4 Ways to Manage Technicians

Workplace productivity has been an overly used term in the corporate setting to denote the ability of an organization to accomplish work goals and deliver the desired results. It involves the people working in the company from the management to the assistants, as well as the tools, strategies, and processes to achieve productivity. The more tedious and physical work happens in the operation, where mostly field service workers and technicians are at the forefront. This is true most especially in the field service sector and skilled trade business, where productivity, is of utmost importance.

Improving field technicians’ productivity can be achieved mainly through proper management. To ensure that they are highly motivated and committed to delivering high performance. It takes equipping them with the right tools and training and entrusting to them confidence in their area of expertise. Technicians certainly have the technical know-how, while you, as the business owner or manager have the capacity to maximize their potential for the welfare of the company.

To help, we’ve outlined four simple ways to help you manage your technicians and improve their productivity so you can reach your company’s goals.

You hire your technicians because they’ve passed your standards. They have the working knowledge to perform their jobs are dependable. But it shouldn’t stop there. You need to find ways to uplift their technical skills, so they get more competitive. Their competence reflects the company’s, too.

Send your technicians to training to improve their skills, learn new technologies, understand the market/clients, etc. Training may be costly, but the investment you put in would prove rewarding when the company is being praised and patronized by clients because of your superior knowledge and service. You could also save some money when your technicians are proficient because they can get the job done effectively in less time. You may also find you reduce errors and callbacks for issues because your field workers are more adept.

Enabling your technicians with the right tools can improve their productivity. Tools that can make their jobs easier and faster, like machines and equipment, should be provided/upgraded because it affects the quality of their work. 

Also, encourage your field service workers to adapt to technology. Field service software is the latest trend in the skilled trade that turns the focus to field service work and technicians as the main actors. FSM software eases the burden to you and to your technicians in terms of scheduling and dispatching jobs, servicing clients, and accomplishment reporting. You let your field workers participate by receiving work orders and detailed instructions through mobile phones, and in return, they can send real-time updates on work progress. With the field service tool, the output of your technicians is maximized because you’re streamlining their work and you’re providing them easy to follow instructions and guides. 

Don’t let your technicians be troubled by a disorganized service schedule and confused itineraries. You want them to perform their best work onsite and wasted time back-tracking on routes with poor instructions can greatly affect their output.

The same field service management software mentioned previously also handles this job for you. When service requests come in, FSM software helps you create work orders, which you can dispatch to technicians. This process is automated, so work orders are numbered and assigned accordingly to technicians with details about the job being requested, an itinerary of service work, directions and other instructions, and real-time updates on the road.

While your technicians are out on the road, you need to be able to provide them with strong admin support back in the office. In the conduct of their jobs, technicians might need information about the job they are doing, such as related documents, notes, or invoices. You must have a system that can create, gather, and file these documents, so everyone at work, including your technicians, can easily access the information they need.

Field service software can provide you the needed admin support. It takes on the burden of manually creating quotes, work and purchase orders, and invoices and billing, which can possibly turn chaotic if mishandled. FSM software automates and syncs your documentation system and files them on a database for ease of access and search. This way your technicians won’t be dealing with lost documents or hard to find information related to their jobs because they can easily access what they need remotely while on the road.

With field service apps, technicians are provided with updates on the road, like road closures, emergencies, job service revisions, etc., so they could make the necessary adjustments and still provide quality service.

Remember that your technicians are your lead marketer on site. They are the company’s representation, and so they must deliver what is expected from them by the clients. A job well done by your field service worker would be a reflection of your company’s overall performance and credibility. Indeed, you must exert every effort to manage your technicians by helping them do their jobs. The right training, tools, procedures, and support will help them be more efficient, directly benefiting your business’ bottom-line.