Our trusted solution for a security conscious client

Having been one of the first regional offices of the global firm to allow the use of external software and plugins to their secure system, Otis chose GSM Tasks to get the job done, our reputation for providing secure, lightweight solutions contributing to their decision.

Otis used to work with paper forms. Technicians were required to fill in job sheets for mandatory monthly inspections, along with risk analysis forms. The form-filling was taking valuable time out of their day, as well as requiring extra labour in the office to enter the data into the system. They wanted to move online and we had a ready-made foundation for a tailored product specific to their needs.

For additional security, our data is all stored and backed-up on a server based in Frankfurt, this is highly-secure and readily available through API for our clients. All customer data is available on export for them to use should they decide to leave us or if they wish to make their own backup of the data.

Templates that populate on the go

The information that a technician would have previously had to hand-write, including standard job details such as address and company information, was now populating the forms within the app immediately, leaving the technician free to get on with the job and simply adding the technical notes along with a series of checkboxes to speed up the process.

Projects are entered into the system on a monthly basis, which then gets distributed to the technicians in order of importance and time priority. Technicians are notified when a high-priority job arises, the app reschedules their other low-priority work so they are free to attending immediately – there maybe someone stuck in a lift, for example. The mobile app has a ‘heartbeat’ that keeps the system updated as to the location of each technician – even when they are off-duty, in case of emergencies, and for creating an optimum logistical service setup.

Customisable to fit your business needs

The essence of the software stays the same, but the custom elements are what sets GSM Tasks apart from other off-the-shelf logistics products. One such addition is the ability to locate technicians and assign tasks within the same vicinity. A call may come in with a higher priority status, the dispatch office can do a quick search based on the job address, then send the closest driver in a fraction of the time it would have taken before.

The inclusion of job sheet forms is also a custom part of this software. Otis wanted to respond to customers’ who wished to move away from paper forms, so we examined the key points that needed to be covered, the ‘when’, ‘how’ and ‘who’ that will ensure the vital information is present for the technician, and that the processed form ends up in the central office database automatically.

A few hours work at the beginning saves many hours on site

For each of Otis’s particular tasks we need to spend some time setting up the forms in advance, this is usually done for each of their larger clients, with other forms based around the most frequent tasks carried out for their smaller customers.

Taking this time to ensure the system is optimised for these jobs will ultimately save many hours down the line, allowing much of the form to be populated within the app from the job location and customer data. The forms have also been optimised with simple-answer options, based on feedback from previous paper forms and covering the main issues technicians often face.

As soon as the form is filled and submitted to the mobile app, the information is immediately sent back to the office. From there a bill for the customer can be generated almost instantly, further contributing to a process that saves paper, saves time, saves money, and helps our clients exceed their customers’ expectations.

Looking to the future

Coming developments include a scheduler that uses information from within the job specification to prioritize the jobs, as currently, the software relies on a time frame being entered. The new solution will learn which jobs are more important than others, without the need to be told that a job is high-priority.

This and other developments often come from our experience with different clients, their specific needs, and the process of problem-solving that leads to a better-tailored product. Many of the tweaks we make for any given client can be offered and implemented across our entire customer base very easily.

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