Not only is Field Service Lightning an ideal solution for field service management (after all, it lets you connect your entire workforce, products, and customers on one platform to deliver exceptional on-site service), it can be customized to meet the unique needs and growth strategies of individual businesses.
We’ve brought together three of our favorite practical use cases for Field Service Lightning. From going paper-free and cloud-based to staying far ahead of the competition, see how three very different businesses use FSL for one common goal: to continue growing their success.
Going Paper-Free with Salesforce Field Service Lightning
One of Penrod’s clients has a thriving business performing preventive maintenance, like oil changes, on large-scale industrial equipment. Since this isn’t your typical 10-minute oil change, the field staff travel to their customers’ locations to get the work done.
When they first met with Penrod, their entire system was paper-based. All field reports, work orders, and service reports were first captured on paper and then manually entered into a homegrown system. Not only was this time consuming, but it also left a large margin for human error.
In addition, all commissions were hand-calculated based on work done at the onsite jobs. This inefficiency meant billing was often delayed, which affected the company’s cash flow.
Salesforce Field Service Lightning proved to be the ideal solution because it streamlines processes and reduces risk. With FSL, field staff can now leverage flows and the offline capability of the FSL mobile app to digitize the fields needed for work orders, so they can output service reports. Penrod also built a commissions solution that pulls information from the team’s scheduled jobs and leverages FSL to calculate commissions on an automatic basis. Today, not only is the team free of unnecessary paperwork, they enjoy more efficient processes and a reduced risk of errors.
Streamlining and Integrating Platforms for Continued Growth
Penrod loves to see their clients’ businesses grow. A great example is a leading home improvement company founded more than 70 years ago. While business was booming, they were working off of multiple, disparate systems for sales, scheduling, and deploying field service techs. They knew it was time to integrate their three different lines of business – commercial, residential, and roofing – into one customer relationship management (CRM) system.
The Penrod team was happy to build a customized CRM to meet all their needs. First, the team created a customized sales process for each line of business. Next up was a custom component for each business line that met the needs of both the sales team and the field service techs. Finally, FSL workflow was integrated into the opportunity in the sales process.
The results were impressive:
- A shorter sales cycle
- Mobile capability
- Real-time scheduling
- Faster field service tech deployment
The client has steadily grown its business and enjoyed success for more than 70 years. Now, with Salesforce Sales Cloud and Field Service Lightning, they are well-equipped to expand into new markets for years to come.
Upgrading from Homegrown to High Growth
A homegrown field service system is great for starting out, but when a manufacturing client was ready for high growth, Salesforce Field Service Lightning was the way to go. While operating a nationwide business of selling and installing commercial and residential product, they were leveraging a homegrown system that connected to their Salesforce Classic instance. The system worked well and was tailored to their needs, but it wasn’t sustainable for the true growth they planned to achieve. As part of that vision, the client wanted to empower their affiliates by providing them a top-of-the-line tool, so they too could be a part of that growth.
The solution was simple: Field Service Lightning. Penrod implemented FSL, replacing the homegrown scheduling system with a forward-facing, scalable solution. This helped improve internal scheduling processes and shifted the team’s focus to growth utilizing FSL. To ensure a smooth and successful adoption, Penrod worked with the client on a multi-stage rollout and iterative user acceptance testing to effectively onboard the team and affiliates.
As a result, the client now has advanced reporting into optimization, growth opportunities, and process improvement. They’ve also improved already-strong relations with their affiliates by demonstrating they are willing to invest in the tools and technology needed for continued growth. Sure, it may be hard to let go of a tried-and-true homegrown system, but as our clients can attest, it’s well worth it, especially when you’re upgrading to Salesforce Field Service Lightning.
All our clients’ needs are unique, but all have one thing in common: they want to make their businesses as successful as possible. Contact us today to learn how we can help your business thrive!