Repair Management Software: A Complete Guide

Table of contents

• What is Repair Management Software?
• What features should you look for in repair management software?
  • Work order management
  • Scheduling capabilities
  • Automated notifications
  • Inventory management
  • Integrated dispatching
  • Information repositories
  • Forms and checklists
  • Custom reports
  • Mobile access
  • Integration capabilities
• What are the benefits of repair service management software?
  • Improved efficiency
  • Better workforce productivity
  • Improved customer satisfaction
• Which industries use repair management software?
• Why use ReachOut for your repair and maintenance work?

What Is Repair Management Software?

Repair management software is a one-stop suite for enterprises to organize repair operations. It helps businesses organize, control, and document repair-related tasks.

All equipment needs regular servicing and repairs. However, due to several issues, these essential tasks often do not take place on time or as intended.

Service providers often lack a reliable system to track incoming job requests and assign jobs to technicians. In many establishments, scheduling takes place through manual whiteboards or stand-alone Excel files. Such disjointed systems are inefficient and error-prone, and there is a high chance of some work getting “forgotten” at some point.

Even when service managers assign jobs, most technicians must be more organized or have the resources to execute work well. They waste time seeking directions to reach the client’s premises. Once at the work site, they waste time seeking information such as the work specifications or the service history. Finally, they may find they do not have the needed spares, forcing a revisit. Manual reports often contain errors, which mess up service records or distort invoicing. When service teams rely on such error-laden reports, costly equipment failure can occur.

FSM software for repair and maintenance solves these issues and streamlines the end-to-end repair process.

Top Features To Look for in Repair Service Management Software

All repair service management software differs but look for the following basic features in any suite.

1. Work Order Management

Work order management capabilities enable work order creation and tracking progress.  Service managers or support agents can create quotes using the integrated system centralizing all data. On approval, they can convert the quotes to work orders, complete with task details, estimates, and other details. A ticketing system enables end-to-end tracking. Service managers, who track job progress, can intervene whenever needed.

2. Scheduling Capabilities

Repair management software is incomplete without scheduling capabilities. Service managers can use the scheduling option to assign work orders to available technicians. Calendar views allow service managers to view a list of assigned and free technicians at any given time and day. Drag-and-drop interfaces allow schedulers to assign jobs to technicians. They can also divert resources to attend to an emergency easily.

Read more: Top 10 Factors to Consider While Choosing A Field Service Scheduling Software 

3. Automated Notifications

Nothing annoys a customer more than a technician not turning up at the appointed hour. For the business, no-shows also wreck operational efficiency. Auto notifications on new job assignments and reassignments keep technicians up-to-date.

4. Inventory Management

If scheduling and inventory management are not synchronized, technicians might arrive at customer locations only to realize they lack the necessary spare parts, forcing a return trip. This leads to multiple inefficiencies: wasted fuel, lost time that could have been spent on other tasks, and prolonged customer wait times. By integrating a built-in inventory system, technicians can be dispatched only after verifying parts availability, ensuring smoother operations and improved customer satisfaction.

5. Route Optimization

Route optimization allows technicians to reach their work sites through the best routes. Maps integration plots the easiest route, considering fuel efficiency and time savings.

6. Information Repositories

With information repositories in place, technicians can use the mobile app to get relevant information. They can access work orders, service history, customer information, and other details and focus on their job better.

7. Forms and Checklists

Supervisors find it challenging to enforce quality and other controls when work takes place at remote locations. Forms and checklists allow them to structure workflows and ensure the work covers all bases. They can, for instance, create a compliance form that runs through all the necessary checks. Or they can create a safety checklist detailing the precautions to take before the start of the job. Technicians can download these resources using their smartphone apps. Forms and checklist structure also make customization easy.

8. Custom Reports

The best FSM software for repair and maintenance allows technicians to collect electronic data. They can also generate reports using the desired data and format. Service managers and customer support agents use these reports to access up-to-date information. Service managers also get critical insights, such as time spent on repairs, cost per repair, and more. They can use such insights to make better informed strategic decisions.

9. Mobile Access

Mobile apps are now a must-have feature for any FSM software. Field service Mobile apps allow technicians to:

• Collect electronic data. They can, for instance, capture before-after photos and electronic signatures.
• Access information such as work order and service history.
• Download forms and checklists.
• Generate reports and invoices.

An ideal FSM software also offers apps for other stakeholders. Customer-facing apps, for instance, enable self-service, such as allowing customers to book appointments. Apps for support agents allow for generating quotes and updating customers.

10. Integration Capabilities

APIs enable integration with other enterprise systems, such as CRM and accounting suites. This allows seamless data flows, which improves data accuracy and reduces clerical work.

Read more: A Complete Guide to Maintenance Management Software

What Are the Benefits of Repair Service Management Software?

An FSM software streamlining repair management makes the business proactive, efficient, and competitive. Enterprises can realize the following benefits through the suite.

1. Improved Efficiency

Field service management software makes it easy to plan repairs and maintenance. Planning makes these activities seamless and friction-free. Paperless operations make data collection accurate and reporting faster. Fast job turnover and lesser wait time between jobs improve the asset use ratio.

Electronic data capture ensures data consistency and accuracy. Process accuracy and integrity improve, and waste and inefficiencies decrease.

2. Better Workforce Productivity

FSM software improves workforce productivity. Streamlined scheduling and dispatching allow technicians to cover maximum jobs per shift. Mobile apps offer them all the information at their fingertips. They can also execute key processes without wasting time seeking instructions.

3. Improved Customer Satisfaction

Field management software has become a valuable tool for improving customer satisfaction. Faster job execution reduces wait time for customers. Integrated information offers them ready access to the status of job progression. They also get advanced information on potential downtime.

Support agents likewise ready access to information. They do not have to put customers on hold while they scramble for information.

Read more: 5 ways to improve customer satisfaction in field services with predictive analytics

Which Industries Use Repair Management Software?

So, how can you benefit from FSM software built for repair management? The software now finds widespread use in almost all industries.

Most industries use FSM software to keep their assets in optimal condition. The top adopters are the manufacturing, telecom, power, retail, and healthcare industries.

Service businesses in HVAC, vehicles, fire and safety, medical equipment, and IT also find the software essential.

Read more: How ReachOut enabled streamlined and paperless operations for FleetCam – a high-end video telematics system for fleet vehicles

Why Use ReachOut for Repair and Maintenance Work?

ReachOut is the ideal FSM software for your repairs and maintenance business, regardless of industry. The suite offers all the features necessary to streamline repairs and drive efficiency gains. The cloud-based suite is easily scalable. The robust backend ensures reliability with impeccable security and data protection. The suite is also very cost-effective. The free version offers all the essential features. It covers work order management, scheduling, dispatching, inventory, forms, invoicing, and more. The advanced paid version allows branding and other intuitive features.
Click here for a free trial and feel the magic of streamlined operations.