Optimizing field service with real-time precision

Start with the right questions

When organizations consider investing in a new scheduling system, it’s easy to get distracted by features like mobile apps, calendars, or dashboards. But the real question is whether the solution can handle the full complexity of service delivery. Scheduling is the heartbeat of field operations, and the wrong tool can create more problems than it solves.

The Planning & Scheduling – a Partner Perspective eBook outlines ten critical questions every service leader should ask when evaluating options. These are grounded in the challenges faced by companies like Electrolux and Tetra Pak, and they focus on real-world needs:

• Complexity of jobs: Can it manage multi-day projects or jobs requiring different skill sets?
• Parts integration: Does it connect scheduling with inventory so techs always arrive prepared?
• Customer booking: Can customers select appointment slots that align with efficiency goals?

Flexibility under pressure: How does it adapt if a technician is delayed, traffic changes, or a customer cancels?

Without clear answers to these questions, many organizations fall back on spreadsheets or manual workarounds. Asking the right questions first ensures the solution reduces risk, cuts complexity, and empowers planners to work more strategically.

Download now: Planning & Scheduling – a Partner Perspective eBook

Benchmark your performance

The next step is to measure how your organization compares against peers. The Optimise Your Field Service eBook highlights benchmarks from Aquant’s 2024 Field Service Report, which show a widening gap between leaders and laggards:

• First Time Fix Rate (FTFR): Median is 76%, but top performers hit 87%, while laggards fall to 55%.
• Resolution Time: Leaders resolve issues in 2.44 days, while the bottom tier takes nearly 10.
• Time Between Visits: Industry leaders average 133 days, compared to just 46 for underperformers.

These aren’t just statistics – they represent customer experience and profitability. A poor first-time fix rate means repeat visits, extra mileage, and higher costs. Long resolution times erode trust and risk penalties. Short intervals between visits show assets aren’t being maintained effectively, driving downtime and lost revenue.

The eBook also highlights how real companies are making change possible. Konica Minolta boosted productivity by 25% and SLA achievement by 21% with IFS Cloud™ PSO. PHS Group, operating more than 1,000 vans across the UK, cut travel time by 35%, giving technicians more time with customers while lowering costs and emissions.

These stories prove that benchmarking isn’t just about knowing your rank – it’s about spotting opportunities for improvement and taking action.

Read more: Optimise Your Field Service eBook

Why scheduling is the real differentiator

So why do so many organizations still fall short of these benchmarks? The IFS PSO White Paper provides the answer: most traditional scheduling tools weren’t built for today’s fast-moving, customer-driven environment.

Batch-based systems create static, start-of-day schedules. They might look fine at 8:00 a.m., but by 9:30 a.m. one technician is stuck in traffic, another is delayed on-site, and a customer has cancelled. Suddenly, the plan is useless and planners are scrambling to rebuild it manually.

This constant firefighting wastes time, frustrates staff, and drives costs up.

IFS Cloud™ Planning and Scheduling Optimization (PSO), delivered with Platned expertise, works differently:

• Continuous optimization: The schedule recalculates throughout the day, adapting instantly to changes.
• Dynamic matching: The right tech, with the right skills and parts, is dispatched every time.
• Real-world awareness: Traffic, weather, and location data are integrated to cut wasted travel.
• Scenario testing: Planners can test “what-if” options before committing, reducing risk.

This approach means organizations don’t just keep up with benchmarks – they set new ones. Planners focus on managing exceptions instead of rebuilding schedules. Technicians spend less time on the road and more time with customers. The impact is higher SLA compliance, lower costs, and better customer experiences.

Explore further: IFS PSO White Paper

From questions to results

Field service success starts with asking the right questions. It continues with honest benchmarking against peers. And it’s made real by adopting a solution that can handle the complexity of today’s service operations.

The combination of insights from the Partner Perspective eBook, benchmarks from the Optimise Your Field Service eBook, and best practices from the IFS PSO White Paper gives service leaders a clear roadmap. Together, they show how to:

• Improve first-time fix rates and SLA performance.
• Reduce travel time, costs, and emissions.
• Free planners from manual rework so they can focus on strategy.
• Build resilience and adaptability in a rapidly changing market.

With Platned and IFS Cloud™ PSO, scheduling is no longer a back-office process. It becomes a strategic driver of growth, customer loyalty, and long-term operational success.

Explore the resources:

• Planning & Scheduling – a Partner Perspective eBook
• Optimise Your Field Service eBook
• IFS PSO White Paper