Field Service Management (FSM) is the process of managing a company’s workforce deployed to carry out their duties from an off-site or customer location. Because of their hands-on needs, FSM is mostly used by companies that operate in real estate and construction, health care, telecommunications, utility, among others.

The challenge that most of these organizations face is finding the right solution that fits their unique requirements, as the success of field service operations relies heavily on the ability to meet, and exceed, customer expectations. While some companies still rely on manual processes to achieve this, many are adopting FSM software to manage and enhance customer interactions. The ones that are excelling are generally leveraging software that is integrated with a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. An ERP is a digital platform that helps you plan, manage, and make real-time changes to your organization’s day-to-day operations. It consolidates all of your organization’s moving parts into a single location and allows you to have better oversight of all your processes and functions. What many struggle with, because there are so many options available, is knowing which one is the right one.

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform offers a 360-degree organizational insight that translates into better performance and profit optimization. Learn more about how your organization can benefit from an ERP.

Read the ERP playbook

When you’re ready to accelerate your growth by upgrading to FSM software, it’s important to consider the specific needs of your business and to select a system that offers the features and capabilities that you need. Which software option would best meet your specific requirements and provide a good return on investment?

To be cost effective, your FSM software should be able to improve task delivery and ensure your operations run smoothly. It should prioritize fast and effective communication across teams in their respective locations, as well as with customers and prospects wherever they are. It should also be able to provide real-time visibility into your processes, costs, resources, and challenges. An FSM seamlessly integrated with your ERP can assist you in resolving this issue by coordinating your field and office teams for effective collaboration.

When integrated with your ERP, your FSM software should make your processes easier while also allowing your employees to do their best work. As a result, you should select software that is intuitive for users, delivers the best results, and simplifies your processes. One of the benefits of an ERP solution is that it significantly improves the performance of your employees. You can save time and reduce the risk of errors by automating many of the tasks associated with field service work, such as scheduling and dispatch. For example, rather than manually coordinating the schedules of multiple technicians, an ERP can automatically assign work based on technician availability and skill level. This helps your employees spend less time on administrative tasks and activates them to focus on more impactful work.

Making positive changes in your business is nearly impossible if you don’t have your eyes on data. If you want your business to grow, and scale in a manageable way, you need to have accurate and real-time information about service orders, appointments, warranties, and even costs at the click of a button. With an ERP, you can clearly understand what your company requires, when it requires it, and how to supply it. The best solutions provide intelligence that allows for the creation of trend charts to track process improvements and helps leadership make data-driven decisions.

As an organization, you’re probably constantly looking for ways to exceed your customers’ expectations, and for the right FSM software that can help with that, too. ERPs are a good choice because they frequently include real-time communication features with customers, such as text or email updates. This can help you keep customers informed about the status of their service work and provide timely updates if there are any delays or changes to the schedule. It can also help you track customer feedback and use it to improve your services. For example, if a customer leaves a negative review, the system notifies you and provides you with the tools you need to resolve the issue and avoid future problems.

One size does not fit all when it comes to software. The FSM solution you select for your company should be as distinct as the work you do. If you select a solution that does not allow for cutting-edge customization, you risk not being able to reach your full potential or even encountering issues that can affect your performance and bottom line. You should also pay attention to how your FSM and ERP solutions can work seamlessly together. One thing to note, not many ERP solutions are customized out of the box, so it’s important that you have an implementation partner with a proven track record that allows you to maximize the value of your investment.