Field Management: What is it and what is it for?
A definitive document to understand the system intended to coordinate field operations (at the client’s home).
10 min.What will this guide offer you?
Selecting a management system is one of the most relevant decisions you will have to make regarding
the management of your company. This is due to all the implications that this decision entails in relation to work culture, operational processes and communication between team members.
“Field Management” in a nutshell
Field Management, which in Spanish is known as Home Services, or Field Services, is all those services provided at the client’s home.
What does this imply? It means optimizing the material and human resources of a company that must provide a service in a mobile situation and, in addition, schedule work orders, track locations and the status of the project.
Table of Content
What will this guide offer you?
What is Field Service Management?
What is “Field Service Management” for?
Advantages of having a field service management system
How does “Field Service Management” help different positions?
Benefits for the personnel who assign the jobs (dispatchers)
Benefits for staff in the field
What is Field Service software?
“Field Service Management” (FSM) seeks to optimize material resources and personnel coordination in operations carried out in mobility situations, being especially relevant for companies that offer services or products that require installation, maintenance or after-sales service. Such companies face the challenge of managing interventions at their clients’ facilities rather than in their own business space.
In addition, the FSM also refers to computer programs designed to manage services in the field. These programs integrate intervention planning, human resources management, travel optimization, field security, and dematerialized stock management, billing and accounting.
What is “Field Management” for?
By implementing “Field Management” you can avoid errors and misunderstandings, save time and manage tasks efficiently, from scheduling visits to customer information and billing.
The digitization of these processes allows you to:
- Centralize everything related to a work order
- Increase the productivity of the entire team
- Accelerate the execution of visits
- Fluently coordinate teams
- Optimize planning of customer visits
- Deploy the most competent personnel in relation to the task
- Improve communication.
- Make decisions based on real-time analysis
- Optimize the work of team managers
Other advantages of digitization include:
- Facilitate the work of operational teams.
- Savings in management costs.
- Comprehensive and centralized management of resources.
- Simplified and reliable monitoring of interventions.
- Improve communication with clients and different internal departments.
- Product inventory management.
- Automation of the creation and sending of invoices, estimates and reports.
- Flexible and qualitative management of operations.
- Satisfaction of both the client and the deployed teams.
FSM programs optimize work methods to facilitate the organization and development of operations, increasing the productivity, effectiveness and profitability of employees..
FSM was born from the need to achieve greater efficiency, productivity of mobile equipment, effectiveness and profitability of operations, as well as customer satisfaction. By providing highly efficient management, it enhances the working conditions of personnel in the field and allows the company to fulfill its commitments to customers. FSM solutions are designed with the objective of improving both the customer and collaborator experience.
Let’s look at some benefits of implementing this system
Greater efficiency of services during operation:
Opting for an FSM tool makes it possible to centralize and automate all service processes. This system ensures effective coordination of assignments and flows, as well as task optimization. The software facilitates the increase in the quantity of tasks performed, improving their quality, while reducing the average execution time and the margin of error.
More detailed control of the execution of services:
The real-time updating of information provides optimal monitoring of the equipment and the tasks being carried out. Obtaining immediate reports gives an accurate and global view of performance, execution and compliance with objectives.
Lower risk of errors:
Total control of the activity strongly limits errors, defects and oversights, thus improving the development of an operation and guaranteeing customer satisfaction. An FSM tool allows you to detect anomalies more quickly and react effectively to any problem.
Optimized costs:
Companies have an improvement in the management of their budget and an increase in their profitability. By optimizing resources and tasks, an FSM tool reduces unnecessary expenses and limits revenue losses related, for example, to lack of travel planning or downtime of operational teams.
Who’s interested?
This issue matters to various hierarchical levels and departments.
Mainly, to these teams and people:
- Sales: which informs the specifics of the contract with the client and guarantees the follow-up of requests and possible comments.
- The collaborator in charge of planning and dispatch.
- The technical team, present in field operations.
- Team leader, who monitors work progress and performance.
- Administrative staff, who receive and process forms and reports and invoices.
How does the Field Service Management System help different positions?
Benefits for those who assign the jobs (dispatchers)
Fast and efficient programming
Field service management software allows dispatchers to reduce the amount of time they spend scheduling. Most tasks can be scheduled automatically, allowing dispatchers to focus on jobs that don’t easily fit into the schedule
Improve visibility
With real-time status updates, dispatchers can easily track task progress and technician locations.
Higher productivity
With the support of service management software, the time on each assignment is reduced and each dispatcher can handle a greater number of technicians.
Benefits for staff in the field
Reduction of administrative work
Never again will the valuable time of technicians be spent making paper reports, only for someone else to enter them into the system, whether it is a settlement of hours or for material consumption. Everything can be done from your mobile!
Travel time reduction
Busy technicians must be able to juggle multiple daily service calls while still providing a positive customer experience. With better organization of visits and the help of geolocation of clients, it is much easier.
Service history
Technicians have the power to easily view customer asset information and service history. Reduce operational downtime to improve revenue and safeguard customer relationships.
Quick problem resolution
Effective service management provides comprehensive information and collaboration to empower technicians in the field. Combined with customer and asset information, this allows technicians to quickly resolve issues.
Benefits for managers
Greater customer satisfaction
When problems are resolved quickly and efficiently, customers are happier. A high first-time repair rate correlates with high customer satisfaction.
Online Visibility
All updated information, at your fingertips and at all times.
Greater control
The help of geolocation and collaboration tools allow full control of the team.
Error-free billing
Technicians can update or modify assigned tasks online. When finished, the invoice will be prepared and ready to send to the client.
For which companies is Field Service Management applied?
FSM software is applied in companies that perform services, such as work orders at customers’ homes. These services can be:
- Facility
- Maintenance
- Repairs
- Job planning
In what sectors?
- Cleaning
- Electricity
- Sanitary
- Security systems
- Air-conditioning
- Telecommunications
Field services have the particularity of involving a large number of employees to whom jobs must be assigned, statuses updated and the corresponding follow-up carried out.
What is field management software?
Field service software includes work order management, staff assignment to the most appropriate equipment, scheduling, management of necessary materials, equipment and tools, and mobile collaboration. All in one online platform!
Field service management allows you to improve operational efficiency and streamline tasks both at the client’s home with the technicians who perform them, as well as administration personnel, dispatchers and managers.
With this software you will achieve total visibility of all the work in progress that the company has, with complete collaboration between all participants.
Features for Field Management
- Scheduling and managing work orders
- Real-time update of work order status
- Route optimization and control
- Tracking of time spent
- Materials Inventory Management
- Customer Portal
- Performance analysis
- Integrated reports and statistics
Frequents Questions
How does “Field Management” improve a company's services?
It does this significantly in various ways, optimizing processes and providing effective tools for operations management. Here are some of the key improvements:
- Operating efficiency:
The FSM allows for a more efficient allocation of tasks, ensuring that resources are used to the maximum. In addition, it facilitates advance scheduling of interventions and visits, thus reducing downtime and increasing productivity.
- Effective coordination:
The consolidation of data in real time allows for fluid coordination between teams and departments, avoiding misunderstandings.
On the other hand, it promotes real-time communication between team members, improving the response to changing situations.
- Error Reduction and Quality Improvement:
It provides constant monitoring of operations, significantly reducing errors, defects and oversights. It is also possible to proactively identify and address anomalies, improving the overall quality of services.
- Improved customer experience:
Being able to provide real-time updates to your customers improves transparency and trust in the company. You will be able to respond faster to customer needs, improving satisfaction and promoting loyalty.
- Resource Optimization:
It allows efficient management of product and parts inventories, avoiding problems of lack or excess stock. By optimizing trip planning and reducing downtime, it contributes to reducing operating costs.
6. Automation and digitalization:
Digitizing reporting, billing, and other processes reduces reliance on physical documents, improving efficiency and accessibility. Meanwhile, task automation allows the automation of routine processes, freeing up time for more strategic tasks.
- Real time analysis:
The availability of real-time analysis facilitates data-based decision making, favoring your company’s operational strategy.
What are the characteristics of a “Field Management” solution?
Field work management systems focus their activity on the monitoring and quality of the tasks that must be performed. By using a single platform, all interested parties share information to be able to communicate in real time and thus can carry out the task in an efficient manner.
Accuracy in job assignment and vehicle geolocation allows for total visibility and lower costs.
The information flows instantly to all those involved, eliminating Excel spreadsheets and messages through other means such as WhatsApp. This means that all the information is consolidated in the work order and can be consulted by anyone at any time.
Billing and the calculation of the times consumed in each job are calculated in a simple and exact way, eliminating incidents of customer complaints.
What are the benefits of the personnel who assign the jobs (dispatchers)?
Fast and efficient programming:
Field service management software allows dispatchers to reduce the amount of time they spend scheduling. Most tasks can be scheduled automatically, allowing dispatchers to focus on jobs that don’t easily fit into the schedule.
Improve visibility:
With real-time status updates, dispatchers can easily track task progress and technician locations.
Improve productivity:
With the support of service management software, the time on each assignment is reduced and each dispatcher can handle a greater number of technicians.
What are the components of good field service software?
Fast and efficient programming:
Field service management software allows dispatchers to reduce the amount of time they spend scheduling. Most tasks can be scheduled automatically, allowing dispatchers to focus on jobs that don’t easily fit into the schedule.
Improve visibility:
With real-time status updates, dispatchers can easily track task progress and technician locations.
Improve productivity:
With the support of service management software, the time on each assignment is reduced and each dispatcher can handle a greater number of technicians.
What are the benefits for staff in the field?
Less administrative work:
Never again will the valuable time of technicians be spent on making paper reports, so that someone else can later enter them into the system, settlement of hours or consumption of materials. Everything can be done from your mobile.
Shorter travel times:
Busy technicians must be able to juggle multiple daily service calls while still providing a positive customer experience. With better organization of visits and the help of geolocation of clients, it is much easier.
Service history
Technicians have the power to easily view customer asset information and service history. Reduce operational downtime to improve revenue and safeguard customer relationships.
Quick problem resolution
Effective service management provides comprehensive information and collaboration to empower technicians in the field. Combined with customer and asset information, this allows technicians to quickly resolve issues.