3 Must Have Features in Field Service Management Software
As a service business you have a lot to keep track of, from securing work to completing jobs and billing. Field service management software has a lot to offer that can help you manage your business.
Features in field service management software include bidding, scheduling, invoicing and marketing. However, there are three must have features that make the top of the list; scheduling, mobile apps, and time tracking.
Scheduling
The number one must have feature in field management software is scheduling. Field service companies have hundreds to thousands of jobs each year that needs scheduled on time and efficiently. Using a field service management software that helps you schedule more efficiently plus has checks and balances to make sure nothing falls through the cracks is critical to your business.
The scheduling feature needs to be flexible. In the service business things change at a moment's notice, and your schedule gets rearranged on a daily or weekly basis. For example; when a truck breaks down, a client calls to cancel, employees don't show up etc. When this happens field service companies need an easy way to reschedule crews and create a new route.
The fields service management software should also optimize your work schedule using an integration with Google Maps. Optimizing your routes could potentially save thousands of non productive hours and vehicle fuel costs.
Mobile Apps for Field Service
A second must have feature in field service management software is a mobile app for field technicians.
Mobile apps in the field help streamline communications between the office and the field in real-time. No calls for questions back and forth to the office.
Crews in the field need to view important job information, like job notes, drawings and photos taken by the sales rep. If you’re in the lawn care industry your crews may need to record current weather conditions and chemicals for state reporting.
Job order changes? Not a problem. As soon as the changes are save in the office, the crew app is too.
Time Tracking
The third must have feature in field service management software is time tracking.
Field service management software that offers a time tracking feature in the crew app is important. When the crew clocks in to a job it needs to be as simple as clicking the START button. The timer tracks all the employees time on the job, as well as pin their GPS location.
With time tracking and GPS location, the office can view the location of the crews in real-time on a map. Knowing where your crews are at, and how long they’ve been there creates a lot of accountability.
Time tracking also helps you calculate job cost quickly with automatic reporting.
Is Field Service Management Software Right For Your Business?
Managing your schedules and routing crews more efficiency can impact your bottom line. Having a mobile app for communication is important, as well as time tracking. The time tracking features will help you monitor the biggest expense in the service industry, which is labor.
If you are managing more than one crew, field service management software may be worth your investment of time and money. Arborgold offers the best in class field service management software, click here to take a tour and learn more.
