Field service management
Also known as: FSM, field service software, service management platform
Software for coordinating work that happens at customer sites — scheduling, dispatch, quotes, invoicing, and crew tracking.
Field service management (FSM) refers to the systems a service business uses to coordinate work that takes place at customer locations rather than in a fixed office or shop. An FSM platform typically handles scheduling, dispatch, customer records, quotes and estimates, work orders, invoicing, payments, route guidance, and field-team communication. It replaces a stack of disconnected tools — paper schedules, spreadsheets, separate accounting software, and SMS — with a single shared record that the office and the field can both see in real time.
FSM is most commonly used by trade service businesses (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lawn care, cleaning, pest control, pool service) and by mobile service organizations (medical equipment, IT field support). The defining characteristic is dispatchable, location-based work: jobs have an address, a crew, and a clock — not just a status and an owner.
Related terms
Dispatch
Assigning jobs to specific technicians or crews on specific days, with the right skills, parts, and routing in place.
Work order
The structured record of a job to be performed — what's needed, when, where, by whom, and at what price.
Route optimization
Choosing the order of stops on a technician's day to minimize drive time and missed windows.
Service request
An inbound ask from a customer that hasn't yet been scheduled or quoted.