To ensure high levels of customer satisfaction, today's field service workers need to be efficient and effective in the work they do. For too long, reps working in field services relied on manual customer scheduling, manual route planning, and well, just about everything was done manually! 

With an effective field service management software, field service teams can automate important work processes, freeing them up to focus on more pressing matters and lead the way in their fields. 

This will not only improve customer satisfaction rates, it will also make life a whole lot easier for field service representatives and management back in the office.

Before we jump into the management side of things, let’s take a quick look at exactly what is field service. 

Field service refers to any kind of service work that is carried out at customer locations or job sites that are away from company headquarters. This type of work consists of dispatching a field service representative to a customer location in order to manage installations, maintenance, or repairs of their equipment. 

With the field service industry continuing to grow and expand its reach to include industries such as home healthcare and education, the need for a competent management system to organize field teams becomes more and more urgent.

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Field service management (FSM) refers to the management of a company's resources out in the field. This can include processes such as the day-to-day operations of field service representatives, route optimization, the monitoring of customers’ equipment efficiency, and live data collection from the field.

Field Service Management can allow businesses to effortlessly keep track and coordinate the work of their reps to ensure their customers are receiving the optimum level of service.

With more and more processes becoming automated thanks to the rise of new technologies, the field service management industry is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. The overall market value is expected to reach $29.9 billion by 2031. 

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For field service representatives, figuring out how to get from one location to the next can be a challenge. They have to deal with different customers in different parts of the city at different times of the day. Figuring out their way around can end up being more work than the service they need to provide!

With an effective field service management software, reps can optimize their routes with multiple stops in an instant. Having their routing problems taken care of will save reps time, money, and effort, all of which they can re-invest back into their jobs.

Badger Maps is a route-planning app designed specifically for field service teams. It allows reps to automatically plan, route, and maximize their time in the field and cuts down driving time by 20%. 

Reps save an average of 8 hours a week from better planning, becoming more focused and organized, and driving more efficient routes. 

Matthew Brooks, Business Development Manager at Cargill, reported that “It took me 2 days to plan routes with Microsoft Streets and Trips. With Badger Maps, it takes 3 hours for a new rep to plan his initial visits to all 110 store locations.”

Badger Maps also integrates with your existing CRM, enabling reps to leverage data on a map and update the CRM quickly from the app on their phone. Advanced reporting allows service managers to really understand what the team is doing in the field. 

If you’re a field service team looking to make the most of every day on the road, the best route planner is Badger Maps. Sign up for a free trial today and take your performance to the next level.

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Field service reps can collect vital data that is essential to understanding key customer data metrics in detail. This collected data can give field service teams detailed analyses of their own work processes and see what they are doing well, and what can be improved.

Customer feedback is important in any business. In the field service industry, the feedback received on work completed can make all the difference in bettering the customer experience. 

Feedback can include things like how pleased they are with their product or service, and if they are satisfied with their field service rep’s work. With customers being able to provide feedback on the effectiveness of a product or the service they are receiving, field service teams will gain interesting insights and have the opportunity to speedily make updates and improvements to satisfy customer demand.

Check out this blog to find out the 7 smart ways to collect customer feedback!

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Field service management enables processes to be streamlined, allowing teams to increase efficiency across the board by having access to the tools and information they need at the touch of a button.

With automated reporting, what was once monotonous data entry is now a simple click of a button. Uploading important information digitally can eliminate mistakes caused by illegible handwriting or misplaced documentation. This can save everybody time, energy, and money that can be better spent in more pressing areas.

With automated scheduling, field reps can ensure they are in the right place at the right time. Knowing who they need to visit, when they need to be there, and where the location is, takes away the added stresses of tedious administrative work. This can allow them to be truly present when dealing with customers and give them the attention they deserve.

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Everybody likes to feel seen and heard. Management is always keen to keep on top of things as they try to make sure that their message is getting through to their employees in the field. Field service representatives on the other hand are focused on completing their work as effectively and efficiently as possible. 

Field Service Management can help field teams get a clear and complete overview of what’s really going on both in the field and in the office. 

Management back at head office can check exactly what work is completed and what needs to be done, allowing them to seamlessly plan the work schedule. By being able to communicate work processes digitally, the days of constantly checking in with annoying phone calls for updates are a thing of the past.

Field service reps will also benefit from more transparency. Field Service Management software allows reps to see what messages management relays and record important customer details on the go. These features help with better alignment and provide the best possible customer experience.

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Inventory management can be difficult. Products can often be stored in different locations or even different states! Some parts can be kept in a warehouse. Others can be tucked away in the back of a company van. Products can also be already with your customer who’s waiting for them to be serviced. 

With field service teams always on the go, they need to know exactly how much of a product they have at any given moment. If they don’t have this information at their disposal, they run the risk of being short on stock and losing out on customers to a rival company. 

To avoid this from happening, and also to reduce purchase costs, some field service teams engage in overstocking tactics. Being able to bring in the same stock for cheaper seems like a good idea at first. Yet when variables like storage costs and insurance are added up, overstocking can come back to haunt field service teams when the end-of-year accounts are done. 

With FSM, these problems disappear. Field service teams can judge how much stock they are likely to need at any given moment and control their inventory in real-time from there. Some software can even automatically order new products when the inventory reaches a certain level. This can save field service teams the hassle of ever having to look at their inventory levels again!

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The field service industry covers a wide arrange of different sectors. Let's take a look at some of the main ones.

With more and more workers becoming mobile, the possibility of receiving important healthcare services from the comfort of your home has become possible. Nurses are able to perform health checks on patients and physical therapists can carry out life-saving therapies to those in need.  

Field teams working with FSM software can mobilize healthcare professionals, helping them with route optimization, scheduling, and what can at times be vital data management. 

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Field service reps working in the medical device industry provide an essential service by installing, maintaining, and repairing equipment that is critical to the operational performance of any health facility. 

Field teams can manage and assess this operational performance carefully, while also having access to doctors’ and nurses’ schedules to ensure each piece of equipment is serviced when necessary.

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As the need for more home cleaning services grows, the need for an effective management software grows along with it. Organization is vital and by managing and automating important processes with the correct FSM software, field teams can take control of their territory and ensure their customers are satisfied with the completed work.

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Telecommunications has always been at the forefront of the field service industry and field teams can improve workforce optimization and equipment efficiency massively with the correct FSM software.

Managers can automate processes such as work order management while reps can utilize reports, optimize their routes, and maintain correct stock levels with inventory management.

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By establishing a direct line of communication through the adoption of a FSM software, everyone from management back in head office to your field service engineer can benefit.  

With low adoption rates in the construction sector, field teams who take advantage of a FSM software can gain a competitive edge over their competitors. Field teams can easily collaborate on different projects and tasks, helping them manage documents, worker schedules, and even track their teams’ accomplishments.

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With the correct field service management software, field teams can automate important processes, optimize their routes, and save valuable time. This will help them increase efficiency and productivity across their team.

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