What Is Field Service Management Software and Why Does Your Business Need It?
As a trade and service-based business owner, you know that you need to deliver an outstanding customer experience when going into your customers’ homes. However, this is not always easy.
You need to manage a complement of staff in the field, which means that you need reliable communication, accurate scheduling and a host of other factors all coming together in harmony to ensure that your customers are satisfied and that your business thrives.
In the past, all this was managed manually through calls, paper and multiple spreadsheets. But is there a way to streamline your field processes and operations? We can tell you that there is.
Enter field service management (FSM). If you’re new to the concept and want to find out more about how it can help your business grow, keep reading below.
What is field service management (FSM)?
In short, field service management (FSM) is a method of streamlining your business’ off-site or field operations. Previously done manually, today’s advances in technology mean that you no longer need to struggle or waste precious time and resources.
That’s because field service management software is a type of technology that can help you with core activities, including scheduling, dispatching, work order management and customer service.
Signs you need field service management software
If you run a field service business and you’ve used manual processes and paper-based systems to date, you’ll often find that you face a repeating set of challenges. Among these include missed appointments, inefficient scheduling, poor team and customer communication and a whole lot more.
However, with FSM software at your fingertips, each of these aspects of running your business are smoothly taken care of from the convenience of a single platform that you can access on your mobile device from any location. What this means for your business is that previous challenges will become a thing of the past and you can focus on the core activities of your business with greater efficiency, speed and convenience.
Benefits of field service management software
Wondering how FSM software can help? Just a few of FSM software’s benefits and uses are discussed in more detail below.
Increased first-time fix rates:
When you introduce improved efficiency in your business, you can boost customer satisfaction. No more field service staff going to customers’ homes unprepared or making multiple trips to get one job done.
Improved technician productivity:
With GPS tracking that gives you your technicians’ live locations in real-time, you can assist them with better routing. In addition, you will always know who’s available to carry out which job, which can help you with optimised scheduling.
Enhanced customer experience:
With the right FSM software at your fingertips, you can offer your customers automatic real-time updates, which fosters transparent communication with them. Ultimately, this boosts the customer experience.
Reduced operational costs:
Field service management software automates a multitude of tasks that were previously done manually. As such, it was common for human errors to creep in. With FSM software, you can enjoy minimised errors and focus your resources on your business’ core activities, saving you valuable time and money.
Improved data-driven decision making:
And last but not least, FSM software offers you real-time insights, which will assist you with your reporting obligations. When you have accurate and helpful data, you can also make better decisions about your business, as you constantly look for new ways and opportunities to improve your service offering.
Examples of how different industries use FSM software
Many field-based industries use FSM software to help them streamline their tasks. The big players on the market are utilities and healthcare providers as well as construction companies.
However, smaller service-based businesses such as home service providers, including plumbers, electricians, cleaners, handymen, pest control, removal services, driving schools, beauty and wellness and others are increasingly taking up the benefits of FSM software to ensure their business remains competitive while offering an exceptional customer experience.
Key features of field service management software
The key features of field service management software include:
- Mobile workforce management: This focuses on improved scheduling, dispatching and communication, both with customers and with your team.
- Work order management: Work orders can be created and tracked more seamlessly, all the way from issuing to task completion.
- Customer relationship management: Take advantage of easy access to your business’ communication history with your customers or easily locate service agreements so that you are always doing things right.
- Inventory management: A big part of managing inventory involves tracking parts and supplies. With the right FSM software, this task becomes automated, with instant visualisations so that you can do better planning and forecasting.
- Reporting and analytics: With FSM software’s reporting dashboards, you can identify trends, such as seasonal, off-peak and peak demand, enabling to improve overall business performance.
How to choose the right field service management software
Convinced that you need field service management software at your business? Here are a few factors to consider as you delve into the research process.
- Consider your business needs and budget: With limited resources, you need a solution that meets your business’ needs and fits neatly within your budget. Some solutions offer a lot of bells and whistles but come at such a high cost that prevents accessibility and use.
- Evaluate features and functionalities offered by different vendors: Different vendors will offer different features and functionalities. Make sure you are getting the most features for your budget which align with your business objectives.
- Ensure mobile compatibility for field technicians: Another key criteria to consider is mobile compatibility. Since your field technicians will use the software on their mobile phones while they are out doing work at customers’ homes, this is an absolute must if you want your software to work for you.
- Look for scalability to accommodate future growth: Finally, your field service management software should grow as your business grows. You do not want to face software limitations just as your business experiences growth. That’s why you need a flexible solution that accommodates your business expansion efforts.
Getting started with field service management software
Getting started with field service management software can seem like a big deal. But once it’s implemented and ready to go, you will never look back on the old and archaic processes you once used.
With this in mind, it is important to consider that when you implement FSM software at your business, there will be a short period of time that you need to allocate for data migration and user training. For this reason, you need to ensure that your FSM software provider offers you all the necessary support before, during and after implementation.
FSM software for small businesses
On the road to discovering the right FSM software for your service-based business, you need to think about your business needs first.
You neither want a highly complex solution that will take weeks to implement and even longer to be adopted by your team nor do you want software with a prohibitive cost that drains your resources.
That’s why ServiceOS’s field service management software is the ideal solution. It’s affordable and user-friendly, ideal for small companies that want to streamline every aspect of their operations.
Take your Field Service Business to the Next Level with ServiceOS
All in all, field service management software is the latest and most effective way to streamline your field-service business. With a myriad of benefits that can save you a lot of time, money, hassle and other resources, it’s time to explore how FSM software can improve your operations.
Why not get in touch with our friendly team at ServiceOS to discuss your needs? You can simply reach out to us and one of our representatives will be more than happy to assist you. In addition, you can see our FSM software in action when you book a free demo. What are you waiting for? Your business’ bright future awaits!