BUG-FREE MOBILE PRINTING BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY

CASE STUDY:

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Rollins, Inc.’s roots go back more than 100 years, to the days when Otto Orkin went door-to-door selling rat poison. Today, through more than a dozen wholly owned subsidiaries, the company provides pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects to more than two million customers in more than 700 locations worldwide.

As the company continues to grow, it remains committed to providing extraordinary customer service – and capitalizing on innovative technologies and processes that boost efficiency, productivity and bottom-line performance.

Putting its principles into action, over the past few years Rollins has started equipping thousands of its technicians with mobile technology designed to speed transactions, ensure compliance and help improve customer satisfaction. The technicians’ mobile tool kits now include an iPhone®, Brother PocketJet printer, battery case and printer caddy.

In the past, we had also used Brother printers that paired with the ruggedized handheld computers we were using at the time, and we knew their products were reliable. Those factors were what really got us interested in working with Brother’s development team when the time came for this major, company-wide deployment.

Jamie Low Rollins Project Manager

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Rollins had already decided to equip their technicians with iPhones to send and receive data, work orders, instructions, customer histories, route changes and more in real time. As a result, the company sought an iOS-compatible thermal printer that could quickly print full-size 8.5 x 11” documents.

“Brother was the only one in the space that could print in that format,” says Jamie Low, project manager at Rollins. “In the past, we had also used Brother printers that paired with the ruggedized handheld computers we were using at the time, and we knew their products were reliable. Those factors were what really got us interested in working with Brother’s development team when the time came for this major, company-wide deployment.”

Rollins collaborated closely with Brother’s R&D team to configure the PocketJet mobile printer to meet the pest control company’s specific requirements. These ranged from software compatibility – a challenge given the nature of the iOS platform’s software changes – to performance requirements, which included ensuring the printers could withstand the heat and cold extremes involved in frequent outdoor use.

In addition, Rollins worked closely with Brother to design a rugged yet streamlined printer caddy with a decurling feature and see-through window for checking status lights. “The exciting part about it was that we helped each other,” Low says. “Brother proved to us that they were serious about accommodating our unique needs. That’s a key reason we’ve been so highly satisfied with the rollout.”

Tailor-made to technician needs

REAL TIME UPDATES

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Thumbs up from techs and customers alikeRollins has deployed 5,500 of the customized Brother PocketJet mobile printers. A depot vendor configured the mobile kits, paired the printers and iPhones and shipped directly to each individual technician, ready to use right out of the box. During the deployment, a group of trainers spent two weeks in each location helping the technicians become familiar and comfortable with the new customer relationship management platform and Brother printers.

The printers pair easily via WiFi for quick, seamless printing and are lightweight, compact and rugged enough for technicians to bring into any customer location.Technicians routinely print service tickets to satisfy compliance requirements, in addition to printing route summaries, observations and other customer-pertinent information.

The service tickets, which were previously handwritten, can include more than 30 pages for large customers. They include comprehensive information such as the types of chemicals used, weather conditions, customer data, service type and disclaimers.

The ability to print service tickets on-site quickly and accurately rather than having to return to the office to complete paperwork has boosted technician productivity significantly, as well as increased customer satisfaction. Brother’s thermal technology provides an added advantage, eliminating the need to deal with inks or toners, which is critical when the typical technician prints as many as 150 tickets weekly.

COMPILE ALL CUSTOMER DATA IN ONE PRINTABLE DOCUMENT

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A win-win collaborationRollins chose a 36-month warranty on the printers but has had to service only a small percentage, primarily due to changes in the operating system rather than hardware issues. That speaks volumes about the printers’ durability and reliability, considering the serious wear and tear they’re subjected to daily. “Technicians crawl under houses, climb on roofs, toss them in the truck, spill on them, fall on them. But the only time we really get a total loss is when someone forgets one on top of their truck,” Low says with a chuckle.

From the design phase through implementation and continuing support, Brother exceeded Rollins’ expectations. “Brother’s technical team was extremely responsive during the entire implementation,” Low says. “They worked with us hand-in-hand. Any time there was a need for an on-site presence, they accommodated that requirement. That makes a big difference to a customer of our size. Brother was committed to our success; it wasn’t just selling us a product.”

“It’s a world of difference since the implementation. The deployment has streamlined our technicians’ work environment. It’s more efficient, and it’s enabled us to serve our customers better. None of that would have been possible without the PocketJet.”

Jamie Low Rollins Project Manager

iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

Low also points out that when the large deployment taxed Brother’s production capabilities for extended-life batteries – critical to enabling the printers to keep pace with the technician’s workday – the account team scoured the globe for batteries already in inventory and kept the implementation on schedule.

Rollins plans to roll out another wave of printers in the near future, along with continuing to work closely with Brother to enhance the devices’ capabilities. “We’ve had real collaboration with the common end goal of enabling us to service our customers efficiently and quickly,” Low says. “The technicians’ productivity because of this mobile technology is a strong validation of the solution’s success, and the company’s performance overall has benefitted.”