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Managing off-site technicians and assets can be a challenge for businesses in the field service industry. The unknown variables involved with field service work make it hard for managers and teams to deliver consistent service with quality results. With digital transformation, field service management software is a critical tool for field service organizations that want to secure success in the future. 

What is FSM Software?

FSM software is a comprehensive digital tool that leverages AI-driven features to streamline field service workflows such as scheduling, dispatching, inventory management, claims management, and reporting.

Top 3 Benefits of FSM Software

1. Collaborate in the Cloud

Essentially, cloud-based FSM software solutions give managers and technicians the collaboration and management tools needed to streamline workflows and consistently deliver quality service to customers. For instance, technicians in the field and their managers can share resources through an instant messaging tool to help diagnose, troubleshoot, and solve customer issues in real-time.

Adopting cloud-based work order management solutions (part of FMS software) is an effective way to improve workforce management capabilities; the central dashboard interface gives managers an optimal way to assign work orders, track technician progress, and provide relevant forms and details for specific jobs in real-time.

With online and offline functionality, work order management solutions in the cloud give managers the tools needed to efficiently orchestrate their workforce in practical everyday settings. Managers can prepare their technicians with work order details such as:

  • Asset and service history associated with work orders
  • Personalized work order details with customer information
  • Work order tasks
  • Navigation routes
  • Updated real-time inventory data 

 2. Facilitate a Mobile Workforce

Having a connected mobile workforce with expanded field service capabilities is one of the main advantages of adopting FSM softwareAccording to an infographic from Technology Advice:

  • "66% of field service organizations use mobile workforce management software
  • 4/5 technicians use a tablet or smartphone for fieldwork"

There are good reasons why the majority of field service organizations have already adopted mobile field service solutions in some measure. The main reasons are to improve workforce management capabilities and customer satisfaction.

This is significant considering 45% of customers "were left indifferent or with a negative opinion" after a service call was completed, even though "78.9% of customers reported that the technician was able to address their need or provide service in a single visit." Maybe this discrepancy was due to nearly 22% of technicians not showing up on time and 56% of customers reporting they "were given no explanation when their technician was delayed."

Having a connected mobile workforce solves many common pain points in the field service industry. Likewise, FSM software empowers technicians to conduct business on the go, including the ability to complete the following tasks on mobile devices:

  • estimate jobs
  • access inventory to order parts (onsite selling)
  • respond to real-time triggers and alerts
  • process payments with signature capture
  • apply discounts
  • give post-service surveys
  • manage warranty claims
  • collaborate with managers to resolve issues in real-time
  • use offline functionality with automated syncing
  • access full customer and work order data

Adopting mobile solutions with FSM software drastically improves workforce management capabilities; common pain-points such as schedule adherence issues, poor communication with customers, lackluster first-time fix rates, and lost sales from limited ordering capabilities, will be optimally resolved when businesses have a connected mobile workforce.

3. Adopt Smart Scheduling

One of the biggest challenges in the field service industry is schedule adherence; efficiently managing remote workers in the field and coordinating arrival times with customers has always been a challenge because of the unknown variables involved with field service work. Cloud-based FSM software provides the answer with smart scheduling.

Smart scheduling is a sophisticated tool with these capabilities:

  • a customer portal allows technician tracking and self-scheduling
  • real-time or on-demand intelligent route optimization
  • automated AI-based algorithms schedule the best technician and the right parts
  • real-time scheduling capabilities for managers, technicians, and customers
  • increased scheduling visibility 
  • automated alerts and real-time customer and technician instant messaging
  • automated parts ordering across mobile workforces
  • integration with ERP and CRM solutions

Having smart scheduling capabilities drastically improves workforce management capabilities, giving businesses the ability to alleviate poor schedule adherence and increase both customer and technician satisfaction levels. 

Implementing Cloud-based FSM Software

Cloud-based FSM software solutions offer many effective ways to improve workforce management capabilities; using work order solutions in the cloud, connecting a mobile workforce, and streamlining daily workflows with smart scheduling are a few of the top ones. Cloud-based FSM software is giving modern field service organizations the capabilities to streamline workflows, increase productivity, and improve customer and employee satisfaction. 

Explore how ServicePower's Cloud-based FSM software can help your field service organization provide the best customer experience possible while maximizing time to ROI. Learn more. 

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