First time fix

Roger Marks, MD, Aeromark says HVAC service providers can increase their first-time fix rate in maintaining systems by using the right digital solutions

First time fix is a key factor for FMs when calling out a HVAC service provider. However, in an all-too-common scenario; an engineer arrives at a job but is missing a vital piece of information about the fault or repair history and can’t do the job. On the second visit the engineer finds they don’t have the right parts in their van stock to complete the job, and on the third call, the client might not be able to accommodate the visit due to poor communication.

Sending the correctly qualified service engineer with all the information they need, the right parts to complete the job, and ensuring it’s convenient for the occupier, seems obvious, but achieving this is not always as easy as it sounds.

Out-dated service management systems, or worse – multiple spreadsheets, make it hard to manage the simplest of engineer call outs and a lack of visibility and communication in back-office systems, lead to inefficiencies throughout the entire service delivery journey.

Investing in trusted technology will help modernise your processes, organise your teams and manage your assets. This will improve the efficiency of your back office, field engineers and subcontractors to save valuable time, resources and energy.

OPTIMISED SCHEDULING BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY

Optimised workforce scheduling can enable service businesses to significantly improve engineer productivity; in our experience, by up to 40 per cent. A fully customisable, cloud-based service management system can provide all the information required to ensure engineers have the right information
every time. This results in greater efficiency, accurate surveys and quotes, better first-time fix rates (FTFRs) and more time to focus on other areas of your business.

When a reactive job does comes in, the system will select the best engineer for a job based on their expertise, location and availability, as well as identify other planned or reactive maintenance work at, or near, the same location, which can be done at the same time; further improving efficiency, reducing service miles and saving time and money.

Meanwhile the back-office team have real-time visibility of the status of jobs throughout the emerging day. If jobs are overrunning work can be simply reallocated ensuring SLAs and promises to customers are always met. Equally, when service calls are completed quicker than expected, the system can suggest additional jobs that can be added to an engineer’s day.

EMPOWERED MOBILE WORKFORCE

Improving efficiency and communication boosts client’s confidence in their engineers, and company brand, while reducing costs and unproductive workforce hours. HVAC engineers need to be empowered with as much knowledge as possible to achieve a first-time fix. With an end-to-end service management system, the engineer’s job schedule is clearly laid out in order, with full details including relevant site and asset information, service history and asset specifications via their smart phones or tablets, making the engineer experience as simple as possible.

Automated real-time SMS or email notifications keep customers informed about their service appointment and engineer location and allows them to easily rearrange when more convenient for them reducing “no access”.

Once onsite, the entire service request is streamlined from issue detection to finish. Job sheets and compliance documentation are automatically created, including photo capture, engineers time on site, parts used, rates applied to the job and customer signature.

Should additional parts be required to complete the maintenance or repair, engineers can access supplier parts lists and initiate inventory orders. Once the job is completed it automatically passes to a commercial queue for review, approval and billing.