What is service field management software?

How does a company manage a large number of off-site workers and the resources they are using? The simple answer is through service field management which usually makes use of efficient Service Field Management Software. We deep dive into the need for and importance of utilising field service management solutions below.

Service field management defined

To understand the need for software for field management services, we first need to define field service management. In simple terms, this is a management system that enables an ops manager to efficiently and effectively manage off-site workers and the resources they need to do their jobs. 

In most cases, field service management involves dispatching workers to locations outside of company premises to fulfil a specific job function or role. The operations manager’s responsibility is to keep track of field resources, coordinate their schedules, what work needs to be delivered, and what resources are needed for the successful completion of the job at hand. 

For example, cleaning workers will need to know where they are being deployed to, what work requirements they need to meet, and have the cleaning supplies necessary to complete what is required. Another example would include a security guard, their shift schedule, and the elements they need, for example, weapons, radios etc., to ensure the safety of the location and or individuals they are guarding.   

Previously this type of system was managed manually utilising paperwork, filing, excel spreadsheets and more but as technology has evolved, so has this process. This is why many businesses within the service industry are turning to innovative software solutions to make managing field services easier to manage. 

What kind of activities are included in field service management? 

When choosing field service software, there are five main kinds of activities that you should look out for; these include: 

1. Scheduling: this involves the process of arranging and organising employees’ shift schedules, appointments, and work timelines
2. Dispatch management: this is the process of coordinating locations and dispatching employees to various job sites. 
3. Employee tracking: refers to monitoring employees in regards to the client contract requirements to ensure that the right employee is at the correct location at the correct time. 
4. Inventory management: refers to keeping track of resources and supplies necessary for employees to do their jobs efficiently.

Field service contract management: is managing contracts with your customers and ensuring service level agreements (SLAs) are met and that your clients are satisfied with the level of service received.

Who should use service field management software, and how does it benefit businesses?

This software for field service management can be utilised by several different service companies across industries as it specifically aims to: 

• Reduce operational costs.
• Lower labour costs.
• Maximise employee productivity and effectiveness. 
• Improve customer experience. 
• Enhance operations. 

It is essential to get the right field service management in place to reap the benefits mentioned above. Several options exist on the market but they are often siloed in their approach to this process. For example, you can get service management software, scheduling software for service businesses, field service dispatch software and more. These kinds of solutions often only focus on one element and do not look at the whole process from a service business point of view.

You need service company software that includes all of these elements and more. One such software is EasyRoster. EasyRoster is an innovative built for purpose service field management software. As one of the best field service software solutions on the market, this software enables the following: 

• Contract management – Details regarding each job site or location should be captured and maintained in the system. When roster and attendance hours or shifts are registered for a particular area, they should be compared to the requirements of the contract or site. This will provide you with a bird’s eye view of all jobs and their operational requirements. 
• Personnel management – Details regarding each employee should be captured, managed, and maintained in the system. This will allow you to choose and assess the right employees for the project, site, or job. 
• Staff scheduling per location – Scheduling (rostering) of personnel shifts can be done per location and may be done manually or automatically. This will allow you to ensure that the right employees are at the right locations and will enable you to track and get overtime alerts, monitor non-productive time, and provide sales data that you can use to determine the profit per site/location. 
• Time and attendance per location – The capturing of actual attendance details should be done per location and may be done manually or automatically. This will allow you to pull reports and make the necessary adjustments to attendance to ensure that sites are correctly covered, and that wage costs are kept to a minimum.
• Minimise wage costs through reporting –This software should provide reports highlighting incorrect rostering and attendance regarding the number and grades of personnel rostered or posted at a site, projected and actual wage costs, overtime, non-productive time, site profitability etc. This will enable an operations manager to keep daily real-time control of operations and ensure that costs are kept to a minimum and that personnel requirements are precisely met.
• Flexible business rules – the right software solution should be customisable and flexible, allowing for customised business rules according to your requirements, including shift type definitions, wage rules, grades/rank, allowances, earnings, and more.

Conclusion

Service field management software plays an important role in ensuring the efficiency of operations for businesses in the service industry, especially those managing a number of employees across multiple locations. When choosing a service company software provider, you want to look for a provider that has a solution that covers all possible elements related to service field management as mentioned above. When you have the right service field manager software solution in place, you can enhance labour efficiency, reduce wage costs, maximise productivity, and enhance customer experience. Let us show you how EasyRoster can make these benefits a reality by booking a demo today.