In the summer of 2021, Shepherd released its web application for use on a browser, a phone, or a tablet. Whether they use Windows, Android, or iOS, all of your users will run the same applications thanks to the Ionic framework.
The release of the web application represented a significant milestone for Shepherd. It allowed administrators to deploy Shepherd to their user outside of App and the Play stores. It allowed for centralized user updates that required no action from the users themselves. It also allowed for hot fixes when necessary.
Functions equally accessible though the web app
The most significant advance, however, in the release of the web application was the creation of a service manager experience outside of NetSuite. For years field and plant staff have interacted directly with NetSuite via the Shepherd application. In most cases none of those users had NetSuite access and, if they did, it was likely to be the Employee Center access. There was little reason to purchase additional access as a field or plant technician could complete service orders, create service order, log service and non-service time, search equipment, check-out and check back in parts, etc. all from the Shepherd application.
Shepherd now offers the same alternative to service managers. They may manage their field and plant staff, create service orders, mass enter time, check-out parts for staff, schedule and reassign staff all from the web application.
Planner board also accessible from external platforms
In December 2021, Shepherd made its first release of the planner board outside of NetSuite. Shepherd users may now schedule, load-balance, reassign service orders, view service order status, etc. all from an external Shepherd application that requires no user specific licensing.
Both the web application and the external planner board continue to and will always read and write their data directly from and to NetSuite. Breaking that principle would violate Shepherd’s commitment to building 100% native to NetSuite applications… a crime that Shepherd will never commit.
Customer-focussed solutions remain Shepherd’s focus
The flexibility that such experiences offer is very accommodating to Shepherd’s customers. While there is most often a reason to grant NetSuite access to Service Managers, it may be the case that not all Service Managers require such rich access. Shepherd is happy, of course, to advise its customer on this subject. In many cases simply having the choice constitutes significant value alone. Get in touch to hear more about it.
