Managing a team of drivers, service technicians, or a field force can be incredibly challenging for any fleet operation.
Field service companies face numerous difficulties in their daily operations, such as tracking their technicians, managing customer expectations, and assigning jobs - and that’s just for starters.
Operating your field service business without management software means giving up valuable time. One survey asked over 1,200 fleet executives and managers how they scheduled their jobs. Up to 26% used field service management software, 25% used an online spreadsheet managed by a team member, and 25% used a manual method, such as a whiteboard.
According to this data, only 1 in 4 fleet companies has taken advantage of field service management software. In this article, we’ll explore the features and benefits of this type of software.
What is Field Service Management Software?
Field service management software helps manage a company's resources, including the equipment and employees in the field. This technology affects every part of the business. Some of the features include:
- Scheduling and assigning work orders
- Communicating with team members in the field
- Dispatching employees to work assignments
- Sharing customer history and job data with field employees
- Collecting field data, such as requests for information, job completions, and times of arrival
- Managing product availability and inventory
- Routing field service technicians and other employees to specific jobs
- Tracking and optimizing fleet routes
- Overall fleet reporting and analytics
FSM software helps to address problems such as under-skilled technicians, over-scheduled resources, and disjointed communications. Instead of manually scheduling jobs, dispatching appointments, and finding the right employee with the right qualifications, software solutions automate all three of these operational bottlenecks.
Top 6 Field Service Management Software for Small Businesses
If you’re looking for the best field service management software for small businesses, we’ve compiled a list of the top FSM software solutions available. Every small business in the field service industry should consider an FSM tool to help automate and scale their business.
1. BlueFolder
BlueFolder is an FSM tool designed to improve technicians’ efficiency. This solution displays recurring jobs and offers equipment tracking, billing, automated scheduling, and simple work order management. Their client base includes commercial HVAC, security, commercial food equipment service, facilities maintenance, medical equipment service, and manufacturing equipment service. It’s also compatible with many accounting solutions, including FreshBooks, Xero, and QuickBooks. This software takes only a few hours to get up and running and features an easy-to-use dashboard.
2. Skedulo
Skedulo is a cloud-based solution that simplifies complex scheduling tasks, such as organizing work assignments, setting appointments, and improving customer experience. Skedulo’s platform accounts for travel time and other obligations so that customers receive more accurate arrival times instead of the dreaded “service window.” This software allows you to optimize your schedule, reduce downtime, and increase the number of work orders you can handle.
3. Field Nation
Field Nation has a marketplace filled with highly skilled field technicians in many industries ready to complete work orders on a freelance basis. Companies that join Field Nation can find technicians, post jobs, and manage their projects across many industries.
Field Nation takes the guesswork out of searching for the right technician; hiring managers can view every technician's reviews and qualifications before reaching out. It also helps fleet business owners and managers find contractors, assign them work orders, manage their projects, and process payments.
4. ServiceTitan
ServiceTitan is an all-inclusive FSM software that helps with four different aspects of your small business: sales and marketing, daily operations, accounting and finance, and customer service. Most other FSM tools only help organizations with their day-to-day operations, but ServiceTitan helps in all aspects.
ServiceTitan has an intuitive dashboard for dispatching, allowing fleet managers to assign the designated technician to the work order by simply drag and drop. You can quickly reschedule, shorten, or extend work orders, which helps counter any last-minute scheduling problems. Additionally, this tool helps with call booking, finance reporting, and even seamless tracking reminders so customers can see when your technicians will arrive.
5. Jobber
Manual data entry can result in inaccuracies, confusion, and wasted time. Jobber is an affordable FSM software designed to serve small businesses better. Unlike other FSM tools, this one has a CRM database built-in for you to track every detail about your clients. A CRM is useful for follow-ups or ensuring that technicians remember essential information about a project.
Jobber even offers a client hub for your clients to access your services quickly. Clients can access this hub to pay invoices, check appointments, approve quotes, receive notifications, and book future appointments. It also provides a built-in calendar with color coding and drag-and-drop buttons for users to easily schedule work orders.
6. Azuga
Azuga helps you manage your entire field service business within a single platform. Unlike other FSM software, Azuga allows users to track the location of their technicians in real-time. Users can optimize their routes and schedules by adding multiple locations and stops. The platform also integrates with Azuga SafetyCam and Azuga Fleet, enabling in-cab coaching through dual-face dashcam capabilities and buzzers.
Let Azuga Manage Your Daily Operations
Every field-based organization needs FSM software to help optimize and manage their business activities efficiently. Completing day-to-day management tasks using old, manual methods can increase costs and labor, and reducing productivity. Conversely, implementing field management software can automate your processes, streamlining daily operations. Azuga offers features to help your fleet save thousands of dollars per year. Scale your small business by utilizing FSM software to assist with scheduling, dispatching, accounting, and customer service.
Check out Azuga fleet tracking software and give your fleet managers the right tools to track their vehicles and assets while improving driver safety.
