Field service managers are in many ways the glue that holds utility companies together. They oversee and keep track of a company’s technicians, engineers, repairmen, and linemen, giving them the direction, guidance, and support they need to carry out their day-to-day tasks. Below we’ll discuss four key field service manager responsibilities and why they’re important to business success.
As a field service or operations manager, your primary responsibility is managing your field team. Whether you work closely with five engineers or supervise two-dozen technicians, guiding your team is arguably the most critical aspect of being successful at your job. What, exactly, managing your team entails can change from one day to the next. Tuesday might involve modifying a schedule on the fly to get your best tech to an urgent field service request. Wednesday could have you meeting a team member in the field to oversee an important maintenance job. In both cases, you’re positioning your team to safely complete work orders and keep clients happy.
Building, adjusting, and perfecting your field team’s schedule is another core responsibility for any operations manager. You want to make sure your workers have a full slate of work orders each day. You also should be sure to assign jobs according to their skills and experience levels. In addition, you need to be responsive and flexible when it comes to the field team schedule. If a time-sensitive service request pops up at noon and your team’s schedule is full, you must adapt and find a way to prioritize. A willingness to embrace a fluid, ever-changing workflow and find nifty workarounds is a big part of mastering your team’s schedule.
As the field service manager, it’s your responsibility to make sure your team is following proper safety guidelines. Know the Occupational Safety and Health Administration‘s rules and regulations like the back of your hand. Be able to convey those key points to your team over the phone, through email, and in the field. Knowing your industry’s regulations and relaying them effectively are the first steps to maintaining a safe workforce.
Key performance indicators are measurements such as labor cost, labor hours, and average work order completion time. These KPIs can serve as a powerful window into your entire operation. They can illustrate which assets required major labor costs over the past year, how many work orders your team handles every week, and how long it takes each member of your field team to complete different tasks. As a field service manager, you want to analyze these KPIs. Use them to help determine how you can cut costs, maximize productivity, and get the most out of your employees and field assets.
All monitored by you, in real time. Are you ready to take control?