Running a business is hard enough, but adding in the element of tracking field technicians often doubles the time it takes to manage day to day operations.

Field technicians are the most effective way to operate many service based businesses.  Electricians, construction crews and installation technicians are essential to providing excellent customer service.  However, when business is spread out across town or across the country, maintaining the most efficient processes presents a different set of challenges.

Business owners who now utilize CRM Runner, an online CRM, to manage their field staff listed many challenges they faced prior to using the system.  Across the board, each business owner listed 3 main road blocks to having their business run smoothly and efficiently.

3 challenges most business owners face when managing field staff are resolved by using the best CRM

Business owners are looking to eliminate the extra work while maintaining everything they need to run their business all in one place.  Most often they state their time is spent tracking down the missing parts to the business and having all of the business tracked in one place would cut the time they spent chasing paper to nearly half.

Tracking inventory held by field technicians is a major concern for business owners.

Field technicians need basic parts to complete their job.  Since they are on the go, often these parts get pulled off the warehouse shelf and put into the back of the company truck without documentation.  To avoid extra trips back to the supply house, they may also take more than what the job requires.  This means company time is often spent tracking down a missing part or a purchased item that was never used.

CRM Runner’s field management software tracks inventory effortlessly.  Inventory can be tracked across several locations; including warehouse management and trucks driven by field staff.  This online CRM shows exactly where inventory is – even if it’s on the jobsite.  With real time reporting, managers and business owners can see where progress is made or halted with a quick glance.

Managing deadlines and progress at a job site with field staff presents a big challenge for businesses.

With job sites in multiple areas of town and staff spread thin to keep costs down, businesses can’t afford to not keep all of the projects moving forward.  Most owners report being unable to know exactly what was completed and when the crew left without visiting for themselves.  Making personal visits to each job site to ensure they stay on track is not only costly, but also isn’t a scalable model.

CRM Runner allows for up-to-date reporting on job sites with custom designed templates.  Using GPS tracking ensures you know where your technicians are while real time reporting keeps progress moving forward.  With end of day reporting, technicians can upload photos allowing managers and owners to have eyes on the project without actually driving to it. Time tracking included with the reports eliminates the worry of when the crew was onsite and when they left.

Controlling field staff communications with clients has led to problems for business owners.

Clients main complaint is often that they feel like they aren’t communicated with appropriately.  This is often the case because field staff are there in person with the customer and may get questions they don’t know the answers to about the project.  Field staff also are presented with changes the client requested prior to being notified by the office.  Clients are likely to have a better experience if they feel like they are informed, which is often not possible without costly software or additional dispatching and paperwork.

With CRM Runner’s software, communication is built in. Keeping all communication in one place allows the technician to receive real time updates to requests from the home office and the client.  Technicians and other staff can let the client know where they are, when they will be there and how the project is progressing all at the touch of a button.   Using CRM Runner makes communication with field staff and clients seamless.

Manage your business in a better way with an online CRM field management software.

Business owners face enough challenges finding reliable employees and bringing in clients.  When time is spent chasing down paperwork, checking on jobsites and managing inventory with a hands on approach there is not a lot of room left to manage day to day operations.  CRM Runner saves business owners time and money while also effectively managing processes and field staff.

Learn more about CRM Runner and how it can change the way your business operates with a 30 day free trial.  Sign up here.