One of the biggest challenges of running a field service business is keeping your technicians on the same page. With everyone working in different locations, it can be difficult to keep your team aligned and working towards the same goals. A lack of co-ordination isn’t just frustrating – it can lead to job delays and unhappy customers.
So what can you do to improve team co-ordination and deliver customer jobs on time? Eworks Manager has put together a handy list of best practices to help you get started – let’s dive in.
Centralise communication
If you're communicating with your team via phone calls, text messages and emails, it’s all too easy for important details to get lost, messages to be missed, and your field workers to end up working with outdated information.
But when your entire team uses the same system for updates and job details, everyone’s always in the loop. Technicians won’t turn up to jobs that have been rescheduled or waste time looking for parts that were never ordered because the message got lost. And it’s even better if the system comes with a mobile app your team can use on the go.
Use a job scheduling system
Manual scheduling methods, such as spreadsheets or job sheets, aren’t only time-consuming – they can lead to confusion and job delays. Changes to the schedule or job details can’t be communicated quickly, meaning technicians either miss out on important information or get the details too late.
A job management system automatically considers technician skills, location and availability when assigning jobs. When unexpected changes occur, you can adjust schedules, and staff will be notified in real time. Your technicians start each day knowing exactly what they’re working on and where they need to be, allowing them to focus on delivering quality service rather than figuring out logistics.
Set clear goals and KPIs
When your team doesn’t have clear targets, it’s easy for performance to slip. Deadlines get missed, service quality varies from one technician to the next, and customers end up frustrated.
By focusing on the metrics that really matter – like first-time fix rate, average job completion time, and customer satisfaction scores – you give your team a clear direction. When everyone knows what’s expected and how their work feeds into the bigger picture, they’re more motivated to work together as a team and deliver great work.
Hold weekly check-ins
Even with digital tools in place, it’s easy for teams to become disconnected – and when your field workers aren’t always together, there’s little opportunity for them to work through issues like equipment troubles and customer complaints.
Brief weekly meetings give your team a chance to sit down and solve the problems they’re facing, share techniques they’ve had success with, and chat through potential issues before they impact customer service. These sessions also give you a platform for recognising good work and sharing best practices across the team, encouraging actions that lead to better teamwork.
Take advantage of tracking tools
Without real-time visibility, it can be challenging to give customers accurate updates, spot delays before they happen, or make smart decisions to improve your operations.
With GPS tracking and job management systems, you get a clear view of everything happening in the field. You can see where technicians are, track job progress, and spot patterns that show where extra training might be needed. That way, you can keep customers updated and make proactive choices that stop delays before they even start.
Final thoughts
When it comes to improving team coordination and reducing job delays, there’s no quick fix. It’s about combining tools like Eworks Manager with best practices – from centralising communication and scheduling jobs smartly, to setting clear goals and checking in regularly. With these practices in place, your technicians can spend less time chasing information and more time delivering high-quality service that keeps your customers coming back.
Want to learn more? Get in touch with our team to discover how field service companies use our software to get their teams in sync and reduce job delays.
