Field Service IT News For VARs — November 12, 2014
By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer
In the news, a biotech company’s field service personnel use iPads to provide real-time information to the company from healthcare facilities. Also, QR codes on vehicles can provide information to first responders, and swipe cards can help keep track of elementary school students on school buses.
Real-Time Data And Field Service In Healthcare
According to an article on Diginomica, biotech company Luminex recently sent its field service agents to area healthcare facilities it serves with iPads. The results allowed them to work with real-time information, pinpointing any potential problems on the customer end and stepping in and fixing any potential issues before they became problems.
Saving Lives With QR Codes
An article by Autosphere, “Mercedes-Benz Canada Saves Lives With QR Codes,” discusses how Mercedes-Benz Canada began supplying information about its vehicles to rescue teams using QR codes. Emergency crews can scan the code with a smartphone and learn about the vehicle’s structural details, including airbag, battery, and fuel tank locations.
Tracking School Children With Swipe Cards
An elementary school in Peru, IN, has started using swipe cards to keep track of its students on area school buses. Detailed in a The Elkhart Truth article, the cards help school officials track when students get on and off buses, as well as how many empty seats are on a particular bus and which students ride the bus most often.
Field Service IT Talking Points
Learn how companies can orchestrate and manage their field service activities using the cloud and mobile devices in this Fleet Owner article.
Read about how wearable technologies in the future can provide crucial job and safety information using heads-up displays and armbands in the following Tech Crunch article.
The Business2Community article, “The 3 Approaches To Mobile Field Service Apps And Business Efficiency,” talks about three approaches a company can take when it comes to field service using mobile devices in the field.
Heavy Duty Trucking has announced its Top 50 Green Fleets for the second straight year. An HDT Truckinginfo article touches on how the fleets were selected for the honor. The list looked for companies that pushed for better fuel economy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainability over the past year.
A crucial aspect of field service management is preventing overlap in territories of personnel. Some suggestions in a Business2Community article include segmenting customers, developing a detailed plan, and scheduling your visits with customers according to a specific route.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Field Service Tech Center.