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Maximising the new front-line workforce

Field-based employees are the new customer frontline. Service engineers, delivery workers and van drivers, whose importance as brand ambassadors was once undervalued, are now recognised as intrinsic to the success of a customer service team, and ultimately the business. Mark Forrest, general manager of Trimble’s Field Service Management Division explores recent research suggesting that a lack of skilled staff and representing the image of the business are key concerns for UK businesses.

Unlike their desk-based peers, mobile workers rarely spend time in company offices or with colleagues, which means it can be difficult to ensure that these staff are familiar with the company ethos so they can represent the brand. Yet, for organisations with a field-based workforce, this front-line unit is fundamental to business operations. With the economy tougher than ever, a recent Trimble study found evidence that improving workforce productivity and utilisation is a key strategic objective for the vast majority of UK businesses.

The mobile workforce as the ’face of the business’

Finding the right staff, with the right skills, and then training and monitoring them effectively is a big challenge for UK businesses. Nine in every ten of the managers and directors operating large field-based work forces surveyed recently by Trimble agreed that mobile workers are the ‘company face’ and consider field staff to be important for the image of the business.

Happily, our research showed that most field-based organisations are dealing with this issue, with over two thirds of those interviewed agreeing that the mobile workforce is made aware of company campaigns. Regular training and coaching also key to achieving this and ensuring that those employees ‘out on the road’ reflect the corporate brand values, and we found that companies are approaching this in a variety of ways.

Nearly half of those surveyed hold regular customer service training sessions and a further 31% meet frequently to discuss how to interact with clients. Simple things like sharing behavioural codes of conduct (33%) and providing a uniform/dress code (23%) are also important to presenting a consistent, respected image to customers.

The ageing workforce

Moving forward, the field-based demographic is likely to look quite different to that of today as a result of the ageing workforce and increased interest from graduates. Smart companies will take advantage of this and implement new recruitment strategies to attract and retain the best talent, which will help further improve customer service moving forward.

Interestingly, the demographic issue of an ageing workforce, which is a concern for many UK organisations, does not present a major worry for field-service managers and directors. Current figures suggest that over a third of the workforce will be over 50 by 2020, causing concern as potentially large numbers of experienced workers disappear into retirement, however our research found that nine in ten of those surveyed believe that having an older workforce will have little or no effect on them. In fact, they believe that older drivers are viewed as safer and older workers are viewed as more courteous; two factors that are fundamental to being a brand ambassador.

A lack of skilled staff is the greatest concern for almost a third of managers and directors of a field-based organisation. A further 25% would go as far to say that this dearth is having a negative impact on the organisation and indeed holding back the development of the business. Therefore effective training and tools to maximise the productivity of existing staff are crucial considerations.

Achieving continuous improvements in operational efficiency and customer service, while making the most of often restricted budgets and slim resources against a background of rising fuel prices and economic uncertainty, is a huge challenge for UK businesses. The Trimble ‘Road Ahead – the Future of Field Service Delivery’ report found that a huge eight in ten of these managers and directors firmly believe that technology can help.

Utilising technology and beating budgets

Technology is overwhelmingly recognised as an aid to achieving key strategic objectives and over 60% of managers and directors that we consulted had upgraded their technology systems within the last year, and a further 26% are planning to change at some point in the future. However, somewhat alarmingly, over half of the participants in our study (58%) are concerned that lack of investment in the proper tools and technology will hold back the development of their organisation.

The availability of budget for technology investment is a key concern for many organisations; but by producing a detailed business case, it is relatively easy to demonstrate that investing more now can save money in the long run. There is plenty of evidence available that technology investment can produce dramatic returns on investment within a relatively short timescale, often in months rather than years.

Implementation

The mobile workforce itself also appears to be ‘pro’ technology, due possibly to the very nature of their roles and what is involved in delivering them. When it comes to implementing new technology, field-based organisations do not appear to suffer from the high resistance to change that can happen when the status quo is altered in organisations. Still, 22% of the managers and directors operating large field-based work forces that we surveyed stated that resistance from staff was the biggest barrier to rolling out new technology.

Therefore, the roll-out of new field services systems must be carried out as part of a well-planned business transformation programme, with change management procedures in place to secure the buy-in of the field-based workforce. Our study showed that many businesses do actively consult staff, with just over a third explaining the benefits of the new system and ensure that the appropriate training is in place for all employees. What’s more, 68% of respondents agree that the proliferation of consumer technology means that the workforce is more willing to use an IT solution at work.

Set up for success

Moving forward, Trimble’s report suggests that the field-based workforce is set to grow, with 61% of respondents agreeing that they have plans to recruit additional staff within the next five years. Organisations should be embracing a holistic approach to mobile workforce management, ensuring training programmes develop a highly skilled workforce, equipping them with the tools and technology they need to succeed, and regularly communicating business objectives straight to the front-line. This will only become more important as the mobile workforce, and its role as the face of the business, continues to grow.

Trimble’s ‘Road Ahead – the Future of Field Service Delivery’ report is available for free download from http://www.trimble.com/fsm/uk/theroadaheadreport/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Cameron .