Pen and paper job notes will soon be a thing of the past at Hydroscand UK, after a successful trial period of a fully digital system.
With trials of multiple software providers being conducted in 2021, Hydroscand UK has now rolled out a fully digital solution for their HoseExpress Mobile Hose Technicians across the UK.
Digital solutions get lots of air time in business forums, networking groups and podcasts, but the reality is, making changes can be difficult for larger businesses.
Rebecca Galley, Managing Director explained, “Until recently, HoseExpress technicians would complete site risk assessments and job sheets on paper. That system has worked well for our customers for many years. However, digitalisation is a key part of both Hydroscand Group and Hydroscand UK’s business strategy. This is because we are always customer driven and aim to provide innovative services and solutions. Digitalisation will facilitate process improvements, increase speed and accuracy of transactions, and reduce admin time, so, based on feedback from customers and team members, and with more solutions now readily available in the market, we decided to move to a digital solution for our mobile hose repair service.
“Towards the end of 2021, we started working to find a suitable application to manage our HoseExpress job sheets. Joblogic® was one of three systems we reviewed in detail. Jason Bray, HoseExpress Development Manager and Josh Legg, Mobile Hose Technician in Southampton tested the system and we decided to go ahead. Joblogic® is well established in the UK and has over 4,000 current users.
“This is a very exciting step for us and the investment demonstrates our commitment to finding customer focused digital solutions. We decided to provide new mobile phones for our technicians to support the use of the software. As well as that, we have invested in the software itself and training to support the teams in getting going with the new way of working. Despite the initial outlay and ongoing fees, we believe the system be cost effective very quickly because of the time saved handling paperwork and the increased accuracy and traceability offered by having a digital system. We will also be able to gather real time data, which we will use over time to refine our service and improve our customer experience. Our main aim is to improve our customers’ experience.”
The new solution will provide customers with a system that enables them to request jobs directly, track the technician’s progress and review history of the jobs we have completed. Should customers require, an automatic message can be sent by SMS or email letting them know when our technicians are travelling, on site and leaving site. A risk assessment for every job we attend and ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs of the work carried out will also be available to download directly.
“Alongside the benefits for our customers and for Hydroscand, we believe the system will provide a better experience for our team members. Several of our technicians were used to working in this way from previous employment and expect to have a digital application. As the workforce changes and more millennials and so-called digital natives join our teams, this expectation will only increase. Professional, safety focussed and paperless solutions will be one of many aspects to consider in attracting and retaining team members. So far, adoption has been good amongst the team, with feedback positive and constructive.
“My advice to companies looking at digital solutions is to simply make a start. There are tried and tested solutions already developed to transform a significant number of day-to-day business processes. Clearly define the processes you want to digitalise and prioritise them based on parameters that suit your business; for us this always starts with our customers. I would also advise involving your team as much as you can in the scope, testing and selection of any system, as well as regular communication with them, especially gathering their feedback.”
To find out more about Hydroscand UK and their HoseExpress service, visit their website: www.hydroscand.co.uk
