Your field service employees need an organized and simple way to keep them on track throughout their tasks and to ensure their safety.
This is where field service management (FSM) comes into play. It allows you to keep tabs on where your field workers are at any given moment. The best field service management software also allows you to process incoming service orders to ensure your customers are happy.
With so many field service management software on the market, it can be difficult to decide which will be the most effective for your business.
Why You Should Use Field Service Management Software
The advantages of field service management software are seemingly endless. Nearly every aspect of your business can benefit from the increased efficiency that field service software offers.
Keeping track of a singular technician is easy, but what happens when your workforce has 50+ field employees to track constantly? Field service software can help ensure no two technicians are showing up at the same job and can assist with tasks such as route optimization.
Examples of assets that field service management software can bring to your business include route optimization, automatic SMS and email notifications, live GPS tracking, and post-job tools to ensure your customer service is nothing but top-quality.
While you can likely think of many reasons why field service management software is beneficial to your business, the main takeaway is that it’s an all-encompassing method of managing invoices, payment processing, scheduling, and overall great customer service to help grow your business.
What Should Field Service Management Software Offer?
Many options exist in terms of what field service management software is best for your business. Here are five main driving factors to consider when choosing the right FSM for your company.
Intuitive Scheduling and Dispatching
One of the most sought-after field service management features is the scheduling and dispatching software. Your customers are extremely schedule-driven so having a tool that can work around both parties’ schedules is extremely important to your operations.
Scheduling features can also check in with your field service employees, ask what they’re working on, and keep tabs on the status of each job progression in real-time. This allows your dispatching team to quickly and efficiently distribute work orders and manage incoming tasks.
Communication Tools
Consistent communication with your field service employees can keep them looped in on your changing needs while allowing them to remain focused on the task at hand.
Most field service management software has communication aspects already built-in, including discussion boards, group chats, in-app directories, and many other useful features. Many also offer options such as message monitoring to see which employees have had a chance to see the text and which have not.
Safety
Safety is at the forefront of any business, and field service management software can play a major role in keeping everyone safe. In the case that one of your field service workers becomes injured or needs to quickly communicate something safety-related, they are able to do so through this mobile software.
Employees can also fill out incident reports or hazards before they snowball into a more serious physical incident. Field service management software also comes with a library of these procedures with supporting protocol material to ensure they are safe. If safety is an ongoing issue at your company, consider taking advantage of materials and quizzes to keep skillsets sharp.
Affordability
The ideal field service management software isn’t only effective for your business, but it’s affordable. Be mindful that the more customizations that you want for your program, the more you should be willing to pay.
While you may not initially think that you need field service management software to help run your business, it has a plethora of benefits that make it worth the investment.
Ease of Use
While some of your employees may be more tech-savvy than others, field service management software is straightforward and easy enough for everyone to use. Because this is software that is used daily, ease of use is often at the forefront of their design.
Mobile App
No matter the time, technicians must have the ability to easily and quickly communicate with other field techs, managers, and the dispatch team. Any good field service management software will also include a functional mobile app available on both Apple and Android devices.
This app should have a user-friendly interface while still maintaining the functionality you need, such as GPS tracking, messaging, and the ability to view schedules and schedule updates.
Payment Processing
There’s no getting around the cost associated with payment processing, but the specific fee amounts depend on the provider. If you’re opting for a low-tiered plan, consider the fact that you’ll likely be paying higher processing fees.
Consider raising your monthly subscription costs to find lower processing rates.
Top 6 Best Field Service Management Software Providers
Let’s delve into some of the most popular field service management providers to help you understand the offerings for each.
#1: serviceminder.io
Let’s first start with the major pros that serviceminder.io has to offer. It is one of the best field service management software for small businesses. The platform is extremely customizable, and it allows for seamless tech integration across all facets of your business’ technical operations.
In addition to its customizability, Serviceminder.io is also incredibly user-friendly, making it ideal for a wide range of businesses with different technological backgrounds.
It is designed for franchisors and business owners, and it features helpful resources to guide users in the right direction and to answer their questions if needed. It features easy tools to help track data for franchisees, and it is an IFA Supplier Forum Member, meaning it is particularly adept at assisting franchising systems.
Some examples of specific features that come with Serviceminder.io include:
- Operations assistance such as proposal and invoice generation
- System reporting that provides real-time data to keep your business on a track toward success
- Built-in store and services marketplace to keep up with product fulfillment
- Seamlessly integrated technical support
- An API that makes it ideal to integrate their offerings directly into your website
- Rich integrations through QuickBooks, Listen360, and more.
One potential con is it may take some time for customizations to be built out. If you are planning to have many customizations, be mindful that this will add time to the process and delay the start time. This may not be the best option if you are not a franchise, as many of its features are geared toward this.
Serviceminder charges $124 per month for the first three users, and there is no user limit for franchises. Price is highly dependent on the type of customizations that you choose, so we encourage you to book a demo directly with the team for more price-specific information.
#2: Better
Better is another field service management software best suited for 1-1,000 users. It is designed to assist the field and home service market, providing users with everything they need in a singular platform. If your business has well over 1,000 users, you may want to consider a platform better-suited for large volumes.
Some features of Better include billing, invoicing, online time clock, dispatch management, scheduling, service history, work order management, quotes, mobile access, payment collection in the field, and inventory management, just to name a few. It is straightforward and easy to use, and most users think it provides a good value for how much it costs.
There are some noteworthy cons to be mindful of when it comes to Better. Users have noted that the software makes it difficult to know which jobs have been confirmed and which jobs still need to be finished setting up. This may allow potential service calls to slip through the cracks.
Another user noted that it could be difficult to find the information you need throughout some of the reports. If you need to quickly look up information on a customer, you may have a more difficult time doing so on this platform.
On the positive side, Better has impressive interactive features that can be adjusted depending on the user’s access level. This helps protect important information from certain teams within your organization and allows for higher-ups to access the information they need at the drop of a hat.
In terms of pricing, you’ll need to contact the company directly to get insight on how much they charge.
#3: Vonigo
Another field service management software is Vonigo. This platform has helped field service companies book millions of jobs, and it is best suited for companies that have anywhere from 2 users to over 1,000 users. It is ideal for field service companies, both large and small, and it has the capabilities to help franchises as well.
Vonigo was voted in the Top 20 Field Service Management Software in 2020 and the Best Value Plumbing Software in 2020. Some examples of its features include billing, invoicing, contract database, electronic signature, contract and license management, mobile access, routing, scheduling, work history, work order management, payment in the collection field, inventory management, and more.
Overall, it has a high rating, particularly known for its quality customer service and value for the money. Users note that the backend system has easy-to-follow tasks and makes following up on emails easy and straightforward. This can help foster positive relationships with customers.
One con of this field service management software is the lack of training materials included. Users have to spend time looking up training videos to ensure they know how to use all of the functions that come with this software. This can be a learning curve that lengthens the time between purchasing the software and seeing concrete benefits from using it.
Another con of using Vonigo is that when there is a software update, users are not automatically notified, causing them to learn the program changes independently.
Pricing for Vonigo is not publicly available, and users will have to contact the company directly for more information.
#4: Dispatch
Dispatch is another field service management software that starts at $199 per month. It is best suited for field service businesses that serve residential, commercial, and industrial customers. This API integrates with customers’ existing technology, and it helps manage over 60,000 jobs daily, and it is used in industries such as retail, home and property, warranty, manufacturing, and more.
According to Dispatch’s website, one-third of American households have experienced Dispatch, and it can reduce churn by up to 50 percent. The Dispatch field service management software can assist with billing and invoicing, inventory management, routing, scheduling, contact databases, service history, work order management, payment collection, contract and license management, and more.
Dispatch is designed for independent service providers and enterprises to help streamline service interactions into one straightforward platform. Its omnichannel messaging framework connects all parties within your business to help ease the booking and communication experience.
Customers haven’t been highly satisfied with Dispatch overall, as it has a score of 2.0 out of 5 stars. The ease of use is low in addition to features and customer service. Companies that are interested in exploring Dispatch as an option can request a demo directly from the Dispatch site.
#4: GPS Insight
GPS Insight is one of the cheaper field service management software on the market, starting at just $19.99 per month. This platform offers three main solutions, including a GPS tracking solution, field management solution, and smart camera solution to help companies keep track of their teams.
This particular platform is geared toward growing field service teams and multi-location service companies such as repair, HVAC, mechanical service, cleaning, pool service, and more. This platform revolves around customer experience, efficient installation, and fleets to help provide businesses with insights to reduce cost and increase revenue.
They help businesses treat clients with respect and transparency and fully believe that clients should be more than a number. The platform allows for customized assistance and helps set goals, configure reports, and take insights and turn them into actionable changes that will benefit businesses.
According to the GPS Insight website, the average hold time is 46 seconds, allowing customers to quickly access support if needed. The install team has 50 years of combined experience with installing GPS-related products, and there is a rigorous vetting process for partners. Quality is at the forefront of each installation, even if the installation is self-guided.
There are some cons to GPS Insight that users have noted. For example, there aren’t many training videos to help new users understand how to use the platform to ensure they are getting the most use out of it.
#5: Waterstreet FMS
Waterstreet FMS is another field service management software aimed at mobile field service franchise systems that require assistance with CRM, scheduling, invoicing, and reporting. Plans start at $100 per month, and the platform helps to streamline communications to maintain brand and guide operations.
The integrations are designed to be fully customizable for businesses as Waterstreet knows that no two companies are the same. According to the website, Waterstreet has helped book over 2 million jobs for field service employees, and it has noteworthy features such as automatic re-ordering, commission management, franchise intranet, an online store, website management, and more.
This platform is also a brand management tool for franchisees, assisting with marketing such as out-of-line pricing, incorrect logo use, off-brand color schemes, misleading messaging, and more. They offer marketing tools to keep franchisees on-brand throughout all facets of their organization.
Customers seem to enjoy Waterstreet FMS’ ease of use and high levels of customer service. The value for the money is also rated highly by customers.
Conclusion
If you’re interested in learning more about streamlining your business operations and performance on a singular platform, schedule a demo with us at Serviceminder.io. Our field service management software can help automate and optimize your business process and ensure you are on a path toward lasting success.
Book a demo with us to see how we can help you!