When field techs have to rely on phones to get their assignments and manage their workload, all sorts of problems and inconviences can stand in the way of efficiency. IT pro Jeff Dray shares his experiences with a better solution: a GRPS-enabled PDA that receives automated field assignments from a job-logging server.
Field engineers are a bit of an anomaly when it comes to managing their time. They're mostly out of sight and manage their own workload. You hear about them only when a customer complains or praises them. If they simply get on with the job, it's a case of "No news is good news." So how do you track their time? Do you ask them to report in from every call? Do you employ a fulltime office worker to track them and spend a small fortune on cell phone calls? Do you fax them a list of calls at the beginning of each day?
All these methods have been used in the past, but mobile data is beginning to come of age, bringing with it some solutions to the management of field engineers and their workloads. With the use of PDA phones, you can speak to your field techs and transmit details of jobs over the air. You no longer need to wait for them to answer the phone, which may involve their being in a cell reception area, a place where phones are permitted, or completing a job or journey.
I've been working for the past six months using second-generation mobile technology -- a GRPS-enabled PDA that receives automated field assignments from our job-logging server. Overall, I'd have to say this is a big step forward; no more missed phone calls or struggling to take in complex information while negotiating heavy traffic. Here are some of the issues I've encountered in the transition to mobile data technology.
Keeping it safe
In Britain,
it's an offence to drive while using a handheld mobile phone, and it can be
tricky to take calls sometimes. Even with hands-free equipment, phone calls can
distract a driver. Evidence the lady who was driving at speed on the M6
motorway in Staffordshire when she took a call via her Bluetooth headset. The
news was that her mother had just passed away; the shock could have caused a
serious accident.
The beauty of an over-the-air (OTA) data system is that calls can be assigned to a worker and collected at his or her convenience. From personal experience, I know this can be a benefit. I was recently driving in the centre of Birmingham, Britain's second largest city, trying to find my way through convoluted and poorly marked streets when I was called and asked questions about a piece of software we sell. I found it distracting to try to remember all the screen layouts and attempt to cross several lanes of unyielding traffic, so I advised the person to call our technical support team at the head office. Sometimes, I find it necessary to turn off the phone so I can concentrate. Being able to choose the time I review my workload is a great help.
Restricted places
Along with my voicemail, an OTA data system also helps
ensures that I can receive assignments even when I happen to be in a situation
where I don't have access to my phone. In the course of my work, I visit all
kinds of places, court buildings, hospitals, prisons, secure R&D
facilities, the list is endless. Many of these places require me to check my
phone in at the gate, especially if the phone also contains a camera, something
that is standard on all but the most basic models these days. At these times, I
am more than happy to let voicemail take over. When I recently completed a job
at
Disadvantages
Automatically assigned jobs can sometimes lead to problems
where it would be beneficial to have a real person to talk to. Like any
computerised system, automatic job assignment lacks that one basic element we
all take for granted, intelligence. If a call can't be assigned to the first
choice engineer, the system looks down the list until it finds an available
body. This can lead to silly job assignments, like the time one of my
colleagues was sent a job in
