A World with and Without Field Service Management Software

Field service management software is a relatively new addition to the field service industry. However, its use has rapidly grown in the past ten years, and it shows no signs of slowing. The global market for field service management is projected to increase to a whopping $7.10 billion by 2026.

If you’ve never used field service software, you might wonder why you should start now. You’ve made it this far on your own, so what can software actually bring to your business?

In this blog, we’ll compare the experience of running a field services business with and without a software management system.

Mapping Customer Routes for Service Field Technicians

How much time do you or your office administrator spend mapping out routes manually? Without software, it’s a long process that is difficult to optimize. The more inefficient a service route is, the higher the fuel costs and the longer your customers wait. There’s also little to no insight into where your technicians are at any given time.

With field service dispatch software, you have a complete view of your scheduled jobs and routes. If a customer needs to reschedule, you can quickly find the optimal future route to place them. Additionally, GPS fleet tracking shows you in real-time each truck’s location within its route. Data from the GPS is compiled into a metrics dashboard, giving you oversight of excessive idle times or unsafe driving practices. Using this data, you can lower insurance premiums and reduce fuel costs.

Field Service Payment Processing

Without software, payment collection is a time-consuming task that falls on employees rather than clients. Your technicians have to collect checks or cash on the job sites. Then they need to make repetitive trips back to HQ to drop off payments. The office manager then manually documents and processes the payments. This doesn’t account for the time spent calling customers about upcoming invoices or chasing late payments.

Using software moves the task of payment processing from your team to your customers. Digital payment solutions like FusionPay give customers a variety of convenient payment options. They can pay by credit, debit, ACH, or set up a recurring payment plan. Service contractors can also accept payments directly from customers on the job site. By processing payments on the technician’s mobile phone, the need for frequent trips to the office is eliminated. 

Updating Customers on Arrival Times and Cancellations

One of the biggest pain points for customers is service timeframes. Will the tech be at their house in 15 minutes or four hours? Without software, customers are in the dark. They might call your office for an update only to learn the office manager is just as unsure of a technician’s ETA.

Field service management software bridges this communication gap. Customers who opt-in to text communication can receive “on my way” notifications when a technician is heading to their location. This manages customer expectations and creates a connection with technicians.

Providing Service Estimates in the Field

Another communication gap is simply explaining to customers what services they need and why they’re necessary. Most people have no idea how HVAC or plumbing works. Service contractors might as well be speaking Latin. Without software, technicians have to be seasoned salespeople who understand how to communicate service needs.

Field service technician software makes job estimates clear and easy to understand. Using the mobile app, technicians can show comparisons between multiple service options. Various types of services can be categorized as Good/Better/Best or simply as options 1/2/3. Customers can even compare Repair vs. Replace service plans.

Key Takeaways for Field Service Management Software

Rather than rely on time-consuming manual workflows, field service management software streamlines daily tasks for everyone on your team. Office managers gain back more time each day. Your service contractors have the tools to communicate service needs effectively. It even benefits your customers, who gain greater transparency into services and timelines.

Schedule a demo today to learn how Service Fusion can streamline your daily operations.