FIELD ENGINEER
BLOG
On-Demand
by
Malik Zakaria
|
January 16, 2019
VARs and system integrators need to be able to manage field technicians remotely. But managing a workforce at a distance is a complex task. Until recently, many VARs and system integrators hiring field engineers relied on using simple spreadsheets and human labor to organize their work. Scheduling, timetabling, payments, support, workflow, and annual leave all had to be done by hand.
But with the growing complexity of employee management, it became clear that organizations needed better tools: tasks like these were becoming an administrative nightmare. Miscommunication would often lead to problems on the ground resulting in mistakes, costing companies money. Engineers on the ground might have been good at their work, but poor management practices were letting them down, as well as the businesses they represented.
Electronic databases helped somewhat, but they didn’t provide VARs and system integrators with the complete functionality they needed. Yes, firms could record current workflows, but the technology was somewhat limited. There was no way to track workers or manage technicians in the field directly - companies had to rely on non-integrated, traditional means of communication, like phone and email.
Field Engineer helps VARs and system integrators that want to hire on-demand technicians get around this problem. The app integrates all of the functions that businesses need to manage remote, freelance employees without the usual fuss. There’s no waiting around to check whether messages have been received: all communications go through the app to the relevant technician who can then take immediate action, no matter where he or she might be.
Paying freelance technicians and engineers can be an HR headache when companies do things the old-fashioned way. But with the Field Engineer app, you can manage payroll easily, scheduling and agreeing on payments according to your criteria. You can use the app to make both national and international payments, freeing you up to spend more time focusing on your core operations.
If you’re hiring somebody to do a job, you want to know where they are. Tracking engineers is vital in any line of work, but particularly for system integrators and VARs. Field Engineer provides you with real-time data on the location of the people you hire through the platform, giving you peace of mind.
Updating workflows can be a costly administrative overhead. Furthermore, there can be errors in communication. Under traditional management systems, technicians were liable to continue pursuing invalid work orders, but with Field Engineer, that’s no longer a risk. Managers can immediately and remotely update work orders through the cloud. Engineers receive alerts telling them about changes in their scheduling and dispatching immediately.
Customers of Field Engineer get support from the Field Engineer team around the clock. With Field engineer customer services behind you, you’ll be able to resolve any platform-related issues, enabling your business to get the most out of the service.
With Field Engineer, there’s no need to rely on third-party communication and messaging apps: all your communication needs are taken care of in the platform itself. With Field Engineer, you can message and call engineers from your business. The app creates a log of all communication, allowing you to refer back to previous conversations when setting up new workers or resolving disputes.
Field Engineer uses an API that can connect with your favorite apps and software.
System integrators bring multiple subsystems together. System integrators, for instance, can help companies implement complex IT solutions by bringing together networking, data, and software elements into a seamless to provide a set of essential functions. The work is often detailed and highly customized to the need of the particular business in question.
VARs (value-added resellers) are similar in the sense that they sell product bundles to companies in combination to create solutions to their problems. VARs are essential for providing overall solutions to companies in the IT, telecommunications and technology sectors.
VARs and system integrators often don’t need to hire engineers full-time. Instead, they benefit most when they can acquire their expertise on-demand. But hiring people for one-off jobs can be a time-consuming and expensive process. Not only must VARs and system integrators incur search costs, but they must also arrange payment and perform their own monitoring.
Field Engineer provides a solution. Companies no longer have to hire people on a temporary or permanent basis. Instead, the platform allows VARs and system integrators to hire engineers as and when they need them. Thanks to the impressive functionality of the app, you can manage technicians in the field, including payment, without having to incur the usual recruitment costs involved in finding the right people.
How does Field Engineer make it easier for system integrators and VARs to hire technicians? Field Engineer is a platform with more than 40,000 registered and vetted technicians. All you need to do is log onto the platform and start posting jobs, providing details like pay and location. Then the app automatically connects work orders with relevant engineers according to your criteria. Engineers apply for the work through the app and your business then reviews these applications and chooses the engineer it feels is best for the job.
The app provides all kinds of features, such as reviews from previous customers who have used a particular engineer, as well as quick star-ratings, giving you a quick idea of the quality of a contractor’s work.
Field Engineer couldn’t be easier to use. Rather than going through a recruitment agency, you just sign up to the app, post work you want doing, and then wait for applications to arrive. Field Engineer operates across more than 180 countries, meaning you’ll be able to find qualified technicians to assist your operations globally.
Field Engineer is a one-stop shop for on-demand field technicians for VARs and systems integrators. Get in touch with us today to find out how your firm could benefit from our real-time, field service management product.
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