Companies who have a lot of remote workers cannot afford to ignore the importance of field service management software. As a leader in charge of field services, there are certain things you need to do to choose the best field service management software. Here are four best practices you need to adopt when choosing field service software.

1. Understand Your Business Needs

Field service software requires a great deal of money and time to review, purchase and implement. Therefore, you need to make sure it is performing as per the expectations of your business. Define clearly what improvements you expect to achieve when you use the software. Document your business processes and come up with an effective strategy that will help you measure success. In addition, ask the vendor if he can help you calculate the return on investment of the software.

2. Do Some Research

Don’t just settle for the first field service software you come across. Instead, look for at least three software from different manufacturers and compare them. Check the features of each software and compare them against the needs of the business. In order to do this effectively, come up with a document that details the software requirements. Make sure the document contains must-have features and those that can be ignored. Talk to each vendor and ask them if they can address each requirement. Choose the one who can address most (if not all) of the requirements.

3. Ask the Technicians in the Field

You have to engage the field technicians. They are the ones that interact directly with your customers most often. Let them be involved in the selection of the field management software. They are the ones who know what customers expect and what challenges they encounter. This way, you will avoid field resistance to the new software. You will also be in a position to discover some great ideas on how to improve your services. Only bring on board technicians that have a lot of experience in the field. Also, involve those who are technology savvy.

4. Consider Field Service Management Trends

Get up to speed with the latest trends in field service management technology. Research new and effective technologies and make sure the vendor includes them in the software before you buy it. Consider software that is available in the SaaS and club-based platforms. Consider new technologies that enable recoding and accessibility for site customer, inventory, and warranty and inspection information. In order to make the right choice, you must be familiar with the mobile-based device options and operating systems. You must also be able to identify your most preferred deployment model and document the systems you plan to integrate the new field service software with.