Monday, March 7, 2016

New Showcase Videos for Techforce Pro



We have added many new features over the past six months.  Time to remember why those features are in place.

The three videos in the above playlist introduce the problems that Techforce Pro fixes.  They are common problems that have plagued the security, fire security, and home automation industries for decades.




Video 1: System Diagrams:
I was a field technician for much of my career.  Something that always bothered me was seeing wiring diagrams written on napkins, or chicken scratched together.  There are tools for showing workflows like Visio, and there are tools for making circuit board diagrams, but nothing for making system for this industry.

Techforce Pro's initial goal was to create a site where you can easily create wiring diagrams with the real parts from the manufacturer, and share them with colleagues via mobile device, web or paper. Partner this with the ability to add your own parts quickly and you have a great tool for managing your system diagrams.




Video 2: Customer Management:
Adding the systems and parts to a customers floor plan is typically done with the same cad tool used to create the floor plan.  This results in a drawing, but no way to tie the drawing to what is actually on site.  There is duplicate work that is needed to keep the drawings up to date, and typically, they get out of sync.

Techforce Pro is the only tool that allows you to add the wiring diagrams you created, and real parts you use, to these floor plans.  Wire lengths are calculated, and part lists are created based on the scale you set, and the parts/systems you add.  Now, create interactive, live floor plan drawings that will keep in sync with future changes to the customer.




Video 3: Jobs and Service Calls:
As a field technician, another pain point I had was receiving a service call with hardly any information about what is broken.  The customer already called in, told someone enough information to deem a service call worthy, but I am going to get on site and have to ask all the same information.

What if it is something I haven't worked on before?  What if I look like I don't know what I am doing in front of the customer?

Your technicians need to at least appear to know what they are doing when they get on site.  Your technician needs confidence, and your customers need trust.  Techforce Pro jobs and service calls can be created by anyone as long as they know where the problem is located in the building.  The technician will receive the service call on their mobile device with Techforce Pro Mobile showing where the service is needed, what exact diagram is tied to the system, and even pictures that were taken on install.

Wrap Up:
Jobs and Service calls are just one example of how valuable live customer floor plans can be for your team.  Techforce Pro also provides a back end API for your IT department to use to populate your existing customer management system with part lists and images.

We are continuing to update the list of parts available to you, and adding features to make Techforce Pro a productivity booster for your business and team.