5 Ways NetSuite + NextService FSM SuiteApp Optimises Field Service Operations

Next Technik is a proud partner of BrightBridge, leading Oracle NetSuite SDN Partner, and developer of the NextService FSM SuiteApp — an award-winning, native NetSuite solution that delivers field mobility for customers in 75+ micro-verticals globally. As one of our newest operational partners, we asked Next Technik to kick off our 2022 guest blog post series, with an introduction to NextService and an overview of the benefits that businesses achieve when using the native Oracle NetSuite app. It’s over to Wendy Broome, Partner Marketing Manager at Next Technik…

If you are a business owner or C-suite executive, then chances are you have heard of or are even using Oracle NetSuite’s robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. NetSuite empowers users to make nimble business decisions with features like customisable dashboards, unified customer records, and real-time visibility of data. Such features help improve business outcomes and increase profitability and efficiency, as well as increase customer satisfaction ratings. But using these features (and their benefits) and capturing data out in the field can prove to be quite challenging without an equally robust Field Service Management (FSM) solution that delivers field mobility.

Enter NextService FSM SuiteApp. In this article, I will outline 5 ways that NetSuite + NextService FSM SuiteApp optimises field service operations for businesses who have staff out on the road; whether that’s installing, selling, repairing or delivering. Although the benefits are numerous, these 5 stand out as the most common benefits reported by NextService users.

1. Single Source of Truth = Improved Data Accuracy

Many company’s tech stacks include multiple software solutions that require clunky APIs or costly connectors to sync the data from each solution. The integration of these can be a costly and labor-intensive undertaking. And once connected, data accuracy is still not guaranteed.

NextService FSM SuiteApp eliminates the risks associated with inaccurate data and provides 360-degree visibility of real-time data to users in the back office AND out in the field because it is built in, on, and for the NetSuite platform. In other words, it is native to NetSuite. NextService leverages NetSuite functionality (i.e. inventory, customers, locations, and more) and adds scheduling and dispatch, asset management, and a robust mobile application to your NetSuite platform without the need for an API, data re-entry, or a secondary database.

2. Improved Efficiency

Successfully managing the key components of almost any business operation – from finance and supply chain management to back-office operations and field service – requires all departments have access to the data they need. Without the proper data costly errors can occur, such as missed service or preventive maintenance calls or unnecessarily ordering parts or inventory. And resolving such errors requires additional use of resources.

The visibility of real-time data in NetSuite + NextService enables field technicians and back-office staff to perform their jobs more efficiently. NextService’s Scheduler board enables office staff to easily schedule jobs – whether repair, service, or installation jobs – and automatically notifies technicians when they have been assigned a job.

The NextService mobile app enables technicians to see where they are going and when, as well as a comprehensive history of the assets they are servicing. Field technicians can even consume inventory and use job checklists that ensure jobs are done accurately and all inventory is accounted for. This visibility of data in the field saves technicians time by eliminating the need to search for asset and customer information and reducing the time required to diagnose issues, thereby improving metrics, such as first-time fix rate (FTFR) and mean time to repair (MTTR).

One of NextService’s customers, a wholesale distributor of industrial equipment, was experiencing numerous inefficiencies within their field service operations prior to adding the NextService SuiteApp to their NetSuite platform. This included duplication of administrative tasks, delays in reporting, and lack of inventory visibility resulting in unnecessary stock write-offs and leakage. After implementing NextService, however, they found that having one system eliminated the double-entry of data and data manipulation that is often required when field technicians submit paperwork from jobs in the field. With NextService, all their field service data is captured out in the field and updated in real-time.

3. Increased Profitability

Loyal customers are the cornerstone of any business. Without them, your company does not generate revenue. Nurturing and building relationships with your customers presents ample opportunities to meet your business goals (AND help them meet theirs) and boost profitability. NetSuite + NextService helps users nurture these relationships and retain satisfied customers by improving the customer experience and providing comprehensive customer insights to drive sales and service revenue.

Both your customers and team members reap the benefits of the data visibility and efficiency NetSuite + NextService deliver. Team members can easily determine which customers provide your business with the highest profit. From sales and marketing to finance and purchasing, users can identify existing trends and establish processes to secure future potential profits.

NextService provides comprehensive asset information and history that fosters internal collaboration and a positive customer experience. The visibility of business intelligence in NetSuite + NextService enables your team to present as a unified and informed front during all touchpoints with customers – from customer support to field service. For example, one customer reported a 25-30% increase in the number of jobs completed by each field technician after moving to NextService from their legacy system. As a result of this, the same customer experienced an increase in their customer satisfaction ratings.

In addition, let us not forget the increased profitability associated with the referrals a smoothly operating business receives from delighted customers. Meeting your company’s growth potential relies on attracting new customers as much as it does delighting existing customers.

4. Workforce (Field) Mobility

Improving efficiency in back-office processes is only one piece of the puzzle for businesses with field service operations. It is important to carry those same efficiencies into the field. NextService helps users accomplish this with a highly configurable mobile app to meet the unique needs of users’ organisations.

Custom checklists and forms within the NextService mobile app digitise paper forms and enable data collection in the field, increasing both efficiency and visibility. The mobile app also supports customised workflows that require sequential steps to be taken by field techs, which improves accuracy and productivity. In addition, the app enables service techs to capture photos and signatures in the field, consume inventory (via manual entry or bar code scanning), and view a complete service history of every customer asset. Technicians can even enter individual expenses and add photos of receipts from the mobile app.

This mobility saves your field service team valuable time and thereby increases productivity. Several NextService customers report a 100% reduction in paper usage, and one customer experienced a $200k annual reduction in fixed overhead expenses because of the ability to quickly see technician availability and activities.

5. Reduced Technology Costs

Because NetSuite + NextService is a highly configurable, cloud-based solution, users can implement it with reduced effort from their internal team. Collaboration with customers’ internal teams is a cornerstone of ensuring their success and delivering a perfectly configured solution, but with BrightBridge and NextService working for and with customers throughout the planning, implementation, deployment processes, your team can focus on their responsibilities while we do the heavy lifting.

And once NetSuite + NextService is implemented, the user-friendly interface allows authorised users to easily add fields, perform their own custom searches, and modify reports to continually optimise their system and operations. When support is needed, BrightBridge customers can always rely on access to the expansive knowledge base and resources of the BrightBridge and NextService support teams before, during, and after deployment to ensure they are receiving the greatest ROI for their technology investment and operating at peak performance levels.

Users experience reduced technology costs in the form of internal IT hours required AND elimination of the need to adopt new software as your business grows. NetSuite + NextService can truly serve as the cornerstone of your company’s tech stack, grow with your company, and consistently meet your company’s everchanging needs for an ERP and FSM solution.

Optimise Your Field Service Operations

Whether you are operating a small, family-owned business and have outgrown spreadsheets and whiteboards or you are a C-suite executive whose global organisation needs a more robust ERP and FSM solution, the benefits of NetSuite + NextService are worth exploring. Or perhaps you have already deployed NetSuite and require a native NetSuite field service management solution.

Trusted solution providers like BrightBridge help you navigate the complexities of new software implementation and provide a customer experience tailored specifically to your needs. Their experienced team delivers dedicated resources to ensure you get the greatest ROI for your technology investment.

Contact BrightBridge today to schedule a demo of NetSuite + NextService and see firsthand how they can help your wholesale distribution business achieve operational excellence and optimise your field service operations.

About the author: Next Technik Partner Marketing Manager Wendy Broome has been with the Next Technik team in a variety of roles, including pre-sales solutioning and digital marketing, since 2021. She has been working with ERP systems since 2018 and is obsessed with customer (and partner) success and enabling NetSuite for field service operations.