How Premier Security Ltd has streamlined their Field Service Management

Please, tell us briefly about your company and what you offer…

Premier Security was founded in 2005, we are an installation and maintenance company of electrical security systems, based in London.
 
Our service area covers a radius of approximately 65 miles from our South London office, although we service customers much farther afield, as far as Bristol or Wales.
Today, we can carry out up to 3,000 jobs per year.

Why did you choose the Praxedo solution?

Before Praxedo, we used to work on another system that was not really practical for what we needed it to do but it tied us over. It was a simple diary, but it was not dynamic. It was not possible to follow our engineers in real time. Once a job was scheduled, our engineers would fill in their reports on a paper job sheet.
 
We were not so much looking to get rid of the paperwork as to make it easier for the engineer and myself to create work orders on the system, and send them straight to the engineer’s phone, so they have all the information at hand.
 
Considering those pains, we chose Praxedo for several reasons.
 
First of all, the price was good value for money seeing what it actually does.
 
It’s really simplistic to use as a better version of a diary. It’s just been a very delightful experience using the system.
 
The implementation also helped us to feel confident in our choice. It’s nothing worth having something installed and then you’re just left to the wolves. We’ve had this kind of experience where the vendor just came for a 2-days training and then we just pay a fee every month. No one actually checks in, see if we’re doing alright and anything that you want done comes at a price
 
Praxedo literally holds the client’s hand every step of the way and nothing is too much trouble, which makes the whole process so much easier and worthwhile.
I am not very techie with computers, so I thought it was going to be hard work, but everything is always so well explained that it becomes easy to navigate the system.
 
It’s like Praxedo keeps family and community values and we like that in a business.

Who uses the Praxedo solution and which features do they use?

We use the web platform and the mobile app to streamline our field service management.
 
First, I use the web application to create and assign jobs to our engineers. Praxedo allows you to upload different forms for installation, repairs, service… You can create any form you need. They coincide with the job, with checklists for installations for example, which allows us to manage all our work on Praxedo without having to print out different paper worksheets.
 
On the other hand, the engineers receive the work order directly on their smartphone. They fill in the work orders directly on the mobile app and now have the possibility to upload photos, which is a big plus because they are evidence of the work.
For example, if the technician changes several batteries, he can take pictures that will show the customer the work that has been done, and will give me directly all the information needed for invoicing or to place an order for parts: the number of batteries, the type, the colour, etc.

What are the main benefits of the Praxedo solution?

Better tracking of all jobs

Firstly, it helps us to keep a proper log of everything we have done. As soon as a job is completed, the information is instantly available on the web platform, easily accessible, and stays there so I can always go back and review my work if necessary. This is essential in our industry, where you are regularly inspected and have to be able to provide all the specific information required on all jobs.
 

A great help during the pandemic

Secondly, during the pandemic, Praxedo helped us a lot with following the government guidance and proper distancing. Clients did not need to touch paper at all anymore thanks to the digitalisation of the worksheets, which eliminated almost all contacts. This was a very timely system.

A better efficiency for field service management

Finally, Praxedo has made our processes much more efficient. The software gives me a clear picture of what has been done, where my engineers are, if they are running behind on jobs. I don’t have to constantly call them to find out what they are doing or where they are anymore.

A faster invoicing

As far as invoicing is concerned, I literally save loads of time!
If the engineers have a full week of work, it’s very rare that they come to the office as they usually have the materials they need in their van. The problem is, I can’t charge for the installations if the paperwork hasn’t come back! Everything was pretty slow; I could wait for weeks on end for the job sheets to come back to the office.

Now the turnaround time is probably only one week. I get all the jobs through Praxedo, leave them until I have a big pile and process them all at once. This has sped up my whole process, because everything can be done at once.

How do you envision the future of your partnership with Praxedo ?

We are 100% satisfied with the system. We plan to increase the number of licences as our business grows.
 
In the long term we would like to move away from the database we currently use and integrate Praxedo with our next database so that everything talks to each other. We are happy to move forward with Praxedo!
 
We have used a very poorly performing diary for 7 years, so, with Praxedo, this is like going from a 20-year-old banger to a 2021 Range Rover!!

If you had to summarize the Praxedo solution in 2 keywords, what would they be?

Efficient because Praxedo improves our whole field service management from A to Z.
 
Simplistic because the app is very ergonomic and easy to use.