Whether it’s a CRM, ERP or accounting system, or a field service management software, there should be two lanes of thought for those in the field service industry – act global, think local.
The theme at this year’s SuiteWorld Conference perfectly aligns with how the field service industry is changing, as field service organizations are having to think about expansion into newer markets for potential revenue, while also thinking of their local technicians and subcontractors to make their job simpler and more efficient.
NetSuite and Fieldpoint are both agile products that can help multiple industries, and both continue to expand into new partnerships, new business sectors and are rapidly expanding to meet their clients’ growing expectations for what they want out of an ERP, CRP and accounting software, and a field service management software.
That’s what makes the built-in integration between the NetSuite software and Fieldpoint’s field service software so impactful, as it can have a global effect on how any field service organization in the HVAC, Facilities Maintenance, Fire and Life Safety, Industrial Equipment, or any other sector do their business while bringing a new level of efficiency to their local branches.
Thinking Global with NetSuite and Fieldpoint’s Field Service Software
If your field service organization is in one state or province, it may be difficult to think of expansion due to the additional costs to set up additional warehouses, hiring a technician pool, and setting up a head office. But it may be necessary in order to continue growth in an increasingly competitive industry. New avenues of revenue and opportunities for growth come with their share of challenges, but with the right field service software and the right CRM and accounting integration, it’s possible to think globally.
One of the largest challenges is the capturing of data, information, and analytics. Organizations can thrive on their ability to secure data in a timely manner and have that data quickly turned around into useful information that can affect business decisions. In Fieldpoint’s field service management software, data from any location can be fed into the Business Intelligence module, and produce real-time results from the field. And with the ability to customize how that data is presented, who sees what information, and where the information comes from, with dashboards that display charts and graphs, any individual in the organization can have analytics in front of them that matters to their job.
So, a CEO can see revenue streams and profit margins, while a service manager can see what type of service calls they are experiencing, when slow and busy seasons are, and which technicians are taking longer to complete jobs and travel. No longer are field service organizations waiting on data from their newly expanded offices to make critical decisions, but rather have it in their hands immediately, straight from the field.
With Fieldpoint’s integration to NetSuite, it also streamlines how your entire organization inputs data, invoices customers, and tracks inventory. Expansion globally doesn’t mean information needs to be difficult or time-consuming, as locally, customer profiles and employee information needs to be put into the system. With the integration, those profiles and information can be entered at a local level and be made available by the entire organization without the need to re-enter the data. Changes are updated automatically, keeping the information the same for any field service office, manager or dispatcher who needs to use too.
And billing through the NetSuite and Fieldpoint integration means information from the field, done using the Fieldpoint mobile app, immediately shows up on NetSuite Sales Orders, making billing consistent across the global organization, yet streaming from the local level.
Thinking Local Means Thinking More Efficient Field Service Delivery
Where Fieldpoint’s field service software thinks local is in their efficient delivery of service repairs. Global expansion still relies on the local level to succeed in order to drive profits. And by making a technician’s job easier, with less administrative work and simple tools to help them through their service calls, it’s possible to maximize their time during their work hours to produce revenue.
With the Fieldpoint mobile app, all work order information is pushed to their mobile device, including inventory and parts requirements, any notes on the service call, and advance checklists to control workflow. Travel and work time can be captured, along with parts used or needed, while customers can sign off on work with an electronic signature. And routing tools will get them to their job sites faster, requiring less time on the road and more time completing work.
If needed, a field service organization can hire subcontractors for a new expansion, as opposed to full-time employees. With the integration to NetSuite, all subcontractor onboarding can be completed and saved in the system, and the payment vouchers can be created along with the Sales Order to ensure subcontractors are paid promptly.
You can’t think one without the other, and going global means adding more local level field service teams. One only succeeds if the other one does as well, so having an ERP, CRM, and accounting system, such as NetSuite, that works along with a field service management software like Fieldpoint, will ensure that your organization can take advantage of expansion opportunities while giving your local level technicians, dispatchers, and managers the tools they need to succeed.