What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of mobile workforce scheduling software? Perhaps you think about how your company chooses to manage current mobile workers.
If the strategy is bring your own device (BYOD), more questions such as how this aligns with this year’s business goals come into play. No matter your initial thoughts, the most important aspect is the return on investing in a mobile workforce strategy.
The good thing is there are solutions and systems designed to meet the demands of yet another changing workplace dynamic.
Mobile Workforce is on the Rise in U.S.
Forecasts from the International Data Corporation show that by 2020, the mobile workforce will grow to more than 105 million workers. Challenges that managers face today include:
- Tracking worker activities
- Managing time
- Maintaining quality customer service
- Keeping in touch with mobile workers
- Staying profitable
Managing mobile workers will become more important as it plays a tremendous role in the way business is conducted. With the right tools, these challenges can be overcome.
Solutions for a Mobile Workforce
Solutions for managing mobile employees will influence your entire workforce. If you have a dispatch crew that sends technicians into the field, they will need access to the scheduling system for customer appointment.
Along with scheduling, other features to support management of your mobile workforce include:
- Invoicing customers
- Locating nearest workers to dispatch to customer
- Tracking service vehicles in real-time
- Sending company messages and schedule alerts
- Reporting
These create a balancing act for managers as your company continuously strives to meet or exceed customer expectations. Accurate application of mobile scheduling software will keep you one step ahead in the ever-changing digital movement.
With this change come adjustments throughout the company and penetration of current processes. Upfront costs to invest in this level of change will yield high returns as you revolutionize your business for many years to come.
A seamless operation manages employees who work outside the office as if they were in the cubicle down the hall.
Typical workforce solutions can integrate with tablets and smart phones, and will include a mobile app. This makes it possible to stay in contact wherever your workers go.
Advantages That Come with Mobile Technology
The use of mobile technology brings plenty of advantages to your business:
Manage employees on the move. Field workers take their cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices everywhere. Whether maps to route appointments or timesheets to enter hours worked, this is how employees get things done. Streamlining their work with mobile scheduling software keeps them connected.
Keep hours covered. Last minute callouts costs your company and the employee who could use the extra hours. You could also lose an opportunity to satisfy customers when you are unable to deliver a promised service. However, mobile technology keeps managers connected with workers who can fill in. They send requests to check availability, ensuring customers are served and your business remains profitable.
Engage employees in the scheduling process. Typically, employees want to know they are scheduled to work enough hours to earn a decent living. They want to responsibly pay their bills. By giving employees the ability to view available shifts through mobile scheduling software, they will have more control over earning potential.
As a result, your staff will deliver a higher level of customer service. This is another opportunity to also increase your customers’ happiness.
Data Usage Goes Beyond Workforce Scheduling Management
The mobile workforce scheduling software that you choose becomes a repository of data that could prove useful in many ways. Beyond scheduling customer appointments, you can also manage:
- Sick time
- Vacation
- Paid time-off
Knowing how much time employees have accrued is beneficial for managers. They can plan vacations accordingly without leaving shifts uncovered. Mobile notifications also come into play to keep field workers in the loop of any schedule changes.
Another option for managers is giving mobile employees the ability to submit vacation or sick day requests through their smartphone or tablet. That way, managers can pursue alternatives for coverage as necessary during those times.
Mobile technology is not going away, especially for companies that have field workers. Even companies that do not have dedicated outside staff incorporate digital devices into their business one way or another.
Software for scheduling a mobile workforce contains features that increase customer satisfaction, worker efficiency and transparency while employees work from home or in the field.
Workers can update their schedules and appointments in real-time. Data funneled through the software is useful for departmental and overall business analyses.
More employees claim that using mobile devices contribute to better performance. Likewise, managers affirm that incorporating mobile functions help to improve management of employee work shifts.
With this in mind, it is not surprising that workforce management is evolving to embrace more technology.
