In the field service industry, first-time fix rates influence every instance of your company’s success. Higher first-time fix rates lead to more satisfied customers, maximize the number of jobs your techs handle in a day, and mean more revenue for your company.
Wondering how to increase your field service company’s first-time fix rates? In this article, we explain how to use field service software to hoist your first-time fix rates to 100 percent.
Why First-Time Fix Rates Suffer
It may seem like first-time fix rates hinge on a million different factors, but there’s a common formula chiseled into the foundation of first-time fix rates. If you want higher first-time fix rates, you need to get the right tech to the right job with the right part and know-how to complete the job efficiently. Unfortunately, there are some common barriers standing between field service companies and this winning formula for lower first-time fix rates:
- Inadequate parts management: If you don’t have a solid grip on parts inventory, where the parts you need to complete a job are, and what parts you need to have in stock, it can wreck your first-time fix rates.
- Inefficient scheduling: Even if your techs are fully prepared to complete a job, inefficient communication methods and scheduling can bog down your first-time fixes.
- Limited on-the-job resources: To complete a job right the first time, your techs need the right part, the right tools, and a thorough understanding of the job. Whenever techs show up to a job without the resources or info they need, it’s a recipe for callbacks.
How to Increase First-Time Fix Rates with Software
Fortunately, there are simple ways to increase first-time fix rates. The right all-in-one field service software will make it easy to deploy the right tech to the right job with the parts and resources to complete the job the first time. Here are some ways all-in-one software clears a path to higher first-time fix rates:
- On-the-job resources: With all-in-one field service software, you give techs mobile resources, customer histories, equipment manuals, and other on-the-job guides. That makes it easy for them to complete the job in one go.
- More scheduling control: An all-in-one field service solution will let you control all of the company’s critical functions from a single platform. Schedulers and dispatchers can track techs in real time, receive live job status updates, and access the insights to route techs to the best job for them.
- Skills matching: The best software will give schedulers the ability to match techs to the job that fits their background, location, and skills.
- Simpler parts and inventory management: All-in-one field service solutions make it easy to manage parts, keep track of inventory, and see what parts are in high demand. That way you can ensure your techs have the parts or supplies they need to complete jobs the first time.
What to Track to Improve First-Time Fix Rates
Once you’re driving more efficient processes with software, you can continue to improve first-time fix rates by monitoring field service metrics. By digging into insights about your company’s performance, it’s easy to see where there’s room for improvement and what areas to focus on in order to realize more revenue. There are some critical KPIs that field service companies can track to increase first-time fix rates:
- Work completion rates: If your techs are being held back by inefficient processes or delays, it will show up in your work completion rates. By tracking this metric, you can shed light on holdups, eliminate them, and push toward more first-time fixes.
- Tech response times: By tracking your techs’ response times, it’s easy to see where bottlenecks are plaguing their workdays. With that information, you can identify inefficiencies and clear a path to a more successful day.
- Service order counts: If you have accounts that are demanding extra attention, there may be a deeper issue causing problems. Identifying these high-frequency accounts and digging into the root of extra calls can free your techs to take on jobs with higher success rates.
- Utilization: Are your techs spending excess time filling out paperwork, traveling to jobs, or waiting for scheduling to take place? By tracking utilization, you can uncover these issues and streamline processes for faster job completion.
How Davisware Software Can Help You Drive Performance Higher
All-in-one field service software can help you increase efficiency across your organization, lift first-time fix rates, and grow the company. However, not all field service software will deliver the same results.
Davisware software is built specifically for field services, and we have deep roots in the industry. Our all-in-one software is made to help your company streamline processes, increase efficiency, and grow.
Schedule a demo today to see how Davisware software can help you reach your company’s goals.
