Getting informationfrom the field, fast.How mobile forms can turn your field workers into superstars

There’s a gap in your business, and it’s costing you time and money – every day.

It’s the information gap between what your people need and

where they are.

It’s easy for basic business processes to get lost in that gap.

It’s like the remote getting lost in the couch, but worse.

How much worse? Well, take technician Fred.

But that’s actually where the problems start.

Fred’s busy at a customer’s site. He’s figured out the fault and spotted the guilty component.

Good for Fred.

Fred knows how important the fix is for your customer (it’s really very, very important). And he knows how to fix it. The problem: he doesn’t have the part in his van. Nor can he remember the serial number.

And the list of possible replacement options is in the inventory database, way o� at head o�ice.

You see the gap: Fred’s in one place and can’t get the information to and from another place. So what does Fred do? Here’s how it usually goes:

He fills in a job ticket, scratching down some notes on the paper, which are hard to read. He leaves blank the bit where the number of the faulty part should be (he doesn’t remember that).

He calls the head o�ice but can’t make his description of the part understood.

Fred’s a great technician, but he’s not always good with people when he’s frustrated. He leaves the site in a bad mood, saying he’ll call back when he’s tracked down the part. He thinks it’ll be in a couple of days.

The client curses the firm for poor-quality service. They even post it on Twitter.

Stupid @HeatingInc can’t even tell me when my AC will be fixed. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Fred has wasted a morning.

The business has a bit of paper – Fred’s job ticket – without the information it really needs.

The client’s AC is still kaput. And they’re getting hotter and hotter under the collar.

And the social media-horde knows to avoid @HeatingInc like the plague.

You might be thinking: “But we don’t do air conditioning. What’s this got to do with me?”

Well, this isn’t just about service technicians or air conditioning.

It’s MUCH bigger than that.

If you take a long look at your business – at any business – you start seeing the gap everywhere.

When a road warrior in sales primes a hot prospect, there’s a gap between the paperwork in his car and details in the database.

When a delivery driver leaves the package with a neighbor, the customer doesn’t know where it is – and your customer service team may not either.

A builder needs to mark a job complete – every detail, in the right order – so the business can invoice it. But everything waits until he gets back to the o�ice, after his next two jobs.

The gap between where your people are and their job infomation causes all kinds of problems:

It wastes people’s time

It holds up cash flow

It misses sales opportunities

It irritates the hell out of your customers

And on top of that…

Your people feel demoralized, because they’re trying to do a good job but can’t.

The good news is there’s a way to close all of those gaps. Forever.

Let’s go back to Fred, who has left his client’s site in frustration.

What if he had the right technology to solve the problem then and there?

With a tablet or a smart phone a pre-set form can guide him through the diagnostics to ensure he collects all the necessary data.

(If he tries to skip a bit, the job can’t be completed.)

But he still doesn’t have the serial number.

Guess what: the mobile form lets him photograph the faulty part and describe how it malfunctions.

With a flick of a finger, he shares what he knows with head o�ice and suppliers. Immediately. They can see what he can see.

No gap.

With Fred’s photos and drawings, suppliers can identify the broken part and get a replacement shipped, same day.

With the part on its way, Fred tells the client he can come back later and finish the job.

He’s happy and so is the client. He feels like a superstar.

Brilliant @HeatingInc solved my critical aircon problem. 5 stars. RECOMMENDED.

Whatever business you’re in, mobile forms let your people share data with colleagues, customers and suppliers – when they need to, wherever they are.

Smartphones, tablets and custom mobile devices are perfect for mobile forms, which are designed to connect to apps in the cloud.

With mobile forms, field workers can share all kinds of information – clearly and instantly:

Text, drawings, handwriting, signatures, photos, location data, barcode scans, electronic meter readings… and so on.

There are already mobile forms available for almost every industry…

AgricultureInsuranceLogisticsMiningReal estateRetail UtilitiesYour industry

…and for tons of standard functions and processes:

A�idavitsBalance sheetsContractsData collectionExpensesField service automation (*Waves to Fred*)Guidelines…You get the idea.

With mobile forms, hard-to-read handwriting is no more and your people, your customers and your suppliers can all see the same information at the same time.

That means (much) more e�iciency and (much) less waste.

But that’s not all.

Unlike paper forms, mobile forms can protect sensitive data by storing it digitally.

They simplify compliance and regulations and capture signatures electronically.

Admin takes a fraction of the time, so people can get on with their jobs.Mobile forms help reduce errors and cut paper consumption, reducing costs and helping the environment.

It all adds up to massive returns for businesses that invest in mobile forms. How massive? Well, let’s just take one of those benefits: the reduction in paper.

A business with 100 mobile workers could save $34,905 a year by giving them mobile forms.

How?Just in paper it's a savings of $23,400 and approximately $11,505 in productivity savings.*

*Source: http://www.gocanvas.com/content/how-it-works/ canvas-return-on-investment-calculator January, 2015

*Source: http://www.gocanvas.com/content/how-it-works/ canvas-return-on-investment-calculator January, 2015

A typical mobile forms solution might cost $21,000

So the ROI is something like $13,905 in year 1 – or more than 50%.*

(And that’s just the start…)

*Source: http://www.gocanvas.com/content/how-it-works/ canvas-return-on-investment-calculator January, 2015

Add the increased productivity and it's like getting a $78,000 benefit.*

The bottom line? Mobile forms help make your people more productive and save you money.

That means a more fulfilling workday for your road warriors, better service for your customers, and more profit for you.What’s not to like?

And the best thing about it is – mobile forms are really easy to introduce.

All you need is the device and the service. (And you may already have the device.)

If you’d like to know more about how mobile forms can help you close the information gap in your business, we know a company who’d love to talk you through it.(Hint: It rhymes with ‘hint’.)

Give us a call on 1-877-633-1102 or find out more about our Mobile Forms solutions

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