Mobile Workforce Task Management

Within service, repair, installation and maintenance industries, the use of mobile data terminals to automate the real-time task management of mobile workers in the field delivers core business benefits. These include increased accuracy of service history, automatic collection of traveling and on site working times, availability of necessary technical data and the elimination of paperwork together with its associated re-keying back office costs.

Implementing Mobile Workforce Task Management requires the use of a mobile data terminal to download the planned tasks, service, repair or technical data, and upload completed task confirmation (including other details such as parts used and customer signature on glass) back to the MAN host software.

In conjunction with the vehicle tracking and mapping module, Mobile Workforce Task Management can be used to dynamically allocate additional tasks or emergency service or repair calls to the nearest available engineer with the suitable skills and resources.

The mobile data terminals used can be any Pocket PC platform including ruggedised industrial data terminals and personal digital assistants such as the Journada or XDA. Terminals are linked to the in-vehicle computer (IVC) to utilise its GPRS communications or may have their own GPRS communications capability.

The processing power of the mobile data terminal can also be used to run other applications to assist the operation or driver such as driver navigation or van stocks and spare parts.

Key benefits of electronic Mobile Workforce Task Management include:-

• Elimination of paperwork
• Pre-planned or dynamic allocation of jobs and tasks to mobile workers with required resources and skill sets
• Increased accuracy of data collection on job times, service and repair activity
• Reduced administration, re-keying of delivery data and back office overheads
• Availability of technical support documentation on request
• Faster and more accurate invoicing from clean job sheet
• Ability to manage van stocks and spare parts
• Reductions in customer queries and faster response to those queries
• Enforces company policy for on-site working