Seven ways out of the complexity trap

To ensure that field service management projects don't take longer than planned or open up more and more secondary construction sites, MobileX has compiled tips on how to deal with the seven typical complexity traps:

1. Individuality is not an end in itself: The implementation of individual adaptations in a field service management project can generate great added value for the company by creating competitive advantages through a customized customer service process.However, too many specific adaptations or technical deviations that go too deep can result in additional development effort, even in the case of migrations.It can therefore make sense to question the cost-effectiveness of some "special curls" by all means, also against the background of process standardization.
2. Rethinking grown processes: Historically grown processes and habits should be scrutinized to determine whether they still make sense and are economical. This can be an opportunity when introducing a field service management solution, not only for service or maintenance processes, but also for human resources management, material logistics, controlling, production and quality management. In this way, such a project can help to streamline processes or standardize them across several departments, branches or countries.
3. Consolidate IT infrastructure: This also applies to the IT infrastructure in companies. The integration of an FSM solution into the back-end systems can be more complex than expected if these - due to historical reasons - have various individual adaptations and extensions or if several systems have to be integrated at the same time.Here, too, there is the opportunity to reorganize and consolidate such structures as part of a field service management project.
4. Number of contact persons: Many cooks spoil the broth. This also applies to a field service management project. It can lead to nothing progressing because there are too many different opinions. Of course, it is important to involve the business and IT departments as well as the works council and selected end users. The number of participants should be limited as far as possible in order to remain able to act.
5. Create clear guard rails at kick-off: The rules for cooperation in the project should be clearly defined. This includes, among other things, the type of process model, the tasks and roles of the contact persons, and the definition of processes.This is a critical point, especially in large companies with complex processes and hierarchical structures. An early and comprehensive definition of the rules creates clarity and security and thus contributes to the success of the project.
6. Do not underestimate the complexity of details: Companies have high expectations of how a field service management system can optimize their processes. That's why they want to see as many business applications as possible mapped in it. But the devil is often in the details.Vilfredo Pareto's well-known 80/20 rule applies here. Implementing the last 20 percent of the details in such a project is often the most expensive, because it requires the most effort. That's why companies should consider whether 100 percent of the details are necessary, at least in the first version, and whether it makes more sense to map them in a later project or to do without them altogether.
7. Setting up communication correctly: The right communication between the company and the solution provider can contribute a great deal to the success and timely execution of an FSM project.This includes defining the relevant communication channels depending on the type of content (ticket system, e-mail, telephone), the regularity of communication through telephone jours fixes or face-to-face meetings, and the selection of the appropriate contact persons.If both partners define this as early as the kick-off, delays and misunderstandings in communication can be avoided.