Firstly, let’s understand what field service management software is. As well as, what kind of service companies need a software like this.
For instance, you offer mobile services, and you need to connect these services to your customers online. How do you do this? Usually, you need multiple pieces of software to manage your jobs, contractors, staff, and payments. Does this sound familiar?
But what is Field Service Management Software?
Companies often find they spend more time on admin, and less time on growth. This forces them to hire more admin staff at a high cost or, sacrifice job quality.
The best field service management software generally combines eight or more core features in one, reducing admin tasks.
Let’s take a look at those features.
Which Are The Best Field Service Software Features?
1. Online Appointment Scheduling
As a starting point, small to large businesses often choose WIX Bookings for Online Appointment Scheduling. Perfect for a quick start, but as your business grows, the lack of logic hinders growth. The patching together of software solutions does eventually come to a head. Causing dispatchers a lot more work to efficiently schedule jobs.
2. Staff Scheduling Software
Manually dispatch technicians to certain jobs with notes on how to perform the job. Dispatching efficiently is a daily if not an hourly task for companies who offer urgent or scheduled same-day services.
Google Calendar is a common choice as a scheduling tool. There is a problem business who chose Google Calendar face. Double bookings, double bookings will happen, causing headaches for all involved.
3. Job Messaging Software
Office administrators need to message clients and field technicians on the go to give them updates.
A combination of phone calls, emails, and Whatsapp are used by service companies. Communicating across different platforms increases call time waits, which in turn decreases efficiencies. As well as irritating customers and staff!
4. Job Tracking Software
Customers need to know the status and ETA of their scheduled service job. Calling staff and contractors for updates can sometimes be time-consuming and inaccurate.
Installing GPS job tracking software into vehicles or in mobile apps is generally the choice for small to large businesses. GPS hardware is expensive and generally, after you have purchased the hardware and paid for the installation, you will also incur monthly fees.
5. Job Billing & Invoicing Software
Once the service call is complete, your workforce need to take a mobile job payment from the client, or invoice them via CRM and billing software.
Square for mobile payments and invoicing is a common choice for small to large businesses, but it won’t link with the original booking and requires your team to match jobs with Square Payments.
6. Contractor Payment Software
After reconciling the weekly mobile point of sale payments, and paid online invoices, admin can create a weekly payroll summary for each contractor.
Often this is a manual process, followed by sending this data to Quickbooks, Xero or MYOB for manual bank account transfer to sub contractors.
7. Customer Stay in Touch Software
It costs five times more to attract a new customer versus nurturing existing ones. With a basic followup campaign you can engage existing clients and get them to re-book your services online.
Twilio for SMS messaging, and Sendgrid for bulk email marketing campaigns are the common marketing solutions for field service companies should they have time to market when aren’t busy managing all of their different software solutions.
8. Prospecting and Lead Management Software
Organize prospective customers via a CRM funnel to track progress. Having a CRM dashboard will increase sales and ensure business isn’t lost.
Trello or Monday.com are often used to keep track of leads by small to large service companies. Great for leads, but they don’t connect to your customers profile and auto track any jobs or history with these customers.
9. Job Management Software
An all in one tool to keep track and link multiple pieces of software together.
CRM solutions such as Zoho are able to help with managing the different pieces of software used through integrations. These integrations will hopefully enough workarounds so all your data can be kept in once place, even if the management software isn’t designed to work with other software.
How to choose the best field service management software
In summary, the best field software available have the above 9 features built in and more, in one easy to use online system.
Emerging ahead of conventional management software is field software designed around automation. Automation based field software heavily reduces the requirements of big admin teams to manage field staff, which allows businesses to optimize and scale at a fraction of the cost.
Field Service Automation Software
Very few management platforms are able to automate the staff and customer experience.
Discover the difference today with a 7-Day trial of our platform.
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