insights can be converted into learning materials such as guides and tutorials to facilitate onboarding and boost teams’ autonomy and confidence in the work they do.

Situation 4. The problem resolution requires approval

Certain tasks demand meticulous oversight and approval upon completion. The ability to trigger video reports directly from the work order in the field service management solution makes it easy.

When a technician finishes his work, he can record the result, add all the needed screenshots and annotations, and share it with the expert in the office. The expert accesses the report inside the same work order, consults the details, and verifies that the problem is effectively resolved. This approval process ensures the closure of the work order, signifying the successful resolution of the issue and adherence to service standards. In case of a dispute, this is invaluable proof of compliance.

2. Benefits of the team access to work orders

Let’s sum up what exact benefits team access to work orders enriched with insights harnessed by remote visual support bring to companies.

2.1. Timely response: increased customer satisfaction

Enabling a swift and precise response in urgent scenarios is a key advantage. When faced with critical issues demanding immediate attention, having an expert or a team of experts readily available within the same work order ensures assistance. The customer understands that they can rely on the company’s technical support which results in an improved customer satisfaction rate.

Remote assistance also increases the first-time fix rate by allowing the experts to handle the work order without sending a technician on-site in case of minor problems.

2.2. Peer assistance: fostered collaboration

The collaborative nature of team access fosters a culture of knowledge-sharing and collective problem-solving. In instances where a single expert might find a problem too intricate or multifaceted, the ability to effortlessly share access to enriched work orders allows consultation with more knowledgeable colleagues. This collaborative approach harnesses the collective expertise of the team, facilitating in-depth discussions and enabling comprehensive insights.

Video recordings of the sessions can be used for the onboarding process, guides, and tutorials to boost the skills and autonomy of the team members.

2.3. Enhanced accountability and sense of ownership

Team members, knowing that their contributions and solutions are archived within the company’s knowledge base, feel a greater sense of ownership and accountability. Their recorded explanations, troubleshooting sessions, and problem-solving approaches embedded within work orders form a repository of collective wisdom. This fosters a culture of responsibility and motivates the personnel to strive for quality and innovation in addressing problems.

2.4. Further product/service improvement

Access to resolved tickets and enriched work orders isn’t just about problem-solving; it serves as a treasure trove for ongoing improvement initiatives. Team members can leverage this repository to analyze past cases, identify patterns of recurring issues, and learn from previous errors. This reflective process empowers the team to collectively refine processes or approaches, aiming to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. By continuously learning from past experiences, the organization evolves, enhancing the quality of services and products offered while continually striving for excellence.

3. Conclusion

Team access to enriched work orders, complemented by remote visual support, introduces a myriad of benefits. By leveraging modern digital solutions such as field service management software and remote visual support companies enable effective technical support and cross-functional collaboration, equipping field service teams with tools that offer seamless visibility into customer issues. This leads to increased first-time fix rate, customer satisfaction rate, and overall efficiency of an organization.