Field Service Management Reporting Software

It’s not exactly a revelation that the modern field service companies run on data. It’s 2023, business does. It only follows that reporting and analytics capabilities are a cornerstone of any working FSM stack. 

At this point, pretty much all field service management software includes robust reporting tools and built-in intelligence straight from the box. 

Providers promise granular AI-driven insights into field operations, financial performance, customers, and more – allowing service orgs to track critical metrics, solve problems in real-time, and proactively drive outcomes. 

As exciting as it sounds, you can’t achieve greatness with canned reports and default settings. To unlock the true potential of your data, you’ll need to build an ecosystem that empowers everyone to solve problems, support customers, and bolster the bottom line.  

Here, we explain what that looks like in practice, using examples from real companies with very different approaches.

Enable Data-Driven Decisions Across the Entire Org 

According to our D365 CE Practice Director Jason Wietharn, FSM is incredibly process- and KPI-driven. 

Jason says, “field service solutions need to empower field service organizations in a way that allows them to move beyond data capture and storage. What they really should be looking for is solutions that transform their data into tangible assets that actively drive real-time decisions.”

Dynamics 365 Field Service comes with built-in reporting and analytics capabilities that help field orgs manage work orders, assets, inventory, and customers. Reports include Optimization Summary, Resource & Utilization, Work Order Summary, Predictive Work Duration (in preview).

These reports allow field orgs to track KPIs and gain deeper insights into daily operations. That way, they can measure progress toward key milestones, ID opportunities for improvement, and use real-time data to drive action (and profits). 

Now, on the surface, that sounds pretty great. But – it’s important to point out that when Microsoft highlights these benefits in its product copy, there’s an implicit understanding that you’re also using its enterprise ERP, D365 Finance.

Everything – utilization, optimization, forecasting, routing, sales – all point back to the same core financials. So, you’ll want to start by making sure you have that solid ERP foundation in place, then start filling in any gaps it doesn’t cover. 

For example, D365 Finance users might add on modules that provide additional reporting and BI tools to each department – Field Service, Sales, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and so on.

But – that approach isn’t right for everyone. Smaller field providers using D365 Business Central have fewer modules to choose from, so they’ll need to look toward ISV solutions or use the Power Platform to build one themselves. 

Some larger companies might find that they can’t get the data they need from the D365 modules alone. Or – maybe they need just one or two features and can’t justify the cost. Some might look toward Azure IoT to enable remote asset monitoring. Others might build a custom CRM that better reflects the needs of the customer service team.

The point is, you’re trying to establish end-to-end visibility – across all functions – so that everyone can understand the full picture and quickly spring into action. While this case study is a few years old, it paints a picture of how unity and visibility can set the stage for growth.  

Democratize Self-Serve Analytics

Once you’ve established “full coverage,” the next priority should be investing in solutions that not only democratize access to critical information but actively use data to solve problems and develop new solutions. 

We won’t get into the nitty-gritty details of low-code development or citizen data science here – but we do want to stress that you should be thinking about how you might start moving in that direction. 

For now, even something as simple as enabling the field techs, sales reps, agents, and marketers on the front lines to pull reports and combine and manipulate data on their own makes a big difference.  

For G&J Pepsi, establishing real-time, 360-degree visibility (like we just mentioned) was an important first step toward optimizing front-line operations. 

G&J invested in D365 Field Service, Sales, Microsoft Teams, Power Apps, and Power Automate, which allowed them to update their big-picture strategy and culture. 

Because employees now have the right tools at their fingertips, the company has shifted away from reactive service practices and toward a more agile, proactive approach centered on innovation and problem-solving. 

Todd Seufer, a Product Owner at G&J Pepsi, says D365 made it easy for the company to capture and share insights that, in turn, have transformed front-line staff into partners and collaborators. Historically, agents, sales reps, and field technicians often served as sounding boards for customers. Now, they’re actively working with them to solve problems.

Again, the transformation was a product of several different tools working together.   

Leverage Predictive Insights

Right now, there’s a lot of emphasis on this idea of predictive, proactive service models. 

One of our Principal Field Service Consultants, Kandarp Vaishnav says embracing a preventative and/or predictive maintenance strategy can directly improve customer satisfaction. When you can detect issues as they’re emerging and immediately take action, customers get more from vital assets and they avoid expensive repairs, outages, and security threats. 

This approach also allows field providers to maximize the value of their own assets, which, in turn, reduces operating costs and prevents any major service disruptions. 

For instance, predictive maintenance can help field service orgs keep their fleets in working order. That means, techs are less likely to break down en route to a job.

Internally, predictive intelligence plays a key role in strategic planning. Field service leaders might use predictive analytics to model and prepare for future downturns or supply chain disruptions. Or – maybe they use customer insights and data from connected devices to explore new servitization models. 

Internally, we developed a proprietary solution, Power BI Simulation for Field Service that allows users to measure the potential impact of various improvements. Think – decreasing driving times or serving more customers per day. From there, users can prioritize the initiatives most likely to get them closer to their goals.

Another company, Sandvik Coromant, teamed up with Microsoft to develop a predictive analytics platform that captures manufacturing data from the shop floor, then uses Azure’s ML capabilities to analyze that data in real-time. This solution combined D365 Field Service, Azure AI, and Azure IoT accelerators – unifying the collective knowledge of all assets: people, equipment, supply chains, processes, etc., empowering its customers to make smarter business decisions.  

But – all of this hinges on access to the right data and the reporting tools that help business leaders put that data to work. The reason our simulator works is that it pulls data from D365 Finance or Business Central (and anything connected to the ERP) and uses it to make predictions.

Final Thoughts

While we wish there was a definitive roadmap or formula for effective field service reporting, the real secret to “maximizing the value” of your data is building a stack that captures, analyzes, and operationalizes every insight that might influence your business in some way.

More importantly, everyone – field techs, support agents, finance, sales. – must be able to access and use that information to drive outcomes. And, that entails building custom apps from scratch based on business critical priorities. 

Working with a partner like Velosio can make this process a lot easier. Our field service experts can help you understand your goals and, from there, identify, implement, and optimize your FSM stack to get the right results.