Field Service Software for Distributors

Accolent ERP provides customizable field service software for distributors

Benefits of Field Service Software for Distributors

Accolent ERP field service software for distributors facilitates the scheduling, communication with, and management of remote field services personnel. Once this is properly set up through Accolent ERP field service software, distributors can then provide value-added field services to customers. These kinds of field services include scheduling, delivery, obtaining proof-of-delivery, dispatching of field technicians, updating customers on technicians’ arrivals or delays, tracking field services and invoicing, tracking assets and mobile sales. Offering field services has many tangible benefits for distributors including increasing customer satisfaction and retention, increasing revenues, improving productivity and efficiency, and reducing errors.

Customer Satisfaction and Retention

Providing value-added services to customers can improve customer relationships. Many studies have shown that customers have a strong preference for in-person service. As such, providing in-person field services can increase customer satisfaction. Distributors that deliver orders, or install, provide maintenance for and repair machinery or equipment have more touchpoints with their customers. This leads to building closer relationships with and developing better insights into customers’ needs, which in turn improves customer retention.

Increased Revenues

Field service software for distributors facilitates the provision of installation, maintenance and break-fix services that are closely related to distributors’ core businesses. These recurring services supplement distributors’ existing wholesale businesses and can create new reliable and predictable revenue streams. Another field services software application can support remote salespersons. Most distributors know that in-person salespersons' visits to customers to take customer orders or provide quotes typically result in higher close rates, increasing revenues.

Productivity Improvements

Field service software for distributors sends and receives data from users’ ERP systems via mobile apps to field service personnel using mobile devices. Communicating with the mobile devices of field personnel gives customers, managers, technical teams, real-time visibility into field service projects. This means that any needs for direction or technical assistance can be quickly addressed. Dispatchers can provide real-time responses to problems such as accidents or traffic blockages. Also, Accolent ERP field service software for distributors delivers mobile apps that are designed for and can be cached on mobile devices. Many field services sites may not have reliable Internet coverage, but these apps will continue to work on the mobile device and will sync once the device gets into cell coverage. This increases the productivity of the field services personnel.

Remote Workers

Though not its primary function, field services software for distributors does facilitate remote users, which is becoming more and more important to today’s workforce. Mobile apps that pull data from distributors’ ERP systems can be customized so that specific jobs that are not really field services, may be able to be performed remotely.

Reduced Errors

By making ERP data directly available to and updated by field service personnel, distributors can cut down on data errors and ensure that all users are working from the same data. Without field service software, distributors and field personnel have to rely on paper forms and data is captured manually and then updated manually to the ERP system. This is very time-consuming, inefficient and error prone. With field service software for distributors, error rates go down considerably, and fixes get done right the first time.

Increased Utilization

Using field service software for distributors allows distributors to track assets and/or manage equipment in real-time. This will substantially increase equipment uptime and utilization. It will also help with scheduling preventative maintenance and reducing equipment downtime.

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Industries

Optimized for wholesale distribution across a number of vertical industries: auto parts, building materials, chemicals, fasteners, food & beverage, industrial, jan/san, restaurant supply and more

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Accolent ERP Technology

There are good reasons that cloud-based ERP software is rapidly replacing on-premise business software. Learn why experts predict that 5 years from now on premise systems will be obsolete.

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Implementation and Training

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