Google Maps Coordinate - A silver bullet for field service?

As you may have heard Google has officially entered the mobile workforce space with the launch of Google Maps Coordinate. If you haven't heard Google Maps Coordinate is a mobile workforce tracking system that efficiently allows dispatchers to deploy jobs to their service techs and even track them while in the field.


Google Maps Coordinate offers tight integration with Google Maps as you would expect makes assigning jobs to a technician based on his location very simple and appealing to service managers. Assigning and sending jobs to field service techs is an easy task for dispatchers. Service jobs are time stamped and techs even have the option to accept or reject jobs based on their current on-site status. With an introductory price of only $15 per user Google Maps Coordinate seems like a nice solution for service companies.

Sounds pretty good, Right? What's the downside?

1. Google Maps Coordinate only works on Android. If your team currently uses iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry or any other web enabled SmartPhone you are out of luck.
2. Google Maps Coordinate only offers real-time work force dispatching and tracking. Yes, it provides great insight as to where you service team members are now but you are not provided any true scheduling capabilities.  From the service techs perspective he only sees active jobs that are assigned to him enabling him to only focus on the jobs at hand.
3. Integration into QuickBooks, Sage or other accounting systems is non-existent at this point. Given Google's influence I'm sure this will come in future versions. But for now there is no way to streamline and expedite the invoicing processes.
4. Reporting - While Google Maps Coordinates provides information about a specific job there are now report functionalities that show you trends within your business; what service tasks are most common, which service tasks are most profitable, etc.

Clearly Google Maps Coordinate is  Google's first step into providing a cloud based mobile workforce management solution. I expect it to evolve quickly. But based on the service companies I've talked to it does not meet the needs of a field service organization that is dispatching, managing multiple schedules, managing preventative maintenance schedules, managing inventory, conducting data analytics on service call times, evaluating service margins and profitability and integrating with their back end systems.

If you are looking for a real-time tracking and dispatching solution Google Maps Coordinate could be right tool for you. It certainly gives small to medium-sized service business a competitive tool to help them more dynamically manage their service crews and respond quicker to service calls placed by customers.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Nordstrom & Home Depot See Sales Boost from Mobile POS – So What?

Forbes has a great article about how Nordstrom and Home Depot have adopted mobile POS devices enabling employees to check out customers anywhere in the store. Employees at Apple's retail stores have been armed with mobile iTouch devices for several years that enable employees to scan a barcode and check out a customer immediately.  Companies like Nordstrom and Home Depot are seeing increased sales because they can expedite purchases as the customer is trying on clothes, makeup, cordless drills or circular saws. No more waiting in line "thinking" about your purchase. Using Mobile POS employees can capture the buying moment and reap the benefits for the retailers.

Some interesting tidbits

• Nordstrom's first quarter sales increased 15.3% since implementing Mobile POS devices.
• The average number of items sold per sale increased
• The average sales price per sale increased

I am seeing similar trends in the adoption of mobile work order systems like ZenTouch in the service Industry.

Driving business with Mobile Work Orders

With a mobile work order system on an iPhone, Android or Rugged PDA service technicians have full access to services, parts and prices to quickly create an estimate or service ticket for a customer. One customer reported he has seen a 17% increase in service techs availability to take additional service calls just by implementing a mobile work order system. Spread that across 8 technicians - that's a big impact on our business.

Another customer reports, "Customers seem to trust a digital system that breaks down costs for services and parts rather than watching me rifle through a stack of papers. I can present a complete service ticket, review the recommended services, add or delete items and allow them to approve service immediately." In the event a customer decides to wait to initiate a service call to talk with their wife/husband, review finances, check their calendar, etc. a technician or estimator can save the estimate and schedule a call back with the customer. Now all estimates and work orders are accessible via a mobile device with a simple search.  Technicians can access past estimates and immediately revisit the estimate, email it to the customer or convert it to a work order on the spot.

Clearly efficiency gains are being recognized on both ends of the spectrum by implementing Mobile POS or Mobile Work Order Systems.  These efficiencies are enabling retailers like Nordstrom and Home Depot to drive business at the point of interaction.  Service industry leaders are experiencing identical results.  By improving the customer experience the decision to buy is expedited and mobile enabled businesses are reaping the benefits.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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