If you’re running a business where part of your team is in the field and part of your team is in the office, you need a way to keep them connected for everything to continue running smoothly. Back in the day, businesses used to this by phone. And you can use the phone to stay in touch with your team in the field today as well. But there are also much better ways of keeping track of everyone and managing their work. Nowadays when everyone is carrying laptops, tablets, and smartphones all the time, you can rely on modern technology instead. In our years of experience with moving companies specifically, Movers Development has seen quite a few different technological solutions to streamlining, automating, and optimizing field service management. And today, we’re sharing with you our list of the best field service management software that you should consider for your moving business.
What is field service management software?
Field service management software (or FSM software) is a type of software that helps companies keep track of personnel in the field, the requests they’re fulfilling, and overall operations. It is typically used by businesses that have portions of their workers providing services out of office. Consequently, it is very common in industries like:
- shipping and delivery,
- plumbing and repairs,
- moving,
- e-commerce,
- dispatching, and similar.
Why should you invest in the best field service management software?
If you’re running a business in which some of your employees are out in the field, you should definitely consider investing in FSM software. You might be wondering whether this is worth your money and whether you should invest in a moving calculator or something else your customers will like instead. But the truth is that good FSM software can help you resolve a lot of issues and provide better services. It’ll improve scheduling, resource allocation, and communication. By ensuring that you’re not underusing or overusing your resources and always have the right people in the right places, it’ll cut costs and improve the experience of your customers. That’s certainly a worthy investment.
What to look for in the best field service management software?
Even the absolute best software in the world is not always suitable for every business. So whenever you’re looking for moving software, you should try to find something that fits your specific needs. That said, there are certain things you should look for in FSM software to ensure you’re getting a quality program. Good FSM software should have tools that help you:
- book customer appointments, track orders or set up tickets for requests
- schedule different workers and teams
- manage worker activity (through driver logs, status updates, or time tracking, for example)
- locate vehicles and workers easily
- do inventory, accounting, in-voicing, and similar back-office activities
Top 4 best field service management software on the market today
Nobody knows your business better than you. Consequently, nobody can tell you exactly which software will work best for you and your team. But based on previous experience of other businesses, we can recommend certain well-rated FSM programs that will help you allocate resources, coordinate workers, and keep your customers in the loop. These are the five best-performing FSM software on the market today:
Service Fusion
With its intuitive user interface and all-in-one platform, Service Fusion is probably the easiest-to-use FSM software out there. So even if you’ve never used anything similar before and aren’t very tech-savvy, you should have no problems here. It’s suitable for business of all sizes too, which makes it perfect for those just starting out as well as those who are already well established in their industries.
It combines a number of functions, including billing and invoicing, worker dispatch, invoice creation and distribution, work order management, automatic population of payrolls, real-time communication through text, and more. Pricing starts at $99/month with unfortunately no free trial.
Jobber
Although it is mostly popular in the residential service industry (plumbing, HVAC, landscaping, etc), Jobber deserves consideration from any business due to being highly flexible and customizable. It is best suited to mid-sized companies and teams. Among its many features are tools for:
- managing all teams and operations from a single dashboard
- tracking client details
- real-time scheduling and dispatching
- streamlining payments with batch invoicing, automated reminders of due payments, and an option to text quotes and invoices
- online booking and payments
Pricing starts at $29/month for a single user or $99/month for up to seven users with a 14-day free trial.
Verizon Connect
If you have a small team, then Verizon Connect is perfect for you. It allows you to track workers in the field in real-time, dispatch them quickly with just a text message, and even track assets. Billing and invoicing through the software is not possible. But for keeping track of your team, it’s great! Pricing depends on the package you choose so make sure to fill out the survey on their website for a quote.
mHelpDesk
With end-to-end job management, mHelpDesk is a great tool when you want to automate tasks and streamline processes by integrating everything into a single software. It uses a web and mobile app to allow for easy access from any device with an internet connection. You’ll be able to manage workflow, schedule jobs, track your team, communicate with your staff through text, collect and process payments in the field, and even communicate with customers. Get a quote for information on pricing!
Choosing the best field service management software for your business
Although you can’t really go wrong with any of these options, it’s still important to choose the best field service management software for your business specifically. So think about the challenges that your team faces. If your biggest problems are with billing and invoicing then Verizon Connect is probably not the right software for you. If you have a very large team, then software for mid-sized businesses like Jobber might not be the best choice. It’s all about finding the right fit for your team. So do your research and take advantage of every free trial you can until you find something that works for you.
