A good planning process is essential for service organisations. That is why our field service solution Connect integrates with a large number of planning systems, including FLS VISITOUR. The tasks scheduled in the planning solution from FLS are handled digitally through Connect’s mobile application.
Volta Limburg has grown over more than 20 years into the leading sustainable energy specialist in Limburg. As Essent’s service partner, they work every day to ensure heating comfort for more than 114000 residents of Limburg. They do this by selling and maintaining boilers, heating systems, solar panels, ventilation units, air conditioners and heat pumps. To deploy their field service as efficiently as possible, Volta Limburg chose the planning system from FLS and the field service solution from Sigmax.
The field service team at Volta Limburg consists of 70 technicians who carry out maintenance, repairs, installations and handle malfunctions every day. Over the past years, the organisation has undergone strong growth. This created the need for route optimisation and for handling ad hoc jobs more quickly.
FLS VISITOUR proved to be the perfect match for fulfilling Volta Limburg’s needs. This planning system allows them to set up bulk planning. Since the schedule is updated in real time, ad hoc jobs are picked up more quickly. FLS VISITOUR presents the best options within seconds based on skills, travel time and priority. This ensures that the right technician is sent to the right job at the right moment.
Falton Tijssen, strategic planner at Volta Limburg, explains: “Since the implementation of FLS VISITOUR, we have started working in a different way. Because the planning system does much of the work automatically, we have been able to improve all related processes. Customer satisfaction has also increased because we can schedule ad hoc jobs much faster.”
For handling the jobs planned in FLS VISITOUR, field technicians use the field service solution from Sigmax: Connect. Thanks to the integration between the planning system and Connect, technicians can view all scheduled tasks and associated information. This includes the job description, the cause of the problem, customer communication preferences and maintenance history. In Connect’s mobile application, the technician completes all scheduled tasks with ease.
Service Coordinator Operations Bart Zorge explains: “Connect is clearly structured and fits well with our business processes. Technicians always have all information at hand, and this information is stored even when there’s no reception. Especially in a region like Limburg, near the borders with Belgium and Germany, it’s reassuring that data is buffered and not lost when coverage drops. This ensures that technicians can always carry out their work properly.”
Thanks to Connect, more field data is captured quickly and easily. This gives technicians optimal support in their tasks. For example, maintenance history is instantly accessible, and working hours, used materials and commercial opportunities are recorded. Bart Zorge: “Through the integration between our ERP system and Connect, and with the help of the housing checklist, we can send customers targeted information about products they have shown interest in. For Volta Limburg, this contributes to focused sales opportunities.”
After the implementation of FLS VISITOUR, the intended objectives were achieved quickly. “Within six months, travel times have been reduced and optimised. In addition, a significant time saving per call has been realised. We now steer based on travel time and the occupancy rate of the schedules,” says Tijssen.
Not only have travel times been optimised, but planning has also become less labour intensive. Falton continues: “We can now better steer based on the location of the technicians. We can see where we are falling behind and where bulk planning is needed. These kinds of tasks used to be much more labour intensive because previously you had to call customers, filter addresses, and create separate workflows. We have truly been able to take steps with FLS that, in my view, we would not have achieved with the previous planning system.”
Thanks to the stable integration between FLS VISITOUR and Connect, Volta Limburg’s field service team is scheduled more efficiently and fully supported in their work. With the labour market shortage, it is essential that the existing field staff is deployed as efficiently as possible. Bart Zorge: “It is reassuring that the two systems we use integrate seamlessly. This ensures that important information is stored and exchanged.”
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