It has been shown that approximately 65% of incoming service requests require a dispatch. Of those dispatches, 26% require a follow up visit. Improving technician utilization to make these dispatches and follow up visits happen quickly and smoothly requires improved scheduling.

The average technician idle time is 40 percent, which means that only 60 percent of a technician’s time is billable work.

Any time a field technician has idle time – filling out paperwork, sitting in traffic, etc. – is time that they’re not spending solving customer issues. Shortening the route to reach a customer, minimizing excess parts held in stock, and reducing paperwork can help.

Today’s customers expect real-time visibility. They want to know when the tech will arrive and when the tech will complete the job.

Improving Technician Utilization 3 Ways 

According to a 2007 McKinsey quarterly report entitled, “Improving Field Service Productivity,” inefficient routing and driving patterns waste as much as 50 minutes per day.

To improve field productivity and key quality issues, including “punctuality of technicians, waiting time for customers, and getting jobs right the first time,” a cable company in the pilot study found that using better routing software and mobile phones made a difference and provided real-time visibility. Additionally, the cable company implemented better hiring and routing techniques. Ultimately, they increased the number of jobs handled per day by nearly double and decreased wait time and labor costs.

To help your organization improve technician utilization, consider:

• Tracking capacity in real time
• Using mobile phones to stay informed, especially for adjusting schedules when jobs run long or short
• Improving capacity management by increasing bookings in order to minimize gaps due to cancellations. The study noted that cancellations occurred more often than unexpected urgent jobs.
• Identifying a better forecasting model and coordinating marketing and customer care with field technicians.

Ultimately, the purpose is to improve technician utilization by improving how your organization executes scheduling and dispatching.

For the best software solution for your organization and to answer your questions about our products and services, continue to read our blog, follow us on Twitter, and/or contact us for more information.