Best Field Service Scheduling Software
A field service scheduling software, also called a field service management system (FSM), is an intuitive, dynamic computer-based system used primarily by field service-based companies to manage all of their business assets, including field resources, personnel, and equipment dispatch, inventory control, dispatch, and so on. The software is a powerful enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool that automates much of the process involved in scheduling jobs, from creation of jobs, to collection of materials and services, to storage and dispatching. This highly efficient scheduling system supports multiple types of businesses, from small companies with just one truck and two or three field employees to large corporations with thousands of trucks and hundreds of field employees. In addition, this scheduling software also works in conjunction with other computer applications.
An FSM will include fields for scheduling jobs based on criteria such as available driver availability, priority of need, work hours, pay rates, and more. It is designed to help field workforce managers determine what vehicles are available for pickup, when they are scheduled to arrive, and when they are scheduled to depart. This eliminates the tedious task of manually entering all of this information into a computer at the job site. In addition, field service scheduling software will provide a time and date report that can be accessed anywhere.
In today’s difficult economy, it is important for field service organizations to remain on-time at all times. In addition, it is vital for on-time delivery to keep trucking customers happy, which in turn can only be beneficial to the on-the-job businesses. With today’s on-time percentages at over 90%, the advantages of an FSM become obvious. Not only does the FSM improve customer satisfaction, but it can also provide significant cost savings, since it reduces the amount of time spent manually entering information and tracking on-time percentages. For small and medium field service organizations, this is invaluable.
How to Find the Best Field Service Scheduling Software
When looking for the perfect field service scheduling software solution for your organization, it is important to find one that offers a demo that works. Most demo versions of the software are not available until you purchase the product, so looking for a demo that works allows you to use the program without spending any money. In addition, most demos feature real field service representatives who are able to answer any questions about the system. By using the software with a live representative, you can get a better feel for the program and see if it will meet the needs of your organization. When evaluating a demo version, you should compare the ease of navigation, ease of use, training options, reporting features, interface compatibility, statistics and reports, support and customer service.
Additional benefits of a FSM include improved dispatchers and technicians, as well as improved resource routing tools. In previous years, dispatchers and technicians were manually inputting all of the data for a given field service scheduling software system. Manual entry of information was tedious, as well as difficult to update or even to understand. The introduction of dispatchers and technicians has made a great deal of difference in efficiency and accuracy. Using a FSM, the accuracy of your system can be significantly increased, especially with the help of the new resource routing tools.
Efficient field service scheduling software systems have the ability to handle both mobile and wired dispatchers and technicians. Because the number of resources being called at different locations has been exponential growth of business continues to grow. Utilizing the internet, wireless connections, multiple locations, and other resources is essential in modern business. By investing in the right field service scheduling software program, you can increase efficiency and lower your total cost of ownership. Using the internet, you can research different types of programs and review their specifications and features before purchasing the best program for your organization.