The COVID 19 pandemic created massive turmoil and catastrophe in many significant markets. The field service industry experienced the adversities of all and will perhaps, continue to be affected for long. Where certain sections of the industry faced a downfall, a significant area saw a sudden boom in demand. The increasing demand is expected to reach the Global Field Service Management Market to dollar 7.09 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 13.8%, reveals research.
The changing market scenario is, however, imposing immense pressure on the service companies. While maintaining quality services and enhanced customer satisfaction remains top priorities, keeping field workers safe, and following COVID protocols are essential. As a result of the outbreak, a shortage of field staff is also predicted in mature markets. Such rapid shifts are forcing service organizations to switch to remote management primarily. Now the question remains: Can an industry that is highly dependent on field operations and personalization survive this transition to contactless or remote services, let alone thrive in the market?
CEO & Chairman at ReachOut Suite
Banishing these apprehensions, a cloud-based enterprise field service software, ReachOut Suite, is laying grounds for digitized field service management. ReachOut Suite is helping field workers and technicians optimize their scheduling, dispatching, tracking, and field management abilities with advanced technologies that enhance back-end automation and more.
SourceForge recently caught up with Samuel Varghese, the CEO and Chairman of ReachOut Suite, to talk about the changing scenarios of the Field Service Industry and how the app can improve and optimize field service management while working remotely.
First and foremost, can you please share with us a brief overview of your company? When was ReachOut Suite established, and what are your goals? Who are the brains behind the company?
ReachOut Suite was launched in 2017 to streamline field service operations with technology innovations. ReachOut Suite is a flagship product of Fingent, a global IT company engaged in providing strategic technology solutions for complex business problems.
The idea for ReachOut Suite surfaced with a requirement we received from a field service organization. They were struggling with excessive manual labor and complex paperwork. Further research helped us learn that many small businesses engaging in field service management found it challenging to use the right tools to cater to their specific needs and meet the changing customer demands. With our expertise in custom software solutions, we knew we could make a difference. Today, ReachOut Suite is an end-to-end field service organizer enhancing field operation efficiency across domains using advanced technologies.
Tell us more about ReachOut Suite. What are its key features and capabilities? How does it compare to other field service apps available in the market?
ReachOut Suite is a market-leading FSM software that helps streamline mission-critical tasks like ticket management, scheduling, dispatching, timesheet preparation, record-keeping, billing, invoicing, and more, assisting almost all major activities under field service inspection, auditing, and maintenance. One can effectively plan and execute day-to-day field operations, add multiple field agents to a job, and configure individual tasks using the app’s advanced work order features. The app even lets you set holidays, business hours, plus manage staff leaves all from a single platform to simplify task scheduling. Instant access to a wide range of digital forms helps eliminate large paper works as well.
Using the app will help enhance efficiency, reduce manual errors, streamline data transfer, minimize cost, improve operational flexibility, enable wider access, and drive digitization throughout a field service organization. The mobility feature boosts efficiency with instant accessibility and communication.
What makes ReachOut Suite different is that it helps accelerate business automation, growth, and profitability, all at the most affordable rates. Plus, continuous version updates and the 24/7 support team from ReachOut Suite ensures advanced field service management technologies are leveraged to its fullest and glitch-free.
What industries do you serve, and who are your current customers?
ReachOut Suite is a feature-rich enterprise service management app that can help effectively plan and execute work orders, audits, inspections, and other field service activities across industries like Appliance Repair, HVAC, Contracting, Fire & Safety, Installation, Landscaping, Pest Control, Security Alarm, and Windows & Door Cleaning. Any enterprise engaging in field operations can very well benefit from ReachOut Suite. Some of our successful clients have been from manufacturing, construction, electronics, automotive, plumbing, and HVAC.
What are some of the pressing field service management challenges addressed by ReachOut Suite?
Tedious paperwork and redundant tasks often complicate the job of a field worker. ReachOut Suite is specifically designed to eliminate excessive manual labor by digitizing the entire field service management process, right from scheduling to invoicing.
The centralized platform makes it quick and easy for field managers to assign tasks, dispatch work orders, and track job statuses, saving them a lot of time and improving team collaboration. The platform helps gather information faster and reduces human errors. The wide range of digital forms featured in the app eliminates paper-based workflow and gives way to hassle-free operations.
The ReachOut Suite enterprise edition with required customization, tightly integrates with an organization’s existing systems to deliver rich integration options, powerful workflows, and highly streamlined processes. The multi-language capabilities of ReachOut Enterprise further expands its usability for a wide user base. With white-label options, ReachOut Suite also helps companies reach customers quicker, increase brand value, reduce marketing costs, and improve client retention rates.
ReachOut Suite’s field service companion mobile app seamlessly empowers field agents and technicians with the necessary resources on the field to make quick and smart decisions. Automating redundant tasks and enhancing tracking abilities, ReachOut Suite aims to improve field service management capabilities and efficiency.
Most field service businesses are now turning to remote management. How do you think ReachOut Suite can support this transition?
Working remotely is quite challenging for field workers. A company involved in any sort of field service can never opt for complete remote working. However, with an app like ReachOut Suite, one can simplify management and minimize the need for physical assistance.
Providing managers with a quick view of staff skills and qualifications, leaves, job location, work urgency, and more, the app enables efficiency in assigning tasks from anywhere. The enhanced tracking abilities of the app help keep tabs on job statuses online. Quick access to customer details simplifies the billing and invoicing process. Advanced accounting integrations simplify payment processing, whereas mail configurations make it seamless to email invoices to customers, gather electronic signatures, and receive feedback without any personal contact. The app even supports inspections and audits with a wide range of quick checklists and digital forms.
The centralized management enhances collaboration, productivity, and efficiency from anywhere.
According to a research in 2015, 77% of workers bring their own devices for work. How is ReachOut Suite complimenting the rising BYOD culture in the field service industry?
Yes! BYOD is a rising field service working culture, and ReachOut Suite’s companion mobile app is just the right fit for it. Compatible with Android and iOS devices, the app makes it convenient for workers to carry their own set of productivity tools on the field. Extending quick access to relevant data, advanced checklists, and digital forms with auto-populating features, ReachOut Suite’s mobile app helps workers and technicians go completely digital on the field with just their smartphones in hand. The app also features route optimization that helps field reps improve the on-time arrival rates and productivity by planning shortest, cost effective routes.
Can you provide us with sample use cases for ReachOut Suite?
Like mentioned earlier, ReachOut Suite helps save ample time and manual effort. Our client, Idaho Backflow, a leading company in testing and repairing backflow assemblies for commercial and residential properties in Idaho, US, faced excessive strain in scheduling tasks and managing customers. They were using paper-based notes, manual forms, and excel sheets to manage their work, and it was getting difficult for them to update their daily work status or generate reports efficiently. ReachOut Suite helped them transform their entire process. Our easy-to-access, mobile-friendly digital forms, digitized their huge paperwork. Centralized control and management helped them streamline their complex workflows. With Reachout Suite, Idaho Backflow now saves 2 hours of work per day!
Looking into the future, what are some market trends or technologies you see on the rise in the field service industry?
The current COVID-19 pandemic situation emphasizes maintaining staff safety. Thus, the remote work culture is here to stay. And this will enhance the role of digitization in the field service industry. It won’t be long enough when companies in the sector will largely depend on mobilization, back-end automation, cloud, and maybe a few advanced technologies, perhaps, like Artificial Intelligence and Mixed Reality. However, with ReachOut Suite, we ensure streamlined collaboration, quick decision making, and enhanced efficiency on the field. We keep leveraging the emerging advances in technology to enhance the app features and abilities so that our customers are powered by revolutionary tools to tackle the rapid market changes.
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