Field Data Reporting

Installations in the Field

Work performed in the field presents a challenge for data collection. While most businesses just collect the minimum required information, there is a lot of lost opportunity for field service reporting.

In the field, time on site can be logged along with tasks, notes, and pictures through a tablet app. The customer can sign off on the work which will produce a PDF report of work completed with customers signature.

Field Service solutions typically come in the form of a mobile reporting app that is used on-site by employees or technicians with a web portal for viewing submissions and running reports.

We believe that Field Services represents one of the highest areas for efficiency gains through our software. This is primarily due to increased data accuracy along with the new insights that can be discovered through reporting.

About National Lighting and Electrical Services

National Lighting Electrical Services currently services big and small box retailers, grocery supply chains, healthcare facilities and manufacturing and industrial buildings. When partnering with National Lighting Electrical Services, customers often reduce energy costs by as much as 20%-50%. Their comprehensive energy solution begins with a consultation and facility audit and ends with the proper recycling and disposal of replaced materials.

Trucks

Crew Leaders

Technicians

National Lighting’s Challenge

With 40 trucks on the road performing lighting installs, National Lighting was running their business through tried and true spreadsheets and paper forms. While the process worked, the volume of paperwork was overwhelming and error prone. National Lighting sought to increase efficiency and decrease errors in reporting through a mobile app and office portal for management.

Data Legibility

Paper forms filled out in the field presented a challenge for consistently legible information. Returning forms to the office was either through mail or taking pictures.

Completed Forms

With increasingly complex forms, employees did not always fill out the required sections based on the required conditional logic.

Paperwork Volume

When the paperwork was received, data entry was required to use the data in the following business processes.

Mobile App

National Lighting utilized a tablet app for their technicians to record all of the information while on site. This included travel time to the location, time on site, lighting fixtures installed, and client approval after installation.

Realtime Reporting

Technicians submit field reports in real time.

Guided Input

Data validation guides the technician to submit the desired information.

Client Sign Off

After each installation, the client can sign off on the work and leave any notes or comments.

Office Dashboard

National Lighting’s office employees manage their crews through the online dashboard. The dashboard provides employees granular access based on permissions as well as offering a customer login for viewing forms completed during projects.

Process Automation

Previously manual processes can now be auto generated, such as supplier POs.

Efficiency Reporting

Insights into individual employee performance, including metrics for fixtures installed per hour.

Payroll Reports

Reports for work time and travel time per customer for each employee.

National Lighting’s Success

After implementation and training, National Lighting saw a decrease in paperwork and increase in efficiency.

I would like to share with you how Eric has helped us streamline our process and the amount of printing endless amount of forms etc to minimum is simply amazing. My costs have gone down on a per order bases quite a bit since our programs Eric has written for us are now being used company wide. It took some effort to get everyone using it. But now they all love it because the process for an order to a PO has been simplified and streamlined considerably!

Don Verkuylen – President NLES Inc