Using Re-flow field management software, businesses can break down barriers between siloed systems and be free of the limitations posed by traditional ways of manual working
Construction businesses often face the challenge of managing siloed systems, using separate software packages for accounting, CRM, asset management, MRP and project management.
These disjointed systems often cause inefficiencies, data inconsistencies and limited visibility across departments, impacting productivity.
Re-flow field management provides a centralised data system
One of the main issues present in siloed systems is duplicate work.
When there’s limited visibility across an organisation, members of different teams can end up completing the same tasks in parallel. In these situations, access to shared data could save valuable time and effort.
Re-flow eliminates these issues by providing a centralised system where all data is entered,
stored and automatically updated in real-time.
With the entire team operating on the same up-to-date information, repeat information and
tasks become a thing of the past.
Improved data oversight means businesses also benefit from real-time reporting and better analytical capabilities. Through the dashboard, users can extract crucial insights by running reports on job progress, sales statistics, equipment, servicing and more.
These reports can then be exported as PDF, CSV or Excel documents and shared with colleagues and key stakeholders.
Cross-team communication
Disjointed communication is another major pain point for companies operating on siloed systems. With multiple teams utilising different tools and messaging solutions, a disconnect is natural.
When communication breaks down, jobs can be delayed, completed incorrectly and run over budget due to avoidable communication errors.
Utilising Re-flow’s app, users can push messages to individual operatives or bulk send to entire teams at once, with the ability to attach crucial information needed to communicate sudden changes on jobs – PDFs, photos, locations and more.
With field and office teams using a single messaging solution, everyone’s in the know with read receipts that track who’s acknowledged communications, and who hasn’t.
For more advanced applications, Re-flow’s workflow automations can even trigger notifications based on actions such as form completion, job progress updates, asset servicing updates and more, automatically pushing communications through the internal messaging system or by email and SMS.
Resource visibility helps businesses to stay informed and plan ahead
Visibility is one of the main issues with siloed systems, especially when it comes to the planning stages of a project.
With Re-flow’s scheduling tools, businesses can stay informed and plan ahead. A detailed, intuitive overview of work being carried out allows dashboard users to oversee employees, vehicles, plant and equipment assigned to tasks.
This oversight prevents availability conflicts triggered by holidays and training, double
bookings, defective equipment, qualifications and even fatigue, ensuring the right resources for the job are always assigned.
Asset management also enables users to keep track of equipment, plant and vehicles
– an activity often rendered difficult with siloed systems. Having accurate, up-to-date
asset information is crucial when planning projects.
If a defect in a vehicle hasn’t been reported, or equipment is being used on another job and the information hasn’t been fed back, delays and accidents can occur.
The dashboard even enables users to track equipment and user locations in real time, updated through digital forms on-site.
This means office staff can become more reactive, quickly assigning the nearest equipment or operatives when unexpected circumstances arise.
Re-flow field management improves safety and compliance
With siloed systems, data security and compliance can also become a big obstacle.
Siloed systems may lack proper controls and processes to ensure compliance with industry regulations and standards.
This also complicates efforts to comply with data privacy and protection laws.
Re-flow can incorporate compliance features and automates regulatory processes, reducing compliance risks and facilitating auditing and reporting. With digital signatures on submitted forms, as well as time, date, location tagging and photographic evidence, compliance officers can have eyes on a project at all times – even when they can’t physically be on-site.
If data is being submitted incorrectly, it can be checked in real-time as it comes into the
dashboard, flagging issues which can be quickly and easily rectified. With everything uploaded and grouped against jobs with time, date and GPS stamps for documents,
images and data, building robust audit trails becomes effortless.
For larger enterprise businesses, all of these processes can be integrated even further.
Re-flow offers several pre-built integrations for popular accounting packages, including
Xero, Quickbooks and Sage Business Cloud Accounting, as well as CRM and reporting
solutions such as Hubspot and PowerBI.
With this, not only will Re-flow enable companies to quash data siloes in their field
management processes, but across the entire business.
In summary, implementing a digital solution, like Re-flow, offers several advantages,
including data consistency, enhanced visibility and reporting, improved customer satisfaction, efficient asset management, and reduced compliance risks.
By breaking down data siloes and connecting departments, businesses can become more strategic, grow sustainably and gain a competitive edge in the market.
Ashley Wing
Head of sales & marketing
Re-flow Field Management
Tel: +44 01392 547002
*Please note: This is a commercial profile.
