Easily Shortlist Field Service Management Software

What Is Field Service Management Software?

Field Service Management Software organises your jobs, worker assignments, mobile engineers, and spare parts inventory data into one platform. This improves tracking, managing, scheduling, and dispatching field workers.

FSM Software provides mobile apps, digital forms, engineer tracking, invoicing, and route optimisation. This enables field service teams to:

• Record details about field assets, jobs, technicians, contractors, spare parts, quotes, and logistics when away from the office
• Log jobs against the field assets
• Plan and schedule jobs
• Provide a framework and timeline to complete jobs
• Ensure jobs are assigned correctly and completed safely
• Ensure job and field staff comply with health and safety standards
• Avoid under-ordering and over-ordering of inventory
• Make sure spare parts and inventory are made available for scheduled jobs
• Provide detailed quotes on jobs when on-site
• Receive requests with all job details attached
• Manage and track field staff via an iOS or Android mobile app

Field Service Management Software offers a detailed view of all moving parts in the job lifecycle, allowing managers and office teams to report on:

• First-time fix rates
• Job completion rates by each field worker
• Total number of jobs open or not completed
• Completed jobs against the number of invoiced jobs
• KPIs and metrics set by field service leaders
• Spare parts availability and purchase costs

It’s important to note that Field Service Management software means different things to different businesses, whether small businesses, medium businesses, or enterprises.

Field Service Management Software For Small Businesses (SMBs) Focuses On:

• Recording jobs, quoting for jobs and completing jobs
• There is less emphasis on complex planning and scheduling of jobs
• Van Stock, Insurance and completing jobs on time and for a profit quite often are the priorities
• Basic reporting

Field Service Management Software For Medium Businesses Is Focussed Around:

• Providing common visibility and clarity about field service jobs to office-based teams and field technicians
• Moderate planning and scheduling based on skills, availability and cost
• Quotation creation and approval processes
• Time, Labour and Parts invoicing
• Fleet availability
• Van Stock
• Notes and messages management between field and office-based teams
• Reporting on quotes to jobs, first-time fix rates, spare parts, invoicing, productivity by teams, and KPIs set by the field service teams

For Enterprise Field Service Businesses (ENT), FSM Software should focus on:

Field service management for enterprise business is often complex. Evolution of ENT businesses, acquisition assets, legacy systems, ‘we have always done it that way’ approach and high volume jobs often require Field Service Management software which can be configured and reconfigured as the business changes.

• Relevant and contextual information about the field assets, jobs, technicians, contractors, spare parts, quotes and logistics based on a role
• Log jobs against the field assets
• Recommend solutions to jobs after they are logged
• Self-service solution to jobs
• Manual, algorithmic, automated and dynamic planning and scheduling of jobs
• Fleet assignment
• Fleet tracking
• Fleet maintenance
• Spare parts management
• Provide a simple framework to complete jobs
• Use of augmented reality for skilled technicians to assist new technicians on jobs
• Use of Machine Learning/Artificial intelligence to offer predictive service management
• Integration with sensors
• Ensure jobs are taken and completed safely
• Provide a framework to comply with health and safety standards
• Ensure spare parts can be ordered and made available for the jobs
• Quote on jobs
• Take orders for jobs
• Provide an iOS or Android mobile app for field service technicians
• Issue certificates
• Report on, first-time fix rates, jobs completed per technicians, jobs open, warranty information, replacement parts, and KPIs and parameters decided by the field service management team.
• Analytics on improving first-time fix rates, identifying service jobs before they are logged, improving remote fixes, reducing cost per service, improving technicians to jobs assignment, integration and data collection from sensors

Our expert’s view on Field Service Management Software

“Without software, I don’t think you would see half of the delivery that you see in the UK now… software will quite often predict what can happen. Now, we’re moving into a world with AI. It’s becoming even better, because AI would look at it and go, “We know the M42 ran by Birmingham Airport is gridlocked between three and six normally.” So that engineer might look like he’s only five minutes away. But truth be known, he’s going to be two hours. Without [software], I think we will probably be needing four or five times the amount of people, which means costs go up for the customers.”

Adam Neale, Head of Advanced Field Services

Find the Best Field Service Management Software In Five Easy Steps

1. Highlight Existing Failures or Opportunities In Your Field Service Management

The initial decision to research Field Service Management Software is based on either a missed opportunity or a failure in the current way of working. This could be:

• Not meeting SLAs
• Inconsistent job completion times
• Job delays due to inaccurate inventory data
• Missed jobs by assigning the wrong technician
• Decreasing first-time fix rates
• Losing customers due to poor service delivery
• Missing out on taking more jobs

This can vary depending on the size of a business, for instance, a large organisation may see a gap in their data security practices. Whereas a smaller field service team wants to digitise its paper-based methods.

2. Identify Must-have Product Features and Vendor Requirements

The top reasons for purchasing software are to improve productivity, meet technology needs, address security concerns, and expand product offerings. Both field service management products and vendors provide the requirements to meet these demands.

To help focus on the key product features that your office team and field staff will use, ask questions like:

• What value does this feature add to a service team?
• Can this feature be used by all stakeholders?
• Will this feature help meet KPIs?
• Is training required to use this feature?
• Are there legal requirements needed to use this feature? (compliance, GDPR laws, privacy policies, etc.)

For vendor requirements, this depends on how much assistance you will need. Does your team require detailed onboarding, training, and support? Will your office team require help with data migration?

For instance, a small field service business with no IT team will require greater implementation assistance.

3. Calculate the Value of the Product and Your Expected ROI

Leading field service businesses set clear goals when determining the value of a product. For instance, if a business receives 300 job requests per month, its total service management costs will be £400,000. The average service time would be 90 minutes.

But, with a field service system in place, a business can improve its targets. Instead, it can set a target to reduce field service costs to £300,000. Whilst also reducing the average service time to 60 minutes.

It’s important to set out in advance what you want to gain from your software purchase, this is done by setting ROI goals. Example goals look like this:

Clear and fact-based ROI will get you the speed of decision-making. Taking a numbers-based approach to get the Buy-In is the easiest way to get the tool you want.

For example, a business has budgeted £23,000 per year on Field Service Management Software. They know that this tool will save them £38,000 per year. Meaning they’ll recover their investment in nine months.

4. Research and Shortlist Field Service Management Software Options

Whilst most field service management products look similar, there are key differences. Each variation makes a big impact on a product’s ROI. For instance, some systems will prioritise ease of logging job details. Others may focus more on real-time fleet tracking.

When finding a solution, you should have a list of products to compare. Ideally, this list should consist of five different solutions. Once listed, an evaluation team will compare each field service management tool:

• Does it match core requirements?
• Is it easy to use?
• Would it be a good industry fit?
• Is it easy to deploy?
• What support and training is offered? (Understanding a vendor’s training processes indicates their quality of support and how quickly they’ll be able to resolve problems in the future.)
• What type of solution is it? (web-based, cloud-based, on-premise, or open-source)
• What contract agreements are in place? (How much storage space is given, what happens to your data when payments stop, etc.)
• Is there a free trial or product demonstration? (validate the product in real-time with the use of your own data)

Be sure to keep researching products during this stage as your initial values may change. 83% of software buyers make changes to their initial list after doing research.

5. Make Your Purchasing Decision

Once you’ve chosen a Field Service Management Software product that best suits your requirements, you should recommend it to the top management team. Ideally, this product should:

• Offers features that match your field service operation
• Provide value to your field service processes
• Fit within your budget
• Be easy-to-use for all office team and field workers

Once recommended, the negotiation and contract agreements can begin. Followed by the implementation process.

Bonus: Key Considerations While Searching For FSM Software

Before starting the research journey for Field Service Management Software, you should consider:

• Your field and office teams’ digital experience of using software: :Determine how much training and support will be required
• The simplicity of your requirements: Know exactly what you want from a solution and avoid needlessly complex requirements
• Clarity of your FSM Software goals: To determine the value of the tool and if it has delivered on expected ROI
• End user’s expectations: What do your field workers, office team, managers, and customers expect
• The speed of implementing and rolling out a new system: This can take between 4 weeks and 9 months so plan for realistic expectations

This is also an opportunity to understand your current way of working, by asking:

• How do end customers log service requests?
• How are jobs scheduled (either by priority, technical availability, parts availability, or completion time)?
• How do field staff communicate with office-based staff?
• Are services updated and is it by the customer, job status, or billing?
• How do office-based teams process service requests and information?
• What are the top 3 gaps in your field service management?

7 Best Field Service Management Software Solutions

9 Core Features of Field Service Management Software

1. Dynamic Scheduling and Dispatch

Automated and dynamic job scheduling capabilities enable field service managers to assign field staff more efficiently. When a work order or customer request is created, scheduling can be set on triggered events or pre-defined calendars.

This ensures that the technician with the matching skills, qualifications, and experience required for the job is assigned. While also taking into account factors such as:

• Worker availability
• Contractor or sub-contractor agreements
• SLA agreements
• Availability of spare or replacement parts
• Job and worker location/route planning

Video: Estates & Assets Director at Serco Health, Greg Markham, talks about the future possibilities of using tech such as HoloLens and VR to have real-time 3D walkthroughs with engineers across multiple sites.

2. Vehicle and Engineer Tracking

Real-time tracking is a key feature of any field service management solution. It allows managers to track their mobile workforce and vehicles with GPS capabilities, showing their location on a live map. By doing so, engineers closest to a job can be assigned, reducing customer wait times.

Tracking features are also used to plan and optimise driving routes. By seeing real-time traffic updates, workers can gauge an estimated time of arrival and pre-warn customers of any delays via text or email.

3. Digital Billing & Invoicing

Digital invoicing and billing features enable engineers to create invoices and receipts as soon as a job is complete. By using mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, field workers can produce customer, professional-looking invoice templates and take payments via Stripe.

This capability reduces the chances of non-payments once a job is complete, as well as reducing the effort taken to follow up with customers over unpaid invoices.

4. Digitise Job Sheets

Field Service Management Software provides the tools that allow managers to store all job information on digital job sheets. This allows information such as job type, location, expected completion time, and parts needed to be shown on an engineer’s mobile device. As opposed to having to travel to the office to get a paper job sheet or work from whiteboards.

5. Mobile App

Using mobile apps allows office-based staff to easily connect with workers in the field. Mobile access allows workers to have access to data anywhere at any time. Meaning they don’t have to travel back to the on-site office. Engineers can remotely access calendars, inventory, and resources. All of which can assist them in completing a job without delays.

Effectively improving first-time fix rates and delivering good service to customers. Having mobile access enables field staff to:

• See job information on tablets, mobiles, and laptops
• Access job checklists
• Update job progress and status
• Track spare parts and inventory
• Take customer payment and send digital invoices

6. Work Order Management Alerts

Managers can track jobs from planning to completion with the right service management tools. They can gain visibility of each job and work order from a centralised dashboard. This lets them know when a job is complete or if a job will be delayed. Work can be updated by an engineer on the job on a mobile app. Resulting in a live job status update for managers.

7. Contract and SLA Management

Contract management tools provide easy access for office-based staff to have an overview of each customer contract. This ensures service level agreements (SLAs) are being tracked and met during each job.

8. Inventory & Spare Parts Management

Real-time inventory management lets field workers know what spare parts are available. Making sure they have the equipment required to complete a job. If a part is not available, workers can place an order and track its delivery.

9. Reporting and Data Analytics

Service teams use Field Service Management Software as a central place for information. They set it up to capture and relay data effectively. Using that data to draw insights and identify trends. Ultimately making transformational service level decisions based on data. Reports can be generated for serval tasks, including:

• Service incidents and status by customers
• Job completion metrics by technicians
• Profitable service jobs
• Loss-making service calls
• Adherence to SLAs
• Threshold ordering for parts
• Spare parts management
• Vehicle servicing management

How Field Service Leaders Benefit From FSM Software

End-to-end Job Management

The main functionality of a field service solution is to provide a complete overview of the job management process, from job planning to service delivery. Having all of this information in oney system allows decision-makers to understand what is working and what can be improved on in the service delivery process.

Improve Service Delivery Outcomes and Meet KPIs

By giving technicians and engineers access to the right information (like manuals and tutorials, spare part inventory lists, job information, and more) in a mobile app, the chances of a successful service delivery are greatly improved. That helps businesses to meet targets such as first-time fix rates and one-time job completion rates.

Increase Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Retention Rates

Customers expect quick and quality service delivery. By utilising Field Service Management Software tools to increase the chances of quality service and one time fixes, CSAT rates sky rocket. This leads to receiving good feedback (which can be used in marketing efforts against competing businesses) and a higher chance of retaining that customer’s business.

Quickly Dispatch Engineers When and Where Required

Field Service Management Software allows managers to be more dynamic and flexible with job scheduling. Managers can load data into a system and automate the tasks of dispatching engineers. Looking at skills, location, and workload to assign the right worker to the right job. Tools include:

• Real-time calendar view to know which technicians are available and when
• GPS tracking and route planning to calculate a worker’s proximity to a job
• Access to a worker’s labour rate and job knowledge

Podcast: Adam Neale, former UK Field Engineering Director at BT, talks about how AI and connective technology can improve the time taken to assign, schedule and dispatch engineers before failure occurs.

Open Communication Channels Between Office and Field Staff

With Field Service Management Software, all employees have access to a shared dashboard, which includes information that both on-site and off-site workers need such as job requirements and customer information. Without a single point of access, workers rely on job details being sent via email or over the phone, which means information can be delayed or even false.

Who Uses Field Service Management Software?

Field Service Management Software is used to connect, assign, and dispatch workers in the most efficient way possible. The features found in an FSM solution allows it to be used by anyone working in the field service sector. Particularly those businesses that find themselves regularly moving from on-site to off-site locations, including:

• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Energy providers
• Landscaping
• Pest control

Field Service Software can also be utilised by numerous personnel within a business. It is used by managers, engineers, office staff, customers, and fleet managers.

Managers use it to assign workers to job sites. Office staff use it to provide customers with real-time location updates. Accounting teams use it for invoicing and payments. Field workers use it to access information such as resources and inventory updates.

Field Service Managers and Team Supervisors

Real-time tracking and speedy communication have propelled the efficiency of assigning jobs. Managers can assign workers in the proximity of a job request and schedule jobs with advanced warning. As well as dispatch their more qualified workers to a particular job. This helps to increase the chances of a first-time fix as well as improve customer service levels.

Office-Based Staff

With the right FSM tools, on-site staff are easily able to connect with workers in the field. This helps to improve the collaboration between both teams and increase the speed of data input. Including hours logged, job status, job completions, and payments processed.

Field Workers (contractors, sub-contractors, technicians, engineers)

Workers have access to a shared dashboard that provides them with real-time updates on things like job locations and inventory levels. This helps to accelerate job completions and ensures that each worker is prepared when going to a job. Without service management tools, workers are more reliant on manual approaches and office staff relaying job information, which results in delays and unsatisfied customers.

Discover best ways to better understand your field service engineers

Just a decade ago, working off pen and paper, where there would be 4 copies (one for the customer, one for the service technician, one for the back office, and one for finance) of a job card, was a normal practice. Whilst job sheets still exist, they are somewhat less visible.

Service technicians now fully understand the importance of good service data. Easily accessing the information on Open Jobs, Job Types, First-Time Fix Rates, Quotes, and many other aspects of the jobs, helps technicians to be more productive.

Most technicians also fully appreciate that tech, not pen and paper, is the way forward. Hence there is increasing adoption of the use of field service mobile apps by service technicians.

Customers & Clients

Businesses have the option to share certain details regarding a job and their workers with their customers. This provides customers with real-time location updates to know exactly when a technician will be arriving.

Cloud, On-Premise & Open Source FSM Software Delivery: What’s the Difference?

Cloud Field Service Management Software

Cloud computing is a cost-effective method offering a fast-paced delivery of software. A vendor hosts their application in-house and on their own servers. Companies wanting to use that product then rent access via the internet.

There are three types of cloud-based Field Service Management Software. Each one provides users with different capabilities.

• Public Cloud: Public cloud is the most common type of cloud computing. It refers to accessing a service, typically SaaS, over the internet from a third party vendor.
• Private Cloud: Private cloud services refer to an application used by a single service provider. It can be located on-site, similar to an on-premise solution.
• Hybrid: A hybrid cloud service combines the qualities of both public and private. In some cases offering greater flexibility and security.

To access cloud FSM software, service providers typically pay a monthly subscription. In the form of a pay-as-you-go payment. Cloud-based Field Service Management Software offers multiple benefits, including:

• No hardware, up-front, or set-up costs
• Fast deployment
• Support from IT professionals
• The flexibility of using it anywhere at any time
• Receiving automated security updates

The delivery of cloud Field Service Management Software can be broken down into three categories. These include Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). As well as software as a service (SaaS).

• IaaS: The most basic category of cloud computing where companies rent IT infrastructure.
• PaaS: Levelling up from IaaS, PaaS provides tools to build applications. As well as renting IT infrastructure.
• SaaS: This is the most popular cloud computing service among field service companies. SaaS vendors host an application, provide the infrastructure, and handle maintenance. Including security patches and updates. Providing access over the internet on a mobile app.

Open Source Field Service Management Software

Open-source Field Service Management Software is a free and popular choice for businesses. It is an application whose source code is openly available and operating with an open licence. Allowing programmers and developers to edit a software’s foundations. Helping to build unique features that a business requires. Such as appointment scheduling, job management, and contract management.

The benefits of choosing an open-source FSM software product include:

• No licence fees
• Unlimited modifications
• No restrictions

However, there are risks when it comes to deploying open-source software, including:

• Lack of security
• No warranty
• Quality of software

An opposite approach to open-source FSM software is proprietary software. This refers to a product that can only be modified by its creator. Be that an individual developer or an organisation.

Helpful Guides for Using Field Service Management Software

Field Service Management Software FAQs

How Much Does Field Service Management Software Cost?

Field service management software costs depend on:

• Job planning and scheduling requirements
• Spare parts and inventory management complexities and locations
• Number of office, field, and or mobile
• Variances in the type of field jobs you offer
• Implementation complexities (do you require vendor assistance?)
• Hosting requirements
• Brand of the software product

The above components are specific for each company, hence it is difficult to give a definitive answer. Typically, Field Service Management Software costs have four components:

1. Software costs: £10 to £300 per user per month.
2. Implementation costs: £600 to £1500 per day.
3. Training costs: £600 to £900 per day.
4. Support costs: 2 to 5% of the support costs

In general, the simpler the product requirements and implementation, the cheaper the costs will be.

How Is AI Projected to Change Field Service Management Software?

IoT-enabled job logging: Field assets connected to sensors will pick anomalies and send signals of when a job is required. Not too far in the future, there will be instances where job logging will be done by assets themselves.

AI-driven job planning and scheduling: Using existing planning and scheduling data, there is a strong possibility that job scheduling will be largely fully automated. However, it will require human supervision and intervention.

Agent-driven spare parts ordering: Using existing spare parts data, it would be possible to use AI agents to order spare parts on a needs basis.

LLM-driven notes and job completion documents: Here we will see AI become the most productive in the short term. Any notes or documentation required during the job logging, execution, and completion stages can be easily produced by generative AI functions.

What’s the Difference Between FSM Software and Mobile Workforce Management?

What Type of Field Assets Can Be Managed With a Field Service Solution?

Physical Field Assets such as:

• Equipment
• Machinery
• Tools
• Fleet vehicles
• People (engineers, technicians, supervisors, etc.)

Most virtual or digital assets cannot be managed remotely using a field service system. For example, software installed on your equipment or machinery cannot be remotely updated easily.

There are many field service systems that offer Augmented Reality (AR) capabilities to monitor field assets remotely. The same technology can be used to train new field service technicians.

For example, a senior technician can be at your office and a new starter technician can be on site. Using AR, the senior technician can see what the junior technician is seeing and guide them to complete the job.

What Applications Can Be Integrated With Field Service Management Software?

Vendors enable end-to-end integration of other software applications to get the most out of your Field Service Management Software. These integrations include:

• Accounting Software: Completed jobs, customer payments, and purchase information on spare parts are listed in an accounting system. Hence most field service tools are integrated using an API with accounting software. Popular field service accounting integrations include Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks.
• CRM: Customer information, job information on quotes, and the need to convert quotes to jobs in a Field Service Management System, require either CRM functionality within FSM Software or integration with a dedicated CRM.
• Location-based tools: These are used to enhance dispatch and scheduling tasks. Field service systems can be connected to location-based tools and apps such as What3words and a Geographic Information System (GIS).
• Admin tools: Enterprise field service management is often integrated with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions.

What Industries and Service Operations Benefit From Using Field Service Management Software?

• Utilities Service (Oil and Gas, Water, Power, Renewable Energy)
• HVAC Installation and Maintenance
• Facility and Property Management
• Security Installations and Maintenance
• Plumbing Services
• Telecommunications
• Electrical Services
• Home Services (Lawn and Grounds Maintenance, Pool Maintenance, Pest Control)
• Cleaning Services
• Building and Decorating Businesses
• Construction and Contracting
• Appliance Repairs Services
• Environmental (waste management, recycling, hazardous material removal)