Outsourced support solutions are not one-size-fits-all; the best solution for your company fits your workforce and budget and readily scales as you grow. When looking to outsource IT support, you may want a comprehensive solution that includes Digital Support (service desk) and Field Support services — or you may want to outsource only field support to complement your existing capabilities.

In this three-part blog series, we’ll focus on field support, discussing the three main types, dispatch-based support, campus-based support, and instant-access services, and what to look for when outsourcing these services. 

When Dispatch-Based Field Support is Needed

Your provider should strive for zero-dispatch through remote, real-time resolution. This is the quickest, most cost-effective, and sustainable method. But when an in-person visit for further onsite diagnostics, a sophisticated setup, or a new part is required, this is where dispatch-based field support comes in.

What to Look for in High-Quality Dispatch-Based Support 

An incident can be generated through various channels, including an IT Services Management (ITSM) system, email, chat, or phone and arrives at a Field Operations Center (FOC) where triage is performed.  

If a remote solution is not possible and field support is needed, the FOC should dispatch a field technician directly to your corporate office, branch, store, or residential location. A choice of service levels should be offered, giving you the flexibility and convenience to get same-day service.  

The FOC must be proactive, determining any potential parts needed or any necessary coordination with the end user or other service providers. The entire process should be tracked, with the end goal of quick resolution and customer satisfaction.  

Addressing the Needs of a Distributed Workforce

Dispatch-based support should include the following:

Highly qualified technicians within easy reach of all your locations

Your provider should have available resources to cover a wide geographic area, giving you more flexibility for potential future locations. Support should be provided by experienced, badged technicians with OEM warranty certifications for all equipment they service, who are qualified to service a diverse set of device types for your business.

Optimized part logistics

When a technician arrives for a scheduled visit at your business or home office to fix an urgent issue, they need to have the right tools, parts, and spares. Look for a provider that is strong in stock management, including forward stocking and integrated automation for ordering, tracking, and managing parts. 

Scheduled maintenance support

Scheduled maintenance provides regularly scheduled visits by a field technician to perform defined maintenance and repair services efficiently and cost-effectively. This option is designed to proactively fix issues, preventing business downtime, and improving device health and productivity.  

Automation, analytics, and reporting

Automation, analytics, and reporting give you several advantages. Customizable automation and scheduled maintenance for common device issues can offset costs. Increased remote remediation capabilities focused on endpoint health help prevent device issues before they happen and offer real-time analytics and insights into device health. Centralized reporting on Business Intelligence (BI) Dashboards gives useful insights that can lead to meaningful change. 

Customer Experience Team

A customer support team should be assigned to focus on continuous improvement and quality management for your account. 

At Compucom, We are People Powered

There are many solid reasons to outsource your IT support. Perhaps you want to cut costs by customizing support services to an as-needed basis, or your business is growing, and you want to provide 24/7 technical support. Or maybe you’re focused on developing operational agility to keep up with changing customer demands and new technologies and want broader expertise.

Compucom offers high-quality dispatch, digital, and other field support services. Three things set us apart as a market leader—our highly skilled technicians, service delivery and governance excellence, and breadth of certified support across vendors and technologies. We are well positioned to support your technology, with over 6,500 technical resources covering 95% of the postal codes in the US and Canada with service solutions such as: 

• Dispatch-based services 
• Campus-based services 
• Residential support for corporate end users 
• Digital lockers and vending for a contactless end-user experience, including onboarding and off-boarding 

Thanks for reading; as we continue our blog series on field support, we’ll discuss the other two categories, campus-based support and instant access, and what to look for when outsourcing these services.