The Case for Scheduling and Optimization
Service and maintenance have become essential as reliance on technology grows. Maintenance contracts and service level agreements now come hand-in-hand with any major equipment purchase. It is not just about what the equipment delivers but also about how long it continues to perform.
For companies that service their own products or use third parties to do it on their behalf, the level of service determines customer opinion and expectation. For the organizations that actually carry out the servicing the concerns are similar. The level of service they can deliver determines how successful they will be in holding on to existing contracts, winning new business and remaining profitable.
Service organizations have deployed a wide variety of technology solutions, including service modules for existing ERP or CRM systems as well as specialist field service management solutions. Modern, reliable, wireless packet data networks has given birth to new mobility solutions that have introduced real-time interaction with the field force and dispensed with the need for an endless stream of paperwork.
Technology adds complexity
However many of these organizations that have grown through successful deployment of this technology have in turn been faced with increasing levels of complexity and the need for more people to allocate resources, manage the dispatch process and react effectively to inputs from the field.
Those that have become victims of their own success are now looking at scheduling solutions to automate the dispatch process and take their organizations to the next level.