The Digital Future of Field Service Business: 2023

The growth potential of Field Service Management Software

FSM Software is increasingly becoming instrumental in improving technician productivity, client relations, and the net profits of service firms. The path ahead is promising for the FSM market with the below forecast:

“ In terms of revenue, the global field service management market is expected to reach the value of US$ 13.2 Bn by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of 13.7% during the forecast period.”

Growing Need for Improved Efficiency in Field Operations

Preparing, guiding, and aligning technicians for field work has become challenging due to the omnichannel communication expectations of customers, remote and hybrid workforce environment, scarcity of skilled labor, etc.

The field service industry has been inseparably associated with problems such as poor Inventory management, delays in the availability of genuine spares, inaccurate information on inventory stock, knowledge gaps among technicians, slowdown of operations at peak loads, lack of proper channels for customer communication and feedback, etc. The above factors had a say on the reputation of service firms. 

 Mobility in field services

In the current era, smartphones have occupied a place in everyone’s pockets and hearts, mobility in field service management is a must to keep pace with the outstanding services provided by leading firms. 

Taking note of the revolution in digital and mobile technologies, Gartner digital markets, a $4.7 billion expert guidance company, highly recommends the usage of Field service software, as 80% of industry leaders surveyed do, for these reasons:

* Overcome remote workforce challenges

* Excel in on-demand service needs

* Deliver more amid a shortage of skilled labor.

* Auto job scheduling, work order management, mobile access, billing and invoicing, etc.

* Provide a secure internal forum for instant knowledge sharing between field technicians.

Field technicians can now leverage the expertise of seniors in their office to solve problems beyond their means that would otherwise delay First Time Fix Rates & Mean Time To Repair.  

Key inferences from Gartner Digital markets survey 

• Buyers(Service Firms) spend on cloud-based and web-based software to streamline business has gone up proportional to mobile technology adoption.                              
• Buyers wish the management and field workers to gain access to work order information from anywhere.
• Buyers are particularly interested in software offering features such as GPS tracking, and self-check-in and check-out capabilities for demonstrating work transparency with their customers.
• Most field service providers are onlook for software that can integrate with their existing software framework, such as ERP, accounting software, etc., to see data flowing from every nook and corner of the business.
• 43% of businesses surveyed mentioned they adopted field service maintenance software in the past two years. The adoption seems to increase with company size.
• Buyers also prioritize acquiring new customers (62%) and managing remote employees (61%).

Be where the buyers are!

Expectations from Field Service Software Providers

Features such as approving and scheduling work orders from anywhere via mobile, automation of preventive maintenance schedules, condition-based maintenance, flexible workflow for approvals, and auto-generation of speedy and accurate invoices are the most sought-after ones among buyers.

Buyers seek Content in their regional language. Multi-lingual support makes work order execution a pleasurable experience, and communication is fluent. 

Industries using FSM Software

• Telecommunications 
• HVAC 
• Security 
• Plumbing 
• Electrical 
• Automotive 
• Construction 
• Manufacturing 
• Solar Energy 
• Pharmaceuticals 
• Food Delivery 
• Property Management 
• Event Management 
• Retail 
• Healthcare 
• Logistics etc.

How a FSMS Software adds value to the business?

• Around 96% of businesses using field service management software report significant improvements in customer satisfaction.
• About 82% of companies ascertained a decrease in operational costs owing to the use of field service management software.
• Field service management software can speed up response times by up to 30%.
• FSM software empowers technicians to finish faster by a steep 60%.
• On average, businesses have witnessed an increase in technician productivity and efficiency of up to 40%
• Companies reduced paperwork and administrative costs by up to 40%.

Advantages of using Field service management Software 

A good FSM software immediately informs you of sudden issues that crop up in fieldwork. It is receptive to changes in service appointments at any time to suit the mutual convenience of customers and techs. 

It empowers the technician to receive help from all channels while in the field without requiring line supervisors to assign the task to some other person. It should present clear step-by-step work instructions with pictorial illustrations and image annotation capabilities. 

It helps field managers :

i)  keep track of inefficient employees

ii)  pinpoint work orders that consume unusually high costs 

iii)  identify assets that frequently fail

iv)  calculate the wrench time – i.e., the exact productive time at work with attendance management, check-in, and check-out capabilities.

It presents them with an aerial view of tasks planned via a calendar, from which they can trigger schedule changes to get hold of the tasks at a higher level. 

Ensure top-notch field operations with a long-term outlook 

As 80% of the field service respondents randomly use FSM Software for work order management including:

i)  AI-based auto-assignment of tasks based on expertise, Geo-Fencing, availability & dynamic workload of technicians

ii)  Digital & E-signatures for quicker approvals

iii)  real-time status updates, etc. 

Embrace the digital transformation of field service operations to keep pace with the competition.  

Follow the route taken by winners for quick success!

Get adapted to the new style of tracking and streamlining remote work at any time of your choice from your favorite hang-out or vacation spot. 

Standardize business workflows such as auto-generation of accurate, high-speed, and error-free invoices; define and enforce compliance to SLAs for the acceleration of work at each stage of the work order.

Bid goodbye to data loss, duplicate tickets, inaccurate reports, left-over works, etc. Deliver world-class customer service and reduce significant time spent by techs in the field to serve more customers within the same timeframe and grow your business!!