How Celerity Optimized Scheduling for Rural Service Calls with Praxedo

Briefly tell us about your company and what you offer.

Celerity Internet has been providing wireless internet service for rural areas in the U.S since 2012. We specialize in bringing wireless internet to underserved remote, rural communities. We use point-to-point services to connect people in areas that other providers can’t reach.

What were the main challenges you faced with your previous software?

We had a different software in place, but there were some key pain points, especially regarding travel time and the reliability of those calculations. One of the big things that really drew me to Praxedo was the ability to see actual drive time based on a route, as opposed to “as the crow flies.” Most other systems I’ve seen with drive-time calculations are based on simple longitudinal coordinates, which isn’t always accurate when you factor in different road speeds. Praxedo’s calculations are far superior in that regard.

What ultimately made you choose Praxedo over other solutions?

Our previous software was being “sun-downed,” so we needed a new solution. We looked at a lot of options, and Praxedo was one of the last ones I found in my search. The scheduling functionality was the biggest factor. Our customer base is rural, so drive time is a huge factor in how we schedule. We needed a system that could accurately calculate that, and Praxedo seemed to do the best job.

Tell us about how you and your team use the product day-to-day. What problem does Praxedo solve for you?

We use Praxedo to schedule our field technicians’ days. If they have installs, removals, maintenance, or other work, we can schedule it for them, and they get those updates on their devices. We also use it to document what the issues are, when they should go, and the expected drive times. The main problem Praxedo solves is ensuring we can get someone to the job in a reasonable amount of time and that we’re not overloading the technician, so they have time to do quality work.

What features do you find most valuable in Praxedo?

For me personally, the most useful feature is the drive time between appointments. We work with a sister company, so their back office may not be as familiar with our location, and we may not be as familiar with theirs. It really helps to be able to see the drive time to confirm that the scheduled work is actually where we want to do it.

I also like the way the GUI works, especially with the tickets. It’s easy to adjust things on the calendar and see how moving schedules around affects everything.

What has your experience with customer support been like?

Tom from customer support has been excellent. As the primary point of contact for the setup and everything, I’ve really appreciated the customer service we’ve received. I’ve used other workforce management platforms and large-scale software implementations for different companies, and Praxedo has been one of the best.

What are the biggest benefits or results you’ve seen since implementing Praxedo?

It’s certainly helped a lot with keeping our schedules consistent and making sure our technicians aren’t driving all over the place to get things done. We’ve been able to create well-organized schedules that save us time and keep our technicians happy.

Would you recommend Praxedo to other businesses?

Yes, I would. Especially to someone that works in a rural area like we do, where there’s a lot of drive time involved. It’s really helpful in that specific situation.