The importance of field service

Field service management suites are now common to telecommunication companies handling installations, services, repairs, and used extensively by utility engineers, technicians, field service providers, inspectors, onsite managers, back-office analysts, managers, and other stakeholders. Relevant components of the suite are also accessible by customers and other relevant stakeholders.

FSM software gives a big fillip to predictive maintenance as well. FSM software powered by IoT and analytic capabilities gathers feedback on the state of the health of critical equipment such as modems, towers, and other assets, allowing the enterprise to nip issues in the bud. Maintenance can be done proactively, and in the nick of time, without allowing matters to descend into downtime.

Streamlined dispatch capabilities allow your team to quickly assign tasks. Real-time tracking of work order progress lets you know where your staff are working, highlighting whether they are running behind schedule. Optimal work allocation means the right people are working on the right tasks at the right time. This can lead to improved productivity and fewer errors.

With a large number of specialists in different areas, and numerous geographic locations, managing field work becomes more complicated. With factors such as the need for ad hoc rescheduling related to infrastructure failures, and the requirement to manage the effectiveness of subcontracted employees, automating field service planning, scheduling and reporting becomes a necessity.

AI-powered scheduling options allow you to fully optimize mobile workers’ calendars in real time. Task assignment is simplified with the automated dispatching option, based on technician’s skillset, availability and location. Incoming requests are assigned to qualified technicians near the customer location, and thanks to data collection in GIS, workers’ travels to clients’ destinations are optimized.

Real-time tracking helps you control each task’s status and react when needed. With field service scheduling software and GPS integration, you can track your workers’ location and availability, and prevent any problems. When cancellations or delays occur, you can use the easy rescheduling option to manage the changes and maintain a high level of service quality.

Customers want to be empowered to report issues, book their own appointments, and track service crew location and work progress. Customers want short service windows, so exceed expectations by offering a 30- to 60-minute window. The crew will need access to the account, history and job details and have the right parts and tools to give them everything they need to get the job done.

Asset downtime is not an option for a telecom service provider because the costs — financial, regulatory and reputational — go far beyond the lost usage. Service must be focused on prevention-focused uptime and performance, not a reactionary break-fix model. Remote monitoring capabilities enable any potential issues to be detected or predicted and then addressed.

With faster connectivity and the emerging technologies coming into their own, a key element for telecom service providers to consider is how critical integration of solutions is in service delivery. There is no use in having the latest applications delivering business intelligence through the fastest networks to date if only half of the available data is accessible due to siloed technologies.

With organizations’ increasing migration toward cloud-based solutions, an optimized, integrated solution will lead to happier customers, faster service and increased profits. But with many organizations still deeply entrenched in legacy systems, these can be complex to integrate with some cloud-based technologies, limiting the options for digital transformation.

With GPS-based field resources tracking, scheduling and automated customer communications, telecommunication organizations can be proactive with quick access to real-time information. With automatic dispatchers and real-time task assignments in the system, technicians’ schedules are optimized. They are required to make fewer visits and logistics and transport costs are reduced.

Organizations need to realize that the work done by those in the field is the first line of contact with customers, so they need to support workers with the best, most straightforward solution. Ideally, this should be a single solution that combines all scheduling, service and equipment tools with industry-focused IoT and AI/ML support to make it as simple as possible.

One major goal of AR and VR devices for field service organizations is to offer a detailed digital visualization of the asset and the steps required to assess problems. Leveraging AR/VR in field service operations reduces the learning gap between newer and senior technicians or engineers, which enables real-time knowledge transfer between them.

Glow’s role

Glow has the expertise to provide exceptional field service with talented technicians catering to the needs of clients. We take pride in being the preferred vendor of choice for top clients in the telecommunication industry. Our reputation precedes us when it comes to dealing with satisfied clients, who become brand ambassadors and keep returning year after year.