Is Project Management Software Enough for Field Service?
Project management software is usually enough for a service company if tasks are planned and followed up on from a desk, and only a few employees work out at customers' locations. If the company instead has field employees with many short tasks at different addresses, project management software typically lacks what's specific to field service: mobile access that works without network coverage, route planning, logging of time and materials directly on the task, and a link to the invoicing basis.
What is project management software good for?
Planning projects with milestones and deadlines
Project management is built to plan processes with several subtasks, dependencies, and deadlines, where the goal is to keep track of what needs to happen in what order.
An overview of tasks and responsibilities from the office
The tools typically give a good overview of who is responsible for which tasks, and how far the project has come, when the work mainly happens at a computer.
When it's enough
For a service company with few employees in the field, longer-running tasks, and a manageable number of visits per week, project management software can easily be sufficient. There's no reason to make things more complex than necessary.
What do service companies typically miss in project management software?
Mobile access that works without network coverage
Employees who work in basements, on rooftops, or in areas with poor coverage need a mobile app that works offline and syncs once the connection is back.
Route planning across many daily visits
If technicians have many short visits at different addresses, route planning is essential to making the day add up. It's rarely part of a project tool built for desk work.
Time, materials, and documentation directly on the task
Time and materials tracking as well as quality assurance and photo documentation need to happen on the task itself, while the work is being done, instead of being pulled together afterwards.
A link between completed work and the invoicing basis
In a service company, completed work needs to be turned directly into an invoicing basis. Without that link, it ends in manual reconciliation every time a task is completed.
Frequently asked questions about project management and field service
Can we use both project management software and field service software?
Yes, but that typically means data has to be transferred manually between the two. Many service companies therefore choose a unified platform that also covers project management, so tasks, time, and finances connect in one place.
When is it time to move from project management to field service software?
When a growing share of the time goes to calling technicians, pulling together time and materials afterwards, and creating the invoicing basis manually, it's a sign that the project tool no longer covers the need in the field.
Isn't field service software just project management with an app?
No. A field service management platform is built around field-based employees and brings together case and task management, route planning, time and materials tracking, quality assurance, and invoicing, not just an overview of tasks and deadlines.
What if we only have a few technicians?
Then project management software can easily be enough for a while. See the other alternatives to field service software for a rundown of when each one is sufficient, and when it starts to cost more than it saves.
