The workplace is continually evolving, and it has become imperative for businesses to adopt the right technology to streamline processes and accelerate capabilities. Every business needs to invest in Field Service Management software to efficiently manage customers, inventory, technicians, appointments, scheduling, locations, invoices, billing, and more.

Field Service Management software is a top choice of most CEOs and CIOs for the mobility and automation features it offers. If you are considering investing in new FSM software in 2021, read these tips before you decide:

 User experience 

The user experience is a deal-breaker that sets great software apart and will have an immediate impact on your employees; well-being. The software loaded with the best of features but lacks a good user experience fails to serve its purpose. Poor user experience refers to software crashing and includes situations where it gets slow, exhausting to navigate, or hard to perceive. The software you choose should have a good user experience; otherwise, it might frustrate your employees and disappoint your customers.

Knowledge Base and Training

Technically-advanced users may know how to use the software, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are using the software optimally or up to its full potential. Training is essential to understand the various aspects of the software and get a good investment return. Professional software isn’t cheap, so choose software which your employees can be trained to use. 

 Price 

One of the most significant factors that come into any decision making is the price. The price of the field service management software may differ depending on the features you need and the size of your organization. If you have a strong in-house team to provide real-time assistance, choosing cheaper software is a viable option. Also, take into consideration the cost of maintenance, training, setup fees, technical support, and physical or cloud storage needs when deciding the right software for you.  

  Understand the FSM Software Functionalities You Need 

The field service management software should have the functionalities you need to accomplish your business goals. Field Service Management software usually offers the following:

• Mobile Field Service

• Spare Parts Management

• Planning & Scheduling Optimization

• Customer Engagement

• Reverse Logistics and Repair

• Warranty Management

• Service Project Management

• Service Contract Management

• Cloud Deployment

Evaluate which of these features are aligned with your business goals and choose the FSM software accordingly.  

 Evaluate Its Data Analysis Capabilities 

Figure out whether your software is equipped with data analysis capabilities that help you gain deeper insights, make predictions and generate recommendations – helping you make better business decisions.

· Mobile Capabilities 

Software with mobile capabilities can help users get real-time and consistent access to job details such as invoicing details, service requests, and warranty details. This helps streamline communication between the leadership team, technicians, and customers. It is recommended to prefer mobile services that use in-field triage and schedule adjustments based on domain knowledge, availability of parts, and proximity. 

 Customer Portal 

A customer portal is a digital self-service that brings variety and visibility to your customers. It is no longer just any feature; it has become a staple for any customer-centric solution. A study revealed that 88% of customers in the United States look forward to brands having an online self-service customer portal. A customer portal increases visibility, improves customer communication, reduces costs, expedites cash flow, and enhances customer experience and retention. 

 Blended Dispatching Capabilities 

Dispatch software can automatically assign jobs to employed, third-party, or jointly to a blended workforce. This kind of service allows flexibility around delivery and improves profit margins. By combining blended dispatching capabilities, giving access to a customer portal, and enabling better mobile capabilities in their FSM software, companies can see a drastic increase in ROI. 

Regardless of your current circumstances, acquiring a reliable and resourceful field service management solution is always an agile and smart business decision. You can leverage this technology to increase operational efficiency and productivity, and give a boost to your business bottom line.

Choose an intelligent field service management to digitize, automate &; optimize your field operations and delight your customers.

Author Bio:

Akhil Rajan is a Customer Success Specialist at Zuper, an intelligent workforce management platform for service-oriented businesses. Working with customers on a daily basis, he has a deep understanding of their needs and pain points and so he is able to contribute to the marketing strategies for Zuper with the content he writes. He writes on topics like how to increase workforce utilization, how to reduce the service turnaround time and increase workforce efficiency, customer adoption, cost reduction strategies, etc - to name a few. He is often found buried in books or playing chess in his free time.