Everything you need to know about a field service dispatch software
The question isn’t why you need a field service dispatch software, it is what kind of field service dispatch software do you need.

A software for a specific industry may have different characteristics than a software meant for a different purpose. It must also have a set of essential features. Therefore, while selecting a software you must see if it can fulfill all of your diverse requirements.

Below is some information to help you understand the basics of a field service dispatch software.

Why do you need an industry-specific software?

• The characteristics of a field service dispatch software depend on the type of industry to a large extent. Different industries may have different pre-requisites in terms of scheduling and dispatch. The construction industry may have a different set of pre-requisites compared to the service industry.
• A product service industry needs to schedule the same manpower to different customer premises. They may have the same skill set. However, in the construction industry or some other industry, you may need different skill sets for different jobs. So, you need to schedule and dispatch personnel with a different set of skills carrying different tools. That makes a scheduling software specific to an industry.

Do I need a cloud-based software?

• A cloud-based software is always better than a software installed in your premises. It is cheaper and more efficient compared to a stand-alone software installed in your business server. A cloud-based system is more secure compared to a system installed in the business premises.
• A field service dispatch software is the backbone of any industry that requires multiple and continuous scheduling and dispatching. If the system crashes and becomes defunct even for an hour, the schedules go haywire.
• Not only that, all the customer and relevant service data would be lost.
• In a cloud-based scheduling and dispatch software, you can bypass this risk to a large extent. The data are mostly stored in the cloud. This makes it mostly crash proof.

Why do I need real-time updates?

• Real-time updates about various factors is an integral part of any field service dispatch software. There are various factors for which the service personnel may need real-time updates. Not only the service personnel but the service managers too may need real-time update.
• Service personnel may need updates about specific issues with goods or services, change in the location of customers, etc.
• The service managers may need real-time updates about the location of the service personnel so that he can assign a task to the personnel depending on their location and availability.

How many users can use the field service dispatch software?

• This is a very pertinent question. You need a field service dispatch software which can be used by an unlimited number of users. It is never a good idea to go for a system with unlimited usage capacity.
• The number of service personnel may increase in the future. In fact, there may be a regular addition to the number of service personnel, as your business expands. Ensure you use a software that can scale as your business operations grow.

Does it need to have any communication facility?

• Many field service dispatch software programs have a live chat facility. This is a very helpful feature. It helps the service personnel as well as service managers to sort out last minute hiccups, if any, in service delivery.
• There may also be some unforeseen circumstances in customer premises. A chat facility can help you sort out the matter with the personnel.

Is invoicing feature an essential feature for a dispatch software?

• Invoicing is certainly a great feature to have in any field service dispatch software. You send service personnel to customer premises, but you are not sure of the exact technical issue with the product. As the service personnel attend the problem and sort it out, they get an insight into the cost of the service.
• So the billing information is available after the dispatch. But how are you going to prepare the invoice? This is why the software must have an invoicing feature. The service personnel would put the necessary and relevant data into the module and print out the invoice.