FieldConnect

Giving the ‘second oldest profession’ an upgrade

2010-12-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

The ‘oldest profession’ is pretty well known and hasn’t changed much over the centuries. But what many people call the ‘second oldest profession’--the house call—has evolved quite a bit. Now it’s not doctors but other types of businesses making house calls: appliance repair and maintenance, computer service, even Joe the Plumber. Every day in the United States millions of field service technicians are making house calls, and the way they’re making those calls and managing those calls and profiting from those calls is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Smart phones and GPS devices and ERP systems have helped to make folks like the ‘cable guy’ easier to reach and easier to manage. But there are still problems. Having a smart phone is great, but only if it truly helps you do your job smarter. Having GPS to give you directions is wonderful. But only if you’re really the one who should be making that particular house call. And having an ERP system is fine. But if you’re still relying on technicians to fill out accurate and timely paper invoices, you’re wasting time and money.

There’s a new wave of technology that’s working to integrate all that gadgetry, eliminate costly errors, and turn those guys (and gals) making ‘house calls’ into thriving profit centers. It’s called Field Service Mobilization. And FieldConnect is one of the companies leading this technological upgrade of the ‘house call’.

FieldConnect makes a suite of products designed specifically to:

--Connect technicians by turning their mobile devices (PDA, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.) into ‘house call’ management centers that can help them keep track of their time and orders and parts and even upsell services where it makes sense.

--Empower customers by giving THEM real-time access to service call information, and in some cases the ability to generate service calls themselves.

--Track an entire fleet of technicians—not only to make sure they’re not wasting gas by driving across town on a call, but also to make sure they’re not wasting time (or fudging about their time on the job).

2010-11-30T19:41:00.000-08:00

The Mobile Revolution

Mobile computing is no longer a “nice to have” technology. Increasingly more powerful devices, faster networks and the ability to access web applications have made it possible for CEOs and CIOs to think more strategically when it comes to mobile solutions.

By Robert Hughes (Chairman/CEO), FieldConnect

September 26, 2008

We are very lucky to have been able to partner with some visionary customers over the last few years. These pioneering customers shared our vision for how a mobile solution could improve their business. These early adopters have been using our mobile solutions to maintain real-time communication between their field technicians and their main office ERP systems. Some have even combined our geo-location capabilities to track their vehicles, optimize their routes and generate reports that show mileage, gas usage, vehicle speeds and more. These organizations are uniquely positioned to outpace their competition and remain differentiated in a highly competitive economy. That makes me very happy because our customers took a chance on us and we were able to deliver on that vision. These technology pioneers knew that FieldConnect’s mobile solutions would eventually be mission critical and not just “nice to have technology”.

And guess what? It is going to get even better….

1. Powerful devices. 3G iPhones, BlackBerries, smartphones, Windows Mobile devices, laptop and tablet computers. From the beginning, our strategy at FieldConnect was to embrace every device. Why lock our customers onto one device when the world is changing so fast.
2. Faster networks. Recent investments in networks allow for much faster, more reliable communications.
3. Web enabled software. Very light on the device yet it gives you access to powerful software.
4. Location based services (GPS). We can leverage this rich source of data to enhance you business decisions…and reduce costs and liability.

The enterprise solution
We see a real opportunity for mobility to provide even higher returns when strategically deployed across the enterprise. Companies already have achieved many highly successful examples of this Mobile revolution.We have clients who receive new work order requests from their customer via our web customer portal. This request is immediately displayed on both the dispatch board at headquarters and on the supervisor’s handheld device. The dispatcher, whether in the field or at headquarters, assigns the work order to a field technician. That technician performs the service and closes the work order. The whole process can be tracked in real-time, and paperless, by the customer. The dispatcher can also track the technician’s location and assign the next work order by location or optimized route.

There are more succes stories to come...please keep in touch.

Robert W. Hughes is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FieldConnect, Inc. Mobilizing Service management for MS Dynamics and Sage ERP. (Solomon, Great Plains and Timberline).

Ensuring Customer Satisfaction - (Whitepaper Part 3)

2010-10-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from the FieldConnect Whitepaper titled "Maximizing Profit with Field Service Mobilization". To download the full document please click here:http://www.fieldconnect.com/

Ensure Customer Satisfaction
What is the cost of losing customers or spending unplanned budget to keep existing customers happy? In today’s economy it is imperative that you retain your customer base in order to find new revenue opportunities from within as well as their peer groups. The impact of not ensuring customer satisfaction can be measureable and staggering:

- For every customer who bothers to complain, there are 26 others who remain silent.

- The average “wronged” customer will tell 8 to 16 people.

- 91% of unhappy customers will never purchase services from you again.

- It costs about five times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to keep an old one.

- Each one of your customers has a circle of influence of 250 people or potential customers who hear bad things about you!

Your field service organization is your first line of defense in the customer satisfaction department. They are in place to address problems if and when they occur; so the completeness and promptness of response will be a direct indicator of your level of customer commitment. An effective Field Service Mobilization solution can ensure the highest caliber of response as well as provide new opportunities for cross selling and up selling during each and every service call.

In today’s “information at my fingertips” world, customers also expect a level of self-service and web-based access to their status and service requests to mitigate the need for calling into an already over-taxed dispatcher. The difference between “best in class” and “average” service organizations is sometimes as simple as the level of offerings available for the customer to chose from as it relates to service level response expectations.

Aberdeen Report (Sept 2009) - Mobility for Service Organizations

2009-09-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

FieldAccess Devices - TOPAZ Signature Capture

2009-06-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

TOPAZ Signature Capture

(T-S460-HSB-R)

SigLite is Topaz's low-cost pressure-sensitive electronic signature pad. SigLite features all the high-quality biometric and forensic capture techniques of a SignatureGem tablet but with a low-cost touchpad and stylus in place of the active electromagnetic pen and sensor. The touchpad sensor is protected by an optional replaceable overlay for longer life.

Go to their Web Site - Topaz

ROI Analysis - Best Practices

2009-04-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

ROI analysis is critical to understanding the value that technology can bring to you operations. The impact to all of the stakeholders needs to be fully understood and quantified. “Best practices” suggest that the best approach is to first understand the business process and work flows that drive the organization and then analyze the data to derive the ROI.

FieldConnect understands that for many organizations our solution will transform your business. We have created these ROI spreadsheets and diagrams to help you fully understand the impact and value on your business.

Step #1) BEFORE - Graphically capture all of the steps in your current work flow. Assign hours and personnel to each step.

Step #2) AFTER - Create a new diagram that illustrates the new work flow after the introduction of the FieldConnect technology.

Step #3) Input the data into the comprehensive Spreadsheet that we created that produces “hard dollar” information to help you make technology decisions. The spreadsheet gives you great “before and after” data that makes is easier for you to quantify the benefits. The following images illustrate a sample project.

The following images illustrate a sample project. Click on any image for the enhanced view.

Step #1 (Capture your current process)

Step #2 (Capture your "new" FieldConnect process)

Now input that data into our ROI spreadsheet

Financial Impact:

Cash Flow Analysis

Cost Avoidance

Time Impact

Click here for our ROI Spreadshee t

How much is it worth to you to keep a customer??

2009-04-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Did you know that it is (5) times more expensive to attract a new customer than to keep one…91% of unhappy customers will never purchase service from you again… the average un-happy customer will tell 8 to 16 people about it… if you make an effort to remedy customer’s complaints, 82-95% percent of them will stay with you. Of course you did! In today’s hectic economic environment, however, we get wrapped up in the day to day business and we sometimes forget this age old wisdom. In our current economic environment, this can be fatal.

The FieldConnect solution addresses all of the stakeholders, not just the field technician…and most importantly we address the needs of the customer.

With FieldDirect (FD) your customers can answer the following questions…

FD – what is the history of equipment repair…can I schedule Preventative maintenance and have my customer see that schedule?

FD – Can I see my invoices..current and the past?

FD – Can I view all of this information by Site and then drill down on the work orders?

FD – And most important for customer satisfaction…”When are you coming to fix my problem?”..and can I check the status of the WO and depend on the accuracy of the information?

FD – and of course in today’s world, I need that information now…and real-time.

With Field Locator (FL) your customers can answer…

FL - Where is my vehicle? I need to always know where my remote assets are.

FL - Is my vehicle speeding? I am liable for that driver’s activity…during or after hours.

FL - There is a discrepancy between what my customers say should be billed…and what my technician says we should bill…can your solution help me resolve this delicate issue?

So if customer retention is a high priority for you, as you streamline the mobile process with your field technicians, then you should consider a solution that integrates all of the processes, eliminates paper and problems with accuracy, and reports back to your Sr. Mgt as well as customers.

Remember that 82-95% of the customers will remain loyal if you are working on their behalf…so you first need to know that there is a problem…and then you need the technology to resolve that problem . FieldConnect will help you with both…2009 is not about surviving…it is about competing smarter to ensure success for many years to come.

FieldConnect automates forms in the field!!

2009-04-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

You know that you can turn to FieldConnect to help streamline the work order process via our mobile solutions for the field technician, the customer and the dispatcher. Now we have gone even further !!

Forms - Your technicians may also have the tedious and time consuming job of filling out forms in the field. These forms go beyond mere checklists. In most cases they contain critical information for regulatory agencies and your business. The input/accuracy, archival and retrieval of these forms is costly and tough to manage.

We have automated the process! You can now electronically fill out these forms out in the field using FieldAccess. These forms then are linked, in Real-Time, to your ERP by the Work Order number and can be called up by your customers, or by your staff at headquarters, using FieldDirect.

This is the FieldAccess input screen used by your technicians in the field.

And this is the screen that is used by your customers to view those important forms...instantly...by site...equipment...or work order number!!

"Thick or Thin" Architecture - FieldConnect's "Thin" Approach

2009-02-22T12:48:00.000-08:00

When evaluating technologies for automating the necessary and expensive communications that are required between technicians, dispatchers and customers for the purposes of problem and field service resolution, one of the first questions that has to be answered is “should I go THIN or THICK”? This isn’t some crazed diet question, but one of client architecture, and what will be necessary to implement and manage an on-going viable solution. Ultimately it will be specific business, environmental and cost issues that drive a final decision towards a thin-client versus a fat-client based solution. This white paper will help demystify these business, environmental and costs issues.
Understanding FieldConnect’s Approach
FieldConnect is the most efficient software available for Field Service Mobilization. FieldConnect
leverages the ubiquitous availability of the internet along with the large array of available portable computing devices (PDA, laptop, tablet PC, Blackberry or desktop computer) to bring real-time communications to all field service stakeholders: customers, technicians and dispatchers. From its inception all FieldConnect products have been designed and developed with the Thin-Client architecture in mind. But we have also facilitated offline usage for those customers requiring use in environments where online connectivity is not as ubiquitous or available.
Click here to download White paper.

Click on the image below for the executive Matrix.

GPS - Device Reset (Enfora MT-GU)

2008-12-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

All GPS devices require an occasional reset. The process is simple!!... once you know how to do it!! So please watch this short (60) second video, or read the written instructions, to learn how to reset the device.

________________________________________________________________________
Written Directions for resetting the SIM card on the Enfora MT-GU
No tools need for reset:
1. Locate the receiver/transmitter (See Picture Below)
2. Remove the power connector for the back center (See Below Picture)

________________________________________________________________________
3. With the Power removed, move the tab locking the SIM card to the right, as pictured: Slide the lock to the right; then depress the SIM card with your finger to make it pop up.

4. Push the SIM card down until it clicks and release to allow the SIM card to pop up out of the unit.

________________________________________________________________________
5. Wait ten (10) seconds and re-inert card, take care to insert GSM Carrier logo facing the top on the unit.
6. Move lock to the left to hold SIM card firmly in place
7. Plug the power cable back in to the back of the unit.
8. The three lights on the unit will start out:
USR1: Flashing Green
PWR GPS: Solid Red
USR2: Solid Red
9. As soon as the card establishes service with the GSM carrier the first light will go to a solid green.
10. You have successfully reset the SIM card!!

Devices - FieldAccess & Credit Card Processing

2008-12-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

Grabba T-2020a Magnetic Stripe Reader for Palm®
Take payment by Credit Card with this Magnetic Card Reader to suit the Palm Treo 650, 700p, 700w and 750v.
Match the T-2020a with a Treo 650 or 700w, add the appropriate Easyswipe Software and you have a superb mobile credit card payment system.
http://www.grabba.com Treo

Grabba T-3020a Magnetic Stripe Reader for HP iPAQ
For the hw6510 and hw6515 smartphones and the rx3415, rx3417 and rx3715 PDAs.
This magnetic stripe reader for HP iPAQ Windows mobile devices opens opportunities for developers of financial and non-financial applications.
The Pocket PC powered devices slides snugly into the Grabba T-3020a housing turning the combination into a powerful enterprise tool.
http://www.grabba.com HP

xSwipe Module
External, snap on module. This module is a portable magnetic stripe reader that enables users to obtain information from items such as medical cards, driver's licenses, identifiaction cards and credit/debit
http://www.xploretech.com

iX104C2 Series

Key Product Features

Rugged Construction - Durable when exposed to drops, shock, dust, rain and extreme temperatures typical in outdoor mobile environments.

Cost Effective - Combine Xplore Tablet PC with a fork truck, mobile cart or work station mounting system and get optimal value in a durable and portable wireless computer.
Flexibility - Choose the ideal configuration for your application from wireless modules, hard drive sizes, memory modules, active or passive docking solutions, mounting kits, etc.
Communication Capabilities - Provides for simultaneous wLAN, wWAN, PAN and GPS communications with embedded antennas so no protrusions from the case can catch on other objects.
True Mobility - Truly portable, light-weight and ergonomically designed. Dockable carry-cases or integrated handles, enable ease of use in mobile applications.
Safety in Hazardous Environment - Tablets are UL1604 compliant and meet Eex standards (ATEX zone 2 category 3) so companies handling hazardous chemicals have stringent safety requirements met.
Display Size - Convenient 10.4" XGA display is ideal for field service applications. The display is large enough to view work orders, manuals, but small enough to be carried around in the field. http://www.xploretech.com

Aberdeen Report (Sept 2008) - Mobility for Service Organizations

2008-11-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

Click on Image for larger view

Mobilization - all of the steps that are eliminated!

2008-10-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Click on the Image to see the large view of the typical steps involved in the Field Service Work Flow.

Click on image to see the steps that are eliminated with the FieldConnect Enterprise mobile solution.

• 93% less paper generated annually

• 50% reduction in tech admin time

• 20% less overtime due to productivity

• 80% less phone time with techs

• 40% less time to log a call

• End of week reporting reduced from 17 to 3 process steps

• Reduced time to take, book, schedule a call from 15 minutes to under 1 minute

• Invoicing reduced from 17+ days to 2 days or less

FieldLocator - Vehicle tracking / GPS

2008-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

FieldConnect’s FieldLocator allows you to accurately track vehicles in real-time 24/7 to get the closest available qualified technician to a critical customer call location when it’s needed most.

IT Spending - Strong & Growing for shifts in technology (Gartner)

2008-10-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Service companies of all sizes are faced with decision on how best to weather the economic storm currently affecting the US and international markets. What impact is this economic storm having on technology investment decisions?

By Robert Hughes (Chairman/CEO), FieldConnect

Recent research papers published suggest most companies are continuing to invest in IT initiatives and are prioritizing their investment decisions based on what will produce solid cost savings and hard returns followed by streamlining processes and increasing employee productivity. Other expected benefits include improved agility and enhanced customer loyalty leading to a compelling competitive advantage.

Several technology investments fit these criteria but for field service organization, Mobilizations stands out. Mobilization offers companies a solution to address a number of critical business issues besides solid cost savings and hard ROI, including maintaining or improving customer satisfaction, retention and follow-on business. Specific business issues include:

• Eliminating paper and easing dispatcher duties – Real-time communications between all service stakeholders: customers, technicians and dispatchers.

• Enhancing customer satisfaction – More timely response combined with self-service equals happier customers.

• Regulatory compliance – Having complete information at your fingertips not only for audit purposes but in the event a customer wants to resolve an invoicing issue.

• Time to invoice – Typical 30 day invoicing delays can be reduced to real-time emails or daily system runs.

Today, business success is increasingly defined by how well you can satisfy customer requirements after the sale as well as before. The timeliness and completeness of response is a key differentiator separating “best in class” from the average field service organization and ultimately impacts the bottom-line profitability.

I have included the Gartner letter that speaks to this topic:

September 18, 2008 03:38 PM

Gartner on Thursday said it wasn't ready to revise its IT spending forecast for this year, despite the current U.S. financial crisis.

More CIO Insights
"The U.S.-led economic downturn shows no sign of causing a recession in IT spending," Gartner analyst Jim Tully said at the time the forecast was released. "In subsequent years we will see reduced growth, but the fundamentals remain strong. Emerging regions, replacement of obsolete systems and some technology shifts are driving growth."

Robert W. Hughes is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FieldConnect, Inc. Mobilizing Service management for MS Dynamics and Sage ERP. (Solomon, Great Plains and Timberline).

FieldConnect - Custom Training (Spanish version)

2008-10-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

FieldAccess Custom training: FieldConnect is leveraging new forms of training in order to address the diverse needs of our customers. Our standard and custom training programs include traditional forms of training and documentation, as well as video and Web training. In this example, you will see how we set up training for one of our customers that required some easy to use video training in Spanish.

Selecting the right device - (Whitepaper Part 5)

2008-10-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from the FieldConnect Whitepaper titled "Maximizing Profit with Field Service Mobilization". To download the full document please click here: www.fieldconnect.com

Selecting the Right Devices
As you could imagine, one size does not fit all when it comes to selecting the appropriate devices to implement as part of your Field Service Mobilization solution. There are literally hundreds of choices to assist with field mobility all with specific characteristics relevant to specific environments, functionality required and price range. It is also highly probable that you may need to offer a variety of devices based on individual preference, location or job responsibility. The best way to select which devices are best for your Field Service Mobilization solution is to understand the basic breakdown in categories. These categories are:

Mobile devices – According to http://www.wikipedia.com/ a mobile device (also known as cell phone device, handheld device, handheld computer, "Palmtop" or simply handheld) is a pocket-sized computing device, typically having a display screen with touch input or a miniature keyboard. In the case of the personal digital assistant (PDA) the input and output are combined into a touch-screen interface. Smartphones and PDAs are popular amongst those who require the assistance and convenience of a conventional computer, in environments where carrying one would not be practical. Enterprise digital assistants can further extend the available functionality for the business user by offering integrated data capture devices like Bar Code, RFID and Smart Card readers. Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: data plan costs, geographic coverage, screen size and read-ability, input functionality requirements (i.e. keyboard, scanner, signature capture) and environment-specific usability.

Vehicle mounted devices – Typically an all in one rugged panel PC design which integrates a sunlight readable touch screen LCD panel and a computer into a single enclosure. These rugged tablet PCs operate much like a regular home or office PC, except it is specially designed to work in vehicular or industrial environments. Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: vehicle requirements, ruggedness, geographic coverage, screen size and read-ability, input functionality requirements (i.e. keyboard, scanner, signature capture) and environment-specific usability.

Tablets and laptops – By now everyone knows what a laptop is, does and the relative merits of specific models. A tablet is similar in size and functionality but has the added functionality of a stylus to more closely mimic manual paper and pencil functions.Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: Ruggedness, configuration and peripheral support, screen size and read-ability, input functionality requirements (i.e. keyboard, scanner, signature capture) and environment-specific usability.

GPS devices – In order to keep track of your fleet 24 hours per day, seven days a week a GPS device will be required. These devices use cell phone-like technology to communicate with a server and a preconfigured timely basis for specific data points such as location (latitude and longitude), speed, vehicle status (speeding, idling, parked, etc). Some devices can even go so far as to report on all engine functions and even impact some of those functions based on server commands. Typically these devices are mounted to ensure proper vehicle tracking, but portable devices are also available. Items to consider when choosing one for your Field Service Mobilization solution include: vehicle requirements, ruggedness, geographic coverage, data plan requirements, frequency and type of information reported.

Maximizing Field Service Profitability (Whitepaper / Part 1)

2008-10-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from the FieldConnect Whitepaper titled

"Maximizing Field Service Profitability" To download the full document please click here: http://www.fieldconnect.com/

Maximizing Field Service Profitability
Is your corporation constantly looking for new ways to improve customer satisfaction, maintain customer retention, stay competitive, ensure cost effective productivity for field-based technicians and find news ways to cross-sell or up-sell on every field service call? Would it surprise you to know that only 20% of the corporations in the United States achieve “best in class” field service and they deliver on average 300% more profit margin (18% versus 6%) to their bottom-line than corporations that don’t meet this standard? These statistics and more are readily available from in-depth studies done by analysts firms such as the Aberdeen Group, but they really gloss over the fundamental challenge for field service organizations today. In an effort to improve field service efficiency, resiliency, and competitive standing, real-time communications need to be maintained between all service stakeholders: customers, technicians and dispatchers. Yet currently most service organizations rely on manual methods for this “last mile” of service management. This creates unprofitable service organizations with terrible customer satisfaction ratings due to:

- Lost paperwork or misquoting of parts and labor costs
- Poor route planning
- Lack of parts and equipment availability
- Delays in time-to-invoice

In today’s trying economic times, corporations have to expect more from their field service organization. In doing so you can realize the benefits of those companies who have already achieved “best in class” status.

It may be a blatant statement of the obvious, but if you could just find the answers you would have them… Answers to questions like: Which customers need attention today? Where are my technicians and what are they doing? What is the current cost for parts and labor? Where are all of the corporate field service assets (trucks, inventory, equipment and tools) and are they in good repair? Which technicians are productive, which are not and who sets the standard for technician profitability?

The answer to all of these questions and more may be found in a Field Service Mobilization solution. An effective Field Service Mobilization can eliminate the communications bottlenecks between all of the service stakeholders: dispatchers, technicians and customers while delivering on the promise to connect technicians, empower customers and track your fleet.

An effective Field Service Mobilization solution can address a number of critical business issues effecting all organizations that rely on their field service organization to maintain customer satisfaction, retention and follow-on business. Specific business issues include:

- Eliminating paper and easing dispatcher duties – Real-time communications between all service stakeholders: customers, technicians and dispatchers.
- Enhancing customer satisfaction – More timely response combined with self-service equals happier customers.
- Regulatory compliance – Having complete information at your fingertips not only for audit purposes but in the event a customer wants to resolve an invoicing issue.
- Time to invoice – Typical 30 day invoicing delays can be reduced to real-time emails or daily system runs.

Today, business success is increasingly defined by how well you can satisfy customer requirements after the sale as well as before. The timeliness and completeness of response is a key differentiator separating “best in class” from the average field service organization and ultimately impacts the bottom-line profitability.

FieldAccess - Supported Devices

2008-10-01T06:45:00.001-07:00

FieldAccess supports all Web enabled devices. Included here are some of the most popular devices that are used by our customers.

The Popular Blackberry devices.

Vehicle mounted/removable tablets.

Rugged devices with Bar Code scanners or credit card capabilities

Laptop and tablet (2 in 1) convertable devices.

iPAQ

iPhone

Spider MT Family (FieldLocator) GPS

Mini MT (FieldLocator) GPS

FieldAccess - Video Demo

2008-09-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Click on the play button to view the demo. The screen shots that follow are also viewable by clicking on the images.

FieldAcces extends the power of Timberline to the field. The dashboard updates and reflects what the Field technician is doing real time...on every call.

The technician sees all of the Work orders that have been assigned to him for the day.

The Status of the call is changed by the technician and updates the Timberline dashboard instantly.

FieldAccess allows the technician to capture a signature on the call. That signature can be used for the report that is unstantly emailed or printed for the customer. The signature can later be retrieved for other reports as needed.

Sage Software - Timberline & FieldAccess

2008-09-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

iPhone and FieldAccess Video

2008-09-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

iPhone - FieldAccess supports all Web enabled devices - check out FieldAccess on the iPhone!!