It would be difficult for a field force to operate efficiently without mobile phones. In the end, they connect workers to the office, clients, and suppliers. Push-to-talk (PTT) often goes unnoticed by organizations when they consider the role mobile devices can play in helping them achieve their business objectives.
PTT enables real-time communication at its most basic level. Beyond being able to communicate with others, there are many other advantages, such as: being able to act quickly.
Connecting with multiple people at once:
PTT is like an amped-up version of walkie-talkies, except you can connect to large groups of people (up to 249) with the touch of a button on your mobile device. Our research indicates that a supervisor can save up to 49 minutes per 8-hour workday using PTT, with 16 minutes saved on 50 one-to-one calls and 33 minutes saved on 20 group calls. As a result, the time per call is dramatically reduced: It takes about 20 seconds to complete a typical voice call, compared to less than a second for a PTT.
Cost control.
Connecting to multiple workers at once helps reduce call costs, not to mention long-distance usage. PTT saves supervisors an average of $17,250 over three years or $5,750 per year. With rugged devices that support PTT, like the Sonim XP 7, mobile inventory costs can decrease as minor damage occurs in harsh environments.
Better call management.
Workers can store contacts in groups so they can quickly contact all the necessary people at once. Also, workers can see a user’s status, so they know immediately if the person is unavailable, so they don’t waste time trying to connect.
Increased safety and convenience:
With hands-free functionality, you can make calls while operating heavy machinery or wearing thick work gloves, for example.
The flexibility to use virtually any device:
You may not know that PTT functionality is also available on Sony, Kyocera, Samsung, Apple, and HTC? PTT-enabled devices are all compatible with one another. Workers can still enjoy PTT benefits if their company supports them. The workers can also use them to send e-mail reports or to record job site videos.
The bottom line
The majority of the time, PTT improves communication among field force teams. The employees have more control over their workflow process, reduce risk, and avoid time-consuming phone calls or e-mail exchanges. With just one button, you can instantly send an important message to dozens of people.
Hundreds of apps can turn your iPhone into an iOS Walkie-Talkie, but choosing the right one can be complicated, like NuovoTeam.
Have you yet implemented PTT technology on your field service team? Tell us in the comments below.
