After creating and implementing FieldVision with my own crews we experienced:

A reduction in administrative staff needed from three full-time people down to one part-time employee.
A reduction in invoice disputes to almost 0%.
A significant increase in customer satisfaction along with a significant decrease, close to 95%, in customer calls inquiring about the status of work being done.

But it wasn’t the use of technology alone that led us to our success – it was also having a well defined workflow that everyone from the back office to the front lines understood and followed. Are you ready to take a closer look at your own workflow?

Step 1: Map out your current workflows

Focus first on what triggers the workflow to start, how each step is performed, and the results. Write everything down. Be sure to get input from those carrying out the work such as field crew leaders and back office staff.

For example, below is a simple workflow that is easily implemented with FieldVision:

Create a work order for the task that needs to be done. (1 min)
Field crews perform the work and record the attributes of the task in FieldVision (i.e. time, materials, supporting documents such as permits.) (2- 5 min)
Management reviews the work completed in the FieldVision management console. (Information available immediately. 2 min)
Management approves, declines, or follows up with next steps in the FieldVision management console. (Less than 1 min)
For work that is approved, management generates invoices to be sent to the client. When using QuickBooks select either print my invoices or email invoices. (Less than 1 min)

Step 2: Challenge the status quo

With your current workflow mapped out, ask yourself:

What is working well?
What is not working well?
Would it work better in a different order?
Could some steps be automated?
Are steps being duplicated?
Are certain steps even necessary? Should they be combined into a different step?
Are there any missing steps?

Step 3: Modify your workflow based on findings

Finalizing your workflow process into a simple diagram is a useful tool and can be shared with others in your organization. We recommend using a tool like https://www.draw.io or similar so that modifications can be made easily in the future.

Step 4: Share the workflow with your team

Finally, determine roles and responsibilities. Make sure everyone clearly understands their job and is comfortable accomplishing it according to the workflow. They should understand where their input or action is required and where to move work once a task is complete.

Step 5: Rehearse your workflow

This final step is tempting to skip but is critical to success. Test your process with a sample project. You may find team members understand in theory what is expected of them but during the practice run can encounter unexpected influences that cause confusion.