Industry-tailored field management software streamlines operations to such a degree that it pays for itself
The concept of new-year lifestyle improvements – better health, better diets – can be beneficially applied to your business.
If you feel your company would benefit from more streamlined operations – and the resultant boosts to competitiveness and profits – this article will break down the many ways field management software can help.
It’s time to move on from unoptimised or outdated processes. Issues like:
- Data silos and the impact on reporting and decision-making.
- Struggles maintaining compliance and the increased risk of fines.
- Hours of time being wasted day in day out across the business, multiplied by every job and every single operative.
Areas where field management software helps businesses towards new year growth
Field management software streamlines workflows:
- There’s no more manual document handling, inefficient form completion, and poorly optimised scheduling and management of assets.
Besides creating a flow of information between office and site – boosting visibility and providing in-app forms for evidencing work and HSE in the process – the positive affect on a business can be transformative.
1. Job pack creation and progress tracking
- Job pack creation: Manual job packs that once required hours of preparation are now generated quickly via dropdown lists, drawing on up-to-date information in the company database. Tasks can be duplicated and scheduled months in advance.
- Instant digital delivery: The software syncs packs and updates to operatives’ mobile devices. Similar to the effect of digitised forms, this saves money and cuts out unnecessary journeys, allowing companies to focus their resources and personnel on more productive work.
- Real-time progress tracking: Supervisors no longer rely on delayed paper reports, allowing instant oversight, faster decision-making and the kind of workflow efficiency boosts only possible through better information.
2. Form completion and data collection
- Digitised form completion: With field management software, operatives complete safety checks, inspections and reports digitally on-site, with data submitted instantly to the office. This eliminates errors and ensures forms are completed fully and quickly. Sites are safer and more compliant, and operatives focus on the job they are employed to do.
- Consistent data collection: Strict in-app workflows ensure that operatives complete every task, improving data quality, visibility and saving time previously wasted on follow-ups.
3. Communication delays
- Instant updates: Communication is directed through the app to operatives’ devices, complete with read receipts. Managers gain the peace of mind to focus on what they need to do.
- Eliminating waiting times: Operatives no longer wait for job instructions. Job details are instantly available on the app, allowing them to start work immediately and to plan ahead.
- Seamless team coordination: Teams and managers across the business share instant updates through a centralised system, reducing data-siloing, miscommunication and delays. Issues like equipment defects automatically trigger notifications to relevant managers, eliminating issues like not having kit available for jobs.
4. Health and Safety compliance
- Incident reporting: Hazards and incidents are logged digitally in real time, enabling quicker responses and the seamless integration of more robust safety measures.
- Audit trails: Digital audit trails with timestamps and geolocation data replace paper-based systems, making reviews of completed work faster and more transparent, while automatically ensuring a water-tight audit trail and reducing the risk of fines.
5. Resource management
- Automated equipment, vehicle and qualification tracking: The software provides real-time updates on asset location, status, maintenance schedules and usage. Instant notifications alert staff about missing or expiring qualifications.
- Streamlined job scheduling: Resources and jobs are scheduled with an instinctive drag-and-drop scheduler connected to the company database, reducing errors and making a time-consuming process much quicker. It’s like having an extra, dedicated member of admin staff.
6. Delays in decision-making
- Faster auditing: Digital forms are submitted instantly for review, drastically reducing approval times.
- Immediate issue resolution: Non-conformance and safety issues are flagged and addressed in real-time, preventing escalation, fines, and minimising downtime.These are the ways that businesses run leaner, more efficiently, and more productively.
Case studies: Companies that have benefitted from field management software
Field management software is a great fit for businesses that have grown beyond their initial scope, or who want to keep up with the times in a competitive market.
Companies like MV Kelly and MW Benney have embraced digital transformation and seen significant benefits.
MV Kelly, an award-winning construction and civil engineering company specialising in infrastructure, groundworks and associated building services, manage thousands of personnel across the country.
With the business built on a legacy system, operational bottlenecks appeared in communication and managing information from site.
Re-flow streamlined job scheduling, asset management and real-time communication. There were countless improvements:
- Instant cloud-based data transfer and better visibility between site and office
- Hundreds of hours saved across all areas and roles – for operatives, foremen, site supervisors, SHE inspectors and back-office staff – giving more time to focus on the work that matters.
- Better control and management of information, with over 15,000 forms, 18,000 images and 10,500 signatures captured on average every month through Re-flow without any storage or printing costs.
- A growing database and audit trail with every single action in the app.
Re-flow’s intuitive, flexible and powerful field management software has been making companies more profitable and competitive for years. It’s backed up by a dedicated support team and ready to be used in businesses at any scale – from SMEs to enterprise.
*Please note that this is a commercial profile.
