Improving Field Efficiency With Mobile Apps

By Brian Albright, Field Technologies

Mobile business applications have helped Oscar W. Larson increase completed calls by nearly 43 percent.

Oscar W. Larson has a team of 200 field technicians that provide design, construction, excavation, remodeling, installation, service, building maintenance, and support for gas stations in the Midwest. The Clarkston, MI-based company has rolled out a mobile computing solution that leverages Google Apps for Work to automate field activities and improve communication among its technicians.

Oscar W. Larson already had an automated dispatch tool in place with their existing ERP (enterprise resource planning) system, but in the field the technicians used paper work orders. However, a mobile workforce solution wasn’t what the company was even looking for when it began its new technology project. According to CIO Pete Wayne, the company initially just wanted to extend its email service to the field technicians. However, as a Microsoft Exchange user, the cost and complexity of that move were daunting to Oscar W. Larson.