Workshop Mobile

The Workshop Mobile system uses hand held units (PDA’s), Tablets or Laptops to enable technicians, working away from base, to handle all the required administration electronically. Used in conjunction with the Scheduler the technicians receive their jobs, book the labour time and request/allocate parts through the mobile system. A new job created in the Scheduler arrives with the engineer within a few seconds. The mobile system also works when there is no mobile phone signal and then syncs up with the Gold system when signal is restored. All data movement is in real time and updates the scheduler with the changing status of each job. The Service Desk is kept fully aware of each technician’s progress through their allocated jobs, enabling them to re-schedule jobs and inform customers when plans have to change.

Current jobs for the technician are displayed with a status indicator. A warning is given when new jobs are received. Full job details, including job instructions, are accessible and the contact details, estimated onsite date and time are displayed. Parts used from van stock can be recorded and, if the job cannot be completed due to unavailable parts, these can be ordered direct from the mobile system. Labour hours worked and travel time are entered by specifying the start and end times. When the job is complete the customer signs on the touch screen to accept the finished job. New jobs can be created via the mobile system by the technician; this can often be required when doing “out of hours” or weekend work.

Key features are:

• Jobs are sent to the mobile system a couple of days in advance to help with planning. The technicians can see their future tasks and are therefore kept informed
• Travel and labour times are logged by the engineer and fed back to the scheduler immediately
• All detail arrives with the job
  - Full customer details
  - Separate site address if applicable
  - Anticipated arrival time and time allowed
  - Full machine/vehicle details
  - Full job instructions
  - List of parts shipped to site or the van for this job
• All data entry via the mobile system is minimised, wherever possible icons are used to make selections
• Real time part stock enquiry for full company stock when signal available
• Parts system shipments and returns system included so that parts can be shipped to remote technicians overnight – this consolidates shipments/returns and provides a full audit trail of parts movement to each technician
• Follow up jobs are created automatically if further parts or work is required
• A barcode scanner can be used to make picking parts really easy