Signpost Housing Association has implemented text messaging for communications with its maintenance teams in the field.
Dorset-based Signpost realised the importance of communicating quickly and cheaply with its 250-strong team of maintenance and repairs workers, all of whom are issued with mobile phones. At first, SMS messages were sent by members of Signpost’s office-based services staff on a one-off, individual basis. However, this was time-consuming and provided no coherent record of transactions.
Signpost selected Avanquest’s Text Message Server which enables text messages to be created, sent and received from any email client or CRM system, along with enterprise reports and developer toolkits.
The text messaging system is now used extensively by Signpost’s repairs team. Repair team members notify the office by text when they start and finish a task at the specified location. This simple method of time management gives office-based managers an accurate picture of where resources are deployed and which team is available soonest to respond to another call.
Charlotte Notley, Opti-Time planner, Signpost, said, “Using Text Message Server allows our operatives to efficiently report on all jobs that coincide with our tracking system. This is a great way of keeping in touch.”
Text messaging means that Signpost has lowered its operating costs by cutting down on paper and postage and reduced its call costs to mobile phones. Signpost wants to extend the system to include inbound texts from tenants and residents, as well as sending updates on scheduled repairs and appointments direct to their mobile phones.
