This is our second blog post in a series of six in which we focus on digitally transforming your business with Acumatica, the Cloud ERP. Previously, we covered the 5 Reasons to Choose Acumatica ERP. In this post, we will explore the benefits of selecting this powerful cloud platform for your field service management needs.
The service management industry has unique business challenges. The customer support staff needs to be able to navigate complex billing and service types, along with accurate records for warranties and service history. Service managers and dispatchers require easy-to-use scheduling tools to ensure their inventory, equipment, and technicians are utilized effectively. When a technician is scheduled and arrives on-site, they need a system they can count on to deliver the top-notch service that maintains customer satisfaction.
Acumatica provides the solution for these needs with their Service Management Edition. It combines the powerful core finance, inventory management, and CRM functionality with capabilities for service order creation, appointment scheduling, data collection, and reporting.
THIS IS YOUR BACK OFFICE | Digital transformation: field and service management
Fully Integrated
The full integration of the service management module throughout the ERP creates uninterrupted and streamlined cross-module workflows, simplifying your purchasing, inventory, payroll, and project management. For example, customer support can easily create service orders from a converted CRM opportunity, a customer support case, or a service contract that is managed within the system. Customer records will include sales and service history, as well as the activity history of internal users.
Inventory management is just as important for service management companies as it is for retailers and distributors. Acumatica takes the pain out of the inventory workflow by enabling you to manage vendor and inventory records. This makes it easy to create purchase orders for the items you install as well as the tools and materials your technicians need to complete appointments. With powerful forecasting and replenishment abilities, you can better manage inventory and minimize downtime.
Watch our short overview video on Acumatica’s service management capabilities below!
Powerful Mobile Application Capabilities
When technicians travel to service appointments, they can use Acumatica’s mobile application, which is available for Android and iOS devices. The mobile app extends the value of Acumatica’s Service Management Edition by providing crucial functionality for service technicians. This includes the ability to view and manage appointment details, collect information on the services they perform/items they install, and report on their activities to update customer bills and product inventory. Since Acumatica is fully integrated, you can also access other important functionality on the mobile app, such as expense receipts and approvals.
THIS IS YOUR FIELD SERVICE | Digital transformation: watch your technician in the field
Warranty Tracking
One of the best features of the services module is the ability to create and manage detailed records of the equipment your technicians install. This includes manufacturer information, installation date, and warranty records. To avoid inaccurate billing and customer complaints, it is important for your technicians and billing staff to know which items, and specific components of those items, are under warranty. Remember, happy customers in the service management industry means future revenue!
Efficiency is Key
Acumatica is a modern cloud solution that leverages the latest and greatest technology to boost the efficiency and potential of your team. Your team members are at their best when they have real-time information. You can support them with dashboards that provide drillable links to the crucial information they need to make the right decisions. In addition, automated notifications allow you to keep your customers and technicians up to date with email, text, and mobile push notifications about changes and status updates on appointments.
Acumatica can further support your efficiency with its Appointment Route Optimization feature. This process uses artificial intelligence to assign and order appointments based on factors such as appointment duration, locations, and traffic to create the optimal appointment schedule that allocates your resources most effectively. Click here for a great video demonstration of this feature.
Closing:
Are you ready to digitally transform your field service business and join over 8,000 companies and organizations that have chosen Acumatica ERP? Our Acumatica Certified team at Opus can help you evaluate and implement this adaptable cloud ERP solution to solve your challenges and meet your business goals. Please schedule a no-obligation call with us or request a demo.