Mobile Computer Vision Improves the Quality and Efficiency of Field Service

| Field Service

Inventory Count in the Van AR overlay

by Derek Garber, Account Executive, Field Service, Scandit, Inc

The demand for quality on-premises field service is steadily increasing. By 2023, the Global Field Service Management Market is expected to reach $5.08 billion from $2.56 billion in 2018  (according to Statistics MRC). With both consumer and commercial customers expecting same day ‘on-demand’ services, field service organizations are under pressure to remain competitive and earn customer trust by fixing issues, first time, every time. Although the field service industry covers utilities, manufacturing, public services, and more, there are a number of common operational challenges.

In this post, we will highlight how mobile computer vision helps field service enterprises do things differently and tackle these challenges to more quickly and affordably manage critical operations. You’ll learn about organizations currently benefiting from mobile computer vision-powered field services and find out how to use barcode scanning-enabled smart devices to help manage your workflows.

52% of companies still use manual methods for the bulk of their field service tasks. – ReachOutSuite, 2018

Challenges that prevent the efficient delivery of quality field service

1.) Not having the right technician, the right tools, or the right parts on-site. This problem dooms a first-time fix before the field service call even starts and immediately cuts into profitability. Barcode scanning smart devices – smart scanning – make it simple for field service technicians to get real-time information about a fix, so they have what they need on-site to do the job in just one visit.

2.) Tracking parts inventory in a field service vehicle. Inefficient management of stock inventories in distribution centers and in the field presents a significant time and cost burden. Field service technicians can use smart scanning to quickly and easily scan parts wherever they are, keeping inventory management systems up-to-date and making it easy to locate, replace, and return parts which cuts the time required for the on-site field service visit.

Watch this short video to see mobile computer vision helping field service professionals manage on-site service calls more effectively:

Mobile computer vision closes the field service efficiency gap

The average first time fix rate for an organization is around 77%. That means that a field technician has to do at least one follow up visit on about 23% of all service calls. This affects costs, asset availability, and in some cases, response time. – ServicePower 2014

Integrating the right technology into field service workflows can significantly close the efficiency gap that exists today. Scandit’s computer vision and augmented reality (AR) technology turns standard smart devices into powerful enterprise-grade scanners and data capture tools. This means you can process data (barcodes and text) in real-time to track and verify items. You can also overlay additional information onto the image on the device screen, such as installation instructions for technicians. Our patented software is highly accurate and provides market-leading scan-speeds, even in challenging logistical conditions such as with tough code, in bad light or at wide angles and long distance.  

Bringing true mobility and visibility to field service

Scandit-powered smart devices make field service workflows much more efficient and less costly. With smart scanning technology on everyday mobile phones, you can track and have full visibility of assets from depos into the field. It means you can increase your first-time fix rates and keep customers happy at the same time.

Distribution centers and satellite depot employees can manage stock inventories up to 40% faster with Scandit-enabled apps using MatrixScan than with dedicated scanners. They can also sort, put-away and retrieve parts and equipment to support busy field service operations at the start and end of work orders.

Field service technicians can use mobile barcode scanning apps to load and track assets from the moment they leave a distribution center. They can search and check inventory on vans, access service histories and installation manuals, confirm completed work orders and activate invoices and warranties. Text recognition combined with barcode scanning, makes reading IDs, equipment and parts much simpler.

Easy to integrate without disruption

Although designed for large-scale enterprise implementation, Scandit technology is easy to integrate into any app running on any camera-equipped smart device – native mobile apps or web apps – with or without the need for development. Our software works on a variety of operating systems, frameworks and 3rd party systems and developers tell us how simple it is to work with our SDKs and documentation. We work closely with every client to introduce the scanning software safely and securely into their existing infrastructure with minimal disruption and without the need for a hefty investment in new technology or training.

You might also be interested in –

  • Enphase Energy Case Study: Mobile computer vision helps manage and streamline field service installations of energy storage systems in more than 21 countries.
  • American Woodmark Case Study: Field service technicians use mobile barcode scanning to identify a product when reporting a quality issue and quickly find a job associated with an order.
  • ExPD Group Case Study: Scandit enables field techs to deliver inspection results more quickly and accurately.

Fix It, First Time, One Mobile Scan at a Time

Download this whitepaper and learn:

  • How inexpensive smart devices equipped with visual, intuitive solutions reduce operational costs with little user training. 
  • Why the ability to capture multiple barcodes in a single scan and use AR overlays to access real-time inventory and operations data is critical for process improvement. 
  • How to improve first-time fix rates by providing consistent real-time operations information from distribution centres to technicians in the field.

If you’d like to explore how Scandit could help your organization, contact us, we’d love to talk.