Ford launched a new field service tool built on Salesforce and designed to meet the needs of the small business owners that keep America running—such as plumbers, electricians, and heating and ventilation. The tool, dubbed VIIZR, is designed to allow small businesses to simplify key commercial activities such as invoicing, scheduling, and managing requests, so they can focus on serving their customers.
“Effective field service requires companies to match the expertise of their workforce with their customers' requirements, and manage the complexities of scheduling—and for many small business trades today, managing customer interactions and mobile workers involves time-consuming, manual processes done on paper,” said Paul Whitelam, SVP and general manager of field service management at Salesforce. “VIIZR is helping tradespeople digitize their businesses, empowering them to focus less on back-end processes and more on their craft.”
See also: Ford Pro offers free fleet telematics for gas and electric commercial vehicles
The market for field service management is estimated at $3 billion annually in the U.S and is expected to double in the next six years as changes to consumer behavior brought on by COVID will drive high demand for trades.
VIIZR is built on Salesforce Field Service, a complete solution for managing mobile workforces and providing onsite support, and was developed specifically for trade businesses by Ford. There are 675,000 small and medium businesses in service, maintenance, and construction vocations in the U.S.
Modernizing and simplifying
A recent study found that only one in five small business owners are satisfied with the way their businesses managed customer and employee relationships. Only 10% believe today’s business productivity software tools are designed for businesses of their size, with most believing that such solutions are built for much larger companies. Salesforce Field Service already helps companies around the world realize significant productivity gains, with customers reporting a 36% improvement in scheduler and dispatcher productivity and a 28% decrease in work order scheduling time.
See also: Ford E-Transit gets to work with pilot program fleets
“Ford Pro helps commercial customers maximize productivity,” Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis said. “We know the back office is a major pain point for tradespeople, who are often writing up paperwork from the cabin of their truck or van. VIIZR gives that time back, providing greater returns to these businesses and better service to their customers.”
For businesses with less than 20 employees, VIIZR could reduce back-office work by more than 40%, or about 25 hours a week.
VIIZR provides affordable, advanced field service tools with subscriptions starting from $39 a month per user, which enables trades to:
- Stay on Track: Digitize quotes, work orders, invoicing, and job management.
- Connect with Customers: Manage customer relationships and jobs through an all-in-one customer profile, making it easy to communicate with them and improve the overall experience.
- Streamline Operations: Scheduling, dispatching, and coordination of field technicians for greater efficiency and a more profitable business.
As part of Ford Pro’s ongoing efforts to evolve with the requirements of its customers, VIIZR is looking for trade businesses to pilot the platform on a complimentary basis ahead of its official launch in the first half of 2022. To learn more about the Early Access Program and to be considered for inclusion, visit VIIZR.com.
This article originally appeared on FleetOwner.com.
