5 Features Field Service Management Software Solutions Must Have

Businesses that operate with most employees and inventory out in the field have different needs when it comes to management software. Field service management software solutions have been hard to come by for a company who needs to track everything without access to it.

Field service businesses rely heavily on self reporting to track their employees. This is often where many excess costs and resources go.  When employees aren’t at the office or nearby any other employees, morale is more likely to slip and managers will never know.

Tracking parts of the business is the most effective way to manage it from a distance.  CRM systems designed as field service management software solutions are masters at tracking everything from employees to customer communications.

Purpose of CRM for field staff

The purpose of a CRM for a business with field staff should be more than just tracking client communications and automating sales emails.  A CRM that was made to help a business with managing field staff and service calls needs to serve multiple purposes.

With an online CRM system field staff can access their schedules, updated client requests and communication from management at the click of a button.  Filling out reports at the end of a repair or installation is another one of the purposes a CRM for field staff serves.

An effective field service management software functions like a CRM.

Without the tracking features that are offered by the best CRM systems online, field service management software falls short of what the industry needs.  Managers of field staff have a long list of things to track. Worrying about progress on a project or the location of an employee takes up a large amount of time for managers that aren’t using a field service management software that acts like a CRM.

While each service based business is different, a company that is largely comprised of field based service needs to be able to track employees, customer interactions and invoicing all at once.  The best CRM systems of 2019 include features that are designed with field service and job sites in mind.

5 features a field service CRM should have

Field service CRM software should easily integrate into the daily routine of technicians and installers.  Often they are already too busy to fill out paperwork and remember to check in so the right CRM system keeps that in mind.  Making the focus of a field service CRM the employees who use it results in an increase in both profits and customer satisfaction.

1: Field service scheduling software that tracks employees, inventory and fleet.

When most of your team is driving to service calls and job sites making sure that everyone knows where they are going and what they are doing is a time consuming job.  Often it takes the help of all the of the office staff to keep up with who is supposed to be where.  A CRM with a field service scheduling software built in helps automate the communication and updates about scheduling and job expectations.  The best CRM systems have GPS and inventory tracking software built in as well.  This way everyone has access to who is where, in what fleet vehicle and what they have on board to complete a service call.  With this kind of tracking a quick glance and the push of the button takes the place of finding paperwork and making phone calls.

2: Mobile field service software must be accessible from anywhere

Without a CRM that has mobile field service software integrated, staff that works in the field will almost never be connected to the system at the office.  When the software that tracks work orders, progress, and customer requests is accessible from a mobile app, field staff have more knowledge and feel more confident doing their jobs.

Without mobile field service software, technicians and field staff are out of the loop and often that shows in the way they engage with customers.  Lack of communication isn’t a worry with a CRM system that tracks information and makes it accessible from any device that can get online.

3: Field service management software should track customer interactions

Customers are the bread and butter of the business.  Keeping their trust turns them into word of mouth referrals and long term buyers.  Service technicians that arrive late without notifying customers and field staff that seem to be unaware what the customer told the person on the phone are the most common reasons customers say they lose confidence in a company.

When the field service management software solves those problems automatically both technicians and managers see a decrease in time spent trying to figure out what they are doing and for which customer.  Tracking customer communication puts everyone in the business on the same page and that kind of awareness makes customers feel important and valued.

4: Field service reporting software should allow for customizable reports

When staff is out in the field knowing how they spent their day and what kind of quality they are producing is a challenge for managers.  A CRM with a customizable field service reporting software is essential to managing progress and quality with field staff.  Creating reports that update managers on what they need to know helps hold employees accountable.

Managers can keep track of which projects are on track and which staff members are achieving success.  With reports designed specifically for the managers eye, finding out what is going on with the business is barely more than a glance at the screen.  Accurate reporting from a field service reporting software helps managers make accurate decisions about staffing and deadlines.

5: Field service accounting software integration and easy to create cost estimates

A CRM system that allows field staff to accurately and quickly provide estimates help customers feel more at ease that your company will do the job right.  Invoicing and payments are a challenge without a field service accounting software that integrates with payment processors.  Collecting payments is easier for field staff it all happens in one place.

Businesses providing services in the field should consider an online CRM software that meets their needs.  Tracking employees, inventory, fleet and customer interaction are among some of the many features that CRM Runner has to offer for field based businesses.  To learn more about how the features of CRM Runner are a field service management software solution, click here to sign up for a free trial.