Field service management software for your fire & security business

In the fire and security industry, the complexity of your operations, asset management, maintenance and installations call for optimal systems that centralise everything with accuracy and precision.  

The field service management software you choose will play a pivotal role in handling all those components, so it’s vital you choose the right one. 

Unfortunately, so many businesses in the industry are still grappling with multiple disparate systems. This leads to increased admin and risk of human error and inefficiencies.  

Choosing the best service management software for your business can transform the way in which your business performs, from customer service and reputation, down to cash flow profitability. 

As we know, with great innovation always comes some understandable heel drag.  

Why overhaul all the systems and processes that have kept your company running for years?  

To put it simply, these legacy systems won’t keep your company running forever, especially if your business is in a period of growth. How long can you keep pumping money and resources into systems that you know are not really fit for purpose? 

Other companies within the fire and security industry are removing countless admin tasks, eliminating the risk of human error and improving their productivity. It might be time to consider how the right service management software can propel your company forward, too.  

Choosing the right provider  

Before you enter the age of digital transformation, it's important that you do your homework and sign up with confidence.  

First, consider the weak points of your business that may be costing you some money and in need of an upgrade: 

•  Is your scheduling inefficient and onerous? 
• Is invoicing time-consuming and often open to human error? 
• Do your engineers struggle to achieve a good first-time fix rate? 
• Is recruitment difficult and your staff retention rate low? 
• Could communication with customers be improved?

Next, investigate existing potential vendors and find which solution ticks all your boxes. It may be possible to request a free demonstration from the providers, to help your shortlisting. 

In the fire and security industry, field service management software will help to centralise processes and create continuity across several aspects of your business.  

For example, fire and security businesses with larger, more complex customers with multiple sites and assets, billing can be particularly complicated; especially if all assets need to be visited and certified before any monthly or quarterly recurring billing goes ahead. An end-to-end asset management system will take the headache out of complex billing for you.  

In this post we’ll talk about how your field service management software can optimise every corner of your field service operations, while improving precision and visibility.  

1. Top notch asset management 

Asset management is particularly crucial in the fire and security industry due to the nature of the equipment involved. This often includes intruder systems, cameras, NVR’s and a whole range of sensors. These assets may be under warranty, damaged during security breaches, or simply in need of routine maintenance.  

A service management software solution like Aeromark allows you to keep a comprehensive record of these assets, enabling more effective maintenance planning and faster resolution of issues when they arise. 

This focus on asset management also supports the billing process, particularly for recurring revenue contracts where regular maintenance is needed. The Aeromark system allows for accurate documentation and billing, ensuring that all contractual obligations are met, and that cash flow is not disrupted by delays from certification or other administrative hurdles. 

2. Security requires efficiency  

With potentially thousands of people relying on your company to stay safe, efficiency and reliability have never been more important.  

Competitors will be using tools such as dynamic scheduling that ensures the best engineer is assigned to each callout and van parts management will ensure that the engineer will have the correct parts to achieve a first-time fix.  

Relying on legacy systems and leaving yourself vulnerable to human error is a risk not worth taking. All-in-one, seamlessly integrated service management software, such as Aeromark, exists to remove inefficiency and error, giving you and your customer’s peace of mind. 

3. End-to-end visibility  

With features like integrated GPS tracking and complex workflow driven mobile applications, you can enjoy total visibility over your company’s resources and actions in real-time.  

A field service management system makes levels of visibility that legacy and manual systems could never achieve. Dynamic, real-time information is key in maintaining first time fix rates and ensuring all aspects of the business are running at optimum efficiency.  

Reactive maintenance is also crucial in the industry as system failures could lead to the potentially severe consequences.  

When a CCTV feed goes down or an alarm system is compromised, efficient reactive maintenance is essential. Your field service management software should support this by providing real-time access to asset information, ensuring that engineers are equipped with the right parts and skills before arriving on-site. This reduces downtime and enhances the fire and security of the premises. 

Of course, planned maintenance is a large part of the puzzle too. 

By keeping detailed records of all equipment, including warranty statuses and history of maintenance, your software should allow for efficient scheduling of routine checks. This will ensure compliance with industry standards and reduce the likelihood of unexpected failures. 

4. Efficient invoicing 

Digitising your back-office doesn’t just help you and your team’s efficiency, it improves your customer’s experience. And shouldn’t the customer experience be the key consideration of any business? 

Total visibility of fees on fully customisable invoices; which are automatically raised based on contracted SORs and mark-ups, cut human error, provide your customer with confidence and the ability to sign off payments quickly and painlessly.  

Bid farewell to chasing misquoted or late invoices and put that time back into moving the needle.  

5. Improved communication  

Imagine a world in which your engineer has end-to-end visibility of each job, with real-time information available to them at the tap of a button. With our game-changing mobile engineer app, access to important information has never been easier or faster.  

Further to greater communication between back office and engineers, communicating with customers is also made easier through digital transformation. Whether an engineer is coming to install, commission or perform planned preventative maintenance, your customer will receive real-time information through SMS notifications or emails.  

This not only enhances the customer experience by keeping them informed but also reduces the incidence of ‘no shows,’ ensuring that the right personnel are on-site to allow access onto the premises. 

For commercial properties, where access to the site can often require coordination with building managers or security personnel, real time SMS notifications can ensure that all parties are prepared, reducing wasted time and improving overall efficiency. 

Thanks to GPS tracking and dynamic scheduling, the estimated arrival time of the engineer will dynamically adapt based on their schedule. Customers will be able to see the current location of the engineer as well as how many stops away they are, rather than blindly waiting.  

6. Improved productivity  

A leading provider in the fire and security sector upgraded to our market leading cloud-based software and saw a 25% increase in productivity.  

Handling and optimising every aspect of the provider’s service business from consultation call straight through to invoicing, Aeromark has single-handedly removed one million pieces of paper and fifteen million manual touch points from the business: revolutionising their day-to-day operations.  

With market-leading features such as dynamic scheduling, van stock and parts management and interactive online portals, working seamlessly with tools for quoting, and recurring revenue billing, many administrative tasks have been eliminated to enable greater productivity for both engineers and back-office staff.