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Horequip increases its technicians' first-time fix rate with FieldBuddy and a smart BI integration
first-time fix rate
insight into individual performance
from fault report to invoice
- Asset management
- Checklist
- Digital Work Orders
- Preventive Maintenance
- Inventory Management
- Service Contracts
- Maintenance
- Installation
- Hospitality & Wholesale
- Exact Online
Challenges
- No insight into individual technician performance
- First-time fix rate not measurable
- Difficult to manage individual areas for improvement
Solutions
- Reporting tool developed with BI specialist Irixs
- Monthly performance reports per technician
- Results discussed in team meetings
Benefits
- First-time fix rate increased from 85% to 93%
- Technicians actively work on their own development
- Demonstrably better service quality for customers
The question behind the story
“How are our technicians performing at an individual level, and how can we support them even better?” That was the question Horequip Foodservice Architecture brought to us in 2021. At the time, the leading company in multifunctional restaurants had already been using our service management software for several years.
Our shared vision? Processes can always be smarter, and standing still is falling behind. That’s exactly why we work closely with our partner and BI specialist Irixs. How we used this partnership to respond to the need for more insight into individual performance? Horequip director Robert Sonder can tell you best.
Horequip Foodservice Architecture
Horequip was founded in 1989 and has grown into a leading company in designing and building commercial kitchens. Think multifunctional company restaurants, visitor restaurants, ship galleys, school canteens, food laboratories and catering kitchens. Robert explains: “Founder Mario Peters started his business with Jura coffee machines, but as a true entrepreneur, he quickly expanded into complete kitchens and restaurants.
Today, we offer complete turnkey projects: the restaurant is designed, furnished, installed, delivered and professionally maintained. Sustainability is naturally a priority. Over the years, we’ve worked for clients such as Michelin-starred restaurants, the police and navy, various hospitals and universities, and companies like Uber and New York Pizza.”
Service management software
Robert has been director of Horequip since March 2021. His goal? To further improve business results by making optimal use of the capacity of all employees, including the technicians. “I work very systematically towards that goal. So almost from day one, I got in touch with FieldBuddy about their service management software, which Horequip had already been using for years to fully support our technicians.
Fault reports for machines come directly into the software, are assessed and then scheduled with the right technicians. The night before, the required parts for the job are already laid out in the van. So technicians can get straight to work the next morning. Through the mobile app on a tablet or smartphone, the job is checked off and the used parts are noted. The software is also connected to our ERP system, Exact Online, so inventory is automatically replenished and the invoice is immediately created and sent.”
BI tool for individual performance reports
“With FieldBuddy’s software, we have more control over our process and better management information. But we wanted more. Because based on all the data we collect with the software, we should be able to give our employees more insight into their contribution, so they can continue to develop. After all, you can’t manage what you can’t measure. And without insight, there’s no development.
Said and done. FieldBuddy and Business Intelligence specialist Irixs worked together with us to develop a useful reporting tool, connected to the Exact Online ERP system, giving access to various financial data. Based on the report, we have insight into the individual performance of our technicians. What is their first-time fix rate, a job completed in one visit? And how much time do they spend on average on a particular type of job?”
A surprising result
The results are visible to all technicians on a monthly basis and are also shown and discussed during team meetings. Robert explains: “This means all technicians know how they’re performing, relative to each other and to our customers’ expectations. Our employees also want to go home at the end of the day with a good feeling, and to help our customers as well as possible. By sharing customer expectations with them and showing them the results of their work, they can actively work on their own development. And that’s exactly what’s happening.
Technicians at the bottom want to find out why. And a technician at the very top asks himself why he’s doing the work so much faster than his colleagues. Is he perhaps overlooking something? The report gets technicians thinking and encourages their development. The result? A rise in the first-time fix rate: from 85% to as high as 93%. A significant improvement for our customers. I’d definitely recommend a BI tool like this as added value on top of FieldBuddy’s service management software.”
Plans for the future
As mentioned, Horequip and FieldBuddy see standing still as falling behind. So even with such a strong result, there’s always more to learn. There are plenty of plans ahead for Horequip, and the possibilities with the BI tool are endless.
Robert shares a preview: “Right now, we’re building a report that shows us in one view whether all work orders have been processed into an invoice. And in the future, we want to know exactly how often a machine has had a fault, how old it is and how much it’s been used, so we can serve our customers even better. The contact with FieldBuddy and Irixs is going well, so I’m looking forward to getting started on all of this.”
