FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

What Is Field Service Management Software?

Field Service Management Software (FSM) are cloud-based platforms that help field service businesses streamline day-to-day operations and grow revenue. FSMs do this by helping businesses facilitate a wide range of business functions such as job management, scheduling, dispatching, generating estimates and invoices, payment processing, and more — all in a single platform. 

What Are the Common Features of Field Service Management Software?

Field service call booking: FSMs typically offer some type of job booking system to record customer information and job details while on the phone with customers or prospects. With ServiceTitan call booking, CSRs and back-office staff benefit from: 

• Seeing who’s calling before picking up the line (greeting customers by name).

• Having customer information automatically populate into the appropriate fields as calls come in.

• Guided workflows that ensure they ask all of the necessary questions.

• The ability to view property data that can help spot sales opportunities.

Field service scheduling software: FSMs provide scheduling systems to book jobs with customers and assign technicians to jobs based on their availability. With ServiceTitan, CSRs and office staff benefit from:

• Being able to access scheduling directly from the call booking page.

• Easily viewing technician availability that automatically filters for technicians with the correct skill sets for the job. 

• Adjustable capacity planning that allows you to automate the implementation of a capacity planning strategy, such as creating more or less calendar space for certain types of jobs.

Field service dispatch software: FSMs generally offer dispatching functionality to help get the right technicians to the right jobs. With ServiceTitan, dispatchers benefit from:

• Intelligent scheduling optimization that assigns technicians to jobs based on geographical proximity and route efficiency.

• The ability to easily navigate last-minute scheduling curveballs such as car trouble, traffic delays, etc.

• Being able to send and receive SMS messages with technicians right from their dispatch board.

• Automated job confirmations that save CSRs from the need to make confirmation calls, and help you stop wasting time on no-shows.

Field service mobile app: FSMs typically provide a technician mobile app that empowers technicians with the tools they need to succeed in the field. With ServiceTitan, field techs benefit from:

• Access to detailed customer histories including previous estimates, recurring services, existing equipment, previous invoices, photos, and videos from previous jobs, and more.

• Job forms that require customer signatures such as warranty agreements, as well as forms that foster accountability and better customer service (such as service and installation checklists, or pre-appointment customer experience checklists).

• Seamless pricebook integration that allows techs to build attractive estimates and multi-option proposals on the fly, right from their mobile device.

• The ability to easily generate invoices and send them to customers in a variety of ways.

• The ability to accept payments from customers on-site via check or credit card. 

• An intuitive and user-friendly interface for field service teams.

• Offline functionality that gives techs access to all key features even when they’re out of cell service zones.

Field service quoting and estimates: FSMs offer features for building quotes and estimates from the office or field. With ServiceTitan, service businesses benefit from:

• Access to pre-built estimate templates for common jobs to reduce the time it takes to deliver quotes to customers.

• The ability to create Good-Better-Best proposals with a series of options to help increase average ticket prices.

• Seamless pricebook integration that ensures accurate pricing.

• The ability to include images, videos, and other compelling details such as energy savings that aid in the sales process.

Field service work order software: FSMs generally offer features to create, track, and facilitate work order management throughout the job lifecycle. With ServiceTitan, service businesses benefit from:

• Automated work-order creation based on customer and job details collected during the call booking and estimating processes. 

• The ability to create or access work orders from the office via our desktop application, or the field via our mobile app.

• Work-order updates rolling out in real-time.

• Direct connection of work orders, purchase orders, and inventory management. 

Field service invoicing software: FSMs usually offer capabilities for creating and managing invoicing and billing, along with accepting payments. With ServiceTitan, businesses benefit from:

• Invoices that are automatically populated based on sold estimates and work that’s been performed throughout a job. 

• The ability to easily send invoices to customers from the field or office.

• Links within invoices that allow customers to pay their bills online.

• Seamless integration into ServiceTitan’s accounting features.

Field service accounting software and integrations: FSMs tend to offer accounting features or integrations that help to streamline field service accounting processes. With ServiceTitan, businesses benefit from:

• Real-time financials that are updated automatically as jobs are completed in the field. 

• The ability to click and view job costs from any invoice in real-time (which isn’t possible in traditional accounting software such as QuickBooks).

• Efficiency gains that provide a greater ability to scale your business without adding to your accounting team. 

• Integrations with top accounting platforms such as QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, and Viewpoint Vista.

Field service CRM software: FSMs often provide customer relationship management features or integrations with popular CRM software. With ServiceTitan, service businesses benefit from:

• Call booking workflows that allow CSRs to make better first impressions and provide top-notch customer satisfaction over the phone. 

• Automated job confirmations and notifications that keep customers up to date on their appointments.

• Convenient online payment options via our technician mobile app and customer portal.

• Follow-up functionality that helps ensure follow-up happens, helping you to close more unsold estimates.

• Optional add-on features to drive more revenue with done-for-you email marketing campaigns.

Field service inventory management: FSMs generally provide some type of inventory management system, or integration to connect your field service operations to your inventory management system. With ServiceTitan, service providers benefit from:

• The ability to view and filter through all of their inventory to get the information they need, from item names and codes to quantities on hand or on order.

• Automated tracking of equipment and materials by location (ie. truck, warehouse, etc.), and real-time updates to reflect the number of items needed in a given location.

• Purchase order management to requisition equipment and materials for jobs, create and send purchase orders to the appropriate vendors, and track those orders through fulfillment.

• Workflows for managing adjustments, returns, warranty parts tracking, and more. 

Field service GPS tracking: FSMs often provide some form of GPS tracking that allows dispatchers to know where their techs are throughout the day, anticipate delays or potential issues, and optimize technician routes. With ServiceTitan, field service companies benefit from:

• Optimized technician routing that helps businesses get the right techs to the right jobs at the right times.

• Seamless integration with timesheets to accurately reflect working time, which helps you audit time spent on visits for billing and payroll.

Field service reporting software: FSMs generally provide reporting and/or dashboard features to track key performance indicators (KPIs) from revenue and profitability to employee performance. With ServiceTitan, field service business owners and managers benefit from:

• Customizable dashboards that can be tailored to display the metrics and KPIs that mean the most to your business. 

• Real-time reporting data that’s automatically updated as jobs are completed in the field.

• The ability to view high-level metrics such as revenue and trends by day, week, or month — or just as easily drill down into fine details such as job costing data for a specific job.

• Access to real-time data about field technician and CSR performance to hold teams accountable, spot coaching opportunities, and maintain visibility throughout the business.

Field service time tracking software: FSMs often include timesheets and/or time tracking functionality to help streamline payroll. With ServiceTitan, service businesses benefit from:

• Having technicians’ drive time, vendor runs, and wrench time automatically documented on their timesheets.

• Clock in and clock out from the same digital workspace.

• Integration with ServiceTitan dispatching so your team always knows who’s available for the next job.

• Each employee is able to digitally sign off on their timesheet at the end of a pay period to ensure its accuracy.

Field service project management software: Some FSM platforms offer features that help to facilitate project management for complex jobs. With ServiceTitan, service providers benefit from:

• Project tracking tools that help you accurately track progress and profits, in real-time, from one place. 

• Real-time visibility for every line item, so every project stays on budget.

• Automated generation of applications for payment to efficiently manage progress billing.

• Project job costing to know sooner if a project is off track, allowing  time to fix the problem to protect profit.

Field service job costing software: Some FSMs provide job costing features to track costs and monitor profitability for projects. With ServiceTitan, service businesses and project managers benefit from:

• Job costing flyouts that give you a quick breakdown of job costs based on materials, equipment, PO, commissions and labor burden so you can see your profit on every type of job. 

• Real-time updates from your whole team—from inventory and payroll managers to the foreman and technicians on the job site.

• Project Summaries that help you stay on top of your accounts receivable and improve cash flow.

Why Use Field Service Management Software?

Increased operational efficiency: FSMs empower you to gain accountability and control of your entire business operation by scaling automated processes and improving efficiency. Related ServiceTitan features include: customizable dashboards, real-time reports, adjustable capacity planning, and more.

Improved customer experiences: FSMs allow you to deliver modern experiences with less effort, more purpose, and greater success to satisfy and exceed customer expectations. Related ServiceTitan features include: automated job confirmations and technician bios, real-time customer notifications, convenient payment and financing options, and more.

Increased profitability: Boost profits and productivity with sales tools and workflows that save time, reduce effort on behalf of your team, and help replicate and scale success. Related ServiceTitan features include: estimates, follow ups, service agreements, custom forms, and more.

Who Needs Field Service Management Software?

Field service management solutions are beneficial for a wide variety of field service industries, including trades such as HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, as well as businesses in healthcare, oil and gas, fire safety, pest control, industrial engineering, facilities management, property management, and more.

ServiceTitan’s field service management solution is tailored for the following industries:

• HVAC

• Plumbing

• Electrical

• Garage door

• Chimney sweep

• Septic 

• Roofing

• Irrigation 

• Water treatment

• Appliance repair

• Alarm

• Pool service

• Landscaping

• Lawn care

• Pest control

• Air duct cleaning

• Commercial food equipment

• Audio visual

• Locksmith

• Painting

• Residential construction and remodeling

Factors to Consider When Buying Field Service Management Software

Is it an all-in-one platform? Some field service management software rely on lots of third-party integrations to support users with the features they need, while others build these features natively into their platforms. In our experience, field service companies benefit more from true all-in-one platforms, such as ServiceTitan, which rely minimally on third-party integrations and therefore offer a more seamless user experience to service businesses. 

What industries do they specialize in? Some field service software is generalized to serve many industries, while others are more focused and specialized in serving a specific set of field service industries. Often, businesses can benefit more from platforms that provide specialized software for their industry. For example, ServiceTitan has been customized to serve HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and select other industries. So, the features we build are highly tailored to the specific workflows and needs of these industries.

Is the platform built to scale as you grow? For many service businesses, it can be tempting to opt for less robust software solutions when first investing in an FSM. However, migrating a business to run on field service software costs time and money. So, it’s important to take into account what your longer-term goals are and invest in a software solution such as ServiceTitan that is built to grow with you. This will help avoid the switching costs of finding another new tool once you reach the limits of your initial service.

Is the platform easy to use? The intuitiveness of field service software varies from platform to platform. To get the maximum value and usage out of your software, and ensure that your employees actually like using it, it’s essential to choose a platform that is easy to use in both the office and field.

What resources does the platform offer to help you get the most out of their product? An undervalued aspect of choosing field service management software is considering what resources they offer to help you get maximum value out of their product. At ServiceTitan, users benefit from access to the following:

• Titan Exchange: A cloud-based platform for sharing assets such as contracts, templates, checklists, and other valuable information.

• ServiceTitan Community: A users-only message board to share ideas for our software and business in general. 

• Titan Advisor: A personalized assistant to help you better utilize the platform and accomplish your goals.

• Certified Admin Program: Our Certified Administrator program provides a structured approach to increasing knowledge on ServiceTitan, as well as constant and continuing education on the software.

• Free Peer-Group Training: A program run by ServiceTitan employees through Ember and Spark sessions, designed to share best practices.

Many ServiceTitan users find these resources invaluable for getting the most out of our platform, as well as staying up to date with best practices and strategies that are working for other companies. 

How Do The Best Field Service Management Software Compare?

From the surface, field service software solutions almost all list the same sets of features ( scheduling and dispatching, customer management, invoicing, etc.). However, the way that these platforms work in practice and the specific ways their features function often vary quite a lot. And as a result, it’s helpful to understand the nuanced differences between products before you buy.

Visit ServiceTitan’s comparison hub for head-to-head comparisons between our product, and popular platforms such as Housecall Pro, Jobber, Service Fusion, and more.