By David Crary 
Our Green Industry Benchmark Report showed that businesses using field service software are much more likely to have higher year-over-year revenue growth and much less likely to have seen their revenue decline.
But not all field service software is created equal. The survey also showed that revenue growth among HindSite users was even better than those using other field service software. So it’s important that you do your research when buying field service software.
For instance, ask yourself What is my price range and pricing structure needed? What features do I need? What devices can my technicians use out in the field?
Pricing – Depending on the field service industry your business is in, pricing and its structure can play a crucial role in determining the correct field service software for your business. A lot of field service industry businesses start out of a garage or are referred to as “mom-n-pop” shops. They are fairly small and don’t have an abundance of cash to put towards a software solution. You will want to consider both the costs of the software and how you will be charged throughout the year.
When I owned an irrigation business, we had the winters off, due to living in Minnesota. I know that paying for an entire crew that wasn’t actually working from November until March or April would simply not be an option. A solution that does now allow for leniency based on my business structure, would not be an option for me as a small business owner.
There are other businesses, however, that are working year round. They can afford to pay for a software solution throughout the entire year. What they will want to consider then, is what about the extras. Am I paying for support? Am I paying for updates or upgrades to the system?
Field service software solutions will offer pricing such as:
- Payments per month
- Payments per year
- A large, one-time lump sum with an annual or monthly support fee
· Features – Features are a huge deciding factor when researching field service software. Will the software you are reviewing do everything you need it to?
A field service software solution should ultimately collect and provide information from the time the customer calls in until the invoice is sent to the customer. Some of the features you will absolutely want to be sure your software has are:
- Scheduling
- Routing
- Contact management
- Contract maintenance
- Application or ability to run in field
- Ability to send information to your accounting program
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Devices – There is nothing more frustrating than purchasing an entirely new system and finding out you do not have the equipment necessary to run it. . You can hardly own a new phone for longer than a few months before something better or more advanced comes along.
Each software solution will be different when it comes to which devices they will and will not work with. A few factors you will want to consider when it comes to looking into field service software are:
- Which field devices can the system run on?
- Is the software a Cloud based or Desktop based system?
- Will you need to buy new devices to run the system or do your technicians have the appropriate devices already?
When it comes to purchasing a field service software there are many factors that should be addressed before one is chosen. For more information about getting the most out of your software, check out Empowering Your Green Industry Business with Technology.