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How field service management software works

Field service management software empowers staff working on location to provide proactive, attentive customer care while streamlining all aspects of managing a mobile workforce.

Why use a field service solution?

Field service management software blends the service lifecycle with automation, analytics, and intelligence. If you have members of your staff working on-site with customers, a field service solution can provide an integrated system to track and manage all the functions related to operating in the field.

Regardless of your industry or trade, field management software can transform on-site operations related to maintenance, installations, on-site repair, in-home care, landscaping, and cleaning.

Does this scenario sound familiar?

It’s 5, and a customer calls with a concern. Most of the staff has left, you can’t find the work order, and you’re not sure about the maintenance history of the equipment.

Without an integrated solution, it can be difficult to keep track of all the work orders, employee notes, spare parts, stock, and customer data—leading to dissatisfied customers. Field operations comprise a variety of business needs and data sources: In addition to monitoring the progress of a mobile team, you have to meet customer expectations, keep track of employee productivity, manage work orders, monitor stock, store account history, and make sure your scheduling system is always up-to-date. Outdated processes and disparate systems can lead to missing information, lost time, and frustrated customers.

Field service solutions address this challenge, connecting the right data in the right places, and providing capabilities that help you move from reactive service to proactive.

5 ways field service management software can improve your business

These top features make field service solutions a must-have for your mobile workforce.

  1. Streamline scheduling to help provide timely service and assign the right technicians to the job.
    Instead of requiring phone calls, staff to input data, and handwritten appointment reminders, field service management software transforms the scheduling process. Appointment data is stored centrally, helping you coordinate with other visits, let customers choose date and time, give confirmation, and set up reminders and alerts. Field service solutions help you schedule service in a way that makes the most sense for the customer, the technician, and the business.
  2. Automate work orders to make field service technicians more effective.
    Field service management software lets you create efficient workflows, helping you stay on top of all work orders. A holistic view shows you everything you need to manage, alongside any relevant details or information. Automated requests and work orders help you reduce errors and keep everyone on the same page. With all work orders in a single place, the entire team will have immediate access to what they need, without having to talk to a colleague for project history. Bringing the right tools and technologies to your field service operation helps your team make the best use of time, expertise, and resources—ultimately bringing customers a better level of service.
  3. Detect problems before they start to stay proactive instead of reactive.
    Take your service to the next level by solving problems before your customers are even aware of any issue. With the Internet of Things (IoT), connected devices are constantly monitored, triggering an alert should the device fall outside standard operation. You’ll be able to identify and diagnose issues as soon as anything happens, letting you proactively reach out to customers with a solution before they notice an inconvenience. Field service solutions help you offer predictive maintenance, keeping all equipment and products in optimum working order, preventing service calls and dissatisfied customers.
  4. Store work history to get an end-to-end view of the service lifecycle.
    No longer stuck with hard copy documents, errors from manually entered data, or missing information, field service management software provides a central location to store all information, creating a single view of all the details associated with every request. Every quote, contract, repair, visit, date, time, location, and individuals involved are captured to provide a comprehensive overview of the service lifecycle. Any member of your team will be able to step in on any project at any time, or be able to answer any question a customer might have.
  5. Maximise efficiency to help you make the most of your assets, stock, staff, and resources.
    Field service solutions create a central location to store, track, organise, and manage all the functions, tasks, calendars, stock, and work orders associated with your field service operation. With everything in one place, you have complete visibility into any current requests, upcoming service visits, and the progress of each of your technicians. This single view helps you identify areas needing alignment, opportunities for optimisation, or ways to make your team more efficient. With all team members connected to a central source of information, you can quickly and easily communicate any changes, helping ensure a smooth experience for your customers.

What to look for in field service management software

Consider field management software with features that help you do the following:

  • Work smarter. Built-in intelligence provides insights and guidance, helping technicians and staff work more efficiently and effectively.
  • Let mixed reality help you get it done. No longer will field service technicians have to juggle a phone, laptop, and tools while trying to troubleshoot equipment. Mixed reality helps create a streamlined, smooth, collaborative experience.
  • Connect with business operations. Field service software can be integrated into enterprise resource planning tools to create a cohesive, holistic view of all operations in your business.
  • Stay productive on-the-go. When out on the jobsite, at home with a customer, or inside a large building without signal, make sure your field service team can access the information they need, the moment they need it with mobile and offline capabilities.
  • Build a unified experience. The ability to connect other tools and third-party apps helps you create seamless workflows across field service, customer service, marketing, and sales.
  • Scales as you do. As your business changes, you’ll want field service management software that is adaptable, letting you easily integrate with other software and external data sources.

A closer look: Mixed reality in field service management

Mixed reality helps modernise field service for faster problem-solving. Technicians can work hands-free, allowing for instant and easy collaboration with team members, as though the team member is viewing the same thing. Mixed reality helps technicians troubleshoot quickly, with access to stored data, product diagrams, or other relevant information.

Incorporating mixed reality into field service solutions helps improve operational efficiency: the troubleshooting process is transformed, combining a real-time view of the product or equipment with a view of product data, diagrams, or information, as well as live video chat with a colleague. This combination of capabilities—all while hands-free—helps field technicians get the job done faster than before.

Try field service management software—for free

Now that you’ve learned what field service management software can do, take the next step towards optimising your field service operations: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service offers the features you need, along with built-in intelligence, remote monitoring, and mixed reality. Used right out of the box or extended and adapted to meet your needs, enjoy the flexibility of Dynamics 365 apps.