Field service outsourcing is the process through which service providers or independent contractors are hired to assist in supplying coverage in remote locations or helping to satisfy seasonal demand.
For field service firms, outsourcing is nothing new. The field service industry’s practice of outsourcing has become more established as a result of the rising demand for quick, high-quality service and the knowledge gap brought on by an aging and decreasing pool of skilled technicians. Due to the changing perception of outsourcing, it is now crucial for service companies to exert more control over the customer experience and improve their understanding of contracted service operations.
What Kind Of Field Service Tasks Can Be Outsourced?
Field services refers to a broad range of jobs. There are logistics for preventative maintenance, service parts, installation, and break-fix. In order to address the requirement for workforce resilience and quicker reaction times as well as to give the opportunity to boost customer satisfaction, outsourced teams are increasingly being used for any or all of these types of service activities.
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Short-notice Field Service Outsourcing Challenges
Working with and onboarding third-party technicians poses its own set of difficulties, especially under time pressure during an emergency.
Onboarding
Explaining new systems, procedures, and other norms is a necessary aspect of outsourcing work, whether to a third-party company or to independent contractors. To guarantee consistent service standards, management must figure out ways to efficiently integrate contractors and optimize basic processes, frequently remotely.
Training
Even under the best of circumstances, keeping track of the qualifications and certificates of subcontractors is difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, management must develop a means to guarantee that its subcontractors are well trained and competent to do any task given to them. Giving complicated work to an unskilled specialist can be risky, waste time for the business, and use up valuable resources.
Client experience
A negative client experience may quickly go viral on social media in the digital age, significantly harming the reputation of a service company even before the technician has finished the task. Outsourced employees must be thoroughly taught and equipped to execute the task correctly the first time, so management must make sure of this.
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What Are The Factors To Consider When Choosing An Outsourcing Company?
Value
What services are you receiving for your investment, not simply the price? The best value comes from a one-stop shop that provides a full-service platform. This covers everything from the service provider’s management of the project to the recruiting and sending of technicians.
Capabilities
Confirm the genuine capabilities the potential field service provider has. Check if they are able to provide 24-hour dispatching, and nationwide reach. How do they remain up to date with their training? Do their professionals have a wide variety of tools and test equipment experience?
Scalability
The service must scale up or down to meet your changing company needs. It is crucial that a third-party service partner be able to scale in accordance with the ups and downs of your business cycle. The service you pick ought to be flexible enough to accommodate your company’s seasonal needs at either end of that scale.
References
When making your choice, give careful consideration to the track record of the third-party resource you are considering. It is crucial for a potential service provider to have expertise in working on the equipment you need serviced or similar equipment, as well as in the industry where your equipment was installed.
Request a list of the customers the company has served. If no NDAs are in effect, they should have no problem releasing a list of the clients for whom they have provided services. The list will include resources that you may contact in order to get first-hand reports of the provider’s degree of excellence.
The results of a provider will speak for themselves. A provider that is dedicated to excellence will consistently perform effectively on the first visit or get the job done correctly the first time.