5 benefits of a mobile app for service management companies

Research agency Gartner predicted that by 2017, half of all employees will use their own (mobile) device in office. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) continues to increase in popularity. However, the ever-increasing choice is a challenge for most service management companies.  Field service firms are looking to a mobile app for service management to support their engineers, speed up cash flow and improve customer experiences.

We all do more and more with our smartphone and want to handle our work the way we handle our personal life. In the past, a robust device offered many advantages. Nowadays, those benefits are not worth much more. An expensive, large device is no longer compatible with the needs of the service industry. Slim, lightweight devices are preferred. Ergonomic devices with the convenience of touch. They are ideal for most field service tasks, such as viewing charts and schedules for repairs and monitoring of inventory. For tasks in more hostile working conditions, lightweight robust covers are available on the market that provide adequate protection.

Mobile business apps are on the rise and offer many benefits. We’ve listed the main benefits of mobile ERP applications in this blog.

1. Simple purchase and direct use
One of the major advantages of a mobile ERP app is that business functionality can be purchased in the same easy way as the apps you personally use on your smartphone.
Mobile ERP apps like Microsoft Dynamics can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, Windows Store, or Apple App Store. You are not dependent on a particular operating system. You log in with your username and password that you also use with your default Microsoft Dynamics ERP and get started right away. It does not matter if your system is running on your own server or coming out of the cloud.

2. Modern interface
A mobile ERP app provides access to certain functionality of your ERP system based on authorisation. The solution combines the trusted user experience of your Microsoft Dynamics ERP with a modern mobile device interface.
Calculations are done outside of the device, which means you do not need heavy memory and processor capacity. And therefore no special device is required to handle this. The data will only be presented to you as a user on the mobile device.

3. Independent and sustainable
You are no longer stuck to a particular partner or mobile strategy. And that’s good news for the durability of your solution.
If you previously chose a particular partner, this partner also required you to choose specific devices. There was a problem when this device was no longer in sale. Then an upgrade is necessary, whereas the organisation does not want to.

4. Always up-to-date
Synchronisation capabilities ensure that your data is always up to date. The app enhances the scope of your business system and ensures you can also use this powerful solution at all your locations for repairs, service and maintenance.
The insight that is created is of great value for your business. Direct insight into, for example, a customer’s history and product inventory make it possible to provide better service and make it easier to make appointments.

5. Easy switching between functionality
In the app, you can make use of other functions on your mobile device. For example, consider the camera, microphone and your e-mail so that you can instantly create, document and forward photos, orders, and service commands.

Data about customers or products need to be entered once more and can be done instantly. This ensures more efficiency, saving you a lot of time. The turnaround time of orders is reduced, stock costs are lower and customer satisfaction increases.

More than a mobile app for service management – Dynamics 365 for Field Service

For further information, visit our website,  take a look at the Microsoft Dynamics field service app in Appsource, read our service management articles and speak to Prodware about how we can help you in improving your field service offering and helping your mobile engineers.