Communicating with field crews and relaying information and instructions to fleet vehicles once they have left the premises often poses a number of unique challenges. Hiring an maintaining a dispatcher to oversee field operations and to facilitate communication between work vehicles or delivery crews may be a major expense, one that smaller operations may be unable to afford. The following features showcase some of the ways that automated field service software may be used in order to reduce or even eliminate the need to maintain a dedicated dispatcher.

1. Real-Time Route Planning and Alterations

Conventional methods of planning a route or outlining a service area are often slow, labor intensive and difficult to make alter. Field management software applications can do the work of multiple dispatchers by automating the process and ensuring that all routes, delivery and service areas have been optimized for greater efficiency. Trusting one or more dispatchers to handle both route planning and last minute scheduling alterations could lead to problems that businesses would be wise to avoid.

2. Providing Vehicles and Field Crews With Detailed Information

Trying to relay delivery information or details regarding an upcoming service appointment over a radio or through a voice-call is rarely the most efficient system. Field management applications that may be used to relay text-based information to a mobile device may be an ideal resource. Relying on a dispatcher may greatly complicate efforts to put accurate and up to date information into the hands of a delivery driver or a field-service crew.

3. Dynamic Management Solutions

From fleet vehicle breakdowns to last minute order changes and cancellations, there are no end of complications which may crop up throughout the work day. Fleet management software that offers a more flexible way to adapt to changing needs and developing circumstances could prove to be a superior asset. Dispatchers who are left scrambling to keep up with last-minute changes may prove to be little more than a liability.

4. Meeting Future Needs as They Develop

Fleet operations may change over time or even overnight. Outdated management systems are typically too rigid to be adapted quickly and may quickly become little more than a bottleneck. The latest field service software can provide the scalable solutions businesses need to deal with future needs as they develop.

Choosing the Right Application

Field service software that may lack key features could be of little practical value. Assessing their current dispatch and management process in order to identify areas that require attention and improvement is often the first step towards improving the process. Knowing more about both their needs and the digital resources that may be better suited to meeting them ensures that businesses are able to make more effective decisions when it comes time to make a selection or decision.