No one knows better than those working in the managed repair industry the benefit of preventative maintenance in avoiding major repairs. Throughout the industry, repair experts take the time to show property owners how to do simple maintenance, from HVAC technicians who show customers how to change their system's air filters to plumbers who show clients how to drain and flush their water heaters.  

Technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), smartphone apps, and blockchain technology help catch problems as they develop and help optimize up-time. Using these technological advancements and others, such as digital twins, augmented reality, and collaborative robotics, will revolutionize the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry.

Everyday Uses of Innovative Technologies

But how many technologies does the typical contractor use in a day's work? While you may not directly use many of the innovations revolutionizing the managed repair market, each one affects the day-to-day work of contractors throughout the U.S. For example, a client who speaks a language other than English as their native language might use artificial intelligence (AI) in their email app to write an email or text message to the contractor to request an estimate. IoT sensors embedded in pallets of building materials track their whereabouts in transit, and the blockchain records these movements immutably. This tracking helps avoid lost shipments and can speed up replacement shipments when items incur damage in transit.

An Innovation for Accuserve Contractors

In late 2024, Accuserve will introduce a mobile app for contractors to improve their repair management processes. Our app will help you streamline your workflow and improve accuracy in damage assessment. Because it will enable you to use it to communicate with various stakeholders, including your clients and their insurance carriers, this straightforward smartphone app will improve customer satisfaction.

Better Smartphone App Implementation

We understand companies' challenges in transitioning to more tech-driven operations, including using smartphone apps in the field, especially outdoors. When we beta-tested our app with contractors, they mentioned that sunny days make it tough to see phone screens clearly outdoors. We did what we could to improve font size and layout in the app, but we also want to offer a few tips from AZCentral on maximizing the readability of your screen when outside.

• Enable the auto brightness setting on your smartphone. This setting adjusts your phone's brightness according to the light in your environment, which uses less battery power than setting your phone to its brightest setting all the time.
• Add an anti-glare cover to your smartphone screen. These clear covers cost about $10, and besides making it easier to see your screen in a bright setting, they help protect your phone screen.
• Use the accessibility features on your cell phone to switch to a black background with white text. It proves easier to read in bright light.

We also designed our app to use as little battery power as possible, but if you find that using it uses more battery than you'd like, try removing some permissions that won't affect its efficacy.

Getting Started with Advanced Technologies

Using new technological innovations can outweigh the few steps it takes to make them easier to use in the great outdoors. The new Accuserve app for contractors offers a made-for-you solution to common problems we've heard about from contractors with whom we partner. We hope you'll try our app as a part of your company's move into the future of managed repair.

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