Optimización de Trabajos de Campo

The Field Service
Scheduling & Routing Optimization

Solution Selection Report
Strategy and Technology Selection Handbook
March 2006
Sponsored by
The Field Service Scheduling & Routing Optimization Solution Selection Report
Executive Summary
he complexity of accurately aligning service demand consisting of the backlog

and pipeline of work orders with service supply consisting of technician
skill set, availability, geography, and inventory continues to plague many labor-intensive field service organizations. More often than not, this challenge is the result
of not having adequate technology solutions in place to optimize field service scheduling
and routing operations in real-time.
As OEMs and independent service organizations (ISOs) continue to vie for market share
in a landscape of increasingly commoditized products, they have begun to search for
revenue and profit margin within their aftermarket service operations. These leading
firms have found that by optimizing the scheduling and routing of field service engineers
to job sites, they can achieve higher productivity, reduced service costs, and increased
performance and profitability. Scheduling and routing optimization solutions match technicians with work orders based on technicians aptitude, proximity to the job site, availability of service parts, and overall cost of service.
Evidence of the increasing strategic importance of scheduling and routing optimization
solutions includes:
83% of leading companies indicate that field service optimization is core to improving their competitive positions.
74% of best-in-class companies optimize their field service operations to increase

overall profitability.
Those companies that Aberdeen interviewed that saw the most improvement from scheduling and routing optimization solutions had chosen providers that addressed some combination of the following features and requirements:
Field Service Scheduling Optimization
Mapping and Route Optimization
Demand Forecasting and Capacity Planning
Service Parts Inventory Management
Reporting and Analytics
Integration and Services
This report serves as a handbook for enterprises looking to invest in field service optimization technology, and provides companies with some of the quantifiable benefits they
can expect from investing in a solution. In addition, it includes frameworks to help enterprises assess their scheduling and routing competence, scope solution requirements, and
select the best-fit solution.
All print and electronic rights are the property of AberdeenGroup 2006.
AberdeenGroup i
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .............................................................................................. i
Chapter One: Issue at Hand.................................................................................1
Risks of Sub-Optimization ............................................................................. 1
Technology Primer......................................................................................... 3
Chapter Two: Solution Market Snapshot ..............................................................6
Technology Adoption Trends.......................................................................... 6
Case in Point Benco Dental........................................................................ 7
Case in Point Geeks on Call....................................................................... 7
Solution Provider Landscape......................................................................... 8
Chapter Three: Implications & Analysis............................................................. 10
Self-Assessment Criteria ............................................................................. 10
How Does Your Company Stack Up? .......................................................... 12
Chapter Four: Solution Selection Framework..................................................... 14
Field Service Scheduling Optimization ........................................................ 14
Field Service Mapping and Route Optimization ........................................... 16
Demand Forecasting and Capacity Planning............................................... 17
Service Parts Inventory Management.......................................................... 18
Reporting and Analytics ............................................................................... 19
Integration and Services .............................................................................. 20
Featured Sponsors............................................................................................. 23
Sponsor Directory .............................................................................................. 25
Author Profiles.................................................................................................... 26
Appendix A: Research Methodology .................................................................. 27
Appendix B: Related Aberdeen Research & Tools ............................................. 28
About AberdeenGroup ...................................................................................... 29
AberdeenGroup
Figures
Figure 1: Dynamic versus Episodic Optimization .................................................4
Figure 2: Field Service Optimization Activity by Company Size............................7
Figure 3: Best-in-Class Firms Optimize Field Service in Real-Time .....................8
Figure 4: Field Service Optimization Maturity Maps to Performance.................. 12
Figure 5: Schedule Optimization Processes Spawn Service Performance
Gains.................................................................................................................. 15
Tables
Table 1: The Impact of Poor Scheduling and Routing Approaches.......................2
Table 2: Field Service Schedule & Route Optimization - Qualifying Industry
Attributes............................................................................................................ 10
Table 3: Field Service Scheduling and Routing Maturity: An Assessment
Approach............................................................................................................ 11
Table 4: Solution Selection Criteria: Field Service Scheduling Optimization....... 15
Table 5: Solution Selection Criteria: Field Service Mapping & Route
Optimization ....................................................................................................... 17
Table 6: Solution Selection Criteria: Demand Forecasting & Capacity Planning 18
Table 7: Solution Selection Criteria: Service Parts Inventory Management........ 19
Table 8: Solution Selection Criteria: Reporting and Analytics ............................. 20
Table 9: Solution Selection Criteria: Integration and Services ............................ 22
AberdeenGroup
Key Takeaways
Chapter One:
Issue at Hand
Real-time field service scheduling and routing must be aided by technology solutions that
can calculate optimal workload allocation amid unplanned service chain interruptions,
based on pre-defined and prioritized constraints.
Companies that re-optimize their service schedules on a real-time or hourly basis have
achieved such performance milestones as a 30% jump in work orders completed per day
per technician and a 26% increase in wrench time.
ost-sales service has gone through a significant transformation in recent years. For
many companies, the term aftermarket was once synonymous with afterthought, but not so anymore. Finding it difficult to compete on product sales
alone, leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have begun tapping their postsales service operations for revenues, profits, and more durable competitive differentiation. In fact, three-quarters of firms responding to a recent Aberdeen survey stated they
currently run or plan to run field service as a strategic operation with revenue and profit
goals in place.
With bottom- and top-line goals in mind, leading labor-intensive service organizations
are taking steps to improve how they schedule and route their field forces, and as such
are testing technologies that help them to achieve this goal. Scheduling optimization is a
chronological endeavor that involves making the most use of time available by assigning
tasks to field technicians in the most productive and profitable sequence possible. Parameters that must be taken into account include technician capacity, proximity, aptitude,
and inventory.
Complementary to scheduling optimization, routing optimization is a geospatial endeavor. This involves plotting the most expeditious and efficient physical path from one
job location to the next, oftentimes amid unplanned service chain interruptions.
Risks of Sub-Optimization
Many companies struggle with optimizing their field service operations because they lack
adequate visibility into the supply side of the service chain. From both a business process
and technology perspective, they are ill-equipped to assign the best technician to any
given work order. Relying on whiteboards, spreadsheets, and phone-based processes to
assign technicians to service orders yields a sub-optimized approach to scheduling. Companies typically feel the consequences of sub-optimization in a few key areas of their service operations (Table 1).
AberdeenGroup 1
Table 1: The Impact of Poor Scheduling and Routing Approaches

Issue
Work allocated to
technicians based
on dispatchers
best-guess
Numerous regional
call centers handle
dispatching function
Dispatchers do not
consider other service-related resources (e.g. parts)
in work allocation
decisions
Inadequate visibility
into job status and
technician location
Inadequate reporting and analytics
Impact to the OEM /

Service Provider
Impact to the Customer / Asset

Operator
Large chunks of idle, misspent or

over-committed time for technicians
More time spent traveling to and from
the customer site (windshield time)
Elevated service costs
Demoralized field force
Profitability erosion
Inability to offer time-definite service
offerings
Excess overtime compensation incurred
Dispatchers spend excess time on

phone with technicians for repeated
clarification and status checks
Inefficient dispatcher-to-technician
ratio
Emergency service calls not escalated properly
Ability to offer only half-day or full-day
delivery windows for service
Technicians arrive on site with wrong
part in hand
Technicians with inadequate skill sets
are assigned to complex service jobs.
Inability to offer performance-based
service guarantees
Excess fees incurred for unnecessary
use of high-cost logistics channels
Penalties for non-compliance with
service level agreements (SLAs)
Inability to proactively plan for and
predict service calls
Inability to offer shorter response
times at premium prices
Missed opportunities for renewing and
extending service contracts
Limited visibility into technician performance (i.e. time spent at the customer site, travel time etc.)
Inability to proactively plan for and
predict service calls
Missed opportunities for performancebased incentives
Inability to track and monitor productivity and customer satisfaction
Break/fix tasks are rarely resolved

on the first visit.
Lost loyalty to OEM product and
brand
Higher cost of service
Work orders completed late

Incur unnecessary service costs
Customer dissatisfaction
Missed service delivery targets
Increased asset downtime risk
Longer delivery windows needed
for service
Eroded return-on-assets (ROA)

on the first visit
Higher cost of service
Premium service clients unlikely to

renew
on the first visit
Pricing structures and levels do not

match quality of service delivered.
Inability to monitor status or leadtime for contracted services
Inability to quantify benefits for the
purpose of making sound contract
renewal decisions.
Specific technician or site access
requirements not consistently met
2 AberdeenGroup
Impact to the OEM /

Service Provider
Issue
Impact to the Customer / Asset

Operator
Inadequate profitability analysis

Missed opportunities for business
process improvements
Best practices for scenario resolution
are not captured and shared
Source: AberdeenGroup, March 2006
Technology Primer
Every service organization has processes in place to manage incoming work orders and
technician workload, but dispatchers only have the capacity to handle so many options
and consider so many possible factors when routing technicians to job sites. Overcoming
the challenges associated with aligning service supply and demand in real-time is nearly
impossible without the help of a technology solution that optimizes scheduling and routing processes.
Scheduling and routing optimization solutions utilize specific algorithms to simultaneously handle all the constraints associated with each service call and field technician.
This includes considering factors such as type and location of jobs as well as business
priorities and potential cost savings. Based upon prioritized weightings assigned to every
possible schedule constraint, optimization solutions automatically match the most costeffective resource with each service order. To accommodate evolving business priorities,
most optimization solutions allow operators to reorder these weightings and to execute ad
hoc what-if scenario analyses to test the financial and performance impacts of scheduling alternatives.
Due to the fact that many constraints are fluid such as technician location, weather and
road conditions work orders are assigned to technicians at the last possible moment. As
such, technicians usually are aware of their current job, plus the next one or two, instead
of receiving a full days worth of work orders.
When deployed in tandem with mobile hardware devices and utilized effectively, scheduling and routing solutions can have a significant impact on worker productivity, overall
profitability, and customer satisfaction and retention. Recent Aberdeen research indicates
that companies that re-optimize their service schedules on a real-time or hourly basis
have achieved such performance milestones as a 30% jump in work orders completed per
day per technician and 26% increase in wrench time (Figure 1).
AberdeenGroup 3
Figure 1: Dynamic versus Episodic Optimization

30%
Daily work orders

completed per technician
9%
26%
Wrench-time" hours per

technician per day
6%
12%
First call resolution rate

Number of service
contracts with prioritybased time constraints
Work orders completed
late
-30%
6%
9%
-16%
Optimization in real-time or Hourly
-21%
-17%
-20%
Optimization Once or Twice per day
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
% CHANGE since last technology initiative
One consumer products company with 1,200 field technicians servicing products across
the United States, implemented an optimization solution in the hopes of achieving this
level of real-time alignment of service supply and demand. Facing stiff competition, the
company was aiming to elevate its levels of customer service while maximizing technician and dispatcher productivity.
Within a period of one year, the company saw such benefits as up to 90% first-time call
resolution rates, dramatically consolidated dispatching functions, increased worker productivity, and much improved visibility into overall service chain performance.
In addition to results such as these, companies are also seeing significant increases in topline growth as a result of implementing scheduling and routing optimization solutions.
Take general merchandise retailer Boscovs Department Stores for example. The $1
billion retailer currently operates 40 department stores across six states in the MidAtlantic region of the U.S. It boasts its own service operation that services not only
Boscovs appliances and electronics, but those of other retailers and manufacturers as
well.
To accommodate its growing service business, increase worker productivity, and improve
customer satisfaction, Boscovs decided to implement a scheduling and routing optimization solution. As a result of the deployment, the company has seen a 50% reduction in the
number of technicians traveling more than 150 miles per day, and a 40% increase in work
orders assigned per day. Another key benefit of the solution is that Boscovs is now able
to accurately assess its capacity to take on additional service and is actively pursuing new
business from major electronics retailers as well as smaller service organizations. In addiAll print and electronic rights are the property of AberdeenGroup 2006.
4 AberdeenGroup
tion, this year marks the first time the companys service division has broken a million
dollars in profit, which Boscovs director attributes in part to the deployment of its
scheduling and routing optimization solution.
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Key Takeaways
Chapter Two:
Solution Market Snapshot
90% of large companies have current or planned field service optimization initiatives in
place, and the majority of small and mid-size companies are or will be optimizing field
service in the near future.
Field service scheduling and routing solutions are provided by four main types of vendors: ERP providers, service management system providers, enterprise-class field service optimization specialists, and niche providers.
ntil recently, service organizations focused their field service automation investments on customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource
planning (ERP) applications. However, recent years have brought new service
chain technologies to the fore that aim to better coordinate and align resources required
for field service delivery. These solutions include scheduling and routing optimization
technology, which when deployed in close integration with related business systems can
greatly help firms achieve more profitable and productive service operations.
Technology Adoption Trends

Companies of all sizes are actively optimizing their field service operations, according to
recent Aberdeen research. While large companies are leading the way with 90% of
survey respondents currently or planning to optimize field service the majority of midsize and small companies are or will be optimizing field service in the near future (Figure
2).
However, despite the widespread recognition of the value that these solutions can bring
to service organizations, many companies still overlook forecasting and planning technician capacity and work-order demand. A critical supporting element for a cost-effective
day-to-day field service schedule is an accurate view into near- and long-term service
workload and technician capacity. According to recent survey data, 58% of respondents
do not forecast service demand, and 63% do not forecast service supply or they rely on
spreadsheets for this purpose.
6 AberdeenGroup
Figure 2: Field Service Optimization Activity by Company Size

90%
Large
10%
82%
Mid-Size
18%
64%
Small
0%
20%
36%
40%
60%
80%
100%
% of respondents
Current or planned service optimization
No completed or planned optimization
Case in Point Benco Dental

For Benco Dental, a distributor of supplies, equipment, and consulting services to more
than 20,000 dental practices and laboratories in the United States, optimizing its scheduling and routing processes for the companys field force meant first finding a solution that
could handle the minute-by-minute changes inherent in the companys service operation.
Benco Dentals technicians operate all over the eastern U.S., installing and maintaining a
full range of dental equipment for the dental practitioners that use it. As such, the company needed to respond as quickly as possible to emergency service calls from doctors
that needed immediate repairs.
The company deployed a scheduling and routing optimization solution to its 250 field
service technicians following a phased roll-out plan. As a result of the implementation,
Benco Dentals technicians spend less time on the phone communicating with dispatchers, and instead can view work orders immediately as they come into the system. The
solution also allows Benco Dental to route technicians to their assigned jobs via streetlevel routing to ensure the best route to the job site and the least amount of windshield
time. These process improvements have helped the company to achieve a nearly 10%
increase in worker productivity, which amounts to a large increase in work orders completed per day among its 250 field technicians. In addition, Benco Dental is currently in
the process of updating the system with a combined phone/PDA that runs on Windows
PocketPCs for further performance gains.
Case in Point Geeks on Call

Another company that is achieving productivity and performance gains from implementing an SRO solution is Geeks on Call. The on-site computer repair company provides
computer support and service to residential and business customers, and employs more
than 320 service technicians operating in more than 320 franchises nationwide.
AberdeenGroup 7
The company needed an optimization solution that could schedule and route its techs to
job sites directly from their homes, all while considering skill sets, current location, customer preferences, cost of service, availability of techs, and other fluid constraints. Adding complexity to the process was the fact each Geeks on Call franchise operates with its
own pricing, hours of operation, and varied number of technicians. The companys
scheduling and routing solution therefore had to be flexible enough to handle all these
variables and still optimize schedules and routes across the company.
Following an in-depth selection process, the company deployed an SRO solution to all
320 technicians. As a result of the deployment, Geeks on Call technicians have gone
from completing an average of 2 or 3 work orders per day to more than 5 work orders per
day, and the company has seen major cost savings in travel and operational expenses.
Geeks on Call is also in the process of upgrading its current solution to a web-based version of the system which will provide additional efficiencies in the optimization process,
reduce appointment scheduling times from around 5 minutes per call to approximately 2
minutes per call, and allow customers to book their own appointments online effectively making Geeks on Call a 24/7 service operation.
Solution Provider Landscape

Scheduling and routing solutions are currently provided by four main types of vendors:
ERP providers, service management system (SMS) providers, enterprise-class field service optimization specialists, and niche providers. The latter three categories of providers
often position the dynamic, real-time nature of their optimization capabilities as differentiating from the ERP providers. As it happens, Aberdeen research indicates that 92% of
best-in-class companies are aligning technician attributes with service order demand on a
real-time basis (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Best-in-Class Firms Optimize Field Service in Real-Time
92%
Real-time alignment of
technician attributes
with demand
35%
7%
Daily alignment of
with demand
0%
No alignment of
with demand
0%
37%
40%
Best in Class
8%
Average
23%
Laggard
42%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
% of respondents
8 AberdeenGroup
Regardless of the provider, field service optimization solutions work best in close integration with related business systems such as customer relationship management (CRM),
order processing, and accounting systems. Customer-specific requirements, customer
history, and order-specific details are critical data bridges for an optimized end-to-end
service operation.
The type of solution provider you choose will depend on such factors as the size of your
mobile workforce, the average number of daily work orders completed per technician, the
percentage of service contracts with time-definite delivery constraints, and other attributes discussed in the next chapter.
For instance, small service organizations with field forces of less than 50 technicians, or
with complex service orders that take multiple days or weeks to complete might be adequately supported by the scheduling tools available in ERP systems. Or companies with
50 to 100 technicians each completing roughly one to two work orders per day or that
support a mix of service level agreement (SLA) types can often realize improvements in
their scheduling and routing operations by utilizing solutions from SMS providers.
AberdeenGroup 9
Key Takeaways
Chapter Three:
Implications & Analysis
Scheduling and routing solutions are best suited for labor-intensive service organizations
with such attributes as high-volume break/fix workloads and large distributed field forces.
Companies should assess their current scheduling and routing optimization competence
in five critical areas: process, organization, knowledge management, technology, and
performance measurement.
cheduling and routing optimization solutions range widely in sophistication and

scope. Those OEMs and independent service organizations (ISOs) that stand to
gain the most from scheduling and routing optimization solutions are those with
such attributes as high-volume break/fix workloads and large distributed field
forces (Table 2).
Table 2: Field Service Schedule & Route Optimization - Qualifying Industry Attributes
Qualifying Industry
Attributes
Wheelhouse Industries
Field technicians each handle 3-5 work orders per day

Regional dispatchers each manage task assignments for
10 or fewer field technicians
Large proportion of service demand is break/fix
At least 10% of work orders are completed late, and overtime compensation is on the rise.
Serviceable assets are large and not easily shipped
Varying skills and aptitudes represented in field workforce
Large (>75), heterogeneous (mix of full-time and contract),
and densely populated field workforce
Utilities
Telecommunications Services
Building / Facilities Management
Computer and office equipment
manufacturing
Business and commercial services (e.g. roofing, landscaping,
plumbing, etc.)
Self-Assessment Criteria
To identify and prioritize opportunities for field service optimization, companies should
begin by conducting an internal assessment of their field service scheduling, dispatch,
routing, capacity forecasting, and inventory management processes. Aberdeen advises
enterprises to conduct these assessments in five critical areas: process, organization,
knowledge management, technology deployment/integration, and performance measurement (Table 3).
10 AberdeenGroup
Table 3: Field Service Scheduling and Routing Maturity: An Assessment Approach

Area
Process
Action
Assess scheduling
and routing process standardization
and efficiency
Sample Assessment Criteria
Organization
Assess organizational structures,

skills, and decisionmaking alignment
across the
enterprise
Knowledge
Technology
Assess visibility
into technician
availability and
scheduled work
orders
Assess level of
automation and
how well it is integrated throughout
the service chain
Performance
Measurement
Assess level and

consistency of
measurement as
well as actual performance against
each metric
Are work schedules optimized by considering all service orders against all
constraints and total technician capacity simultaneously?
Do you proactively diagnose and predict customer service requirements?
Do you have standard procedures for assigning work orders to technicians in
the field and updating the service schedule throughout the day?
At what scope are these procedures reinforced (e.g., enterprise-wide, divisionwide, etc.)?
Do you programmatically forecast service workload and escalate service orders based on urgency?
Do you have controls to ensure that service level agreements are met?
Does your company have a vice president or higher overseeing profit and loss
(P&L) for service operations?
Do service workers receive compensation incentives for achieving customer
satisfaction targets?
Do corporate values revolve around customer satisfaction?
Do you have a full-time or contract field service team?
Does your organization support real-time collaboration among all service chain
stakeholders?
Does your companys executive team run post-sales service as a viable and
profitable business?
Do all stakeholders have on-demand or real-time access to the same work
order, inventory, service contract, and other service-related data?
Can you immediately assess where a particular technician is at any given time
throughout the day?
Do you have immediate knowledge of technician work load and part usage?
Does field-based data get synchronized with back-office systems in real-time?
Are the companys primary technology solutions schedule and route optimizers and mobile field service solutions?
Are all four field service components (people, process, parts, and data) synchronized and automated?
Does your service organization currently have mobile, on-demand status,
tracking, and communication tools?
Does your field force currently use cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or laptops?
Can you make the necessary support adjustments to enable real-time updates
of field service information in the field in a timely and cost-effective manner?
Is the companys level of service optimization measured with operational metrics (e.g. ratio of dispatchers to technicians, first-call resolution rate, work orders completed per technician per day) and customer-facing metrics (e.g. service revenue growth, customer retention, SLA compliance)?
Does overall customer experience serve as the primary metric for measuring
field service excellence?
What reporting tools does your service organization use, and how effective are
these at meeting your analytics and reporting needs?
Are metrics and procedures consistent enterprise-wide?
How does actual field service performance measure up to that of industry
peers and best-in-class?
AberdeenGroup 11
How Does Your Company Stack Up?

Aberdeen research has shown that the best service organizations benchmark the competitiveness of their capabilities and performance against industry peers and best-in-class
performers. Best-in-class companies have adopted a two-pronged approach to measuring
the efficacy of their field service optimization efforts. They track operational metrics that
include the following:
Average daily work orders completed per technician
Average hours per technician per day spent working on customer sites
Average travel time per work order
First-call resolution rate
Overtime hours per month
Percentage of work orders completed late
Dispatcher-to-field technician ratio
Just as importantly, if not more so, they are also tracking customer-facing metrics such as
customer retention rates, contract renewals, contract compliance, percentage of service
contracts with priority-based time constraints, and service revenue growth.
Aberdeen research shows that firms exhibiting best-in-class field service characteristics
and a successful track record with optimization solutions also enjoy best-in-class service
and financial performance (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Field Service Optimization Maturity Maps to Performance
28%
Daily work orders

Best in Class
Average
Laggard
17%
70%
Service contract
compliance
10%
Number of service
contracts with prioritybased time constraints
-20%
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
% Improvement since last Technology Initiative

12 AberdeenGroup
Case-in-point: For the US$11 billion utilities giant, British Gas (Centrica), costly latencies in the service chain were putting a significant drain on profit margins and negatively
impacting productivity, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. The operation
traditionally allocated service work orders with a paper-based system at the start of each
day, holding workflow and scheduling adjustments for the following day. Without a
process or communications infrastructure to shuffle the service workload as work progressed throughout the day, the company was ill-equipped to handle unplanned constraints or interruptions that arose. Worse, it lacked adequate resources to allocate the
best technician to any given work order.
Recognizing that customer-centric service organizations ultimately win market share,
British Gas set out to automate work order allocation to maximize the productivity of its
8,000 field service engineers, offer narrower service appointment windows, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction. British Gas pursued a fully integrated dynamic
forecasting, planning, and scheduling approach to optimize service resource allocation,
which included the deployment of new laptops for its field force.
Although the solution is still in the early stages of deployment, the company is already
seeing both quantitative and qualitative benefits from optimizing its field service operation. The system allows for automated allocation of qualified technicians for each work
order according to skill set, which has improved first-time fix rates and technician productivity. By providing better allocation of service technicians, British Gas can provide
customers with narrower delivery windows for service calls, reduce the number of rescheduled appointments, and increase customer and employee satisfaction.
AberdeenGroup 13
Key Takeaways
Chapter Four:
Solution Selection Framework
Service organizations should assess scheduling and routing optimization solutions

across each of the following capabilities: scheduling optimization, mapping and routing
optimization, demand forecasting and capacity planning, inventory management, reporting and analytics, and integration and services.
Additional emphasis should also be placed on deployment attributes, integration and

services, and the solutions ability to support the companys current business objectives
and future goals.
hen building the business case for investment in scheduling and routing optimization solutions, the first step should be to cultivate a consensus in the executive ranks that service optimization delivers a substantive impact on the
companys financial and operational performance. This can be done with industryspecific benchmarking data, coupled with ROI analyses often provided at no charge by
optimization solution providers.
Those companies that Aberdeen interviewed that saw the most improvement from scheduling and routing optimization solutions had chosen providers that addressed some combination of the following features and requirements:
Mapping and Route Optimization

Effective optimization solutions must have the capacity to consider all relevant factors
when scheduling technicians in order to determine the most cost-effective and viable engineer for each work order. Companies that have visibility into which jobs have been
completed, which jobs still need to be allocated to technicians, and where technicians,
parts and other resources are at any given time, are better positioned to drive efficiencies
and increase productivity in their service operations.
According to recent Aberdeen research, companies that optimize their service work
schedules by considering all service orders against all constraints and total technician
capacity simultaneously have dramatically outperformed companies that optimize work
schedules one service order or constraint at a time, or fix schedules daily and manually
adjudicate them. Companies running truly optimized service schedules have, on average,
14 AberdeenGroup
improved work orders completed per day, per technician by 20%, service contract compliance 25%, and increased wrench time 18% (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Schedule Optimization Processes Spawn Service Performance Gains
Daily work orders
20%
12%

Service contract
compliance
Wrench-time" hours per
technician per day
25%
18%
-14%
Work orders
completed late
-15%
-10%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
% CHANGE since last technology initiative

Work schedules optimized by considering all service orders, constraints, and technician capacity
Work schedules optimized one service order or one constraint at a time.
Work schedules are fixed daily and adjudicated by dispatchers
Table 4 provides key assessment criteria companies should prioritize when evaluating
scheduling optimization functionality.
Table 4: Solution Selection Criteria: Field Service Scheduling Optimization
Does the system
Have the ability to react to fluid changes in every service operation such as technicians who are delayed or temporarily unavailable and allocate work orders accordingly?
Consider multiple schedule combinations simultaneously to deliver rapid scheduling of

the most cost-effective resource?
Enable automatic resource allocation according to parameters such as least-cost completion of work orders, load balancing, backlog management, skill sets, and utilization
goals?
Take into account a companys specific business goals when determining the optimal
technician for each work order?
Provide the ability to manage by exception those service calls that require the disAll print and electronic rights are the property of AberdeenGroup 2006.
AberdeenGroup 15
patchers attention?
Provide an intuitive, easy-to-navigate user interface?
Provide automated scheduling of the field force by considering factors such as travel
time, work load, SLAs, priority level, customer preference, technician skill set, overtime costs, etc.?
Allow for the addition of special business rules to accommodate unique scheduling
needs?
Allow the scheduler to set customized rules for handling emergencies to enable automated scheduling of work orders that would normally be considered exceptions?
Provide the ability to schedule multiple jobs at a single location and schedule the same
technician for all jobs that pertain to a single customer?
Field Service Mapping and Route Optimization

While many specialist providers of field service optimization solutions focus heavily on
providing advanced scheduling algorithms for cost-effective allocation of resources, most
rely on partners to provide the integration of mapping and routing technology within the
solution. Accurate mapping and routing of field service personnel allows companies to
reduce the number of missed SLAs and late arrivals and helps reduce windshield time by
routing technicians efficiently.
Mapping and route optimization functionality should incorporate street-level routing and
GIS (geographic information system) or GPS (global positioning system) data when routing technicians to job sites in order to minimize travel time. Increased visibility into
technicians status and geography with GIS or GPS capabilities enables schedulers to
react faster to emergency service calls and dispatch the most appropriate technician to the
job in the most cost-effective manner. These location-based solutions (LBS) take into
account such obstacles as one-way streets, road construction, speed limits, and bridges
among others. In addition, these solutions can update routes throughout the day according to dynamic changes such as weather, traffic, and unforeseen delays to deliver up-tothe-minute directions and travel times.
Advanced mapping and routing solutions also provide the capability to use pre-stored
travel data in addition to street-level routing to calculate routes rapidly while still considering a multitude of dynamic factors. This method uses zip codes to break down geographies into manageable regions, and considers the travel time of the entire field force to
ensure that one engineers drive time is not optimized at the expense of the rest of the
workforce.
16 AberdeenGroup
Table 5: Solution Selection Criteria: Field Service Mapping & Route Optimization
Mapping & Routing Optimization
Does the system
Support map-based dispatch with street-level routing capability?
Take into account specific geographies in each region that can affect the route plan?
Support real-time, simultaneous dispatching of multiple geographic regions?
Provide technicians with specific driving directions to each assignment based on the
shortest and fastest route to each customer site?
Take into account both the distance to the job site as well as the distance from this site
to the technicians next assignment when scheduling emergency service calls?
Rapidly provide navigable route mapping data to maximize utilization of available resources?
Have an interface that allows schedulers to see multiple routes at once and view work
orders according to sequence for completion?
Automatically choose the best map for each location?
Allow the user to weight certain constraints such as travel time between customer sites,
priority of work orders, and distance from a technicians home base, and consider these
weighted criteria accordingly?

Another critical supporting element for optimized field service scheduling is an accurate
view into near- and long-term service workload and technician capacity. Changes in
business direction or activity such as new market or geography entries or targeted
sales and marketing campaigns have a direct impact on service workloads, so companies must anticipate these events in advance in order to effectively plan service personnel
and resources to meet customer demand.
Likewise, on the supply side, in order to promise certain service levels to customers, service managers must stay on top of future technician availability, accounting for vacation
time, training time, contingent resource plans, and the like.
With up-to-date service demand forecasts and resource allocation plans in place, companies are better equipped to prevent periods of over- and under-utilization and in turn improve service levels and overall productivity. Technology solutions that provide demand
forecasting and capacity planning for field service help companies effectively make dayto-day scheduling decisions, while understanding their impact on the bigger service chain
picture.
AberdeenGroup 17
Table 6: Solution Selection Criteria: Demand Forecasting & Capacity Planning

Demand Forecasting & Capacity Planning
Does the system
Have the ability to quickly respond to dynamic business changes such as weather or
competition?
Align field workforce staffing plans with future workload?
Have the capability to incorporate input from manufacturing, sales, and marketing departments to enable strategic decision making?
Have the capability to plan months or years in advance for business events that will
impact service workload?
Compare different forecasting scenarios and identify the impact on labor costs?
Have the ability to analyze and determine the business impact of strategic decisions
such as opening new markets?
Use forecasting and planning algorithms designed specifically for service forecasting?
Provide the ability to automatically import service performance histories?
Provide for collaborative forecasting/planning among different departments and business units within the company?
Highlight periods of over- or under-utilization months in advance to determine the impact on the business?
Provide an intuitive, web-based graphical display of workload and capacity to enable

service managers to easily view planning options?
Provide identification of resource shortages, surpluses and imbalances for proactive

resolution?
Provide decision support for vacation, training, hiring, and outsourcing strategies?
Enable what-if scenarios to compare different approaches to service provisioning

and their impact on profitability and performance?

An integral part of enabling optimized field service scheduling and routing operations
involves a companys ability to accurately track and monitor the status of service parts
inventory. With real-time visibility into the current location of service parts, companies
can link each work order to the parts required for service, and schedule technicians to
customer sites based on part availability. In addition, this functionality updates stock
counts in the system as parts are used, to ensure that technicians have the right part in
hand when they arrive at the customer site and are able to complete the service required.
Advanced field service optimization solutions with inventory management capability can
also track when required parts arrive at a specific location (parts depot or customer site,
18 AberdeenGroup
for example) and the earliest date service can be scheduled according to part availability.
In addition, these solutions can book specific technicians to assignments based on which
technician will pick up the required part for that work order.
Table 7: Solution Selection Criteria: Service Parts Inventory Management
Does the system
Automatically schedule technicians based on parts on-hand for each technician and
update counts as spare parts are used?
Allow new parts to be shipped either directly to the customer or to a pickup depot for
optimal scheduling and routing?
Take into consideration expected-time-of-delivery for a required part order when

scheduling service calls in the system?
Automatically schedule the technicians to pick up service parts depending on optimized routing to and from the depot and assigned customer sites?
Ensure that the technician who is scheduled to pick up the part is also assigned to the
work order for that part?
Have the capability to schedule technicians for parts pickups at the most cost-effective
and efficient times during their shift?
Take into consideration a technicians normal pick-up locations for service parts and
allow dispatchers to assign service orders to that technician that involve part pick-ups
from this location?
Allow the scheduler to allot specific part pick-up times in the technicians day or give
the technician the flexibility to decide when he will visit the pick-up location each day?

With accurate status and trend reporting, service optimization solutions can help companies to better analyze and resolve performance problems before they become endemic
operational or customer service issues. Reporting functionality gives service executives
and managers access to aggregated or detailed information on key performance indicators
such as workforce productivity, individual technician performance, overhead and service
costs, overtime hours per month, and average travel time per work order, among others.
Basic analyses can be performed with built-in application features, or expanded reports
can be generated with customized data roll-ups and queries.
AberdeenGroup 19
Table 8: Solution Selection Criteria: Reporting and Analytics

Does the system
Measure key performance indicators such as service level compliance, resource utilization, employee load, overtime costs, travel time, on-time arrival rate, and operations
cost?
Provide drill down analysis all the way to the customer, product, or employee level?
Enable analysis and reporting according to territory, job type, technician skill set, time
frame of service calls, etc.?
Track the key performance indicators determined by the companys specific goals and
objectives?
Alert schedulers to process or resource variances that could indicate a future problem?
Have the ability to view summary reports by region or national coverage?
Provide the scheduler with views of work schedules for individual technicians, a team
of technicians, or an entire unit?
Display information on job history, including time scheduled, any status changes, and
manual intervention in job allocation?
Provide for automatic emails of reports to be sent to management remotely via a web
browser?
Permit calculation of additional measurements with minimal customization?


When considering scheduling and routing optimization systems, companies must address
implementation and integration issues prior to investment in order to ensure a successful
deployment and rapid ROI. A successfully deployment of a specialized scheduling and
routing optimization solution depends on the solutions ability to integrate seamlessly
with ERP, CRM, financial, and mobility systems.
For companies in certain industries with specific field service requirements, this may entail finding a provider that understands your specific pain points and has had experience
deploying the solution for other firms with similar requirements.
Take Time Warner Cable of New York City, for example. The cable operation employs 2,750 employees across nine facilities and services customers in Manhattan,
Queens, Staten Island, and West Brooklyn. Integral to the companys selection of a field
service scheduling and routing optimization solution was the vendors ability to tailor its
solution to Time Warner Cables specific business processes without adding time consuming and expensive design, training, and implementation costs. In addition, the company required a solution that could incorporate multiple methods of routing and schedul-
20 AberdeenGroup
ing, including centralized dispatching and regionalized routing in real-time. This was
important because Time Warner Cable relies on several different routing methods
(Brooklyn and Queens use zip code map-grid geo-coding, while techs in Manhattan are
routed according to block numbers).
Following the deployment of the optimized solution to more than 200 technicians including both in-house and contracted engineers Time Warner Cable began realizing
significant gains in service performance. The company has seen a 20% increase in
worker productivity as a result of technicians completing more service calls per day, and
has also achieved better on-time performance, reduced travel times, and faster response
times to customer service issues. As a result of the deployment, Time Warner Cable is
also offering its customers tighter appointment delivery windows and higher levels of
guaranteed service, including next-day service.
Deployment Attributes
The total cost of ownership (TCO) for a scheduling and routing optimization solution is
largely impacted by how the software is deployed. In addition to on-premise offerings,
many solution providers are now coming to market with on-demand or hosted solutions,
which can significantly lower up-front investments required for on-premise licensing. Put
simply, on-demand refers to a software environment where the provider maintains and
administers the application and payment is made by the enterprise on a monthly subscription basis. On-premise refers to a licensed software environment, where the application
resides on the end-users own servers and databases and payment occurs in the form of
an up-front licensing fee and ongoing maintenance fees.
Companies would be well-advised to map out purchase, maintenance, upgrade, and service costs over a 24-month horizon to fully understand the TCO picture and weigh it
against the projected benefits.
In addition, companies should also consider the product roadmap for the solution to ensure that it will be able to scale to meet the companys growth plans and changing business needs. For one U.K.-based vending machine manufacturer and service provider,
these criteria were of paramount importance as the company evaluated potential solutions. The SLA-driven service operation had traditionally viewed aftermarket service as a
cost center, and was looking to lower service costs and drive revenue with its service offerings.
The company required a solution that would accommodate the service organizations future plans to expand the business in other countries, as well as provide broad functionality allowing the manufacturer to fine tune the system to meet its changing needs.
The scheduling optimization solution has been fully implemented in the companys service operation for almost a year and as a result of the deployment the company has been
able reduce headcount by 20%, consistently meet and exceed its SLA targets, and significantly lower service costs. Whats more, as a result of the increased productivity the
company has seen from optimizing technicians schedules, it now has the bandwidth to
take on service operations for other manufacturers and bring in additional service-based
revenues.
AberdeenGroup 21
Table 9: Solution Selection Criteria: Integration and Services

Does the system
Have an easy-to-use interface that allows technicians to quickly navigate the system
and perform necessary functions?
Have an interface module that is compatible with a wide variety of programming languages and network protocols?
Provide the flexibility to integrate across various hardware and software platforms?
Support rapid integration with existing enterprise applications, wireless data networks,
billing systems and other related applications?
Provide a standards-based integration interface that allows connection to any packaged

application or enterprise system?
Provide high-speed priority-based routing to maximize bandwidth?
Does the vendor
Provide systems integration services?
Provide systems, installation, technical, and product training during the implementation?
Model various combinations of scheduling parameters to help map the solution to the
companys specific business goals?
Provide a hosting environment (for on-demand delivery models) that provides adequate security, redundancy, disaster recovery, and monitoring services?
22 AberdeenGroup
Featured Sponsors
360 Technologies
360 Technologies is the worlds fastest-growing provider of Field Service Scheduling
and Optimization solutions. Headquartered in Nottingham, England, 360 Technologies
vision is to enable each and every Field Service organization, regardless of size, technology level or activity sector, to leverage the enormous benefits of Field Service Scheduling and Workforce Optimization. 360 Technologies Intelligent Dynamic Scheduling
uniquely combines web-centric real-time optimization, predictive deployment and intelligent analytical capabilities within a modern .NET Web Services framework. This is the
reason why service organizations looking to massively improve their operational efficiency and establish a flexible and differentiated service delivery platform keep choosing
360 Technologies.
PointServe
Pointserve solutions enable service companies to maximize the economic performance of
their end-to-end service operations from demand forecasting and capacity planning,
through customer appointment setting, to service technician scheduling, routing and
dispatch.
The Pointserve Enterprise Service Optimization (ESO) Suite includes a comprehensive
set of web-based Planning & Execution Modules, supported by Location Based Services
and powered by the Companys Economic Optimization Platform. Web services APIs
allow for rapid integration and deployment.
Pointserve typically delivers a 15 to 30% reduction in service delivery costs; significantly
improved customer service levels, and a radically new level of management visibility and
actionable analytics.
Sidewinder
Sidewinder helps companies maximize the utilization of their mobile assets and enhance
the service delivery process at reduced costs. Sidewinder achieves this by the deployment
of advanced scheduling solutions that help companies achieve greater control and visibility of their vehicles and drivers.
AberdeenGroup 1
Sidewinders ServicePLATFORM compliments prior investments within existing systems such as ERP, CRM, and Telematics Solutions and has been developed to integrate
with and enhance the value of these investments.
Sidewinders sales and service facilities are located on three continents with European
offices in the U.K., in addition to offices in Asia Pacific and the U.S. It has many high
caliber references in Field Service, Logistics and Consumer sectors.
InterGis
InterGis provides routing, scheduling, and dispatching software applications in addition
to GPS and a wide variety of mobile wireless solutions that are used by companies Involved in field service activities or transportation-distribution operations.
Customers using InterGis products quickly realize more efficient routing scheduling
dispatch operations, gain dramatic savings in driving times and miles, and can provide
much improved customer service. The overall result is substantially reduced operational
costs, increased productivity and the relief from the day-to-day hassles associated with
the complex tasks of marrying customer needs with getting drivers or technicians to customer sites.
Our core product, Visual Control Room, is a software system providing optimal schedules and routes based on miles, costs, customer needs, business rules and much more.
Scheduling, Dispatching, Routing, GPS Locations, Job Status information, and Customer
Service operations are immediately available to management for rapid decision making
and review. All the InterGis applications can be quickly deployed in either a centralized
location or to remote field offices for localized use.
2 AberdeenGroup
Sponsor Directory
360 Technologies Ltd.
Strelley Hall
Nottingham, NG8 6PE
United Kingdom
+44 (0)115 9061 263
www.360tech.uk.com
info@360tech.uk.com
PointServe, Inc.
110 Wild Basin Road
Suite 300
Austin, TX 78746
www.pointserve.com
salesinfo@pointserve.com
Sidewinder Europe Ltd.

44 Wellesbourne House
Walton Road, Wellesbourne
Warwickshire, CV35 9JB
+44 1789 472770
www.sidewinderholdings.com
derek.brown@sidewindereurope.com
InterGis
152 Winsted Rd.
Torrington, CT 06790
860-496-4900
www.intergis.com
steven.brown@intergis.com
AberdeenGroup 25
Author Profiles
Mark W. Vigoroso, Vice President
Service Chain Management Research
AberdeenGroup, Inc.
(617) 854-5278
mark.vigoroso@aberdeen.com
Mark Vigoroso spearheads primary market research in service management and assesses
software and services that automate and streamline these and other value chain processes.
Vigorosos current efforts include quantifying Global 5000 executives strategies, experiences, and deployment plans in the area of field service optimization.
He has published research in the areas of strategic sourcing, supplier performance measurement, enterprise spending analysis, total cost management, global trade management,
and asset management.
Vigoroso has spent years covering electronic procurement, supply chain, and logistics
management trends as a journalist, editor, speaker, and columnist for various industry
publications. Specializing in e-business applications and strategies, he was an editor at
Purchasing magazine and Manufacturing Marketplace. He has also been a columnist and
feature writer for The E-Commerce Times, ZDNet TechUpdate, and Workz.com.
Rachel Gecker, Research Analyst

Service Chain Management Research
AberdeenGroup, Inc.
(617) 854-5213
rachel.gecker@aberdeen.com
As a research analyst in the service chain management practice, Rachel Gecker researches and analyzes how service executives are utilizing technology and streamlining
business practices to improve post-sales service and support processes. Through benchmarking and analysis of Aberdeens fact-based research, Gecker examines how best-inclass service organizations are reengineering their service chains for optimum performance and increased profitability.
Prior to joining AberdeenGroup, Gecker wrote and edited for a variety of business trade
publications, including Inbound Logistics. She brings a wealth of editorial and industry
experience to her role as research analyst, having researched and reported on technologydriven business value for enterprises in the manufacturing, distribution, transportation,
and logistics industries.
26 AberdeenGroup
Appendix A:
Research Methodology
his research effort aimed to identify best practices for field service scheduling and
routing optimization solution selection. It draws on the following AberdeenGroup
research activities:
Aberdeen assessed the scheduling and routing optimization strategies and technology implementations of leading enterprises of all sizes in multiple industry
sectors. Selection approaches and criteria used by these enterprises are reflected
in this report.
Between March and June 2005, Aberdeen assessed the service chain strategies
and technology approaches of more than 40 companies, as part of its Best Practices in Strategic Service Management initiative. Aberdeen supplemented these
research efforts with more detailed telephone interviews with additional enterprises.
Between January and March 2006, Aberdeen conducted demonstrations and assessments of leading scheduling and routing optimization solutions and providers. Some insights from this research effort are reflected in this report. Detailed
findings from this research effort will be published in the Field Service Scheduling & Routing Optimization Vendor Landscape Report later in 2006.
Solution providers recognized as sponsors of this report were solicited after the fact and had no
substantive influence on the direction of the Field Service Scheduling & Routing Optimization
Solution Selection Report. Their sponsorship has made it possible for AberdeenGroup to make
these findings available to readers at no charge.
AberdeenGroup 27
Appendix B:
Related Aberdeen Research & Tools
Related Aberdeen research that forms a companion or reference to this report includes:
Selecting the Best-Fit Field Service Scheduling & Routing Solution (January
2006)
Field Service Optimization: Competitive Differentiation for Mid-Size Firms

(June 2005)
Field Service Optimization Benchmark Report Part 2 (May 2005)
Field Service Optimization Hits Top and Bottom Lines (May 2005)
Optimizing Field Service to Achieve Profitability Goals (March 2005)
Field Service Optimization Benchmark Report (June 2004)
Information on these and any other Aberdeen publications can be found at

http://www.aberdeen.com/channel/svc.asp.
28 AberdeenGroup
About
AberdeenGroup
Our Mission
To be the trusted advisor and business value research destination of choice for the Global
Business Executive.
Our Approach
Aberdeen delivers unbiased, primary research that helps enterprises derive tangible business value from technology-enabled solutions. Through continuous benchmarking and
analysis of value chain practices, Aberdeen offers a unique mix of research, tools, and
services to help Global Business Executives accomplish the following:
IMPROVE the financial and competitive position of their business now
PRIORITIZE operational improvement areas to drive immediate, tangible value

to their business
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Aberdeen also offers selected solution providers fact-based tools and services to empower and equip them to accomplish the following:
CREATE DEMAND, by reaching the right level of executives in companies

where their solutions can deliver differentiated results
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impact
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fact-based research and demonstrating installed base proof points
Our History of Integrity

Aberdeen was founded in 1988 to conduct fact-based, unbiased research that delivers
tangible value to executives trying to advance their businesses with technology-enabled
solutions.
Aberdeen's integrity has always been and always will be beyond reproach. We provide
independent research and analysis of the dynamics underlying specific technologyenabled business strategies, market trends, and technology solutions. While some reports
or portions of reports may be underwritten by corporate sponsors, Aberdeen's research
findings are never influenced by any of these sponsors.
AberdeenGroup 29
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2006 AberdeenGroup, Inc.
All rights reserved
March 2006
Founded in 1988, AberdeenGroup is the technologydriven research destination of choice for the global
business executive. AberdeenGroup has over 100,000
research members in over 36 countries around the world
that both participate in and direct the most comprehensive technology-driven value chain research in the
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and services.
The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources Aberdeen believes to be reliable, but
is not guaranteed by Aberdeen. Aberdeen publications reflect the analysts judgment at the time and are subject to
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The Field Service

Scheduling & Routing Optimization

he complexity of accurately aligning service demand consisting of the backlog

74% of best-in-class companies optimize their field service operations to increase

Field Service Scheduling Optimization

Mapping and Route Optimization

Demand Forecasting and Capacity Planning

Service Parts Inventory Management

Reporting and Analytics

Integration and Services

Table 1: The Impact of Poor Scheduling and Routing Approaches

Inadequate reporting and analytics

Impact to the OEM /

Impact to the Customer / Asset

Large chunks of idle, misspent or

Dispatchers spend excess time on

Break/fix tasks are rarely resolved

Work orders completed late

Break/fix tasks are rarely resolved

Premium service clients unlikely to

Pricing structures and levels do not

Impact to the OEM /

Impact to the Customer / Asset

Inadequate profitability analysis

Figure 1: Dynamic versus Episodic Optimization

Daily work orders

Wrench-time" hours per

First call resolution rate

Optimization Once or Twice per day

% CHANGE since last technology initiative

Source: AberdeenGroup, March 2006

Technology Adoption Trends

Figure 2: Field Service Optimization Activity by Company Size

Case in Point Benco Dental

Case in Point Geeks on Call

Solution Provider Landscape

cheduling and routing optimization solutions range widely in sophistication and

Field technicians each handle 3-5 work orders per day

Table 3: Field Service Scheduling and Routing Maturity: An Assessment Approach

Sample Assessment Criteria

Assess organizational structures,

Assess level and

How Does Your Company Stack Up?

Average daily work orders completed per technician

Average travel time per work order

First-call resolution rate

Overtime hours per month

Percentage of work orders completed late

Dispatcher-to-field technician ratio

Daily work orders

% Improvement since last Technology Initiative

Service organizations should assess scheduling and routing optimization solutions

Additional emphasis should also be placed on deployment attributes, integration and

Field Service Scheduling Optimization

Mapping and Route Optimization

Demand Forecasting and Capacity Planning

Service Parts Inventory Management

Reporting and Analytics

Integration and Services

Field Service Scheduling Optimization

First-call resolution rate

% CHANGE since last technology initiative

Source: AberdeenGroup, March 2006

Consider multiple schedule combinations simultaneously to deliver rapid scheduling of