Trimble Adds Fully Automated Scheduling Capabilities to its Advanced Solution for Field Service Management

Trimble announced today major scheduling enhancements to its cloud-based Work Management solution. An important element of the Trimble PULSE™ suite of end-to-end field service management solutions, Trimble's Work Management version 4.2 improves the productivity of mobile workforces through intelligent scheduling tools, mobile apps and state-of-the-art performance analytics. Key enhancements include the ability to:

• Automatically schedule and dispatch tasks to eliminate manual intervention - Dispatchers can configure the schedule to dispatch tasks automatically based on pre-defined parameters, reducing the time required to prepare a schedule while optimizing service delivery.  

• Link tasks to enable more complex workflows - Dispatchers can link two or more tasks together that must be fulfilled, in sequence, by the same person or different people (e.g. required parts must be collected by the technician from a location that is different from where the task is to be completed).

• Plan ahead while protecting the current schedule - Dispatchers can lock down tasks into a schedule and plan for consecutive weeks to ensure first-time-fix targets are met (e.g., a dispatcher must send parts and inventory to a customer site one week prior to scheduling the technician's arrival).

• Manage lone workers, at risk - Technicians that are working alone in dangerous environments can link their task progress, via a mobile app, to the back office. A countdown timer is set by the technician to complete the task. If it is not extended or canceled before reaching zero an alarm triggers to immediately notify the dispatcher to safeguard the worker.

• Model contracts with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) - If a customer requires a technician to arrive on site as well as complete a task by a particular time, this can be scheduled automatically to manage risks to ensure SLAs are met.

• Improve communication with the field to enhance schedule accuracy - Technicians can provide real-time feedback from the field, such as ETA and when service has been restored, to enable dispatchers to keep customers informed and reflect accurate, realistic schedules. Configurable data collection templates via the scheduling mobile app also allow technicians to provide more accurate and timely data when they close a task.

• View real-time task metrics for improved intelligence and reporting - Dispatchers and service managers can view a live dashboard of current work progress based upon real-time updates sent by technicians from their mobile app, allowing them to monitor SLA success rates. A new task auditing feature also allows dispatchers to report on the full audit history of the lifecycle of a task for improved intelligence.

"While our key enhancements offer companies the convenience of fully automating their scheduling processes, we also offer a unique, staged approach for those wanting to begin their transition from manual to automated scheduling," said John Cameron, general manager of Trimble's Field Service Management Division. "Our staged approach gives users the flexibility to start achieving some of the benefits of automation today, while still retaining control. And when they become more confident with automation, they can quickly move to a fully automated process and realize all of the benefits."