When we sit to plan, many of us think we need all the features, but with our experience, we have seen that more than 70% of the features are hardly used. So, the first step is to evaluate what features your team actually needs. We created an exhaustive list of features that constitute field service software so that you can prioritize what you need.
Read on for the features checklist, but if you also want an exhaustive list of integrations to prioritize in a field service software, you can go here.
To help you choose the right software, we also prepared a blog about the top 10 field service software. You can find the blog here.
What is Field Service Software or FSM?
Field Service Management software, also known as FSM software or Field Service software, solves your automation requirements into a single software on the device of the field service agent.
Field Service Software is known globally to help companies manage and optimize the business activities performed by field-based workers.
How to use the Feature Checklist?
You need to prioritize features such as P1, P2, and P3. This way you know what features you need, what are good to have and what you don’t want for your team today. The definition is as follows,
P1: High Priority
P2: Low Priority
P3: Not needed
Feature Checklist for FSM Software
1. Scheduling
You can create and update a job/site and assign it to your team who work out in the field and have different appointments or job sites to go to.
Priority: [____]
2. Invoicing
You can convert the completed job details into automated invoices and notify customers with all the essential details like job description, total, due date, payment options, etc.
Priority: [____]
3. Customer Management
Your teams can view and update customer records that include details like contact info, job history, past quotes, notes, payments, and so on.
Priority: [____]
4. Online Request
Customers can request quotes, and book and cancel appointments online. The team can add notes and photos to the request form during the job and can copy all the customer details from request to quote.
Priority: [____]
5. Online Booking through Google search
You can connect your software with Local Services Ads and whenever a customer searches for service on Google, they can see your services and book appointments right away.
Priority: [____]
6. Customer Notifications
Notify customers with automated emails/SMS when the job is booked, to reschedule an appointment, or when an employee is on the way.
Priority: [____]
7. Customer Portal
Customers can request work, confirm appointment details, approve quotes and pay invoices through a self-serve portal.
Priority: [____]
8. Create Custom Workflows
You can create custom workflows/checklists to capture data during field operations.
Priority: [____]
9. GPS Tracking/Map View
You can see where your teams are so that you can track their progress and schedule their day accordingly.
Priority: [____]
10. Routing & Optimization
You can optimize the time and cost by planning routes for your field force and assigning tasks to nearby team members located on the map.
Priority: [____]
11. Employee Timesheet Management
You can keep a track of your field staff’s clock-in and clock-out time along with extra hours and leaves that can help you in tracking their progress and payroll.
Priority: [____]
12. In-App Communication
Teams can directly chat through the app to notify about new tasks, complete tasks, and ask for help. Communicate with customers regarding job updates, invoices, reviews, etc.
Priority: [____]
13. Reports and Analytics
You can customize your reports and dashboards to view the data that matters most and analyze information like job performance, employee progress, finances, clients’ data, etc.
Priority: [____]
14. Capture Digital Signature
You can capture customers’ signatures on the field digitally to reduce time spent on paperwork.
Priority: [____]
15. Employee Notifications
You can notify employees by sending automated emails/SMS when certain events happen like a job is scheduled, canceled, or even updated.
Priority: [____]
16. Inventory Management
You can manage inventory to avoid over-stocking and under-stocking. It provides capabilities like real-time tracking of inventory levels, reordering stocks and spares, and easily finding and returning faulty spare parts.
Priority: [____]
17. Quote Creation
You can create quotes and customize them with templates, and display details of the job along with the pictures taken on-site assessments.
Priority: [____]
18. Markups
You can view the estimated margins on your quotes by entering costs and markups and modifying the pricing accordingly.
Priority: [____]
19. Consumer Financing
You can give your customers an option to pay over time as the job completes. In this way, you can win bigger projects and customers can get better and faster services.
Priority: [____]
20. Payment Deposit Requests
You can send custom automated emails and text follow-ups to request customers about quote approval and timely payments.
Priority: [____]
21. Quote Approval and Follow-Ups
Customers can approve the quotes or request changes to the quotes with just a few clicks.
Priority: [____]
22. Payments
You can improve your cash flow with hassle-free payments. An automated invoice is sent to the customer and they can pay digitally through their debit/credit cards.
Priority: [____]
23. Offline Access
It provides the ability to capture data in the field without access to the internet and data will be automatically synced when connected to the internet.
Priority: [____]
24. Mobile-Friendly
Your on-ground teams can access the software through mobile phones. They can add and update data, status, etc while working on fields.
Priority: [____]
25. Email Marketing
Automatically sync customers’ details and create custom email designs through drag-and-drop options to run email campaigns. You can also send personalized postcards for birthdays, reminders, etc.
Priority: [____]
26. Job checklists/Forms
You can create custom job checklists to provide required information and to-dos to your employees and standardize workflows.
Priority: [____]
27. Service Authorization Forms
You can capture key information during service calls through these job forms. You can capture details like service authorization date, job details, customer approval, etc.
Priority: [____]
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This way you can understand what features you need before choosing the right Field Service Software for your team. But most FSM Software are all-in-one software that come with many features, some of them are undesired and will hamper the team’s adoption.
So instead, we recommend using a no-code tool like Utilize to build your own app with just the features you need.
Here is a sample app built for a field service team with site inspection processes.
Get started with Utilize now!
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