The Benefits of Equipment Tracking Software

No matter what industry you work in, reliable data will help your business run smoothly. Tracking equipment for your field service business will help keep customers satisfied, and help you stay ahead of your competitors. And, these days, there's no better way to track equipment than with field service management software like Smart Service. We've listed some of the chief benefits to good equipment tracking practices, most of which you'll realize with equipment tracking software. 

Customer Service

When installing or servicing equipment for customers, the ability to track information (such as equipment type, model, and serial number) is beneficial to the overall job process. Once this information gets entered into a software system, technicians can quickly retrieve equipment information from the customer’s record.

For example, if customers call in for a service on their furnace, an HVAC dispatcher can find out if the equipment was installed by your company, and if it is still covered under warranty. Tracking this information yourself means you will not have to rely on the customer to provide you with crucial data that they may not even understand. Instead, everything will be available in a matter of seconds. Customers will enjoy calling in and scheduling service within a few minutes, without having to offer any technical explanations.

Information for Field Technicians

Track equipment information, and field technicians will have the ability to view a customer’s equipment before traveling to their location for service. That means they can plan the trip based on the type of equipment they expect to encounter.

Some equipment tracking software apps (like Smart Service) have mobile solutions that will allow technicians to view a customer’s equipment on a phone or tablet. In this scenario, you don't need to print out equipment info from the office and hand it to your technicians before they head to their appointments.

If customers have a lot of different equipment within a single location, field technicians can quickly view equipment information for the customer by searching for the serial number. Smart Service can even scan the bar code, instantly bringing up the equipment record. They can then add additional equipment that they have installed, or include more service information on existing equipment. Equipment records will then sync back at the office, where office personnel can view all of these updates. There is no need for physical paperwork or double data entry. 

Work Orders

If a field service technician uses a mobile equipment tracking system, they can email work orders with equipment information to the customer after completing a job. Professional-looking work orders look much better in customers' eyes than handwritten work orders on preprinted forms. Equipment tracking software will give your customers an accurate record of the equipment installed or serviced. 

Reports

Most equipment tracking software will allow users to create reports. Creating equipment reports allows management to strategize and concoct business plans. For example, management can create a report on the number of a certain kind of equipment (like fire extinguishers) that got installed within a given period. They can then determine if there is a need to purchase and stock additional products. Reporting tools allow users to customize the information they need in their reports, helping them manage all aspects of their business.

Marketing

Marketing campaigns can be created based on equipment tracking information. For instance, users can generate a promotional letter for fall furnace tune-ups for customers that had a new furnace installed in the previous year. In this way, equipment information can become a valuable revenue generating tool.

If you distribute promotional material after initial service, customers can be introduced to other products and services your business provides. Users can even use software to create a mail merge for promotional letters with user information (like first and last names).

Conclusion

Smart Service has the ability to track and log customer equipment easily and efficiently. When customers call in for service, Smart Service will allow dispatchers to view the equipment that needs attention, then dispatch a job quickly.

With the Smart Service mobile app, field technicians get access to customer equipment information. They can also update or add additional equipment seamlessly. No longer will office personnel need to manually enter equipment records from handwritten notes.

Reports of equipment can be generated within Smart Service with ease, and promotional letters can be created using data from those reports. To learn more Smart Service equipment tracking, request a free demo today.