Method and apparatus for field service management
First Claim
1. A method of managing field service, comprising:
- equipping field service personnel with a device configured to provide information about equipment for which a service call was placed and to accept indicators representing information about tasks associated with the service call;
analyzing the indicators in combination with at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coordinate of where at least one of the tasks was performed; and
changing at least one of the tasks based on the analyzing to manage efficiency of the field service personnel in performing future related service calls.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Installing and maintaining equipment, such as optical network terminals (ONTs), at customer sites is time consuming. At present, there is no way to manage field service to improve installation and maintenance procedures. A method or corresponding system in an example embodiment of the present invention provides aids to manage field service to make installation and maintenance procedures more efficient. In one embodiment, field technicians use a data collection device to track installation tasks and corresponding Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coordinates. The collected data and coordinates are analyzed, possibly for a fee, and used to make changes in installation and maintenance procedures. As a result, service provider can save significant cost on future installations and service calls.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of managing field service, comprising:
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equipping field service personnel with a device configured to provide information about equipment for which a service call was placed and to accept indicators representing information about tasks associated with the service call; analyzing the indicators in combination with at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coordinate of where at least one of the tasks was performed; and changing at least one of the tasks based on the analyzing to manage efficiency of the field service personnel in performing future related service calls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system to manage field service, comprising:
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a device configured to provide information about equipment for which a service call was placed and to accept indicators representing information about tasks associated with the service call; and an analyzer configured to analyze the indicators, in combination with at least one GNSS coordinate of where at least one of the tasks was performed over multiple related service calls, and configured to provide feedback to enable a service provider to consider a change of at least one of the tasks based on the analyzing to improve efficiency of the field service personnel in performing future related service calls. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method to aid in field service, comprising:
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providing information about equipment for which a service order was placed, at least a portion of the information being a function of GNSS coordinates of a location of the equipment; accepting indicators representing statuses of tasks associated with the service order; and reporting the GNSS coordinates and indicators to aid in field service. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A database to assist field service, comprising:
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information about equipment for which a service order was placed, at least a portion of the information being a function of GNSS coordinates of a location of the equipment; and resultant information based on analysis of indicators representing information about tasks associated with the service order. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification