The Evolution of Field Service Dispatch Software

For repair service businesses, the history of the field service dispatch software—or field service management software—is relatively short. Although field service management technology isn’t new to enterprise-level organizations, the efficiency and convenience was out of reach for smaller service repair businesses due to cost and scope.

In the past, the available solutions for smaller businesses were like using a Boeing 747 jet to deliver pizza across town. Old solutions were too complex and far too expensive, from infrastructure to implementation, making field service dispatch software completely out of reach.

However, over the past decade field service dispatch software solutions started harnessing the power of the cloud, making software solutions an affordable game-changer for many service repair businesses.

Read up on the best ways field service management software solutions can keep you as efficient as possible.

Using SaaS to Keep Up with Customer Demand

As people got used to a Netflix and Amazon Prime-style world, they started expecting the same ease everywhere. Customers began to want—and demand—a much more automated, paperless, on-demand world no matter what they were doing, from ordering a pizza to depositing a check.

Service repair businesses that still required manual scheduling, estimates, and in-person billing transactions started losing customers to businesses that enabled customers to do everything online.

When smartphones became ubiquitous, repair service customers were looking for an app, not an hours-long service window. That’s where field service management software as a solution (SaaS) became a game changer. Customers noticed when service repair businesses started narrowing their service windows and improved communication—and they started telling their friends.

Using the vast flexibility of the cloud, solutions emerged that help repair service businesses easily do things like:

• • Make scheduling easier
  • Narrow the dreaded service window
  • Simplify communication between field techs and customers

All the pieces of comprehensive field service management software were coming together, but it wasn’t perfect. Customers were seeing a difference, but operational efficiencies were still not quite there.

As solutions hit the market, obvious gaps started showing. Accounting software integration, visibility into the field, and billing weren’t as seamless as they needed to be, which sometimes created more manual tasks and workarounds. That defeated the purpose of an easy field dispatch software solution.

Bringing the Field Service Management Pieces Together

In recent years, cloud solutions have come a long way. With consumer and staff needs and demands as guides, field service management software companies started developing more sophisticated, yet easier-to-use solutions. Instead of having disparate features and services, solutions started coming together and offering more, including GPS for better field visibility and easier integration with accounting software like QuickBooks.

All of this helped to free businesses from paper and time in the office. Before long, having the right field service dispatch software made it possible to do business from anywhere. (Something that came in very handy when 2020 and the pandemic came around.)

Making Dispatch Software Easy for Everyone to Use

These days, the top field service dispatch software solutions make it simple for everyone to use, from the operations manager and office staff to field technicians and customers. With convenient monthly payments and no big-commitment contracts, field service businesses started realizing how much a top-quality SaaS solution could help them grow their business.

And getting started can be really easy.

Today’s solutions can track each technician’s capabilities, keep managers in touch with field technicians, and give customers the ease and flexibility of online invoicing and payment. If your SaaS solution has the best features, it can help you:

• • Eliminate the dreaded service window
  • Ensure the right technician gets assigned to the right job
  • Provide better customer service by meeting their expectations
  • Create long-term relationships with customers by making their lives easier
  • Do your job from anywhere and eliminate paperwork
  • Create more efficient operations across the board

RELATED ARTICLE: Can Dispatch Software Replace a Service Dispatcher?

Choosing the Right Field Service Dispatch Software Solution

These days, there’s no shortage of field service dispatch software solutions. Although all of them promise to transform your operations, they’re not all the same—not by a long shot.

When choosing the solution that’s right for your business, make sure it’s a solution that’s easy to implement, intuitive for all users, and that it doesn’t include hidden costs down the road—like paying for software upgrades. Additionally, it’s wise to choose a field service management software solution that offers an easy and affordable month-to-month subscription.

Service Fusion’s field service dispatch software solution gives you enterprise-level solutions at an affordable price. See how much easier and more profitable your service repair business can get. Request a Service Fusion demo.