Scot JCB finds perfect planning software partner in PODFather
Scot JCB, supplier of agricultural and construction machinery in Scotland and the North of England has selected PODFather’s field engineer management system for roll out across its complex service management operation. With over 150 engineers, 17 depots and 1,000+ daily visits that involve a varied mix of routine repairs, emergency SLA dependent call outs, and multi engineer jobs, Scot JCB has struggled to find a solution capable of handling the intricacies of its operation. With PODFather’s job management, route scheduling and electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) software now rolling out the Scot JCB team is confident it has found the right supplier capable of handling the nuances of its operation. PODFather will replace Scot JCB’s incumbent technology with an intuitive planning system and smart phone app for improved visibility and control across its operation.
“Our operation deals with so much more than routine repair visits,” comments Scott Spowage, Group IT Manager at Scot JCB. “The jobs our engineers are handling are usually complex, multi point inspections that vary depending on manufacturer instructions and client needs. This has been a problem for solution providers we’ve worked with in the past, but not for PODFather.”
The Scot JCB group consists of five companies operating from a network of 17 depots across Scotland and the North of England supplying and servicing construction, agricultural and industry machinery. With PODFather successfully implemented at its Glasgow-HQ, the Scot JCB team is now embarking on a swift roll out plan across its entire operation. Having struggled to find good fit technology for its busy operation, Scot JCB reviewed what the market had to offer and picked PODFather as its solution of choice. The PODFather solution is being used to plan engineer schedules, track vehicle movements and capture photographs, service and maintenance records, and signatures against each completed job. With strict customer SLAs in place it is imperative that Scot JCB has a sophisticated solution to ensure engineers are sufficiently utilised, and that customer service promises are adhered to, in the most efficient way.
“With PODFather we get the system flexibility, and reliable results, that we’ve been looking for from a software supplier. We have been able to configure the system to meet the specific needs of our service engineer visits. This was a huge plus point and something we’ve struggled with in the past,” adds Spowage. “We are using PODFather to plan engineer routes, that includes both routine servicing, multi engineer visits and emergency call outs for which we must adhere to our strict service level agreement promises and we can now make informed decisions quickly which is great for our customers and our business.”
With PODFather, Scot JCB can capture onsite information relating to each specific job. Historically engineers captured photos on a digital camera; this is now all captured via the PODFather smartphone app. Engineers can log what work has been completed and what repairs or part replacements will be required in the future. They can also use the app’s dictation tool to capture their spoken notes, as opposed to having to type out written notes for every job. “We are at the start of our PODFather journey and we look forward to seeing the system’s proven benefits become a reality across our operation,” concludes Jamieson.
“We are delighted to be helping the team at Scot JCB tackle the challenge of planning and managing its complex service management operation,” adds Colin McCreadie, Managing Director at PODFather. “The selection and roll out of PODFather is testament to just how flexible, configurable and intuitive our award-winning field service technology really is.”