Time is a precious resource in the field service industry, so time management is key for field service managers. Good time management gives you the opportunity to manage this finite resource efficiently. With the right time management tips, you can meet deadlines and increase productivity and the quality of your field team’s work.
What is time management?
Time management is the ability to manage your time effectively to get more work done in less time. The benefits of good time management go beyond saving time. An efficient time management plan can reduce stress and make you worry less about meeting deadlines. You can do more in a shorter period, making you more productive during work hours. When you manage your time well, there’s also a better chance you’ll achieve your goals.
Plan ahead
When you’ve planned your team’s schedule, you have enough time to revise the plan if there’s an emergency or a project needs urgent attention. With Job Scheduling Software, you can assign jobs for the week or the month, and if you make changes later, your team’s schedule will automatically be updated. To save even more time, you can automate scheduling. It’s more efficient to automate scheduling than to assign jobs manually, as the system takes your team’s location and availability into account. If you had to do this manually, it would be time-consuming.
Prioritise tasks
Start your day by creating a list with all the tasks you need to complete and order your list, assigning numbers to each item, and starting with the most urgent jobs. Work your way down the list, and as the day goes by, you can re-evaluate and re-prioritise your tasks. You can do the same things with your team’s tasks to help them prioritise their day. When you allocate jobs with Job Scheduling Software, set deadlines for tasks that need to be completed before a specific time, and create floating tasks for non-critical jobs. Your technicians can use this information to plan their day and manage their time well.
Set time limits for tasks
Some tasks can take all your time and attention, and when you look again, the workday is over. Spending all your time on one task is inefficient, especially when you have several deadlines. Set time limits for tasks and move on to the next job when the time lapses. For example, set aside 30 minutes to answer emails and stick to the time limit. If you do this every day, it will become a habit, and it’ll be easier to complete tasks under pressure and move on to the next job when time is up.
Learn how to delegate
Delegating can be challenging, but there isn’t enough time in a day for you to do everything by yourself. You may think it’s productive for you to complete your to-do list on your own, but overstretching yourself has the opposite effect, increasing your chances of making mistakes. In the end, doing everything yourself will be more costly for your business. Trust your supervisors to help you. Share the load with them so you can focus on tasks only you can do. When you delegate jobs, you allow supervisors to improve their skills, making them more dependable.
Schedule breaks
It’s challenging to stay focused and motivated when you don’t take a breather, so schedule regular breaks for you and your team. When you’re stressed or struggling to solve a problem, the best thing you can do is take a break. It may feel counterproductive, but when you take a break and clear your mind, you’ll come back feeling refreshed, and this can help you find a solution. Breaks help us develop ideas and solutions we hadn’t thought of before because they give us time to process information. Give your team enough time between appointments to pause before starting the next job.