Manage site-based activities seamlessly with NetSuite’s Field Service Management
Recently acquired from NextTechnik/NextService, Oracle NetSuite Field Service Management (FSM) is available as a module that sits within NetSuite allowing businesses to efficiently track and manage site-based activities such as equipment installations, repairs and scheduled maintenance on behalf of their customers.
Native to NetSuite, FSM offers a fully integrated and customisable solution, based upon NetSuite’s proven cloud technology, leveraging its core ERP features, reporting and other outputs. Given its strong reputation as a robust field service solution, it has often been cited as the key driver in the decision to move to NetSuite – simply to have access to NetSuite FSM.
Product overview
Once implemented, FSM is fully embedded into NetSuite and its features can be operated from both within the user-interface (UI) directly or using the mobile application. Specific role-based dashboards can be created using the standard NetSuite features including FSM-specific task reminders, searches and KPIs presenting all the pertinent information to field service managers and other personnel to whom the roles are assigned.
Full visibility of FSM-managed ‘assets’ is provided directly from the customer record in NetSuite as sub-records, grouped together in a parent/child relation as either:
- Site Assets: typically physical locations where equipment assets are situated and managed, for example college campuses.
- Equipment Assets: located at one of the site assets, refers to the specific piece of equipment that is serviced by the organisation.
Integration with NetSuite’s inventory management module is automatic - allowing for equipment items to be stocked, sold to the customer, and set up as ‘equipment assets’, to be managed within FSM, in accordance with service/maintenance contracts between the organisation and its customers.
Tasks relating to maintenance work to be carried out for specific FSM assets, are raised leveraging the case management and projects functionality, supporting short or longer-term assignments, whether the task is for an hour, days or weeks in duration.
Assigning personnel to tasks
Tasks can be assigned to specific technicians/engineers, or based upon specific skills or skill levels, at point of case creation – or subsequently via the ‘field service scheduler’ board. The field service scheduler board provides a birds-eye visual representation of the working period, which can be zoomed into a single day, or zoomed out to a 31-day period. The current working week is typically displayed as default.
On the scheduler board, the people/resources are displayed on the left-hand side, and the task assignment features displayed on the right. Right-click (or hover) on specific resources or tasks to display additional attributes for each, and filtering on the right provides instant visibility to facilitate effective assignment (of the correct person to the correct task).
Active assigned tasks are displayed in the middle of the board using customisable colour coding, and can be changed to represent either priority, status, task or case type. A map view can be utilised and set as a split-screen to provide a visual representation of where the tasks and resources are located geographically.
Using the scheduler's 'drag and drop' functionality, tasks can easily be assigned to the appropriate resource, to multiple technicians and re-assigned individually. Additionally, groups of tasks can be re-assigned to other people, for example, if someone is unexpectedly absent.
Once task assignment is complete, select ‘Sync’ and the updates will be saved, with engineers/technicians notified in real-time of what they have been assigned to do, and when and where they need to be.
Mobile application support
FSM has been fully integrated into the mobile app offering complete access for technicians to view their assigned lists of tasks, summary of information about each task, and itemised checklists within each task, all whilst out in the field. All information is available to the technician/engineer, set out as clear checklists of what needs to be done.
With an easy-to-use interface, the technician can open each section to see all the required steps to be performed, and to mark each as completed as the work is carried out:
- Start/Complete times allows the mobile application to track the actual time spent on-site, to allow for accurate time-based billing, where applicable.
- Technicians can add additional consumable items such as spare parts from van stock, travel expenses (including photo upload of receipts), again all captured as the task is completed, and included for billing, where applicable.
- Job safety assessments can be included in the checklist (technicians are not typically desk-bound - often working in hazardous environments, at height etc), and so where this represents risk and legal concern to the organisation, specific ‘health and safety’ tasks can be listed that must be carried out by the technician.
- Before and after photos can be taken from a phone and added to the task, along with the customers signature to provide evidence that the task has been completed satisfactorily.
- Site/service reports can be automatically issued to the customer upon completion of the job:
Other outputs/reports
In addition to the large collection of customisable financial and operational reports included as standard within NetSuite, FSM comes with the following:
- Profitability reporting
- Expense & timesheet approvals
- Open/closed case analysis
- Open/closed case escalation
Additionally, being native to NetSuite, there are also some FSM-specific ‘saved-search’ based reports that can be added the standard reminders portlet, allowing clear notification to the field service manager, presented on the NetSuite dashboard:
Examples of target customers
NetSuite FSM is not only aimed at companies that just install, repair and maintain, across different industry sectors, but also:
- Customers who go out and teach, issue training manuals
- Customers who assess/inspect – certify equipment (e.g. in accordance with legal obligations)
- Wholesale distribution customers or customers who manufacture equipment – who then will be required to install using only certified technicians (e.g. into government or secure buildings)
What FSM is not
It should be noted that, based upon extensive evaluation NetSuite FSM would not suit certain types of customers (simply due to the fundamental nature of their key operations), and is therefore not recommended for implementation to manage the following:
- Fleet management
- Delivery services
- Rentals
- Depot (vehicle servicing)
- Route optimisation
- Auto Assign (assigned by criteria), aka Smart Scheduling
Companies whose main operations align with any of the above would almost certainly require difference software. Furthermore, customers with <10 technicians would unlikely see ROI in a feasible or acceptable timeframe.
Round-up
NetSuite FSM provides an excellent fully integrated solution to an already very strong cloud ERP platform, allowing companies to effectively and efficiently manage their site-based activities, whilst being closely integrated with the financials. As information is captured and tracked in real-time, inventory levels (where implemented) are accurately managed, and billing information completed in a timely manner – leading to faster issuance of customer invoices, fewer discrepancies/disputes, and ultimately resulting in being paid fast.
Embedded within a familiar NetSuite ecosystem, it’s very intuitive and easy-to-use making it an obvious choice for FSM managers. With mobile app support and minimal upskilling required this is also an easy go-to for non-NetSuite users, such as operations managers, technicians and engineers who will be able to quickly access the intuitive interface.
In short, it supports what NetSuite offers as its USP over its competitors is:
- Out-of-the-box profitability reporting with no extra configuration
- An easy-to-use, fully integrated solution with short implementation time (< 3 months)
Training resources
For more information about Field Service Management, browse NetSuite's training resources here.
If you are looking to implement an ERP solution and think Field Service Management might be the right option for you, we would love to help. Get in touch with our NetSuite experts to explore your options.
