VIDEO: Field Service Management Software: B2B Tech Topics

What is Field Service Management Software? FSM is a system for coordinating field operations through a mobile workforce. At basic level, this entails scheduling service orders, dispatching agents, and tracking vehicle locations and job status.The right software solution helps automate these tasks and provide mobile access through a (usually) cloud-based platform. FSM has seen prevalent use in many different industries, but particularly those that employ mobile agents or contractors: waste management, utilities, telecommunications, public sector transportation, and even in-home healthcare.

FSM solutions can vary greatly depending on industry and use intent, ranging from “best-of-breed” applications for order scheduling to all-inclusive product suites for enterprise use. In general, you can expect to see some or all of the following capabilities in a standard platform: * Scheduling and order management * Vehicle/technician location tracking * Job status updates * Route optimization and GPS navigation * Time tracking and driver logs It’s important to understand industry trends that revolve around particular FSM features or aspects of implementation.

This awareness will help you choose a solution that offers the most value and longevity. Here are a few of the more prevalent: Mobile: Field service is mobile by nature. In most cases, an agent has to be physically on site to complete a work order or asset pick-up. The technology that best supports field service workflows, unsurprisingly, is usually the technology that’s built to travel. Instead of re-entering data at the office at the end of their shift, many field agents now work from tablets and smartphones, update job status while they’re still on the job, print invoices and forms on a mobile printer, or even obtain a digital customer signature on their mobile device.

Software-as-a-Service: In recent years, the introduction of software-as-a-service (SaaS) pricing models has made FSM an attainable pursuit for even smaller service companies, which gives them a chance to vie for the market against corporate competitors. Examples might include window cleaners, landscapers, or plumbing and HVAC technicians. Instead of paying for an expensive upfront license and even more expensive IT infrastructure, businesses can pay a monthly subscription fee to access cloud-hosted FSM software.

Organizations that use FSM software have seen an increase in jobs completed per day as high as 47 percent, which represents strong improvement in job efficiency. Service companies can leverage FSM to add value and cut costs in several other key areas: * Lower fuel costs: Through route optimization and dynamic scheduling, service companies can drastically cut drive distances and fuel consumption. Between 2010 and 2012, for example, UPS saved 3 million gallons of fuel while testing a custom route planning service called ORION (On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation).

Once the system is fully implemented in the U.S., UPS expects to save more than $300 million. * Faster first-time job success: In order to do their best work, your workers need on-the-job access to trade tools, back-end systems, and knowledge resources. Through a mobile FSM app, they can access diagnostic tools, manuals, and schematics that help them do the job right the first time. “Best-in-class” service professionals have an average first-time fix rate of 89 percent.

Do yours? * Better accounting and data entry: Paper-based reporting methods create more opportunities for error through redundant data entry, or even dishonesty, in some cases. An FSM solution lets your field agents record job data, log hours, and complete proofs of service while they’re still in the field. Real-time, digital collection means improved accuracy and security for future audits. As customers grow savvier and more selective about the products and services they pay for, field service will become an increasingly competitive industry.

An organization’s ability to deliver fast, efficient solutions through a mobile workforce may be the difference between leading or trailing behind in a given market. Field service management software is no longer a secret weapon wielded by enterprises; it’s a necessary tool for survival, and one of the best gifts you can give your agents. To find out more about FSM software, check out our website where we can help you find technology that fits the needs of your work. Thanks for watching!