Automatic gate installer ASE Autogate equipped its field engineers with mobile devices live-linked to a BigChange job management system to reduce its reliance on resource and time intensive paperwork by 50%.
The company reported it saved money by consolidating the management of its field operation into an integrated solution. The company also boosted customer service as through the capture and sharing of time-critical information.
“Our future depends on the quality of work and the quality of service we deliver today. BigChange gets this and gives us the tools we need to deliver on our promises,” said director Simon Field. “No job is the same and therefore no day is the same but using BigChange we can capture, record and share time and business critical intelligence, ensuring everyone is up to speed and informed, from engineers, through to support staff and management, to the end client.”
Prior to implementing the system, ASE Autogate tried a number of systems, including a standalone CRM and a generic combined CRM and enterprise resource package. “Our previous systems had elements that worked and elements that didn’t, also, as they were not specifically designed for field service operation they were ‘clunky.’ They were also under-supported,” Mr Field continued.
Using the BigChange job management system, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, resource management, job finance and business intelligence, ASE Autogate reported it can plan routine maintenance and service appointments up to a year in advance. With real-time visibility of engineers’ current location and onward calendars, back-office staff can also react quickly and accurately to emergency callouts, allocating the right resource and adjusting schedules accordingly.
Carrying out between two and three installations and up to 100 planned or reactive maintenance visits a week within its gate division alone (the company launched a door division a few years back), ASE Autogate is working to eliminate paper from its workflows. Previously, its engineers logged in at the Shipley head office on a Monday morning, collecting a week’s worth of job sheets, risk assessments and other associated paperwork. They often did not return until Friday afternoon, by which time the volume of paperwork had increased massively and the completed details had to be manually entered into a number of management and accounting systems. “Using BigChange the entire process, from initial enquiry, through to quoting, works completion, invoicing and ongoing servicing, is automated and this has greatly reduced our reliance on paper. This is saving us time, it’s saving paper and ink, it’s saving energy and it’s reducing delays in invoicing and minimising the potential for errors.” Mr Field added.
