What is a Mobile Workforce in Field Service?

A mobile workforce performs their duties remotely, away from a traditional office setting. Equipped with mobile devices, apps, and digital tools, mobile workers bring flexibility and efficiency to businesses, especially in field service.

Understanding how to effectively manage a mobile workforce in field service is critical to delivering an excellent customer experience. Our research finds that 74% of mobile workers say that customer expectations are higher than they used to be.

We'll look at the benefits and challenges of managing mobile workforces in field service and how technology — especially field service AI and automation — can help your team become more efficient and productive.

• What is a mobile workforce?
• Why is mobile workforce management important?
• Key benefits of a mobile workforce
• Challenges of a mobile workforce
• How to choose the right mobile workforce software
• Mobile workforce training and support
• Set up for success with your mobile workforce

A mobile workforce in field service is a team of remote employees and contractors, made up of technicians, consultants, project managers, professional service providers, among others.

These workers use mobile technology to stay connected, access information, and complete tasks from anywhere. Cloud-based apps and software on smartphones, tablets, and laptops play a critical role in executing their job duties from any location. This model is used in field service and other industries like healthcare, public safety, and transporatation that require flexibility and on-the-go operations.

The value of a mobile workforce lies in its ability to enhance operational efficiency, adapt to changing work environments, and improve customer service at a time when expectations are rising. Mobile workers can respond quickly to customer needs, provide on-site services, and maintain productivity regardless of their location and whether they have internet service. This flexibility is essential in today's fast-paced, field service industry.

With a mobile workforce, your business can:

• Expand geographic reach: Mobile workers can serve customers and clients across a wider geographical area, enabling you to expand your market presence.
• Improve response times: With teams dispersed, your business can respond more promptly to customer inquiries, service requests, and emergencies. This can lead to enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Optimize resource usage: By matching the right mobile worker with the right task or location, you can maximize your resources and ensure efficient service delivery.
• Adapt to changing demands: A mobile workforce allows your business to scale up or down their operations more easily, adjusting to fluctuating demands and market conditions.

Mobile workforce management software helps field service organizations manage and coordinate their distributed teams — both employees and contractors. Powered by data and AI, this software contributes to benefits like maximized efficiency and increased customer satisfaction.

Solutions such as field service management software can be tailored for mobile workforce needs, with features like scheduling, dispatch management, tracking, communication, and performance management. These capabilities help teams stay connected, informed, and productive with efficient coordination and real-time updates.

Software like Salesforce Field Service, which offers AI-powered capabilities such as field service automation, can significantly boost the efficiency of mobile workforces. Agentforce Service Agent can automatically schedule field service appointments while factoring in availability, location, skills, and job requirements. This saves time for field service managers and can increase mobile worker productivity and customer satisfaction. AI can also help with monitoring field service metrics, identifying trends and areas for improvement.

Building and maintaining an effective mobile workforce offers numerous benefits for field service companies.

Mobile workers can work from anywhere, which can lead to better work-life balance and higher job satisfaction. This flexibility can help your business ‌attract and retain top talent. Both employees and contractors in field service value the ability to manage their work schedules more autonomously.

Mobile customer service software enables employees to access necessary information and complete tasks efficiently from anywhere. The mobile workforce is connected to support if they need it, helping to increase first-time fix rates. For example, a technician can get step-by-step guidance from an expert using Visual Remote Assistant, reference knowledge base articles, or check inventory in an asset service management system — all from their mobile device even when they don’t have internet service.

Having a mobile workforce can greatly improve your customer service by allowing for quicker response times and more personalized interactions. This underscores our State of Service report findings: 72% of mobile workers say customers seem more rushed, and 73% of mobile workers say customers expect a more personal touch than they used to. The ability to respond to customer inquiries quickly and resolve issues fast — regardless of location — can contribute to higher customer satisfaction scores (CSAT).

Effectively managing a mobile workforce requires a strategic approach and adopting the right technology. Here are some common challenges in this space.

Tracking your mobile workers' productivity and performance can be challenging without the right tools. Managers need clear visibility into employees' activities and outputs to ensure accountability and maintain high performance standards. Time tracking, project management, and reporting tools can provide insights into your team's productivity and progress.

Efficient incident management in field service lets a mobile workforce identify and monitor incidents, collaborate with specialists, and update customers promptly. This approach ensures that service and operations teams operate cohesively within a unified workspace, integrating all incident and customer data seamlessly.

Your remote workers may feel isolated, which can impact morale and collaboration. Lack of face-to-face interaction can lead to feelings of disconnection, reducing engagement and collaboration. This is where good knowledge management practices can help keep distributed teams aligned and informed. Encouraging virtual check-ins, fostering a sense of community through team Slack channels, and organizing occasional in-person team events can help service leaders mitigate this challenge.

Protecting sensitive data on mobile devices requires proper security measures. A mobile workforce often accesses company data from many different connections, increasing the risk of data breaches. Your business must implement strong security practices, including encryption, secure access controls, and regular security training for employees. Use virtual private networks (VPNs), two-factor authentication, and mobile device management (MDM) solutions to secure remote access. Regularly review and update security policies and conduct training sessions to keep employees aware of the latest threats and best practices.

Ensuring effective communication among distributed team members can sometimes be difficult because of technological failures and miscommunications. These can lead to errors, missed appointments, and decreased morale. Clear and concise communication helps teams avoid misunderstandings and keeps everyone aligned with the company's goals. Regular virtual meetings, instant messaging, and tools such as Slack for Field Service and Appointment Assistant can help mitigate communication challenges.

Successfully managing a mobile workforce requires a strategic approach to the technology used by your team. Equipping your team with reliable mobile devices and using field service technology enables them to work efficiently and effectively.

There are many solutions tailored for specific needs of a mobile workforce. Solutions such as field service management software offer features like scheduling, dispatch management, tracking, communication, and performance analytics. This helps teams stay connected, informed, and productive with efficient coordination and real-time updates.

Here are several factors to consider when choosing your tools and software.

Cloud-based solutions: Cloud-based software for field service, like Salesforce Field Service, lets you manage and coordinate your team in real time, with everyone accessing and updating the same data from anywhere. It also helps automate tasks like scheduling and invoicing to boost productivity and efficiency.

Field service features: Choose field service management software that offers features for scheduling, dispatching, route optimization, GPS tracking, communication, and performance management. Make sure teams have access to digital communication tools on mobile devices to keep everyone connected and informed.

AI-powered solutions: The latest mobile workforce management software helps field service organizations manage and coordinate their distributed teams through artificial intelligence (AI). AI-powered solutions, like Agentforce, can streamline field service operations by providing real-time scheduling, dispatch, and intelligent insights.

Offline capability: Internet connectivity isn’t always guaranteed. Look for solutions with an offline mode so your field service team can still be productive even when there’s no connection.

Integration: Ensure the software you choose can integrate with your existing customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. This way, there’s only one app to conduct all tasks and see all customer, asset, and work order information.

Scalability: Select a solution that can grow with your business and adapt to changing needs. As your mobile workforce expands, the software you choose should be able to handle increased data, users, and operational complexity. Consider the vendor's reputation and support services to ensure long-term reliability.

For field service managers, finding the right tools is key to monitoring performance and delivering great support. But the right tools are only part of the equation.

Ensure your mobile workers have the necessary training to perform their tasks efficiently, and the support to keep learning. Here are some effective strategies for growing the skills of your field service employees:

Provide training: Offer training sessions to ensure employees understand how to use their mobile tools, such as monthly webinars on the latest technology trends and industry best practices, help employees stay up to date with industry standards. Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform, is a great way for your team to learn new skills and build knowledge in field service.

Create a knowledge base: Create a knowledge base or resource library for easy access to training materials on technology. Ensure that the training covers essential topics such as company policies, security protocols, and communication standards.

Encourage community learning: Have your mobile workforce join the Serviceblazer Community on Slack to collaborate with other field service pros and learn best practices.

Establish clear metrics: Establish field service key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure productivity, such as response time and first-time fix rates, so teams understand priorities. Quarterly or bi-annual performance KPI reviews and feedback sessions can help your team stay on track and continuously improve.

Set clear expectations: Define roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics at the beginning of each project or quarterly and review them at least every six months. Clearly communicated expectations ensure your teams understand their goals and how their work contributes to the organization's success. Establishing work schedules, response times, and availability guidelines can also help manage expectations.

Conduct regular check-ins: Schedule weekly virtual team meetings to maintain cohesion and address any issues. One-on-one check-ins with employees and contractors can also help identify and resolve any challenges they might be facing.

Encourage collaboration: Use collaboration tools to foster teamwork and idea-sharing. Collaborative project management tools like Slack enable seamless communication and collaboration among remote teams. Encouraging social interactions and team-building activities can also strengthen team bonds. Virtual water cooler sessions and recognition programs can promote engagement and camaraderie

Successfully managing a mobile workforce requires a strategic approach and the right technology to support your team. You can enable your mobile teams to thrive by fostering a culture of clear communication, collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.

Ultimately, the key to success lies in striking a balance between empowering mobile workers with the necessary resources and maintaining a cohesive, connected workforce. As the future of work becomes clearer, embracing the mobile workforce model with a strategic and adaptable approach will position your business to stay competitive and meet the ever-changing demands of customers, employees, and contractors.