The Case for IT Outsourcing in Enterprise Level Businesses
IT outsourcing is popular among start-ups as well as SMB’s for it’s obvious benefits, but large enterprises are also beginning to realize the value of IT outsourcing when it comes to implementing digital transformation projects.
Through an IT outsourcing model, large businesses can:
- Increase their capital reserves by moving costs to their operating budget
- Focus more on core business processes while putting IT projects in the hands of experienced professionals
- Free up internal resources that could be put to more effective use
- Mitigate risks associated with the recruiting and development process
- Quickly expand and gain access to new markets
- Achieve innovation and digital transformation with a faster go-to-market
- Tap into and leverage global knowledge base having access to world class capabilities
The Client
Our client is one of Canada’s largest communications companies powered by advanced networks and media content. Through multiple subsidiaries they provide a comprehensive and innovative suite of broadband communications and media services to residential, business and government customers across the country.
For large communications enterprises, the efficient management of countless field service agents across a large geographical area can be a daunting task. What becomes equally as challenging is the delivery of consistent and efficient customer experience. To combat these challenges, many companies are adopting new and innovative mobile technologies to improve the capabilities of their field service agents while delivering a high quality experience to their internal staff as well as their customers.
When our client came to us they had a vision to innovate their field service process to improve efficiency and deliver a streamlined and consistent experience. Their current field services management application UI was difficult and slow to navigate; it was also only accessible through a desktop version.
The Challenge
The client wanted to refresh their existing tool not only to improve the user interface but also to provide their agents with a mobile friendly way to increase productivity while providing a better customer experience in the field.
The improved application would allow all field service agents to access a step-by-step instruction guide via tablet or mobile phone to aid them in executing on-site trouble-shooting in response to customer requests. The tool would empower agents with a refined user interface along with easy access to a variety of content such as work orders, service reports and pricing all in real-time and in any location. Service agents would also be able to create invoices, obtain customer signatures and place orders for replacement parts or products right on the spot.
In order to roll-out their field service management application within the desired timeframe of 4 months, the client would need access to knowledgeable experienced resources who were highly skilled in UX/UI design and development. IT Outsourcing was the perfect fit for their goals and needs so they chose to work with TechBlocks because of our proven experience, reliability and access to highly specialized resources.
TechBlocks IT Outsourcing provided them with 6 resources which included 1 project manager, 1 technical lead, 2 UI developers and 2 UI/UX designers.
Under client direction, the team provided by TechBlocks completed the following in just 4 months:
- Defined pain points with current application and identified key areas for improvement
- Mapped out user requirements, flow and navigation for new mobile application
- Built comprehensive UI wireframes and workflows
- Developed a POC and prototype for testing and review
- Built a web based field services management application based on POC
- Created workflows to integrate application with internal systems such as resource database and CRM
Created customized alerts and messaging based on user roles
Results
The improvements to the field service management application offered a more visually appealing and consistent brand experience to users. It has also provided field agents with a more user friendly mobile experience which has significantly impacted the quality of service they provide to customers.
Since going live, the new application has helped them improve business processes in a variety of ways including:
Increased efficiency & productivity in the field
Reduced time and resources wasted on trouble shooting
Improved agent speed and proficiency, while reducing training time and call length
Improved tracking of service requests, work orders and inventory
Rapid identification of upstream processes & systems issues
Delivered consistent customer experience & improved resolution times