Managing an in-office labour force sounds so much easier than keeping up with an outdoor workforce right? But what if I tell you that keeping track of your fleet remotely is just as easy as in-person management? Field force management software is changing the game for outdoor workforce management. Now you can keep tabs on your employees from anywhere.

So what do you think field force management software means exactly? Let us learn all about it in this article.

About Field Force Management

Field force management is highly crucial to a business’ working. Only when employees work hard will the business be able to strive. But traditionally, there are a lot of shortcomings that can hinder the proper management of frontline workers.

In a non-digital method of management, employees can very easily get away with time theft. This is a practice where employees use their office work hours for personal leisure. When there is no direct supervision of employees it becomes very easy for such acts to go unnoticed.

This is where field force management system can help businesses better organize their information. It helps them keep an eye on all their employees from remote connectivity methods. Managers can use this software to not only organize their employees, but also monitor their activities as they complete tasks.

Features of Field Force Management System

Businesses need a big step to ensure better results. Using field force management software can be this necessary step. But what exactly makes this software so great? Let us have a look at all features integrated with the system to make it so important for businesses:

Real-Time Tracking

Lack of visibility is one of owners’s major concerns in any business requiring an outdoor workforce. This is why using field force management software is essential. It helps you stay updated with your employees’ location at all times.

With advancements in GPS tracking technology, the process of monitoring employees gets more automated. Managers do not have to run behind their employees for their whereabouts. All information is just a few clicks away.

Task Management

Assigning tasks has never been easier. Managers can remotely allot tasks to their employees using the application itself. The software provides templates that help with bulk task uploading. Task management also reduces confusion amongst the team. Every person receives their own set of tasks that they complete as they go. It organises all work-related information in one place.

Communication is also simplified while using field force management and this aids managers be in direct contact with their employees. Employees are able to update their task status on the application itself.

Traditionally employees have to answer many people above them in the hierarchy and keep them updated about task completion. But with field force management this process consumes way less time.

Expense Management

Manual work is prone to human errors. When it comes to money matters, errors can be very harmful to both businesses and employees. This is why the expense management feature is necessary.

It not only allows for a quick and easy reimbursement process but also saves time spent in collecting receipts. Online expense management also saves physical resources like paper. Submissions of bills happen online which eliminates the need for paper invoices.

Having automated solutions also means theft reduction. Now employees cannot manipulate or generate fake invoices to get money. They will have to upload proofs for these expenditures before processing their payment.

Attendance Monitoring

Traditionally, marking employees’ attendance took a lot of time away from productive labour hours. Teams can rather spend this time completing their tasks. But instead, managers have to force them to travel all the way over to offices.

With attendance monitoring solutions, workers save a lot of time. It also aids managers to make sure that everybody marked present is actually at work. This is possible because field force management software uses geospatial information for attendance. Workers can only clock in when they have reached their task location.

In-built Chatboxes

When a person works in a job requiring advanced communication, personal and professional phone chats are bound to get mixed up. This problem though is rectifiable.

Field force management software provides employees with in-built chat boxes that they can use to communicate with managers and fellow employees. Employees and managers do not have to use any other application or source for communication with each other.

With improved communication between business employees, efficiency is bound to increase. People will be able to give out and receive clearer instructions which reduces execution errors.

Custom Fields and Forms

Field force management software has features catered towards not only managers and employees, but also the business’ clients. Forms are a customizable feature of this software that can help receive feedback and also do client surveys.

All requirements for forms are not the same and thus managers and employees can create new forms or edit old ones according to their needs. This feature also saves paper through automated practices.

Battery and Network Status

Executives can no longer use battery or network issues as excuses for not completing tasks or providing updates. With field force software, managers can track the employee’s device battery and network status.

This feature also helps vouch for employees. They can use this feature when they are genuinely not able to complete tasks due to things that are beyond their control.

Bulk Task Uploadation

Assigning tasks to each person separately can be time wasteful. The hours spent executing such practices can instead be used productively.

With the help of this system, managers can upload tasks for all their employees as quickly as possible. All employees required to do similar things can be clubbed together during this uploading process.

Why Use Field Force Management Software?

We have seen all the impressive features of the field force management system. But how exactly does this all come together? How can businesses put these features to work and enhance their functioning?

Organised Employee

Keeping track of all employees working for your business can be messy.

There can be chances when some employees might get left out of the task assigning process. Or managers could accidentally mark the wrong people present. Such errors not only make businesses experience losses but can also make employees lose their loyalty.

With GPS tracking software, these issues are eliminated. Chances of human error occurring during employee management is almost negligible if managers and employees use the software correctly.

Increased Profits

Well-maintained data and higher customer satisfaction will build a higher reputation for your business. This means better clientele.

Employees save a lot of time when many processes like attendance and task assigning get automated. They can instead use this saved time to complete more tasks than before. This means businesses will be able to make more money.

Better Efficiency

A field force management software’s multiple features can make workforces more efficient than before. Employees save time by cutting down their travelling time to and from offices.

The software also allows instant communication between managers and employees. This does not leave any margin for miscommunication causing wrong task executions

Digital requests for reimbursements allow employees to free themselves from the hassle of collecting bills and receipts. They can instead upload all their expenses to the software directly and their reimbursements.

Insightful Reports

Field force management software is programmed in a way that reduces the workload for managers. It also helps businesses grow over time. The system collects data from employees and organises into reports.

These reports are accessible to all managers and can be studied in detail. Business optimisation is possible only if employees and managers work on all the shortcomings highlighted in these reports.

For example, task management reports highlight that employee A is not able to complete 3 assigned tasks in a day. On the other hand employee B completes the same tasks and still has free time remaining. Managers can decide to train employee A while employee B can be assigned 4 tasks instead of just 3.

This increases the efficiency of the business and also helps them discover which employees require help.

Customer Satisfaction

Customers are any business’s top priority. With field force management system, managing employees becomes easier for businesses. An increase in the task quality means customer results grow as well.

Customer reviews are an integral part of field force management. But nobody has the time and resources to fill out physical forms every time. With custom fields and forms feature, you can create short and informative forms. This allows you to get an insight into customers’ needs and demands.

Benefits for Employees

Organised Tasks

There is a long way to go between task assignment and execution with traditional workforce management methods. But with workforce management system, tasks are received efficiently. Workers do not have to travel to office only to receive their daily agendas any more.

Employees can mark tasks as done as soon as they have completed assigned work. This saves time as they do not have to wait for approval from managers before moving on to their next schedule. This means workers getting paid on a task basis can make more money.

Better Communication

When workers are scattered in various locations, remote communication becomes very essential. With inbuilt chat boxes integrated into the software, employees can contact their manager at all times.

The software also makes it easier for employees to contact each other. This means stronger team bonds. It helps experienced employees guide and help new employees using chatboxes.

Visibility of Efforts

Rewarding hardworking employees is easier with a field force management system. When an employee makes efforts to complete tasks with good quality on time, they expect good returns. Real -time tracking makes sure these employees are noticed.

Managers are also aware of their employees’ battery and network status at all times. So in case a worker does not complete their task due to such unavoidable issues, managers will know. This makes sure that employees are not disregarded as irresponsible due to circumstantial problems.

Where Can Field Force Management be Used?

This question is easily answered. Does your business deal with several employees who operate from out of office? Can these employees be managed by direct in-person supervision? Is your business experiencing issues with worker productivity?

If all these cases are true for your business, then you might want to think about investing in a good field force management software.

Some of the industries that often deal with on-field workforce are:

• Sales and Marketing: Such old school methods of promoting businesses. Sounds astonishing right? But you will be surprised to see just how many businesses still find these methods useful. Such companies need effective and time-saving ways of organising their employees.
• Operations: With online services booming globally, demand for occupational workers is rising. Be it plumbing, repairing, or appliance servicing: all kinds of jobs are available for people. Task allotment plays a huge role in such businesses as workers can only work when they are provided with information of customers.
• Construction: In a large construction site, it is very easy for workers to abandon work or exit the site while going unnoticed. Managers cannot keep an eye on all parts of sites and this can also lead to worker leakage. But with GPS tracking providing managers with the real-time location of all workers, such situations will seldom arise.
• Healthcare: Many healthcare businesses these days provide sample collection from home for health tests. They also have door-to-door vaccine facilities.

These services’ efficiency can only be ensured when managers keep updates of tasks with them. They should be able to see where their employees are and the progress of tasks issues to them.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to manage any kind of functional office. But managers face even more difficulties when employees are not present in their line of sight. Employees not willing to work can take advantage of such lacking visibility and cheat businesses out of their time and money.

Field force management software can not reduce your manager’s worries by a huge deal. TrackoField is a software that will help you keep track of your workers. It will also optimise task completion and time management for your business.

Request a demo and witness its impact yourself.