Industry insights - Mark Alfred, simPRO Software

Many processes have been streamlined in the field service industry in recent years - what further improvements are likely in 2016?

Over the years we have seen field service processes streamlined by technology, including apps on mobile devices that produce job cards, track time and materials, and take payment. We can expect Safety Audits such as JSA and SWIMS to be used more widely, which will integrate with the simPRO Enterprise system through our mobile Connect app or eForms. The simPRO Connect app will soon be multilingual, with push notifications to alert technicians when a schedule (or other activities) have been altered for the day as well as numeric test fields for asset test readings.

What do you see as the greatest challenge for managers of mobile teams in the year ahead and why?

The greatest challenge managers of mobile teams face is communication and transparency. It’s much easier to communicate with your staff when you work in an office setting. Sure, you can issue a technician with a task remotely easy enough using a mobile app; however, providing ongoing updates and receiving them throughout a project is where it becomes challenging. This is where software applications specifically designed to enable real-time connectivity between the technician and the back office become an invaluable tool to the trades business owner.

How has the field service industry evolved since the advent of mobile technology and what are the downsides of rapid change?

Some field service businesses still struggle with the concept of technology in the cloud and one of their biggest fears is security! But all you need is time to educate customers on how it works and they will become adopters. Rapid change can also deter some business owners from adopting mobile technology, as with each upgrade or a new version comes the necessity to retrain your staff more frequently and therefore pull them out of the field to do so.

What trends are we likely to see emerge in the short term — what is the next big thing?

December last year was the first month we saw mobile traffic overtake desktop internet traffic, clearly indicating that mobility is the next big thing. We are investing more resources into our mobile team to develop more tools for mobile devices. In today’s cashless society, we find technology an enabler to increase the contractor’s cash flow and automate their administration.

An increasing number of vendors have been attracted to the field service segment in response to market growth. How will that landscape level out and what will it look like at the end of 2016?

Yes, that’s correct; many new vendors in the market are targeting the smaller size business, offering a basic workflow with very little flexibility and no upgrade path. This offering will suit some businesses but certainly not the majority, as they are looking for a solution that can grow with their business and that offers flexibility, professional on-site training and most definitely an upgrade path. Providing a software solution is one element of being successful; the main element is great customer success, so those vendors that can deliver this will stand out.

How big a role does customisation play in delivering the most suitable offering to your client and can off-the-shelf ever compete with a fully tailored solution?

That depends on the customer’s requirements, but over the last couple of years we have seen less of a demand for the need for customised solutions. This is mainly due to the product improvements we have delivered to our core product through our rapid release cycle. Based on your service, project or maintenance workflow, simPRO Software’s off-the-shelf offering does not need to be customised at all; in fact, the configuration part of the system allows you to customise a variety of things like form layouts, input custom fields and modify table view. So, unless you have a very specific workflow, our off-the-shelf solution works perfectly. If you do have a very specific workflow, then yes, of course we will work with you to deliver that fully tailored solution by customising the required functionality.

Mark began his career with simPRO as an Implementation Consult in 2010. He has since progressed in the company to the role of Group Project Manager in 2013, and, most recently, to General Manager for the Australian team in 2014. Mark is extremely knowledgeable on the best tools available to help operate a successful business. He has helped numerous businesses in the field service industry implement best practices to improve efficiencies through cloud-based technology. Over the past 18 months as General Manager for Australia, Mark and his team have worked to cultivate change, deliver customer success and increase MRR. A main focus on growth has seen the organisation propel to new heights.