Simplify the Implementation of a New Field Service Solution

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 14, 2019, and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Organizations implementing a new field service software solution encounter difficulties of one type or another. Fortunately, complex implementations are not often, perhaps once or twice a decade. But unfortunately, because they are infrequent, they require many hours of work, with frequent roadblocks. So the question is, how can we make the implementation exercise easier?

Large-scale Project Management is Complex

Many people considering implementing a field service solution may believe it will be like managing other large projects. When you think about project management generally, you will likely acknowledge that five key elements help to ensure success:

  • Clear goals and an understanding of the scope
  • A steadfast project manager
  • Engaged stakeholders
  • Dedicated team members

In a traditional project management process, the team is a project manager typically aided by consultants, architects, engineers, and various other team members. This diverse group of people brings the team a complementary set of skills.

It is critically important in managing complex projects that this group of people forms a tight bond and commits to achieving one common goal: fulfilling the business case. A well-written plan of action, goals, timelines, and a team leader to help ensure success. In the traditional, customized software engineering world, the software project team forms to handle a specific large-scale project, and this dedicated team sees it through until the project concludes.

Consider Team Challenges

In field service, the team expects to have their everyday work in addition to the new project. Asking people to help implement a field service solution – in addition to doing the job they typically do – is risky because implementation activities differ from what they usually do daily. The risk is that their productivity on both fronts will suffer.

So, the implementation team is typically different from large-scale project management teams and organization-specific software engineering teams. The teams implementing solutions are smaller and require off-the-shelf solutions to eliminate a difficult implementation process. 

Factors that Affect Field Service Solution Implementation

To complicate matters, teams face challenges associated with changing business requirements as the team uncovers hidden efficiencies and discovers new features and functionalities; integrates new regulations and requirements into the solution.

But How to Manage all this Efficiently? With Gomocha!

Our company name, Gomocha, combines the words gomobile, and change. We conceived of our name to convey that we are masters of helping you “go mobile” and helping you “change on the go.” We are improving the world of field service with our highly configurable FMP360 platform, which enables field service organizations to make swift changes in the field and the back office.

Consider this unique functionality: With Gomocha’s FMP360 Workflow Designer, you can easily make changes to the workflows according to needs rather than implementing a workflow based upon the organization’s requirements analysis. And suppose customers need something that is not in the platform. In that case, our in-house software development team designs and delivers the new functionality. With our developers’ Scrum framework and agile development approach, your team will have direct contact with them. 

Change Management is the Final Frontier.

The final part is the process of expertly managing change. Finally, a perfectly designed software solution, project plan, and requirements analysis deploy. However, there is a chance of failure without a thoughtfully designed change management process. For this reason, it is critical to keep end-users involved, remain enthusiastic about the solution and the process, and help them anticipate future organizational changes.

However, the culture within some companies can make change management tricky. Therefore, it is wise to involve end-user feedback to set a framework for success. For example, when Gomocha developers receive early end-user feedback, they can demonstrate the adjustability of the platform. Therefore, end-users are onboarded quickly and become advocates for your company.

Seeing is Believing.

You will be amazed at your accomplishments with the project team during a Gomocha FMP360 implementation. Curious about what we can do for your field service organization? Want to see the type of guidance and care we deliver? Contact us for a customized demo and a “test drive,” – and we will show you the way to greater productivity and higher customer satisfaction. Call 240-403-6001, email fmp360@gomocha.com or visit gomocha.com for more information.