Field service management software helps service businesses automate common tasks and optimize field operations. There are numerous solutions on the market today, and deciding which is best for your business can be confusing.

This guide will help you understand how field service management software works, and how it can benefit your business. We will also discuss industry trends, and cover common mistakes to avoid when evaluating your options.

Table of Contents

• What is Field Service Management?
• What is Field Service Management Software?
• Do I Need Field Service Management Software?
• What are the Benefits of Field Service Management Software?
• What to Consider When Evaluating Field Service Management Software
  • Features
  • Usability
  • Price
  • Customer Support
• Common Mistakes When Evaluating Software

What is Field Service Management?

Field service management (FSM) is the coordination of a company’s resources, including employees and equipment, for operations located outside of company premises. FSM is found in a wide range of industries including HVAC, plumbing, and commercial cleaning.

Two important roles in field service management are customer service representatives (CSRs) and field technicians. CSRs interact with customers, schedule work orders, and dispatch field technicians to the job. Field technicians are the workers or contractors that work remotely and deliver services to clients.

What is Field Service Management Software?

Field service management software is a tool that helps service businesses operate more efficiently. FSM software helps your CSRs and field technicians complete time-consuming and tedious tasks, like managing inventory, dispatching, and tracking time spent on the job. FSM solutions are cloud-based, so your field technicians can access the platform remotely on their mobile device.

Businesses of all sizes use FSM software. Some FSM solutions, like Jobber, are better for SMBs. These solutions are moderately advanced and more affordable than other solutions, like ServiceTitan. ServiceTitan is an expensive tool that offers an advanced feature suite, and is best for large companies.

FSM software is typically purchased through a monthly subscription, and pricing can range widely depending on the sophistication of the platform. FSM solutions best for SMBs typically start at around $60 per month. FSM solutions best for large companies and enterprises generally cost about $250 per user per month.

Do I Need Field Service Management Software?

There are several common issues that many service businesses face. In general, these issues indicate that your business is not operating as efficiently as it can, and implementing FSM software can help solve these issues.

We recommend that all field service management businesses experiencing the following issues strongly consider field service management software:

What are the Benefits of Field Service Management Software?

Field service management software is one of the most valuable tools you can use in your service business. Here are some of the benefits of using FSM software.

Analyzes Performance

Reporting and analytics tools are standard features found in most FSM solutions. These tools help you analyze your business’ performance, and find opportunities for improvement. Most solutions include a dashboard that visualizes your business’ most important KPIs.

You can also generate reports in most FSM software. Here are some examples of reports that you can create.

Accelerates Payment Processing

The majority of FSM software includes online payment processing. This allows your clients to send you electronic payments through an online payment portal.

Using third-party payment processing is likely sufficient for most solopreneurs. However, as your business scales, it is more efficient to have a unified solution that combines payment processing with other important business processes. Here are some of the ways you can use FSM software for payment processing.

Improves Paperwork Processing

Manually managing paperwork using pen & paper is time-consuming and prone to human error. FSM software allows you to go paperless which accelerates the processing of invoices, job sheets, contracts, and legal documents.

Paperwork is safely stored in the cloud, and accessible on any permitted device. Also, most apps allow you to send paperwork to a customer’s email address, so there’s minimal delay between completing jobs and sending invoices.

Adds Flexibility to Scheduling

Every field service business owner has faced an emergency where they had to quickly adjust a technician’s schedule. FSM software makes it easy to re-assign technicians in real-time, even when they are already in the field. You can change schedules and send notifications of reassignment directly on the platform.

Optimizes Routes

With fuel consumption being one of the biggest expenses for many service businesses, it's vital that you reduce the time technicians spend on the road and sit idle between jobs. FSM features, like GPS tracking and AI-based optimizations, can help you find the most cost-efficient routes.

What to Consider When Evaluating Field Service Management Software

There are four primary criteria you should use to evaluate field service management software: features, usability, pricing, and customer support. We’ll give you a more specific idea of what to look for in each category below. We also discuss common mistakes that you should avoid during the evaluation process.

Features

There are 11 common features that you should look for in this type of software. However, depending on the solution, some features we highlight below may not be included.

Call Booking

Call booking helps customer service representatives efficiently schedule jobs while offering exceptional customer support. Call booking forms allow your CSRs to quickly input job details your technicians need. Many software tools, like ServiceTitan, include call pops for incoming calls, so CSRs can greet customers by name and view relevant information.

Online Booking

Many customers prefer to schedule jobs online, which is why online booking features are so important for field service businesses. Most FSM solutions allow you to embed online booking tools into your website, where customers can request quotes and schedule jobs. Some solutions integrate with Google Local Services, so customers can schedule jobs directly from Google’s search results page without having to visit your company’s website.

Contract Management

For businesses with recurring customers, drafting new service contracts for every job is inefficient. FSM software allows you to quickly build service contracts ranging from generic one-off jobs to recurring business contracts. When it comes to renewing these contracts, many FSM solutions include reports that show how profitable those contracts are and whether you need to adjust your rates.

Quote Management

The majority of FSM solutions allow you to create company-branded quotes that can be sent to your clients electronically. The best solutions include automatic quote follow-ups. A nice-to-have feature is the ability to create good, better, and best quote options. By presenting quotes with different equipment, services, and prices, technicians are able to upsell more easily.

Scheduling and Dispatching

FSM software helps you schedule jobs and dispatch technicians. With drag-and-drop calendars and dispatch boards, you can anticipate a technician’s workload, and assign jobs weeks or months ahead. GPS tracking increases visibility into employee location and activity, and helps you optimize routes.

Payment Processing

No matter how you prefer to get paid, FSM software can help you process those payments. The best solutions allow you to accept payments through ACH transfers, credit card, and checks. For businesses with a high volume of recurring work, automated payment processing is a significant time saver.

Inventory Management

FSM solutions increase visibility into inventory levels, so you always have the parts required to complete a job. You can track parts and monitor the inventory that technicians have. Also, you can generate reports to help you determine optimal inventory replenishment thresholds, so you can reorder parts efficiently.

Online Customer Portal

Online customer portals allow your customers to conveniently approve quotes, pay invoices, and check appointment times. Also, online customer portals can be used to schedule additional jobs, which can significantly reduce administrative work for field service businesses with a high volume of recurring work.

Client Manager (CRM)

The best FSM solutions include built-in CRM software. A CRM stores all client information in a single place, so you can quickly access contact information, job history, documents, and outstanding payments.

Mobile Application

Mobile applications are the main FSM tool that your field technicians will interact with. Here are some of the tasks you can execute in a mobile application:

Reporting

The best FSM software solutions offer real-time reporting tools that help you track financial and productivity trends. All FSM solutions allow you to track the performance of your field technicians. More robust solutions allow you to analyze the performance of your customer service representatives and sales team to see how well they’re converting customers.

QuickBooks Integration

If you plan to use a third-party accounting solution, like QuickBooks, you will want a solution that offers a built-in integration. A built-in integration allows you to seamlessly sync financial data between platforms.

Usability

Some software is easier to learn and use than others. The best way to test the usability of a solution is to test the product via a free trial. You should do a mock run of a typical workflow and compare that experience with other solutions. If the solution you are testing does not offer a free trial, you should contact the company for a product walkthrough.

Here are some questions to consider when evaluating the usability of field service management software:

Pricing

FSM management software typically costs between $9 and $398 per user per month. In general, contracts are typically structured as a monthly subscription for a given number of users.

There are two main tiers of FSM software. The lower tier is built for SMBs with under 30 technicians, and includes solutions like Jobber and Housecall Pro. The higher tier is built for large companies and enterprises with more than 30 technicians, and includes solutions ServiceTitan and FieldEdge. Here is the pricing of the most popular solutions on the market today.

Field Service Management Software Pricing for SMBs

Enterprise Field Service Management Software Pricing

Customer Support

Exceptional customer support can be a time saver when you are troubleshooting issues with a software vendor. Customer support is particularly important when you are onboarding and first learning how to use a software solution. Here are some questions you should ask when evaluating the customer support of FSM software vendors.

Information on customer support can be found on the pricing page of a vendor’s website, or by directly contacting the company’s support line. To get you started, here is a quick overview of customer support in FSM software.

Common Mistakes When Evaluating Field Service Management Software

Evaluating software is a convoluted process with many pitfalls. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when evaluating field service management software.

Not Testing Specific Workflows Prior To Purchasing Software

You should always do a mock run of a typical workflow in the solutions you are interested in. This process will give insight into each solution’s usability, and help you find the platform that is the best fit for your business.

Conducting a mock run of a typical workflow is particularly important when evaluating FSM software. Although most FSM solutions are flexible tools that can be used in a variety of industries, some solutions can be better suited for the specific needs of your business.

For example, lawn mowing businesses deal with a high volume of recurring jobs. For this type of business, you should look for a platform that allows you to quickly create complex recurring work schedules. With solutions like Jobber, you can schedule multiple jobs at a single time. You can also configure visit frequencies, and create complex recurring schedules by the day. For instance, you can set monthly visits on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month.

Not Testing Enough Solutions

We recommend that you test at least 3 to 5 solutions before making your purchase. Switching platforms after implementation can be costly and wastes time.

Purchasing a Solution That Is Not Ideal For You Business Size

The best solution for you will likely depend on the size of your business. Small businesses should not purchase an expensive software solution with advanced features that can not be leveraged to their full potential. Conversely, fast-growing organizations can be constricted by affordable but less robust software, and may need to make a costly switch to a more advanced solution as they scale.

Prematurely Purchasing an Annual Contract.

With most companies offering discounts for annual contracts, purchasing an annual plan can be tempting. However, paying upfront for an annual contract is a waste of money if you decide to switch platforms after a few months. Before committing to a solution, you should consider purchasing a monthly plan until you’re sure you’re happy with the FSM software you’ve chosen.

Bottom Line

Field service management software helps service businesses automate tasks and optimize operations. Industry trends suggest that FSM software will become increasingly important in the near future, and should be seriously considered by service businesses of all types and sizes. If you're ready to learn more about FSM tools, check out our in-depth reviews for the most popular field service management software platforms available today.