A field service management software can increase your efficiency and allow you to be more productive and effective in your everyday fieldwork routine. Still, getting lost in these systems’ numerous features is easy. With so many available options, it’s hard to know what to look for or which software best suits your needs. To determine the five most essential capabilities of any field service management software, here are some must-have features for your software.
1. Smart Scheduling and Dispatching Capabilities
Good Field Service Management Software should help your field technicians stay on top of their work. Imagine a scenario where a technician is dispatched to five different jobs and has to switch back and forth depending on the level of need for each job. An intelligent scheduling and dispatch capability can help with that scenario by routing the technician only to the tasks with the highest priority, giving them more time to complete all five jobs without sacrificing quality.
The scheduling and dispatch tool should also factor in crucial data like how much gas it takes per mile or how many hours the technician typically works in a day. The program should be able to adjust the algorithms based on real-time factors to do its best job of predicting possible outcomes. With real-time updates, this function allows project managers to reschedule or shift project requirements on the fly rather than at an opportune moment.
2. Workforce Capacity Building
Field service management softwarecan help get your workforce capacity-building efforts off to a good start. You can efficiently deal with staff skills gaps and ensure that you adequately fill all positions before launching the project, saving time and money in the long run. You can also track how many hours employees are working. That way, you can budget for labor costs without surprises at the end of the project.
The software can also play an essential role in improving the quality of work performed by field workers. For example, you can use the field service management system to conduct skill assessments and identify the training needs of your workforce members. And finally, it is easy for companies to use data from their software as evidence for reporting on accomplishments during audits or reviews conducted by governmental agencies.
3. Live Updates on Job and Technicians Status
Field service management software can help you keep track of your technicians and jobs. While knowing the status of your technicians and their work is essential, it is also crucial to ensure that the information is accurate. If there are any discrepancies, you need to be able to act on them promptly. You may want to assign new work, follow up with an employee, or contact the customer for clarification.
Having this ability enables you to make sound decisions when it comes to managing your field project. The capability also helps identify needy situations like emergencies where a technician might need more assistance because they’re dealing with an unforeseen issue. With live updates, you can locate a slack moment, and you’ll be able to respond accordingly.
4. Proposals and Invoice Tracking
Proposal management is often a tedious, time-consuming process. Proposal management using field management software can make this job easier by allowing you to input data quickly and automatically generate estimates. Invoice tracking is also integral to any field service management system, enabling you to understand your company’s performance and profitability. The invoice tracker tool will allow users to track invoices from the initial proposal through payment.
That way, you will ensure you take advantage of all sales opportunities and not miss out on potential revenue because of inefficiencies. For example, suppose a client fails to pay their invoice within the designated period outlined in your contract. In that case, you can easily follow up with them with reminders that they need to pay soon or have their account sent into collections for nonpayment. The software can also help create dynamic proposals and invoices based on customer needs.
5. Advanced Analytics
Modern business decisions are data-driven and require a system that can track and analyze data across multiple company points, which is critical for success. The best field service management software will provide advanced analytics that allows users to create reports and make predictions about future performance based on current trends. Additionally, it should be able to integrate with other sources like Google Analytics or Zendesk, enabling you to access more complex data than just what your team collects.
Conclusion
It would help if you thoroughly researched what each field service management software offers, so you can decide which one best suits your needs. You also have to compare the cost of the software package and whether or not it is compatible with your company’s current systems. After identifying what could be your best fits, test them out by downloading their free trial versions and see how they work for you!