Achieve Better Field Service Through Supply Chain Network Optimisation

Surveyed in Droppoints latest report, 92% of utility companies say they have an integrated tech stack. Ask their field technicians if the software actually helps them do their jobs, and you’ll get a very different answer.

The gap between what executives think their software does and what field teams experience every day has never been wider. PwC’s 2024 Digital Trends in Operations Survey found 69% of operations executives and supply chain officers said their technology investments didn’t deliver expected results.  

This means many field technicians may not feel confident to address supply chain issues and therefore will be less efficient in their day-to-day tasks. But utility companies keep buying software that overpromises and underdelivers.  

The Software Utilisation Problem Nobody Talks About

Field Service Management Software in utilities is 38% – the lowest of any industry in the Droppoint study. There’s a reason for that.

Most field service software was designed by people who’ve never spent a day in a service van, never stood in the rain trying to access a flooded substation and never had to explain to a customer why a simple repair is taking days instead of hours.

Look at the statistics:

• 46% of your technicians waste time waiting for parts

• 46% can’t access real-time inventory in the field

• 42% have no visibility into future parts demand

These figures are symptoms of a fundamental disconnect between the software you buy and the actual work your field teams do every day.

What Real Technicians Need

Across the utility sector in Australia and New Zealand, the frustrations of field technicians are strikingly similar:

· “I spend more time navigating our software than fixing equipment.”

· “The parts inventory system says we have it, but nobody knows where ‘it’ actually is.”

· “I’ve given up on the official software. I’ve got my own spreadsheet and I call people directly.”

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These aren’t just software utilisation issues—they’re business problems that lead to wasted time, unhappy customers, and burnt-out technicians.

The Cost of Poor Software Utilisation

When your technicians can’t find parts quickly, your whole business suffers: ‍

1. Labor Costs due to Parts Unavailability

• New Zealand: Field Service Technicians earn between NZD 75,000 and NZD 85,000 per annum, that’s NZD 36 to NZD 41 per hour. ​(Seek)

• Australia: Average annual salary is around AUD $70,000. (Glassdoor 2025)

So, each hour a technician spends searching for parts costs around NZD 36 - 41 in New Zealand and AUD 46.42 in Australia.​ Over a year, that adds up to NZD 74,880–85,280 per technician in New Zealand and AUD 96,553.60 per technician in Australia respectively. Multiply that across an entire workforce, and the costs escalate fast.

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2. Costs of Failed First-Time Fixes

The average first-time fix rate in field service is around 75%, that means 25% of service calls require additional visits. (FieldPoint)

Each additional visit increases labor costs, travel costs, and potential equipment downtime. While we don’t have specifics for Australia and New Zealand, the cumulative effect of these extra visits can be massive on operational budgets.

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3. Impact on Customer Satisfaction from Service Delays

Service delays due to parts unavailable or repeat visits can lead to customer dissatisfaction. Customers expect things done on time, and delays can erode trust and confidence in the service provider. Keeping a high first-time fix rate is key to customer loyalty and service reviews.​

Supply Chain Network Optimisation

Field service software creates real supply chain network optimisation that changes how you do business.

True supply chain intelligence connects:

• What’s breaking (service history and patterns)

• What’s needed (parts and expertise)

• What’s available (inventory across all locations)

• What’s coming (orders and shipments)

• Who needs it (technician locations and schedules)

This intelligence doesn’t live in spreadsheets or separate systems. It requires software designed for the problems faced by utility field teams every day.

Software That Solves Real Problems

The utilities that have solved these problems focus on three things:

1. Field-First Design

Software must work where technicians work – in basements, on rooftops, in vehicles, and sometimes without internet. So, you need:

• Mobile interfaces that work with gloves on

• Offline functionality for spotty coverage areas

• Simple visual indicators, not complex data entry

• Voice-activated features for hands-free operation

2. Real-Time Inventory Visibility

Every part of your ecosystem must be visible and accessible:

• Van stock across your entire fleet

• Warehouse and forward stocking locations

• Third-party supplier inventory

• Parts in transit

• PUDO network availability

3. Predictive Intelligence

Beyond reactive inventory management:

• Parts suggestions based on job type and history

• Weather-based predictive modelling for seasonal equipment failures

• Usage pattern analysis to stock levels

• Technician inventory recommendations based on specialties

What’s Different About Droppoint

We didn’t start with software. We started with technicians.

For two decades, we’ve been working with Australian and New Zealand field teams, watching how they work, hearing their frustrations, and building solutions that address their real needs.

Our Material Orchestration System evolved from thousands of conversations with technicians who were looking for a solution that improved inventory visibility and made their lives easier.

The Future for Australian and New Zealand Utilities

Only 38% of utilities are using specialist field service software, and 20% are planning to use it in the near future. That leaves 42% at a disadvantage.

The gap between the digital leaders and others in the utility sector is growing daily. Each service call contains valuable data that could be improving your operations – if you had the right software to capture and analyse it.

What To Do Next

So you’re considering new field service software? Ask your technicians – not your IT department – what they really need. Their answers will reveal what matters most in the field.

Then, look for solutions built for field service operations, not generic platforms from other industries.

The right investment isn’t measured by features or modules, but how much easier it makes your technicians’ daily work. When they have the tools to get to the parts and information they need, everything else improves – customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and your bottom line.

Want to see what field service software designed for actual technicians looks like? Book a chat with  Droppoint or call 1300 735 459. Right Part, Right Place, Right Time. We’re Always On so you don’t have to be.

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