Looking for ways to streamline your operations but not sure if field service management (FSM) is right for you? This guide will help to identify whether a software solution is a good fit for your organisation.
Do you manage mobile workers?
While we traditionally associate FSM software with particular uses, such as highways and property maintenance, digital systems are now being used in a wide range of industry sectors.
Systems such as MyMobileWorkers have been designed with the flexibility to adapt to the specific needs of each organisation - whether it’s healthcare delivery or wind turbine maintenance.
Field services may also be just an element of the work. Reactive tasks, such as off-site repairs, may only be required sporadically but they still need to be properly managed and monitored.
What’s the size of your business?
As a general rule, the more field workers you manage - the greater the benefits from field service management software. A traditional paper-based approach may be able to cope with a small company and a handful of employees but admin systems quickly become unworkable as a workforce grows.
While the advantages may be exponential, even the smallest field service operation will benefit from use of FSM software. Typically, the shift from paper-based methods to automated processes will boost productivity by 25 percent.
And alongside improved efficiency, there’s the ‘brand’ benefits of providing employees, customers and clients with the simplest and most convenient tools with which to interact with your business.
What are your current management methods?
Organisations that are still using paper-based and manual management methods stand to gain the most from a move to FSM software. The use of cloud-based data and real-time digital communications allows a whole layer of administration to be stripped away.
Paper processes can be virtually eliminated - there’s no need to print-out, copy and distribute quantities of worksheets and schedules. All of the information that field workers require can be instantly accessed via a handheld device.
It doesn’t just create a faster and more efficient operation, it provides fundamentally new ways to manage field workers - unlocking the ability to track and monitor employee status and movement in real-time.
These advantages make the switch from manual to automated methods a one-way process, businesses rarely ever go back. In terms of convenience, cost, efficiency and flexibility - it’s the difference between posting a letter via the postal system or firing off an email.
Are your field workers customer/client facing?
There’s a growing expectation from customers and clients that the services they receive will benefit from digital connectivity. They want fast and efficient deliveries but they also want and the ability to easily access related information.
This is why field service management software is particularly beneficial for operations that are customer and client facing. It allows fast, accessible and user-friendly ways to interact with service recipients.
Deliveries can easily be signed for with a digital signature and a smartphone app. A touchscreen also allows customers to instantly provide feedback and service ratings to help monitor performance.
What are the future plans for your business?
While your existing management system may be able to cope with your current demands - what about in 12 or 24 months time? As a company grows and evolves, the administrative strains start to magnify.
A commonplace problem with field services companies is a failure to prepare structurally for growth. Back-office teams start to struggle with a rising volume of paperwork, causing errors, delays and inefficiencies.
A major benefit of FSM software is its innate scalability, equally efficient whether it’s being used to manage five or five hundred field workers. It creates a system which is future-proofed to handle the evolving challenges of a growing business.
