With winter upon us, are you prepared for weather emergencies? Snow, ice, and high winds during these cold months can create situations that will financially impact your business.
Severe weather events are becoming more frequent and roads and transport services can be affected for extensive lengths of time. This means your field service workforce members take much longer to get to their destination or, in some cases, can’t get there at all.
Your responsibility as a field service business owner is to recognise these risks and develop contingency plans not only to minimise disruption to your business, but to secure its long-term survival, profitability and growth.
While you can’t control severe weather events, there are some ways you can minimise disruption. Here are some simple ways to prepare for winter weather no matter how bad the storm.
Get prepared. Review and get familiar with your company insurance policies and know which types of damages and lost revenues are covered. Get additional coverage if necessary.
Examine your policies. A severe weather policy should ensure that your workforce is aware of the rules that will apply if they have difficulty fulfilling their duties because of bad weather. A winter driving policy should outline the procedure to follow in the event of an emergency, such as an accident, breakdown or getting caught up in bad weather. Read our blog about planning ahead for the winter months here.
Manage your resources. During winter weather conditions your field service workers will face increased pressure to respond to customer demands in a timely manner. Manage the likely surge in emergency jobs through your field service technology and pre-warn your workforce to be on stand-by so you can make sure you’ve got appropriate resources available.
Equip your workforce. Ensure that your workforce can continue their duties by equipping them with the tools and knowledge they need to complete jobs in even the harshest winter weather conditions. Make sure that your workforce vehicles are fully serviced and maintained in the winter months and are equipped with ‘cold weather’ tyres and that staff have warm and weather-proof uniforms.
Prepare for emergencies through training. It’s impossible for your workforce to know what to do and how to ensure the above issues are considered thoughtfully without clear guidance and training. Investing in staff training is vital to ensure that: they are aware of your severe weather policies and procedures; they operate in a safe way during a weather emergency; and that all departments, including office staff and those working out in the field, are using your field service software effectively and confidently.
Wayforce field service management is affordable and easy to implement for businesses across all sizes and sectors. it allows you to monitor where your workforce is and the status of all jobs, addressing vital time-keeping needs even during challenging weather conditions.
Your field workers can quickly and easily update customers on their expected time of arrival and rearrange appointments. It also allows them to manage paperwork without visiting the office, reducing travel requirements and boosts the amount of work they can complete.
And, if you’re after a specific function, we can build bespoke add-ons to suit your specific business requirements.
Don’t let the weather adversely affect your business, get in touch for a free demo and #WayTheForceBeWithYou!