Project management for field service is a process that contains a lot of information, foresight and sharp coordination. Daily, the project manager receives questions such as:
How is the project progressing?
What is the status of different jobs?
How are things going financially?
Do you recognize yourself?
To work more efficiently and smarter, you need to identify the biggest challenges that you as a project manager face when managing projects in field service:
1. Scheduling – Plan and schedule efficiently
To ensure that the project runs smoothly and that it is delivered on time, it is important to plan and schedule efficiently. They include several different work areas, timelines, and technologies that are in different locations. Initially, everything works smoothly, but then changes occur that affect one or more parts of the project. Getting a quick overview, minimizing risks and delays and developing new alternatives is a daily challenges for the project manager.
How do you or your project managers solve it today? Is there room for improvement?
2. Manage resources – Is everything in place?
One of the biggest challenges for field service project managers is managing resources on-site. This includes managing teams of in-house technicians, external performers, tools and equipment needed to complete the job. Another problem may be managing the availability of the right type of resources at the right place and time.
Foresight is the project manager's mantra, in addition to the technicians being on-site, and knowing what to do, it is required that they have the right tools, materials and other equipment with them. Are all materials ordered? What does stock status look like? Have broken tools been repaired?
Resource management is about minimizing stops and unnecessary stressors. How often does poor resource management create it in your company?
3. Change management:
Projects are dynamic and changes can occur at any time during the project. It can be anything from changing customer needs to delays due to external factors. Managing change effectively is one of the most difficult challenges in project management. It requires the project manager to have good communication skills and the ability to make quick decisions to keep the project on track.
Who in the project must receive information about the new conditions, who are affected by changes in the schedule and promise to the customer or end customer affected?
The ability to manage change affects both the customer experience and the employee's experience of their work and ability to do a good job. Is there a risk of frustration in these situations in your company and what can you do to improve it today?
4. Follow-up of the project – What has happened or not happened?
One of the biggest challenges in following up on field service projects is to keep all parties involved updated in real-time on the progress of work in the field. Field technicians often work in remote locations outside the office, which can make it difficult to monitor their work, get reported status on work orders, and communicate with everyone directly.
The expectation that the status of the project will be available constantly, increases as more and more in society takes place in real-time. The benefits are great by letting technicians report already on site – in addition to the obvious time savings, the project manager gets knowledge of changes faster and can replan, communicate and minimize delays and risks. End customers do not have to contact customer service with questions about their status.
What time expectations are there internally for a follow-up? How do the technicians in the field want to work – what benefits do they see but to be able to report status in real-time? How would the company's customer experience change with real-time updates?
5. Budget follow-up – How is it going?
Managing the project's budget is another challenge for project managers. It is important to create a realistic budget from the beginning and then stay within it. This requires careful planning, monitoring and control of costs. The project manager must be prepared to make follow-ups and adjustments to the budget if necessary, but at the same time ensure that the project is not adversely affected.
What tools do you have today for a budget follow-up? Do you fail to direct costs to the project?
In summary, field service project managers can face many challenges when managing projects. To ensure that the project runs smoothly, it is important to manage resources on site, plan and schedule efficiently, follow the progress of the project and communicate effectively with all parties involved. By addressing these challenges, field service project managers can ensure that the project is delivered on time and within budget.
If you want to know more about how to best manage your projects, get in touch!
Jonas Ljungdahl
Business Development Manager