What Is Field Service Management? +Best Practices
- Published:
- Updated: October 2, 2024
While many of us automatically associate field service work with utilities, field service operations are foundational to businesses in many industries, from healthcare to telecom. Over the past several years, increases in remote work and the growing complexity of technology have contributed to a shift toward service-based business models and economies.
Field service employees are the frontline ambassadors of service-based businesses, fulfilling customers’ needs and keeping business operations flowing. Field service management employees often work independently and not in traditional offices, so they rely on high-quality support from field service managers to optimize schedules, manage support tickets, and perform efficiently.
As field service operations become more complex and technicians cover more significant regions, organizations need effective processes and resources to manage these efforts.
In this article, we’ll explore the concept of field service management, types of field service management technicians, best practices, challenges, and best field service management software.
What Is Field Service Management?
Field service management (FSM) is an umbrella term for managing and optimizing business operations performed off company property. Field service is common in various industries where technicians get dispatched to different locations to install, inspect, maintain, and repair equipment.
FSM software allows teams to coordinate and monitor all field service activities more efficiently by dispatching technicians, scheduling work, and improving communications, all in one place.
Field Service Management Activities & Components
Field service management involves every aspect of field operations, especially:
- Work order management: The management and tracking of service requests and work orders from creation to completion
- Field service scheduling and dispatching: The coordination of schedules and transportation to send field service personnel to service locations
- Inventory management: The process of tracking and managing the movement of a company’s inventory across manufacturers, warehouses, and other facilities through sale.
- Service contract management: The process of ensuring that an organization’s services align with formal contracts like service level agreements
- Customer relationship management (CRM): The management of all activities related to relationships and interactions with potential and current customers
What Types of Companies Utilize Field Service Management?
Any company that regularly deploys service employees and assets to external locations is participating in field service work and can benefit from field service management. Here are some of the most common types of businesses that field service management to optimize their field service operations:
1. HVAC companies
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) companies use field service technicians to install, maintain, and repair equipment in residential and commercial buildings. HVAC service workers use various tools and equipment to manage these systems and work with chemicals like refrigerants, which require safe handling procedures. HVAC companies use field service management tools for operations, service requests, dispatching, and communications.
2. Telecommunications and cable service providers
Telecom companies often use field service management to optimize labor, transportation, and scheduling and perform preventive maintenance. This helps telecommunication companies and cable service providers deliver high-quality customer service and ensure that SLAs are met.
3. Healthcare equipment providers
In healthcare environments, keeping medical equipment up and running is important to business and the well-being of patients. Companies that sell medical equipment or provide healthcare services use field service management software to optimize processes, improve issue resolution times, and perform preventive maintenance.
The medical industry is also highly regulated, making compliance critical. Many FSM software also include reporting and field validation tools to ensure adherence to required procedures and manage data retention.
4. Utility and energy companies
Businesses that provide utilities like gas, water, and electricity use field service technicians to install service, resolve issues, and maintain complex utility networks. Utility companies use FSM to dispatch field service workers, coordinate schedules, and provide timely resources for techs to tap into at a moment’s notice.
5. Construction and property maintenance services
Construction and property maintenance companies are frequently juggling multiple projects that require service from contractors and other field service professionals. These types of companies use field service management to manage work orders and inventories, optimize scheduling and dispatching, and facilitate communication between main offices, field service agents, and customers. Field service management provides an avenue for coordinating repairs, construction, and maintenance tasks to complete projects promptly without glossing over safety standards.
6. IT and tech support services
While many IT and tech support teams tend to in-office service technology issues, many companies dispatch IT field technicians to client locations to assist with service installation, hardware repair, or other support. These companies use field service management to coordinate the activities of these employees, including ticket triage, technician dispatch, and support ticket progress. Using field service management for IT and tech support helps companies improve response and resolution times, improving overall support.
7. Delivery and transportation companies
Any companies that deliver goods to customers or transport large inventories between store and warehouse locations can also use field service management. With field service management software, field managers can track the movement of field service personnel and manage inventories to optimize travel routes, improve communication, and minimize costs in the long run.
Benefits of Field Service Management
Field service management benefits field service workers, customers, and larger organizations by streamlining processes and ensuring optimal customer service.
Here are some of the most common benefits organizations get from managing field service operations:
1. Increases uptime and reduces time-to-repair
Through field service management, teams can develop a well-oiled system for maintaining equipment in the field. By optimizing dispatch, scheduling preventive maintenance, and supporting field service agents through repairs, field service managers can ensure that assets function properly and can be repaired quickly as issues arise.
2. Reduces field service operational costs
Through field service management, teams can create a system that provides visibility into technician productivity and resource use to cut unnecessary costs and provide support to make field service work more efficient.
When bolstered by FSM software, field service teams can automate processes to reduce time spent performing administration work, coordinating schedules and invoices, and monitoring work order progress. All of this automation eliminates inefficiencies and associated costs.
3. Improves customer satisfaction and service quality
Speed of service is a major factor customers expect when evaluating their experience with a brand. With field service management, teams can use data analytics to improve processes, optimize dispatching, and support field service workers so they can provide high-quality service and keep customers satisfied.
4. Enhances real-time communication and coordination
Many field service management solutions also include communication and collaboration features to facilitate the dissemination of information and make it easier for managers to assist their agents in the field. These features help improve field data capture and analysis and contribute to more effective on-site problem-solving.
5. Provides valuable field service insights through data analysis
Field service management software provides a centralized system from which to monitor performance. With these powerful data analytics tools, managers can draw from operational data, performance analytics, and compliance reports to improve operations and make better, more informed decisions.
6. Streamlines inventory and asset management
Field service management software minimizes the need for manual data entry, making it easier to optimize inventory and asset management tasks. These solutions provide real-time visibility into asset conditions and inventory across devices, making it possible for managers to track movements, manage asset usage, and perform quality control.
Challenges of Field Service Management
Field service management relies on employees in non-traditional spaces away from the office, which results in many contextual challenges faced only by field service workers, including:
1. Scheduling and routing inefficiencies
As operations grow, the need for field service grows with it. Without proper management, this can pose problems for scheduling and dispatch, like double booking, overlapping time slots, and inefficient routes. This causes frustration, poor service, and low employee satisfaction.
FSM software can automate these processes and guard against scheduling snafus by streamlining routes, alerting managers about potential conflicts, and appointing backup service representatives.
2. Difficulty accessing real-time data and customer history in remote locations
When field service workers arrive at a job, they need access to customer history and real-time data to gather all the context they need to resolve an issue. This can be especially problematic when field locations are remote or without Wi-Fi. Provide employees with modern field service management technology to ensure consistent access to important records and other resources.
3. Training field service technicians
Field service representatives need comprehensive training encompassing technical skills, product knowledge, and customer service to do their jobs independently and keep customers happy. The speed of technological progress can make providing this training challenging, but with field service personnel training, managers can update learning content and disseminate in-app learning prompts to smooth the process.
Field service technicians work with rapidly evolving equipment and technology and are expected to adapt just as quickly to serve customers. This constant need for retraining and upskilling presents challenges that can be remedied by supporting teams with modern learning software that provides personnel with continuous training via microlearning lessons and in-app messaging.
4. Supporting service technicians in the field
When field service technicians arrive at customer homes or client businesses, complex situations can cause frustration and long resolution times if techs need to be equipped with the proper tools. From connectivity issues to tablet tech issues to simple lack of knowledge, lack of support creates many challenges for field service teams.
When it comes to complex issues, field service employees need to tap into troubleshooting guidance and manager support. In these situations, phone calls won’t cut it— managers should equip employees with modern IoT devices and enable technicals with real-time in-app guidance on their mobile devices and applications to avoid extended downtime or scheduling follow-up visits.
5. Real-time communication
Communication between field service managers, employees, and customers can be challenging or even impossible when field sites are out of network or when issues are too complex for guidance via phone calls. Field service personnel need the right tools to provide managers and customers with updates and access to real-time support.
Similarly, the mobile nature of field service work can present communication issues, especially in more remote areas. Field service workers need high-quality communication tools to ensure that field service employees can reach customers and contact the central office for supplemental support as needed.
With mobile FSM software, techs gain access to knowledge bases, tutorials, and a direct connection to internal field service applications they can use to connect with managers and enter field data.
6. Prioritizing urgent service calls while balancing routine maintenance requests
When service requests in different locations constantly pour in, it can be challenging to prioritize site visits based on urgency and location. Eliminate this stress with field service management software that uses AI and automation to produce optimized dispatch schedules and routes based on all work orders.
7. Ensuring personal safety while working in varying and potentially hazardous environments
Field service employees need to feel supported and safe on the job, as they may be required to enter potentially dangerous environments. Field service managers need to provide their team members with the most up-to-date safety protocol and effective communication channels to ensure they feel safe and cared for daily.
8. Managing and meeting rising customer expectations for rapid and effective service
Customers expect speedy and efficient service, even regarding the most complex technical issues. They may have stayed home from work to allow access to field service technicians and want to get back to their regular schedules. These expectations can be challenging to meet, but field service managers can support their teams with easily accessible training and troubleshooting resources to improve resolution times and keep customers satisfied.
9. Integration of field service management technologies
Field service operations do not exist in a vacuum, so management efforts need to integrate with other business areas and operational applications to function effectively. Otherwise, teams risk productivity loss from redundancies, tech issues, and operator error. Choose a field service management solution that seamlessly integrates with common applications or an API to keep your entire technology stack connected.
Best Practices in Field Service Management
While field operations are unique to their organizations, there are several best practices followed by effective field service managers across industries. Here are some of the most critical best practices seen in field service management:
1. Regularly train and upskill your field technicians
A culture of continuous learning provides wide-ranging benefits for individuals and their organizations, from individual proficiency to employee engagement to elevated customer satisfaction.
Utilize field service training solutions that deliver personalized, digestible learning content to personnel regularly and make it easy for them to interact with that content as needed, on the go. Develop new lessons and update existing content as new technology is rolled out, when protocols change, and when regulations are updated to keep field technicians at the top of their game.
With a digital adoption platform (DAP) like Whatfix, provide in-app training to your field service employees that guides them through their contextual processes step-by-step. These guided learning experiences overlay your field service management software and provide contextual training to your employees.
2. Invest in digital tools that provide in-app guidance and moment of need support for your field service technicians
Field technicians need comprehensive support from management to provide optimal service to customers. Managers aren’t magicians; they also need adequate resources to support their teams best. Use tools like field service management software to automate administrative processes, provide contextual moment-of-need support, and lighten workloads and stress levels.
Modern field service management software with in-app messaging, self-serve knowledge bases, and mobile accessibility helps field service workers help themselves in the field. Maintain direct channels to the central office, through which field techs can seek additional assistance for more complex issues.
With a digital adoption platform (DAP) like Whatfix, you can enable your field service workers with Self Help. Self Help overlays your tablet and mobile application devices, bringing a self-help resource center right into your employees’s workflows. Self Help integrates with your knowledge base, help center, SOPs, training documents, playbooks, and more – providing in-the-field support when your technicians need it.
3. Focus on customer communication and collect feedback
Customers don’t like being left in the dark regarding services they have paid for. Ensure that field service teams communicate arrival times, issue context, and action plans to customers to keep them in the loop and feeling positive about your company’s services.
In addition to standard field service metrics like response time and time to resolution, seek customer feedback to get a more comprehensive idea of their experience with your field service team. Use that feedback to make improvements. This process demonstrates a commitment to strong customer relationships and builds brand loyalty in the long run.
4. Utilize data and analytics for continuous improvement
Effective field service management requires an approach based on continuous improvement. Use data collected from field service activities, like issue reports, visit metrics, and feedback forms, to optimize field service processes. With field service management software, data analytics tools can track all this information and provide intelligent recommendations for process improvement and optimization. Take advantage of these features regularly to keep your team on the cutting edge.
5. Implement preventive maintenance strategies
Field service teams regularly work with complex systems and expensive equipment in potentially hazardous situations. Incorporate and prioritize preventive maintenance into field service operations to resolve issues before they escalate and maximize uptime. Preventive maintenance goes a long way toward cutting costs in terms of both time and resources and keeps customers feeling satisfied with your organization.
6. Ensure safety and compliance standards are met
Safety and compliance are essential components of field service work, not only to protect the organization from liabilities and penalties, but to ensure the safety and well-being of employees, customers, and customer data. Incorporate relevant training, protocol, and reporting activities into field service management plans and include mechanisms for updating training and procedures as regulations and safety situations change.
7. Provide easy access to necessary information, manuals, and customer history
When field service workers arrive at a job, they need to get up to speed quickly, which can be challenging without modern field service management tools. Managers can eliminate frustration and ensure that field representatives can work efficiently by providing instant access to customer history and knowledge databases.
What Is Field Service Management Software?
Field service management software – designed to optimize all field service activities from a centralized digital hub. Most field service management software includes these critical features:
- Mobile field service apps and tablets
- Scheduling and dispatching
- Customer communication and service management
- Billing and payment processing
- Enterprise asset management and equipment monitoring
- Inventory management
Future Trends in Field Service Management
Constantly evolving technology and customer expectations have brought field service into the digital age with no signs of slowing any time soon. In coming years, there are several trends sure to shape the evolution of field service management:
1. Adoption of augmented reality (AR) for remote assistance
Augmented reality, technology that integrates digital content with a user’s environment in real time, is becoming increasingly common in field service. AR can be utilized to provide on-the-job guidance and assist with remote troubleshooting through the use of tablets or phones, superimposing instructions onto real-life work environments. AR also empowers field service personnel to tap into manager expertise for in-the-moment guidance and collaboration.
By streamlining issue resolution, AR can increase system uptime, reduce truck rolls, and improve first-time fix rates.
2. Increased use of drones for inspection and monitoring
Using drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), to conduct visual inspections has become increasingly popular in field service management – especially in utility and infrastructure. With drone inspection and monitoring, UAVs are fitted with cameras that can collect visual, spatial, and thermal data to determine the status of different assets and whether an in-person inspection or repair is necessary.
This can benefit organizations by identifying risks, improving safety by reducing the frequency with which techs enter dangerous situations, and optimizing the expenditure of resources and expenses.
3. Greater reliance on predictive analytics for maintenance
With predictive analytics, field service managers can leverage data on asset conditions and performance, energy efficiency, and safety risks to make informed decisions and create customized maintenance strategies for different equipment and assets. With these tools, field service software can predict equipment failures, pinpoint trends, and generate response recommendations.
Predictive analytics helps field service teams address problems before they escalate, improving uptime and allowing for better overall service. As technology becomes more and more advanced, predictive maintenance is sure to become a priority across industries.
4. Expanding integration of IoT devices
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are hardware programmed to interact with their environment and transmit data over a certain network – some common IoT devices are security cameras and smart thermostats. As IoT devices have become more common, field service technicians spend less time pinpointing issues and more time resolving them.
These devices provide real-time data for remote asset and equipment monitoring, which can facilitate preventive and predictive maintenance as well as inventory management to improve customer service and optimize operations. In the long run, integration of IoT devices helps field service teams reduce costs and provide better, more efficient service for optimal customer satisfaction.
5. AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly versatile and valuable in recent years, making it highly applicable to just about every area of field service operations. Without a doubt, the integration of AI will continue to permeate field service operations. With smart field service management tools, AI can automate scheduling and dispatch, execute predictive maintenance, and provide high-quality, personalized service to customers. Ultimately, integrating AI into field service operations creates a more solid foundation for field service managers and their employees to focus on their core responsibilities: maintaining and repairing assets and equipment in the field.
Facilitate your team’s adoption of field service management tools and workflows with Whatfix. With Whatfix, create in-app guided experiences that overlay your field service management software workflows, guiding employees through critical processes. Whatfix Self Help enables technicians to receive on-demand help.
With powerful behavior analytics, Whatfix helps managers identify gaps and optimize use to keep field service teams operating efficiently.
With Whatfix, enable your service technicians in the field with:
- Guided Flows to support field technician process governance: Digital adoption platforms provide field service technicians with guided experiences that ensure they follow the optimal process steps and user journeys. This empowers IT teams to build process governance and that technicians follow the correct paths
- Self Help to resolve common field challenges, troubleshooting, and finding support resources: Most DAPs include knowledge bases that can be populated with helpful information and how-to guides. This makes providing 24/7 support for field service workers easy and frees managers’ time to help with complex issues. With Whatfix Self Help, integrate your knowledge base, help desk, SOPs, process documents, and more into one searchable knowledge base that overlays your FSM software and enables your technicians at any time in the flow of work.
- Field Validations to ensure all data is collected (and in the correct format): Field validation is an automated process that ensures information is entered into forms correctly before it’s accepted. This helps ensure field service teams are consistently collecting organized, accurate records. With the amount of documentation involved in field service compliance and quality assurance, digital adoption platforms with built-in field validation can help improve data collection processes and prevent issues down the line.
- Smart Tips to enable field technicals with contextual knowledge at critical points in their tasks: Digital adoption platforms include in-app messaging to guide field service employees through challenges when they need support. Smart tips can be set to appear as messages or icons when employees take specific actions within an application. Get them what they need more quickly. This tool helps field service employees navigate software without navigating away for support resources or seeking assistance when they hit a simple roadblock.
Partnering with Whatfix can transform how your organization supports its field service workforce. The digital adoption platform revolutionizes the way your teams interact with their field service management software. By leveraging in-app messaging and robust data analytics, Whatfix delivers contextual guidance directly within the applications your employees use daily. This approach not only simplifies the user experience but also helps employees maximize their efficiency and effectiveness by providing real-time, step-by-step guidance tailored to their needs.
Discover how Whatfix can elevate your support for field service employees and drive your business success.
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