Worker productivity is one of the most important project metrics for any utility field project, whether it measures the number of smart meter installations or productive hours spent in the field. As projects become more complex and field service employees have to perform different tasks at each visit, it can be tricky to measure everything they are accomplishing.

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In projects where time and budget are important, the performance of field employees can significantly impact profitability. Utility contractors often agree to do jobs for a set price and need to finish them on time, even if unexpected things happen.

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Although it may seem challenging, measuring the productivity of a mobile workforce becomes simple when project managers are familiar with the KPI metrics and use the right technology. Knowing everything about the workforce includes what they've done before, like their skills and experience, plus where they are and what they're doing right now.

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‍Fieldman simplifies the process for organizations to monitor, analyze, and report on the productivity of their field workers. Data about each employee is collected through the Progressive Web App and turned into dynamic KPI reports on the Fieldman portal. Decision-makers can personalize dashboards according to project goals. Also, supervisors and project managers can access a distinct report on Fieldman platform that provides the latest and most accurate data regarding field workers' productivity.

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Translate project goals into the right KPI metrics

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You've probably heard the saying, "What gets measured gets done." It might come from the management guru Peter Drucker who actually said, "What gets measured gets managed," the first step in managing any field service project is figuring out what to measure. Different projects and field teams have different goals, so the specific definition of productivity—the inputs and outputs—may vary.

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To meet the project's daily installations goal manager should determine what is a doable average number of jobs per person. For instance, for AMI deployment projects, utility vendors will likely focus their productivity around metrics like the number of successful installations per day and the number of unsuccessful visits. At the same time, for meter readers, that would be the number of reads performed without errors.

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While planning goals for field workers, they should be achievable and relevant. Imagine a goal of installing 15 new electric vehicle charging stations per day. This goal might only be realistic if the installations are simple and located in the same parking lot.

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However, if a field worker is asked to fit in more installations than what's realistically possible due to logistical constraints, it's bound to lead to frustration. Experts recommend using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) will help prevent any worker confusion.

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Measure the number of installations or visits  

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Once you know what to measure for employee productivity, it is time to start tracking.

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The easiest way is to measure what was done, when, and by whom. Managers should just count how many jobs each worker was given and successfully finished.

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The common tasks to track for field workers are how many utility field jobs they finish in a given time, like a day or week. If someone does many shorter jobs in a day (like eight 30-minute jobs), it's good to focus on daily numbers. But if they do fewer, longer jobs (like two 3-hour jobs), looking at a week or a month might work better.

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For mass meter deployment projects, the most effective way to score field service workers' performance is by calculating per person per day average of installations. After a project runs for some time and the average number of installations is available, it can be used to make adjustments in a project schedule or staffing.

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To understand the baseline of workers' performance, a project manager should have an average per day installation for every worker weighted with the number of days of work.

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Field service workers have to learn certain skills at first, and after the first phase, a project can run smoothly. For example, it takes about a week or two for a meter installer to fully understand the specifics of deploying new AMI meters.

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If an employee's work is slowing down, it's a signal to find out why. Is too much time spent on travel? Are missed appointments because of scheduling problems? Watching for changes can catch issues early and fix them.

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How the right technology can help

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If a company has tools like work or field service management software, it can use them to see all the services provided at a certain time. A good platform should let managers create productivity dashboards that show how people are trending over time. This live info can help figure out if the goals that are set for field service workers are doable and what changes should be implemented if meeting the project deadline becomes uncertain.

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Fieldman platform has a field worker performance report that provides all necessary information about the project overall and each field worker.

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Workers are divided into three categories:

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• superstar,
• steady
• non-performer

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In a productivity report, they are visualized so that a supervisor or a project manager can instantly see what category belongs to each field team member. This data is crucial because it offers project visibility and helps in making the right decisions that ultimately impact profitability.  

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It might be tempting to have a team of superstars, but they are not the ones who will move the project forward to meet a deadline. One superstar would not affect project goals overall. And they require additional auditing because, in many cases, superstars might have a low quality of work. For example, they might skip steps like taking necessary photos of the AMI meter.

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The field service employees who belong to the "steady" category are the ones who are truly doing the job. For a project's success, project managers should focus on a growing number of workers in a "steady" group.

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Non-performance will cause issues, and identifying non-performance is crucial because they are already dragging a project down. Don't waste time and remove any bottom performer from a project on regular bases.

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Fieldman is here for your field service project needs, from customizable solutions and in-the-field data collection tools to stakeholders' dashboards and field workers' performance analytics.

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