Skip to main content

Field workers need answers, NOW


How pathetic is this post?  In a world filled with technology tools to distribute content this does not seem like it is very interesting.  The often overwhelming number of choices really muddies the waters.  Not to mention the security concerns related to communicating problems and solutions to the field workers and keeping these "nuggets" out of the hands of your competitors. Here are some things to consider:



Topics

  • Take some time, gather some of your key team members, reflect back on the last year and those areas which require the most improvement. Without consideration to how the items are organized simply start jotting them down on a piece of paper or whiteboard. I found it most effective in a group setting to ask everyone to contribute three of their own on a 3 x 5 index card. Have the moderator collect the cards and then put them on the whiteboard for further discussion and adjustment.

Frequency

  • Establish some frequency and stick with it. The aforementioned topics are essentially the lifeline of a field answer solution, you will have struck gold when members of this community begin contributing and responding to each other's contributions

Themes

  • Organizing topics into larger groups, or themes, can sometimes help you balance the type of messages that you are distributing. For instance, with the Last Mile Worker blog, I mix in business, client, workforce, training, process, and technology topics.

Tools

  • For tool selection consider the point of origin of your content. In many cases the content is homegrown or liberated from a partner vendor. Does your content need to be completely private? Would you ever want to share or include your clients in these discussions? I've used many tools over the years including YouTube, Vimeo, traditional blogs, and internal content systems such as Microsoft SharePoint.  The tool is really not that important it is just a means to an end.  What is most important is the convenience for field worker to consume and contribute information. Currently we are using Microsoft Teams in the office 365 technology stack.



The key here is to create a culture that cherishes knowledge. Our best service people are often those which have made the most mistakes yet corrected them before leaving the job. Imagine a world where you can take that valuable insight and perspective and share it amongst all of your workers.  Your organization would be unstoppable.



-----

Next post:  characteristics of a field worker

-----
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In$pired

As the steam from Avid Andy's coffee fogged his glasses on this crisp January morning, he reflected on last year and thought enthusiastically about the year ahead.   Sometimes the noise of business is deafening, we rarely take the time to contemplate our moves, instead are often thrown one direction or another.   Hey, face it, if you are reading posts to gain perspective you fall in the group of folks who pride themselves as obsequious hoop-jumpers.   We live to help others and expect that all of those around us feel the same way.   I just love Influential Irene.   Okay, it is out in the open, she is an inspiration for me and so many others.   Irene reminds folks every year, without fail, these three statements which she fondly refers to as "the punchline" (although this is no joke).   Businesses, of any size, will be successful if they remember that it is people that make a company.   Put this advice into practice, today: Sincerity |...
Post a Comment
Read more

expert at everything...not a problem

Well... I would say sometimes there certainly is a perceived notion that one person is an expert at everything. For the worker "everything" may be defined as the specific area in which you were hired or are constantly scheduled. Our opinions are frequently influenced off of past experience, or information we've received from their coworkers. Unfortunately this only gives us partial insight to that workers expertise and often is limited to their most recent history. Narrowly focused accounting is made of the skills that this individual possess. Come on, can't we figure out a way to leverage all of the skills of a particular worker? One of the challenges has always been that relationship between the activities which need to be accomplished and the myriad skills of individuals within your workforce. In addition, even if you could inventory and get a pretty good handle on the skill sets, they are constantly changing (with any luck) and thus the ineffective process of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who owns the data?

Finally the capital budget allows you to replace some very old equipment.    You can't open a trade magazine without seeing the latest news regarding the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).   Lucky for you the equipment manufacturers are offering an IIoT ready solution packaged with your equipment.   Suddenly your enthusiasm turns to confusion as you review the details of the quote.   What the hell is that subscription fee?   Isn't this equipment mine; lock, stock and barrel?   You mean to tell me that I need to pay the manufacturer, every month,   to give me the luxury of accessing data produced by the equipment I just purchased?   The only explanation has to be new math, at least as a child this is what my parents told me when I asked hard to answer questions. It's amazing how history repeats itself, we are starting to see manufacturer specific data languages appearing in their "smart" equipment.   Didn't we learn our lesson ...
Post a Comment
Read more