Abstract :
Summary form only given. In today´s global economy, service providers are under increasing pressure to maximize margins and streamline operational efficiency to remain competitive. In order to do this, providers are turning to new technologies, advanced collaboration with partners and creative service strategies to ensure a well-managed workforce. They are also creating virtual workforces where resources may work from home or on the road over a disparate geographic region. To this end, service providers are seeking to reduce or all together eliminate the brick and mortar office, and replace it with a loose coalition of people with diverse skill sets. As this shift continues in the service industry, so do their requirements. For example, they are now required to handle the entire service order management process by continually updating their offerings to stay competitive against others in the same industry; i.e., doing more with less. In this context, a trustworthy solution is one that enables management to automate and streamline all aspects of the field service operations, allows providers to offer additional services, with greater accessibility to ensure growth and fitness for service. We demonstrate the solution by reviewing its implementation for the catholic community services and its community outreach program for the deaf.
Keywords :
home working; personnel; service industries; brick-and-mortar office; disparate geographic region; field service operation; operational efficiency; personnel resource scheduling; service industry; service order management; service providers; service strategies; virtual workforce; well-managed workforce; Collaborative work; Companies; Computer industry; Context-aware services; Costs; Job shop scheduling; Mortar; Personnel; Roads; Turning;