Trial before you buy, trial before you commit
Trial with a few staff in different roles, choose staff who are enthusiastic about improving productivity, it will be a learning curve for them so give them a little free time to experiment. Trial for at a least month, that way you’re more likely to catch the unusual issues and requirements.
Ensure all staff understand the positive purpose of the new system
Some mobile workers’ initial instinct may be to fear that you are looking to track, control and snoop on them. Reassure them that the system’s awareness of their work provides them with benefits. It reduces stress and hassle by ensuring the information they need is present and accurate. It will provide them with the proof they need to settle client disputes amicably. Improved scheduling and information availability will mean they get home on time; to name but a few.
Test the supplier’s ability to customise
Pick one or two elements of functionality that are specific to your business and purchase the customisations. It’s worth a small investment at trial time to test a supplier’s ability to customise successfully and on time, rather than find out they can’t when you are more heavily invested in their system.
Trial with real world data in a real world environment
It’s easy to make an incomplete or unreliable system look good with carefully chosen demo data. The only way to be sure it works for you is to test it in the real world, with real staff, real schedules and real jobs.
Keep up the conversation
Speak several times a day with your trialling staff and supplier. Feedback everything, even just the minor annoyances, often the supplier can resolve them. Be open to your staff’s suggestions for additional functionality, a sophisticated system is probably already capable of providing that functionality. If you find you could use it, it’s best to include it in the trial.
A successful trial is all about good communication. For excellent communication and a successful trial get in touch with the Field Force solutions team on 01929 557 987.