The end of the íout of officeí email

Weíve all done it. Youíve been called away from your desk for the afternoon. You make sure youíve dealt with all you can and before logging off for the day, you click on your out of office automatic response, safe in the knowledge that those trying to get hold of you will be reassured by your return to the office tomorrow. Yet, weíve all been on the other end of this too ñ does this mean theyíll get back to me first thing? Will I be one of many back-logged emails? Does this mean I need to send the message again in the morning, or do I just have to wait and see?

Whilst these are frustrating questions for a day-to-day query, they become a potential threat to business and reputation if the person on the other end is a customer. In the profession of field engineering, with mission critical tasks and the constant need to be accountable, the ìout of officeî email response is not a possibility. Be it directly dealing with customers or doing onsite repairs and maintenance, there is a constant need to stay in touch with the office as well as current and potential customers. In the past this meant ensuring that all employees had broadband access at home or, whenever necessary, relocating to somewhere with a fixed-line connection ñ both options offering far from fast or efficient communication.

At the dawn of an age of mobile working this is changing. The proportion of European companies adopting and investing in mobile working is only going to increase in the next few years, and it is the field engineering industry that is set to gain from this. We have come a long way since the early BlackBerrys in the late 1990s and the mobile internet is no longer something that is only useful for picking up the latest football scores. Through the latest HSPDA laptop datacards and devices it is now possible to connect to the ërealí internet on the move - for the first time business users can actually experience mobile broadband. This era of high-speed internet connections has been further enhanced by the spread of WiFi HotSpots. From petrol filling stations and coffee chains to trains and airport lounges, subscribers can connect to the internet, send email and run applications just as they would from their office desk. In light of these developments it is worth taking the time to underline the impact that mobile working is having, and is set to have, within the field engineering industry.

The need for speed
From the close work we have done with businesses in this field, speed and efficiency are two factors that come to the forefront. A combination of internal standards and contracted Service Level Agreements mean that the pressure is always on to respond to customers in the quickest possible time. It is not enough to be contactable within strict working timeframes, field engineers need to be available as and when clients need them. As a result some businesses have combined a mixture of wireless modes of working to ensure that they are constantly accountable to their customers. Electrical engineering firm RandB Swithgear have utilised BlackBerry technology to allow them to receive requests 24 hours-a-day ñ meaning that they can respond to customers instantly, reassuring them that they are aware of the problem and that they are on the way ñ even if that client is a helicopter ride away in the middle of the Atlantic ocean! Be it updating the office with project status reports, or instantly replying to urgent emails regardless of location, mobile working makes it possible.

As well as increasing accountability and cutting response time, this technology has enabled many companies to actually get jobs done faster. Improved communications and data transfer speeds can have a dramatic impact on work that was previously reliant on field engineers having to wait until returning home to transfer large amounts of data over land line connections. Telecommunications engineering provider Hartwood services have incorporated the nationwide WiFi HotSpots in to their working routine with engineers making the most of petrol and refreshment stops by using these opportunities to transfer large amounts of data back to the office. Amazingly these occasional stops for petrol and coffee have increased task completion time by over 35%.

Data over voice communication
Detail is another important factor. Voice calls and fax machines do provide instant communications, but they are not always the best solution when dealing with clients. Help Internet, a provider of remote IT support services, are one company who have noted that whilst dealing with a customer over the phone may add a degree of personal touch, it can also prove to be quite problematic. The nature of a remote service business means that a customer IT issue can be dealt with a lot quicker online than it can be over the phone. An customer email to an engineer, for instance, would allow that engineer to stream in to the customerís computer, and provide a total support solution, despite the fact that that engineer may be sat on the train on the way home from work.

This need for detail extends to communications with the office. A detailed email with plans and diagrams can not only dramatically cut the number of calls that might be made to and fro, but it also creates an ongoing record that can be both referred back too and updated as a job continues. Beyond emailing, a combination of a laptop and datacard, alongside a service such as T-Mobileís webíníwalk, means that field engineers can have access to the ërealí internet on the move and to their business Virtual Private Network (VPN). This next step of mobile working enables access to everything that is available at work, through a private communications network, from anywhere you can click online. Complex documents that would previously have to be worked on in the office are now as accessible on the move, as they are from the comfort of your swivel-chair.

Improving the work-life balance
There is an argument that this ability to utilise deadtime places greater pressure on the individual, making them accountable at times of the day that they would otherwise not be. However, it is up to the individual business to set these standards and ensure a suitable balance. Mobile working does not necessarily lead to longer hours, rather, it empowers the employee to manage his or her time to a greater degree. A BlackBerry alone can allow a field worker to check through emails and respond as they come through, meaning that there is no time wasted delving through a mountain of emails on entering the office, key tasks can be dealt with much sooner, and they can get away earlier at the end of the day. As a result, there is no reason that this technology, when properly integrated in to a business approach, cannot dramatically improve the work-life balance.

These many points add up to one overarching benefit of mobile working: enhanced reputation. Those businesses that we have worked with all talk of staying one-step ahead of the competition and giving clients no reason to look elsewhere. The peace of mind and confidence that can come from improved communications cannot be understated. Help Internet are one of a number of companies to see new business generated due to increased customer referrals ñ a direct result of this improved perception.

Looking ahead
Mobile working remains integral to the future of field service engineering. Businesses that are slow to integrate wireless mobile technology will feel the backlash of competitors that are quicker of the mark. Those in charge must remember that, whilst keeping up with this technology will involve ongoing investment, the business benefits can be invaluable.

With many dynamic companies in this space all looking to stay ahead there is a need for these businesses to work closely with mobile operators to look for innovative ways to improve communication and tie these technological advances to business needs. In the future these devices will be further enhanced and connection speeds improved. The result for businesses that embrace these developments: increased responsiveness and accountability and, in turn, customer recognition and enhanced reputations ñ something that an ìout of officeî email will never do.