What You Need to Know about SAP Field Service Management

This is written at a time when many companies find themselves at a crossroads related to the use of technology to support enhanced field capabilities.   

• First- or second-generation technology in use today may be nearing end of life. For example: ClickSoftware on-prem scheduling and SAP Work Manager are both facing end of life scenarios in the next couple of years 
• The total cost of ownership (TCO) for multiple department-based solutions is high when compared to an enterprise solution that can satisfy the needs of various departments 
• The desire to streamline and simplify siloed solution architecture suddenly casts a spotlight on department-based solutions and separate technologies to support scheduling / dispatch and mobility 

• The need to keep up with exceedingly high customer expectations driven by experience with other industries (e.g.: Amazon, Uber) that deliver real-time information and foster instant gratification expectations  

The one constant across all of these business drivers is a need to select and deploy the next generation solution(s) for scheduling, dispatch and mobility.  Easily stated in a brief sentence, but the devil is in the details!   

SAP Field Service Management (FSM) is a cloud solution that offers scheduling, dispatch and mobility all in one platform — a first for SAP. Acquired by SAP in 2018 from Coresystems, the solution has been garnering interest from North American utilities and energy companies over the past few years.  While FSM is currently positioned in the Challengers Quadrant of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Field Service Management, I foresee it climbing into the Leaders Quadrant as the solution continues to mature and gains greater adoption.   

At the time of this writing, Utegration is in the process of implementing FSM at a multi-state gas distribution company to consolidate multiple technology stacks into one platform, which will bring the welcome benefits of reduced costs and increased compliance with PHMSA Tracking & Traceability requirements. This enterprise-wide deployment of FSM will support all field activities including broke / fix, construction, customer service, inspections and routine maintenance.  And once implemented, the solution will be used by both employee and contractor crews.   

I invite you to get a closer look at how SAP Field Service Management would look and feel for your team, by watching our OnDemand Webinar, which is just 30 minutes long and features a brief solution demo. You can access it here any time: Your Field Operations on SAP FSM. 

Or message me directly via LinkedIn. I would love to tell you more about SAP FSM — its capabilities, benefits and user experience — so that you're prepared to face the enhanced field capabilities crossroads with confidence.