Oct/Nov 2007

Two well-established names in mobile field service management solutions, ServiceBench and ClickSoftware, have joined forces to produce what they describe as an end-to-end field service management solution. They claim that no single vendor has so far come up with such a comprehensive range of capabilities in a single package.

From the ClickSofware side come optimised scheduling and real-time mobile communications, providing the basic system for managing the lifecycle of a service call from creation through to dynamic scheduling and real-time reporting.

From ServiceBench comes a package of functions for scheduling service calls, despatching technicians and ordering replacement parts, and even surveying customer satisfaction.

The ServiceBench components are based on its Warranty application, which gives a good clue to their origin. They include online administration of warranty registrations, claims processing and payments. The two companies say the package reduces turnround time, while the analytics component provides end-to-end visibility into the entire mobile management process.