Choosing the right field service management (FSM) solution for your company is a vital and challenging task.

A good field service management system improves ROI, day-to-day operations, and productivity while reducing overheads and costs. The task can be difficult because there are so many options.

How do you decide? After many years of experience in field service management, we have noticed that each solution turned out to be unique in its own way.

To make your job easier, we are providing you with the 6 steps to consider when choosing your FSM solution.

1. What is your ambition and goal as a company?

This is the first step you need to look at. To avoid buyers’ anguish, it is important to make choices about what you want to achieve in the next 3-5 years. Understanding WHY you need a new solution can help you make a successful choice.

Ask yourself the following:

  • What are your main business goals in terms of growth and profitability?
  • Are you after a specific direction?
  • Will you continue to use the same service in 3-5 years, or will you add a new one?

2. What do you really need from the solution?

When considering FSM options, you need to examine the following factors about the solution provider:

  • B2B and B2C: What are the most used solutions?
  • How are installation and support provided? Are they using subcontractors or internal resources?
  • Are different levels of subscription offered? Is it possible to switch plans?
  • What is the total size of the business; the number of installations made before; are there any referrals; do they even have the capacity to accept you as a customer?
  • Do they have experience with complex requirements?
  • Will they keep up with the industry and bring new ideas to their customers?

3. Solution features:

Many field management solutions have similar functionality. However, each may be slightly different or designed to meet the needs of a particular industry. When deciding which features in your existing IT environment to use and which features to remove, you need to keep the following in mind:

  • Do they have features for your particular industry?
  • How do other businesses like their current applications?
  • Which process do they support?
  • What application are you currently using?
  • What is the technical status of these applications?

4. Non-functional requirements:

General things like performance, security, availability, and flexibility fall into this category.

When conducting research, analyze the culture and environment of the solution. Does it fit the way you want to run your business?

5. Comparing similar products

Once you have identified a shortlist of solutions, it is very helpful to have evaluation criteria that were decided together. We recommend that you specify a weight or value for each requirement so that you can get the total score. Next, look at the top three solutions and evaluate them based on the following questions:

  • Can the solution meet functional and non-functional requirements?
  • Is it compatible with current and future internal technology structures?
  • Does it meet your restraints?
  • What do the current customers say about the solution and its provider?

6. Run a test on the system

Work with your solution provider for a proof-of-concept demonstration. This helps identify non-standard business processes and business-specific requirements and ensures that the solution of your choice suits your needs. In addition, these demonstration helps to validate and get feedback from employees who will actually use the system.

Choosing the right FSM solution is not always easy. Following the steps above will help you make the right decision. For everything else, you can turn to us. We are here to help.

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