News & Blog

Our 'Summer 24' and 'Winter 24' Updates for Solarvista cloud product/platform boast the largest number of new features we ever released in a short period. With an abundance of enhancements and advancements, these updates not only match the capabilities of Solarvista's established products, such as Solarvista V8 and Solarvista LIVE/X9, but surpass them by a significant margin. The sheer magnitude of new features and improvements has led us to affectionately dub these updates with the nickname "Solarvista 10", a testament to their nature. While the official product name remains as 'Solarvista', the impact and innovation of these updates are truly deserving of the moniker "Solarvista 10" as a mark of succession from previous versions.

Discover the financial advantages of using 'no-code' application builders to reduce IT resource dependency and empower non-tech users in field service.

The UK-based company claims to offer the world’s first solution that offers a hybrid of our-of-box field service application and customisable apps in one.

In this blog article, we discuss how investing in modern field service technology can drive up your efficiencies, maintain customer loyalty, enhance the customer experience and maximise your profits to ensure you stay competitive in today’s market.

Here at Solarvista in Sheffield we recently invested in some state of the art solar panels and are starting to reap the rewards – a lot more quickly than expected.

Here at Solarvista, we understand that customer service is paramount, especially when providing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) within the Field Service and Workforce Management industry, where substantial responsibility lies in the hands of the software vendor. We consider customer service to be just as important as the capability of the product, and that’s why we deliver unparalleled service from the moment your enquiry drops into our inbox, right through to the final stages of implementation and beyond.

There are many benefits to introducing Planning or Scheduling options to your business, for back-office workers, mobile engineers, managers, customers and ultimately shareholders too.

It is important to define what is meant by each of these terms to ensure that you are investing in a solution that is right for your service delivery; you need to be fully aware of what your chosen scheduling system is, and is not, capable of.

ISO 9001 is a globally recognised standard for quality management across organisations which enables them to demonstrate excellence of a quality management system.

For a number of companies, the cost and potential business disruption of implementing a Scheduling Solution is off-putting. Many managers would readily admit that they make do with an existing system already in place, even if it doesn’t completely fulfil the needs of their business.

This is a question that Field Service Managers ask us all the time and there certainly isn’t a simple answer. What is crucial however, is the co-ordination and usage of key data related to field service. Some data is relatively static and some data is quite the opposite ie. it’s live and very, very recent.

Customers always seek good value but in recent surveys, “value for money” is not the first criteria for delivering customer satisfaction. In field service, surveys consistently tell us that “good quality service” is what people most value. This term is a little vague however; what does it mean? And how can software help deliver ‘good customer service’ and ‘happy customers?’

There is one distinct facet about managing a field workforce that fundamentally changes the techniques needed and that is the fact that your resources are disparate, usually on their own and probably out of contact. Add to this, the concept of reactive work schedules and you have a business problem that is far and away one of the greatest to manage and resolve.

Here at Solarvista, we understand that customer service is paramount, especially when providing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) within the Field Service and Workforce Management industry, where substantial responsibility lies in the hands of the software vendor. We consider customer service to be just as important as the capability of the product, and that’s why we deliver unparalleled service from the moment your enquiry drops into our inbox, right through to the final stages of implementation- and beyond.

J. Murphy & Sons Limited was established in 1951 by John Murphy and was initially involved in working on post-war regeneration projects - the focus soon switched to the specialist reconstruction of the country’s electrical infrastructure. Then came road expansion projects, water services and Post Office cable installation. Later, and one of their greatest infrastructure achievements, was the introduction of natural gas pipelines in the UK and Ireland.

Thames Valley Controls has been around since 1971 and is based in Flint, North Wales. Established for over 50 years TVC has become the ‘go to’ solution for the best-in-class lift control and monitoring solutions for businesses all over the UK.

From small beginnings in 1999 as a tiny shop and coffee house, the Havana Coffee Company has become one of the largest commercial coffee companies in the South West region.

Whether it’s equipment, large or small, speciality coffee, or keeping up with new developments, they can help and guide - and they provide direct deliveries throughout the region.

As well as the finest coffees and equipment, The Havana Coffee Co also provide comprehensive barista training courses at their bespoke facility to make sure their customers always get the perfect Flat White or Cappuccino and enabling their staff to get on board with producing outstanding coffee.

Business Continuity Management, or BCM, is the process of planning for incidents and issues with your critical systems and is usually carried out by first speculating on potential threats and then analysing what their impact might be on daily operations. It is really a kind of insurance, giving businesses the comfort of knowing that, even in the event of a disaster, the damage will be manageable.

Established in 1995 by Michael Cranston and Nigel Coffey, Hose Doctor had the vision of providing a rapid solution for on-site hydraulic hose repairs. Their goal was to keep downtime to a minimum whilst maximising their clients’ productivity.

There are so many factors to consider when choosing a field service system that fits your needs in the 21st century. Here's our list of the top 10 to consider:

As one of the founders of Solarvista Software, a leading UK-based developer of field service management software, I’ve been involved in hundreds of service management software implementation projects, large and small, complex and simple. These implementations are usually shaped as a result of the pre-sale procurement process with the “RFP” or Request for Proposal being at the heart of the “definition”. When software was purchased “the old way”, i.e., with large commitments (the “license fee” and let’s face it, “heavy contracts”) in advance, this made perfect sense. The customer wanted to know what they were getting and be sure of it. Of course, a completely understandable position. These RFP documents are usually a collection of individual requirements, gathered from submissions made by multiple individuals within the organisation.

No, we are not talking about those things in the sky. You are probably aware that the cloud is a secure way to store your data, files and documents all in one place rather than storing it locally, on hard drives or within servers. More specifically to field service, it’s a way you can access your service management system anytime, anywhere and know your customer data is secure. 

Residential property management experts, HML, part of The Vegner Group, have been looking after properties for over 50 years ensuring their clients assets meet all quality and legislative requirements. Through the routine inspections carried out and their Health & Safety inspectors and a network of trusted and time served contractors, they deliver a level of quality and compliance taking the work away from the Clients and Leaseholders.

There has long been a number of reasons why smaller field service businesses have an advantage over larger businesses, but these have been countered by some disadvantages. Here in 2022, there is however one major disadvantage that has been removed (we’ll come to that at the end).

The Version 6 Solarvista mobile app (named "Solarvista LIVE" in app stores) will stop functioning on March 31st, 2022. If you have the version 6 app, you need to upgrade as soon as possible to the newer Solarvista mobile app (named "Solarvista" in app stores and at time of writing, version 8.3).

We are delighted to have had our supplier application accepted for G Cloud 12 and accordingly, we are now listed on the governments Digital Market Place. This is where public sector buyers can purchase our cloud field service management solution without the need to undertake prior screening, as we meet the standards required by the government.

Murphy & Sons Limited is a leading global, multi-disciplined engineering and construction company founded in 1951 that improves lives by delivering world-class infrastructure.

Year after year we have witnessed growing developments to the technologies available on the market, for not only the Field Service Industry, but the entire mobile workforce industry. Having the ability to completely mobilise your workforce and automate your processes has never been so desirable and this is set to continue throughout 2019.

Market leader of refrigeration, Carter Synergy, gain a “60% increase in productivity” through Integration to customers and LIVE Mobile Transformation.

Carter Synergy, a nationwide provider and market leader of refrigeration, mechanical and other core building services, are a long-standing customer of Solarvista Software, providing them with a solution for their field service and workforce for over 5 years.

Find out how leading broadcast and mobile communications company, Arqiva, selected Solarvista Software, implemented the solution and the results from this.

In this article, we discuss how investing in modern field service technology can drive up your efficiencies, maintain customer loyalty, enhance the customer experience and maximise your profits to ensure you stay competitive in today’s market.

ISO 9001 is a globally recognised standard for quality management across organisations which enables them to demonstrate excellence of a quality management system.

Here at Solarvista, we understand that customer service is paramount, especially when providing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) within the Field Service and Workforce Management industry, where substantial responsibility lies in the hands of the software vendor. We consider customer service to be just as important as the capability of the product, and that’s why we deliver unparalleled service from the moment your enquiry drops into our inbox, right through to the final stages of implementation- and beyond.

Technology today allows us to capture a vast amount of data within our service department on a granular level, but wouldn’t it be advantageous if this data could be accessed from anywhere, anytime and viewed in an easy-to-read dashboard with all the key statistics required?

For the third year running, the Field Service Summit UK will bring together service leadership professionals to discuss the latest trends and the strategies that drive us towards service excellence across a range of industries. 

There are many benefits to introducing Planning or Scheduling options to your business, for back-office workers, mobile engineers, managers, customers and ultimately shareholders too.

It’s been the talk of the last few months, but what exactly is ‘GDPR’ and how will it impact your business? We have compiled together a number of frequently asked questions to help eliminate any uncertainties around the new law. 

It is important to define what is meant by each of these terms to ensure that you are investing in a solution that is right for your service delivery; you need to be fully aware of what your chosen scheduling system is, and is not, capable of.

In this latest ebook, we take a look at all the ROI results that can be achieved by implementing a field service management software such as Solarvista LIVE/X9 and choose the top 4 gains.

To Schedule or Not to Schedule?

For a number of companies, the cost and potential business disruption of implementing a Scheduling Solution is off-putting. Many managers would readily admit that they “make do” with an existing system already in place, even if it doesn’t completely fulfil the needs of their business.

EBOOK: 5 Simple Steps to Improving your First-time Fix Rate.

Download the below ebook for free to assist you in improving your first time fix rate. Simply click below.

Solarvista Software Achieves the ISO 9001 Certification

We are thrilled to announce that after careful assessment, we have been approved for the ISO 9001:2015 certification.

SaaS vs. On-premise: Is cloud-based software really less expensive than buying software to run in-house?

It doesn’t go unnoticed that there is some scepticism about the cost benefits of operating cloud-based, “software-as-a-service”. It’s understandable when you compare to scenarios where you “buy once, use forever”. Surely, it’s always “cheaper to buy than rent” I hear you say?

How to get the right engineer to the right customer... at the right time!

This is a question that Field Service Managers ask us all the time and there certainly isn’t a simple answer. What is crucial however, is the co-ordination and usage of key data related to field service. Some data is relatively static and some data is quite the opposite i.e. it’s live and very, very recent.

Managing a field workforce is easy when you have the right tools.

There is one distinct facet about managing a field workforce that fundamentally changes the techniques needed and that is the fact that your resources are disparate, usually on their own and probably out of contact. Add to this, the concept of reactive work schedules and you have a business problem that is far and away one of the greatest to manage and resolve.

How can field service software create happy customers and repeat business?

Customers always seek good value but in recent surveys, “value for money” is not the first criteria for delivering customer satisfaction. In field service, surveys consistently tell us that “good quality service” is what people most value. This term is a little vague however; what does it mean? And how can software help deliver ‘good customer service’ and ‘happy customers’?

EBOOK: How to use technology to reduce the time it takes to manage a field service business.

In this ebook, we focus upon the benefits of good, well-implemented field service management software and mobile apps and how they reduce the demands upon you.

Solarvista Software are pleased to announce we have achieved the Microsoft Silver Competency Partner status. The Microsoft Silver Competency Partner level demonstrates proven expertise in delivering quality solutions as an Independent Software Vendor (ISV), specifically for IP & Solution Development. Microsoft competencies are designed to meet our existing customers’ needs and be recognisable to prospective ones, ensuring high levels of credibility. In order to receive this partner status, we have undertaken several examinations and assessments, as well as providing various customer evidence and references to further support our value.

The Automobile Association (“The AA”) is one of the UK’s most trusted brands and the undisputed leader in Roadside Assistance.  Another key part of the business provides cover for home and heating emergencies & maintenance, as part of AA Insurance Services.

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There are many factors to consider when choosing a field service software but these 10 risks are often overlooked when purchasing a software to manage your business operations. This ebook is a handy little guide that will assist you in making a decision for a suitable software:

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End to end field service was one of the biggest buzz phrases heard during the past year. But what exactly do we mean by end to end? Is it achievable? In this white paper, published by Field Service News but sponsored by Solarvista, we explore some of the technology solutions and issues of achieving this.

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The BYOD debate is one that has received much coverage in recent months with some in the service sector as well as other industries arguing that BYOD is the only way forward for businesses looking to compete effectively and offer the most efficient customer service and increased employee satisfaction. But what is BYOD? What is the impact on the business, the mobile workforce, and the customers? 

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Scheduling software with planning tools offer a great scope for ensuring businesses deliver the best service to their customers at the lowest possible cost. More advanced solutions enable more streamlined business processes; resulting in a more efficient business and lower costs.

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Leading edge practitioners have long recognised that effective visible inventory management and stock control are very different from simple inventory reduction. As a result of a sophisticated inventory management system, a world class cost-effective field service operation can differentiate itself from the competition, lower costs and drive up customer satisfaction.

FREE DOWNLOAD

The use of mobile Communications, including devices such as PDAs and tablets, is growing exponentially and having a profound effect on the Modern Field Service Operation. Find out more about impact this has:

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What are the key benefits and major challenges of implementing a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy for field service organisations. Written by Field Service News and sponsored by Solarvista. 

The G Cloud Framework helps the public-sector purchase cloud technology and support that meets the standards required from local authorities and the wider public sector. With a strong focus on how secure the services are and where they store their data, buying cloud services through this framework is faster and cheaper than entering into individual procurement contracts.

Date: Tuesday, April 11th  2017

To make sure that we are able to provide the latest features to our customers we are making some changes to the miminum version of Android that is required for Solarvista LIVE Mobile. As of the 1st of July 2017, the minimum version of Android required is 4.4 (KitKat).

Version 6.2.1 of Solarvista LIVE Mobile is now available. Like version 6.1 it contains minor updates to the UI, but in addition we have made many changes to make the app more robust and perform better on all platforms.

Version 6.1 of Solarvista LIVE  Mobile is now available on all platforms. It has a number of performance improvements and bug fixes as well as a few minor changes to the user interface.

Solarvista are pleased to announce that leading HVAC supplier Thermodial has selected Solarvista to provide an integrated customer-service focussed ERP / field service solution.

Date: Tuesday, June 20 to Thursday, June 22, 2017

A specialist in delivering commercial building maintenance, DMG Delta’s core philosophy is to deliver flexible and high quality services to their customers. From their offices in Stansted, Essex and London, DMG offer services that include heating, electrics, air conditioning, plumbing and water treatment. These services are suitable for buildings of all sizes, whether they are commercial, residential, municipal or industrial.

Work scheduling and diary planning is one area of field service that’s done in very different ways from industry to industry. Even within the same industries, planning and work scheduling can be done very differently from one business to the next.

At Solarvista we’re fiercely proud to deliver the very best in field service management software and it is our independence that enables us to maintain the single minded focus needed to achieve this goal so successfully. We do not have conflicting interests, from the board room to the front desk our manager is ‘the task in hand’ – to develop and supply the very best field service management software.

The BYOD (“Bring Your Own Device”) debate is one that has received much coverage in recent months with some in the service sector as well as other industries arguing that BYOD is the only way forward for businesses looking to compete effectively and offer the most efficient customer service and increased employee satisfaction. But what is BYOD? What is the impact on the business, the workers, and the customers?

The BYOD (“Bring Your Own Device”) debate is one that has received much coverage in recent months with some in the service sector as well as other industries arguing that BYOD is the only way forward for businesses looking to compete effectively and offer the most efficient customer service and increased employee satisfaction. But what is BYOD? What is the impact on the business, the workers, and the customers?

I suppose I have always been a “power user” when it came to phones. I’d moved from an old “feature phone” to a “smartphone” way back when the Windows Mobile/Pocket PC phones came out, notably in my case an O2 XDA. It seemed to be the way forward but then when Apple launched the iPhone, it was such a dramatic jump in ease of use, compared to a stylus (yes, stylus – seems bizarre now!) driven phone to a finger/touch driven phone. It made everything so easy… photos, web and especially music. And installing apps became so easy (compared to copying over ‘installer’ exe files and “running” them).

At Solarvista, we launched our first mobile app way back in 2002, called Mobile Worker. It was designed to operate as field service mobile application with our existing field service management back office ERP suite. It did it very well. But… that’s all it did. Yes, you could receive jobs. Yes, you could order parts. Yes, you could capture signatures, take pictures etc. And it worked offline as well as online. In fact it did all of the things that we could think that service technicians wanted to do. It was (and still is) a great application. In fact, it’s used to this day for thousands of users.

Leading edge practitioners have long recognised that effective visible inventory management and stock control are very different from simple inventory reduction. As a result of a sophisticated inventory management system, a world class cost-effective service operation can differentiate itself from the competition, lower costs and drive up customer satisfaction.

We are pleased to announce the general availability of the Business Edition of Solarvista LIVE/X9, the cloud-based Field Service Software and Mobile apps solution.