Field Service Management Software

Faster delivery of the product and better after-sale services has enhanced the consumer’s appetite for peerless goods and services in the last few decades. Companies have adopted various strategies to improve customer service as well as resolve customer’s complaints faster. More and more companies are adopting a  customer-centric approach for delivering a better customer experience. Field service management has emerged as the facilitator for delivering quality service to customers and helped field workers to remain focused on their customer-centric approach. Whether the field workers are part of a large enterprise, small businesses, or working solo, field service management solves customer service-related issues. It helps field staff operate more efficiently and resolve customer’s complaints quickly.

However, most field service management approaches are quite orthodox and struggle to keep pace with modern business trends. There are still few roadblocks that inhibit organizations from refining their service standards and building better customer relationships. Some of these include unscheduled tasks, more paperwork, late billing process, higher job redundancy, lack of coordination, inventory mismanagement, etc.  Business organizations can now opt for the best field service management software to overcome their longstanding issues with field services. But selecting the best field service management software is quite tricky as there are abundant FSM (Field Service Management) software solutions available in the market.  The users need to analyze FSM software from various perspectives to select the best field service management software.

This buyer guide for service management software is intended to help all the individuals and business owners aiming to enhance the productivity of their field staff and deliver better customer service. In this guide, the users get detailed insights about the service management software benefits, features, trends, and costs; all this information could assist users in buying the best service management software.

Field Service Management Software is a tool that helps the organization to manage their staff and resources on the field. It also assists in organizing other activities such as task scheduling, work order management, fleet tracking, inventory management, etc.  Without field service management software, fieldwork could go haywire, and the cost of operations could be unimaginable.

Field service management solutions can be used by various industries, and it is applicable to a range of field services.  It can be used by large industries such as construction, events and exhibition, I.T industry, property maintenance, and companies that have an extensive field sales team. It can be used by electricians, plumbers, security personnel, handyman services, etc. Besides that, independent contractors accountable for the fieldwork can use field service management software.

• Lack of coordination: Technicians working in the field often have to respond quickly; as such, they have to deal with unexpected situations. But lack of coordination among team members sometimes delays the message and increases the response time. The conventional approach for field service management often lacks team coordination, which sometimes leads to confusion and mismanagement of the business process—for instance, ordering spare parts twice for the same equipment or failing to schedule tasks for field workers.   
• Poor scheduling and dispatching:  Manual process for field service management is time-consuming and often leads to conflict.  Lack of visibility on the employee’s availability on the field and the tasks allocated to them could make it difficult for employers to schedule and dispatch work efficiently.
• Poor customer experience:  For the success of any business organization, customer experience is the key.  Customers looking for field services expect technicians to fix their issues on their first visit, but unorganized inventory or miscommunication about the job could unnecessarily delay the work.  It not only leads to poor customer experience but also spoils the reputation of the brand. 
• Inspection limitations:  Regular inspection is a part of field service, and managing its records such as replacement of parts or any adjustment in the equipment is essential. Since the manual inspection is noted down on paper-based forms, it is not reliable. There is always room for error and risks of misplacing the forms.
• Unable to track completion of tasks: Certain field works are carried out in parts and are interdependent.  In such a type of fieldwork, the first team has to inform the second team about the completion of the task to carry out their work. For instance, a pest control team has to inform the floor cleaners about the completion of their work and clearing out all the hazardous materials to begin their work. But manual methods do not help track the ongoing work and have to rely on word-of-mouth for the task completion.   
• No standardized protocol: Field technicians’ role is critical and sometimes involves fixing issues that are delicate. Any mistakes in dealing with such issues can be catastrophic; to avoid this, they have to follow standardized protocol. They have to log every detail about their work, such as which technician has fixed the issue, what tools have been used, what time the issue got fixed, was there any previous work done on the issue, etc. However, with a manual approach, the intricacy of the detail is not maintained, which sometimes could be a loss. 

• Enhance employee’s efficiency:  Employees can access field service management system right from their mobile devices, which allow them to access the information from anywhere.  Employees can use software to update the jobs, request equipment, and monitor the inventory in real-time.   
• Fleet tracking:  The field service management software fused with a fleet tracking facility helps business owners optimize the product’s delivery time.  With a fleet tracking system the business owners can ensure the deliverables don’t sit idle at the production site and assist field staff in maintaining the production cycle. With efficient fleet tracking and an intelligent routing system, businesses can also save cost on fuel.
• Improves field communication:  Top field service management software facilitates better coordination between team members.  Business owners or managers can manage their team well, and if there is any incident that requires their attention, they can quickly respond to the situation.  Business organizations can take action in advance to avoid any obstruction in conducting the business processes.
• Enhance equipment life:  Field service management tools can also be helpful to enhance equipment life. It can monitor the equipment condition through IoT sensors and raise alarms for concerning outcomes.  It can minimize downtime by informing the technicians or field workers about the equipment replacement or maintenance of equipment.
• Eliminate paper-field services: Field service business management software takes away a lot of burdens managing the paperwork and documenting the work order.  The on-field workers can view job status online and update all the necessary information on the software itself.  There is no need to file the documents for equipment maintenance or ordering new spare parts for the equipment.  The field service management system has simplified many administrative works that involve a lot of paperwork.
• Overcome skill shortages:  The best field service management software enables business owners to reduce skill shortages by building a network of service experts and contractors.  It helps users expand the geographical reach and select technicians based on skills, location, need, and availability.    
• Faster billing process: There is no need for technicians to return to the organization or service center to complete the administrative work required to process the billing.  With top field service management software, technicians can complete all administrative works right through the software interface.  They can generate an invoice through the software and send them across to the customers. It helps them to reduce the billing time.

It is difficult to justify the potential of field service management software with few benefits; there are numerous things the user can perform through field service management tools, and to discover more about its endless application, there is no better way than going through essential features of field service management software.

• Field job management
• Push notifications
• Purchase order management
• Fleet tracking and management
• Mass mailing and text messages
• Contact management
• Inventory management
• Live dashboard and analytics
• Invoicing and payment
• Mobile app (online and offline support)
• Team management
• Lead tracking
• Schedule and dispatch
• Real-time client notifications
• Live location tracking
• Conflict detection
• Data import and export

While selecting the best field service management software for the business, the users have to make a choice from these two software types – standalone software or integrated enterprise software.  Both these software types have their advantages, and it largely depends on the user’s preferences.

• Standalone field service management software: Standalone field service management software is agile in nature and has lower implementation costs.  Specifically, the standalone field service management software covers almost all features that field service technicians may require.  Multiple updates are added throughout the year to keep field technicians on top of the latest technologies. Usually, the standalone field service management solutions have faster implementation time and lesser training requirements. 

• Integrated field service management software: Most integrated field service management software comes bundled with ERP enterprise software.  The integrated solution envelops a range of software used by an organization and accessed via a common launching pad.  The integrated field service management solution can be ideal for companies that want to get rid of multiple software management and reduce operational costs.  With integrated field service management software, it is easy to exchange data among various departments and gather data for analytics. However, upgrading the integrated system can be challenging in terms of standalone software as well as the users have to go under heavy training programs.

Whether users are opting for standalone software or an integrated enterprise system, there are few things that are necessary for filtering the top field service management software.

• Pricing: Knowing the cost is the most important step while making the decision for the top field service management software.  The field service management software vendors follow various pricing models, and it is essential for users to identify the software that suits their budget and requirements.  The field service management solutions come as a standalone solution or as an integrated system with ERP tools.  Both these variants have different price structures, and the choice largely depends on the individual’s preference.  Users have to be cautious about hidden charges such as installation costs or training fees.  It is always a good practice to ask field service management software companies about the hidden costs before buying their software.   
• User-friendly interface:  A seamless operation of field services can be possible only if there is a user-friendly interface for the field service management tool. It can reduce conflicts among team members and resolve issues quickly. The field service business management software with a user-friendly interface generally has a high adoption rate.
• Mobile support: Mobile devices have changed the definition of remote working, usually interpreted as time-consuming and unreliable.  Mobile devices have made it possible to enhance customer service and execute the fieldwork in an organized manner.  The top field service management software should support mobile devices and allow third-party app integration that is necessary to optimize the efficiency of the field technician.
• Customization:  Some field service management software companies offer a range of features for fieldwork but do not have the features that can target specific business domains.  In such scenarios, the customization option could turn out to be very handy.    
• Customer support: Field service management software could be easy to use, but to take maximum advantage of the tool, users should have access to robust customer support.
• Scalable: Field service management software should be scalable to meet growing business needs and support new business operations without any difficulties.  Scalable field service management software helps to cut costs on buying new software and saves time on training employees.

Yes, field service management software is effective for small businesses.

Small and large business firms both follow some common business practices that help them keep their business on track, such as reducing business expenses, improving customer services, and maintaining workflow consistency. But there is one specific area that concerns small business more compared to large enterprises - limited resources. One of the biggest challenges that small businesses face while operating business is limited resources, especially when managing the fieldwork.  The only way to fill this void is by selecting the best field service management software solutions.

By implementing field service management software, they can enhance their efficiency and get better control of their field service work. Field service management software can help overcome small businesses’ limitations and track the field service tasks more accurately. Customer’s expectations for rapid service can be met through field service management software and serve them with the latest technologies. 

The choice of field service management software for small businesses could vary based on the budget and user’s requirements. However, field service management software companies offer flexible plans for small businesses that enable them to take advantage of top field service management software at affordable prices and conduct their business systematically.  There are also cloud-based field service management software solutions that further helps small businesses to reduce the costs of software setup and maintenance.

• AR and VR:  Augmented reality and virtual reality technologies can make a huge difference in field service management.  It can save a lot of time for technicians to analyze and fix the issues in the equipment.  The digital visualization can give accurate information about the fault and magnify the error on a high-resolution screen.  Technicians can assemble or disassemble parts through AR and VR self-learning videos. Besides that, they can even use technology to train the staff virtually. 
• Predictive Maintenance and Wearables: Technology has armed field service technicians to increase their speed in identifying the fault in equipment and monitoring the risk factors that can bring business operations down.  Predictive maintenance could be very effective in preventing potential threats before it becomes critical and uncontrollable. Predictive maintenance is getting better with new technologies, and experts are positive about its role in improving field services.
• Quicker response time: Most customers demand quicker response time, and there is only one way to achieve this is through technologies like automation and cloud computing. Field service technicians can automate field service tasks such as scheduling jobs or managing inventory through field service management software. It helps them to save time on performing manual tasks and use them to solve the core issues.  Along with automation, cloud technology can accelerate the work of technicians by enabling them to access important data from anywhere and everywhere.  It can facilitate coordinating all the field-related activities in real-time such as dispatch of equipment, scheduling tasks, fleet tracking, product stock, manage work orders, etc.
• Customized field service software solutions: Certain industries require field service software features specific to their domain, and customization can come as a great help. 

The average cost of field service management software is around $19.99/month- $249/month or more. The installation charge could be additional costs to the software that users can consider. The field service management software vendors offer different pricing, and mostly the price of the field service management software varies based on the number of users and software features.

• Field service management software for startups and small-scale business:  Startup and small-scale businesses thriving on a limited budget usually prefer field service management software that meets their business requirements with lesser costs. ManageMart offers all field service management features at a price of $19.99/month is one of the finest field service management software for small businesses and startups. The application also provides features for billing, invoicing, and accounting, which gives small businesses or startups better control of their finance. One more field service management tool that is known for its affordable price is Field Harmony. It offers its services at a price of $18/month. Both these tools offer a free trial. The other few field service business management software for small businesses and startups include maintenance.io, NewWayService, and Servu.

• Field service management software for mid-size and large enterprises:  Mid-size and large business enterprises that are managing field workers around 25-100 or plus can choose the field service business management software with enhanced features. Housecall Pro comes at a price of $49/month and is known as the best field service management software for mid-size and large business enterprises.  Besides rich features, the software provides flexibility to select add-ons such as website builder and sales proposal tool.  Users can also consider Field Promax as their field service business management software at a starting price of $49/month.  The tool is customizable and scalable.  Both these tools offer a free trial. Other tools that qualify as Field service management software for mid-size and large enterprises include Shinebox and Razor sync.  In case if users are keen on advanced features such as smart filters and live support then they can choose premium field service management tools such as Kickserv at a price of $99/month. There is a list of high-end field service management solutions that can help businesses meet their exclusive needs that include Lystloc, Accelerator CC, Workiz, etc. 

• Free and open source field service management software: Free and open source field service management software gives business owners the flexibility to configure the software as per their business needs.  On top of that, the low software pricing makes it more suitable for startups and small businesses.

GoodFirms offer a one-stop solution for all IT-related products.  The platform has been listing software for almost all industries and sectors.  GoodFirms expert team follows a rigorous review system to ensure that customers have access to the best software and within their budget. Customers can compare software products on different parameters such as price, features, and services.

Field service management software allows organizations to stay more vigilant on the field resources including the field staff. It helps field workers to coordinate better and enhance their efficiency. If you are planning to harness the power of field service management software and deliver a unique customer experience, then do not miss the list of top field service management software sorted by the GoodFirms expert team.