Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from ServiceMax VP of Global Customer Transformation Patrice Eberline’s new e-book, “A Diamond in the Rough: Unleashing the Power of Field Service Transformation.” In the e-book, Eberline outlines the strategies field service leaders need to run a modern — and profitable — service organization. FSD readers can now download a free copy.  

Field service transformation is all about business outcomes and continuous improvement. It’s about becoming all your organization can be, and having the actionable information to grow and respond to changing market conditions quickly, easily and with the best tools for the job. It’s also about your stakeholders, from the back office to line management, and from the C-suite to the field team.

But before you can build a business case for field service management, you need to understand why the holistic business case — rather than financial analysis alone — is the best way to approach a system investment.

  1. A business case is comprehensive beyond the financials.
  2. A business case removes emotion from the equation.
  3. A well-written business case provides a framework for future action.
  4. A business case helps to avoid traditional pitfalls in implementation execution.
  5. A business case puts the tool in its proper place and you in the driver’s seat.

More than Just the Financials

How many of us have had approval on a proposal, but right before pen hits paper and that purchase order is generated, we hear, “but how are you going to do that?” Typically we fall back to our comfort zone, reciting volumes of system functionality or the great catch-all answer: integration.

“We are going to streamline,” we say. “We are going to integrate,” we exclaim. “We are focusing on our KPIs!” The list goes on and on.

Presenting a business case goes beyond the financials. It connects the dots from your business goals and objectives to the problems, pain points and gates to realizing those goals. It identifies and speaks to all the stakeholders, from decision makers to those who will benefit from outcomes. Further, it clearly identifies field service operational metrics with which service leaders can create efficiencies and realize expected returns.

To read more, download your free copy of “A Diamond in the Rough: Unleashing the Power of Field Service Transformation.