Mark Flaherty: So I will spend a couple of minutes talking about making the case for mobile BI and some of the advantages that we see according to people who use mobile Business Intelligence. We are then going to take some time to look at some of the best practices that we see that enable people to find to derive the most value from the investments in mobile BI. We will also talk a little bit about the devices and platforms we see people using and also we will finish up talking about the future capabilities.
So let's talk about making the case of mobile BI then so that business performance can be tied to the comprehensive use of business intelligence. One way the use of mobile dashboards can help sales performance is through more timely management of new opportunities that build the pipeline and also through the ability to sell to new accounts by analysis and identification of trends in the data right at the customer site.
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Make Customer Service Improvements
Another benefit comes from being able to answer customer questions on site which leads to customer service improvements, improving metrics like customer satisfaction rates and the speed of resolving customer issues. And finally, you should see this lead to improved operating profits. So what drives these business performance benefits? As I said, one of the factors that we see consistently is its superior business performance is closely living to the use of BI. That is, all of the things being equal, we often find the company that use BI motives basically to have better business performance. Those top performance companies that have experienced the most dramatic gains and profitability in sales performance and in customer service are twice as likely to have dashboards deployed to the frontline employees.
These are the people that we expect to find in function such as sales, in customer service and in marketing, for example.So we are seeing the pervasive use of dashboards improves business performance. We see that those organizations using mobile Business Intelligence are able to deploy BI to roughly twice as many as employees compared to those that have not deployed mobile BI. So again we see mobile BI is really a driver of making BI more pervasive.
One of the reasons that pervasive BI is so effective at driving company performance is that if it is done right (and that is sometimes a very big “if), then it puts timely information at the fingertips of the people in the frontline, who can most immediately affect operational performance. So extending BI to mobile devices in the form of alerts, reports, charts and dashboards allow organizations to push that information to people who are out of the office or often away from their desk.
Case Study: Enhancing Pest Control Services with Mobile BI
Introduction
PestMaster, a mid-sized pest control firm operating in the southeastern United States, faced significant challenges in managing its field operations. With a team of 50 technicians servicing residential and commercial properties, the company struggled with scheduling, real-time data access, and performance monitoring. To address these issues, PestMaster implemented a Mobile Business Intelligence (BI) solution, transforming their operations and achieving substantial improvements in efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Background
PestMaster's technicians were equipped with handheld devices for basic communication and job tracking. However, the absence of an integrated BI system meant that data was fragmented and outdated. Managers had limited visibility into real-time field operations, leading to inefficient scheduling, delays in service delivery, and suboptimal resource utilization. Additionally, technicians often faced difficulties accessing critical information on-site, impacting their ability to provide timely and effective pest control solutions.
Implementation of Mobile BI
Recognizing the need for a more robust system, PestMaster partnered with a leading Mobile BI provider to implement a comprehensive solution. The system was designed to integrate seamlessly with their existing infrastructure, providing real-time access to data, advanced analytics, and interactive dashboards accessible via mobile devices. The key features of the Mobile BI solution included:
- Real-Time Data Access: Technicians and managers could access up-to-date information on job schedules, customer histories, and inventory levels from their mobile devices.
- Interactive Dashboards: Customizable dashboards allowed managers to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as job completion rates, customer satisfaction scores, and technician productivity.
- Geo-Location Services: Integrated GPS technology enabled efficient route planning and real-time tracking of technicians' locations, optimizing travel time and reducing fuel costs.
- Mobile Reporting: Technicians could generate and submit detailed service reports directly from the field, including photos and customer signatures, ensuring accurate and timely documentation of each job.
Benefits Achieved
The implementation of Mobile BI brought about transformative benefits for PestMaster, impacting various aspects of their operations:
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Improved Scheduling and Resource Allocation The real-time data access and geo-location services provided by the Mobile BI solution allowed managers to schedule jobs more effectively. They could quickly assign tasks based on technicians' current locations and availability, reducing downtime and ensuring timely service delivery. This optimized resource allocation led to a 20% increase in the number of jobs completed per day.
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Enhanced Field Productivity Technicians benefited from having immediate access to customer histories, pest control protocols, and inventory levels while on-site. This enabled them to provide more efficient and effective services, addressing customer issues promptly. The ability to submit reports directly from the field streamlined administrative tasks, allowing technicians to focus more on service delivery. Overall field productivity improved by 25%.
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Increased Customer Satisfaction With more accurate scheduling and quicker response times, customer satisfaction saw a significant boost. The Mobile BI solution allowed PestMaster to provide customers with real-time updates on technician arrival times and service progress. The integration of customer feedback into the Mobile BI system enabled quick resolution of any issues, further enhancing the customer experience. Customer satisfaction scores increased by 15% within the first six months.
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Data-Driven Decision Making The interactive dashboards and advanced analytics capabilities empowered managers to make informed decisions based on real-time data. They could identify trends, monitor technician performance, and adjust strategies to improve service quality and efficiency. The ability to track KPIs in real-time facilitated proactive management, allowing PestMaster to stay ahead of potential issues and maintain high service standards.
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Cost Savings The optimized scheduling and route planning significantly reduced fuel consumption and travel time, resulting in considerable cost savings. Additionally, the increased efficiency and productivity translated into higher revenue per technician. Overall, PestMaster experienced a 15% reduction in operational costs within the first year of implementing the Mobile BI solution.