Field service software is an application that operates through a smart device or laptop. It allows companies to respond as efficiently as possible to customers and helps to manage resources and services. While most field service software applications are undoubtedly helpful, some have more features than others and therefore allow for more efficiency. If you are thinking about adopting field service software the following are features the application needs to have for it to give you the success that you seek.
1. Billing & Invoicing
When your employees are required to send invoices back to your office, a bill needs to be generated and sent out to the customer. This can result in weeks or months before payment is received. Sometimes invoices can get lost in the shuffle with you not being paid for the work completed as the consequence.
The field service software that your employees use should have a billing and invoicing feature. This allows them to key in the work they did for a customer and the application generates a bill that can then be given to a customer before the employee leaves the premises. The field service software should also be able to process transactions with debit and credit cards. This allows for quicker payment and less delays between issuing bills and getting paid.
2. Scheduling
Your team probably consists of many different employees and your workload entails many different jobs in a variety of locations in the area. Therefore, you need to keep track of who is working, where they will be, and what jobs they will be doing every day of the week.
Your field service software should have a scheduling feature. This allows each employee to receive their schedule beforehand and also see what jobs are scheduled for them to complete for each work day. Instead of returning to headquarters after every job to receive new ones, the software can deliver instructions to the employee, saving time and money in the process.
3. Inventory management
You want your employees to have what they need to complete jobs for customers. Otherwise, delays occur and customers lose trust in your ability to meet their needs, often resulting in them hiring your competition in the future.
Field service applications should allow your employees to take inaccurate count of materials they have with them in the truck. That way, they can check what jobs they have scheduled and what materials they may need.
If they do not have them on the truck, they can then load up from the warehouse. In the event they are at a job and do not have the materials with them, the software has an inventory of what is available at the warehouse, allowing the employee to quickly retrieve what is needed and return to the job for completion.
4. Fleet tracking
When you have different employees working in different areas, it is beneficial to have a way to track exactly where they are. This will allow you to maximize the amount of jobs your company can get completed in a single day and therefore increase profits.
Knowing where your employees are at all times provides you with the opportunity to mobilize your workforce a lot better. This is why your field management software should have fleet tracking that works through GPS.
For example, if a customer calls for service, you can assign the employee closest to the location, allowing for quick and efficient responses. In doing so, your company will earn a reputation of being help and responsive to the needs of customers.
