Top Competitors & Alternatives

Oracle Field Service Cloud

Oracle’s field service management (FSM) solution is the only other vendor on our Leaderboard to tie ServiceMax in every area of capability, as determined by our analyst team. While both offer an extremely similar level of functionality, there are a few key differences that might make one solution the better choice for your business. First, Oracle offers a suite of software tools that spread far beyond field service. Yet, they’re built to seamlessly integrate and work together. This makes Oracle’s FSM solution an appealing choice for those who already use software from this vendor.

Secondly, Oracle is slightly easier to use right out of the box. Customization of the solution is simple, especially when it comes to reports, but this does limit a user’s ability to access advanced analytics. ServiceMax, on the other hand, requires a strong IT team behind it but provides fantastic capability once this support is established.

IFS Field Service Management

IFS Field service management is a great tool for medium to large businesses, whereas ServiceMax is suitable for businesses of all sizes. Additionally, when it comes to work order management and billing, IFS performs just below ServiceMax. If these areas are the main priority for your business, you may wish to go with ServiceMax. But IFS boasts a few qualities that make it the better choice for some businesses.

For one, IFS is available in English, Polish, Swedish, Turkish and Dutch languages. ServiceMax is only available in English. Further, IFS Field Service Management is also part of a large suite of software products like Oracle. So if you already use IFS systems or are interested in them, this vendor may be the better choice over ServiceMax.

Coresystems

Coresystems specializes in working with medium to large businesses only, which makes them an unsuitable choice for small businesses, unlike ServiceMax. However, Coresystems offers excellent capabilities for larger businesses and was acquired by SAP in the middle of 2018. This acquisition gives Coresystems access to SAP’s established technologies which allow this FSM solution to scale to a global level.

In terms of functionality, ServiceMax performs better than Coresystems when it comes to work order management, operations management and billing. Coresystems does score better for technician management, though, by providing a more comprehensive documentation platform. All other features were determined to be equal by our analyst team.

Although Coresystems only offers a field service solution, you can guess this product integrates well into SAP’s suite of software solutions. This is an obvious benefit for companies already using SAP products for other parts of their business.

ServicePower 

ServicePower, like ServiceMax, is available for both SMBs as well as enterprise-level companies. But there are plenty of other factors that may sway your decision one way or another. For instance, ServicePower’s on-premise solution requires a minimum commitment of one to three years (although there’s no minimum commitment with their cloud offering). ServiceMax, on the other hand, requires a minimum of five users for their most basic plan.

Additionally, ServicePower matches ServiceMax in functionality for every feature except billing and operation management. There is no billing capability built into ServicePower, which might not be a major issue for those who already have a streamlined method of creating invoices. Moreover, ServicePower’s operations management is limited, allowing users to manage warranties, claims and recurring maintenance, but it doesn’t allow depot repair, engineering change requests, reverse logistics or equipment supersession.

Despite the deficiencies in these two areas, ServicePower is still a fantastic solution, with top-rated capability in every other area of field service management.

mHelpDesk 

This FSM solution is a great alternative to ServiceMax if you’re a small business looking for an entirely cloud-based solution. This vendor’s top features include their easy onboarding process, including data migration from your old system to mHelpDesk. This field service management vendor also offers a free trial so users can get an idea of how they’ll use the system on a daily basis. In terms of features, mHelpDesk offers capabilities equal to ServiceMax when it comes to customer management, scheduling, dispatch, routing, technician management and operations.

Regarding billing and invoicing, reporting, and work order management, however, ServiceMax outperforms mHelpDesk. mHelpDesk requires integration with a third-party system such as QuickBooks for billing functionality. Further, mHelpDesk’s reporting features are only adequate. The system allows users to customize their dashboards with a drag-and-drop interface but doesn’t offer much beyond this function.

Compare Top Field Service Management Software Leaders

Salesforce Field Service

Formerly Click Field Service Edge before being acquired, Salesforce Field Service is suitable for all business sizes, just like ServiceMax. It matches ServiceMax’s capabilities when it comes to work order management, customer management, scheduling, dispatch, routing, inventory management, billing and reporting. It’s also optimized for the rail industry, like ServiceMax. There are a few things that allow ClickField to stand out, though.

For one, Salesforce Field Service is tailored to public sector and home services industries. This vendor caters to the needs of the public sector by emphasizing resource planning, performance measurement and flexible scheduling. Salesforce Field Service makes it easy for businesses to manage their budgets and maintain visibility. Home services companies can use Salesforce Field Service to improve customer satisfaction and identify upsell opportunities.

But if you’re looking for a system with an emphasis on technician management and operations, you might choose ServiceMax or one of its other competitors. Salesforce Field Service allows users to track technician productivity and offers a place to upload reference material for on-the-job access. However, ServiceMax goes more in-depth and gives technicians a platform to communicate with other users and source parts. Users can also schedule preventative maintenance with Salesforce Field Service but don’t have access to more sophisticated operations management tools.

Dynamics 365 Field Service 

Formerly known as FieldOne, this FSM solution was acquired by Microsoft in 2015 and is now considered a part of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 software suite. This means FieldOne will easily integrate into any other product in this suite, making it a great solution for businesses already utilizing the Microsoft Dynamics line. This product is aimed at mid-sized to large companies that routinely solve complex issues in the field.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 works with IoT-enabled devices to streamline nearly all processes involved in field services management. When devices malfunction, the IoT technology instantly detects the issue and either resolves the issue itself or notifies office staff to send a technician. Additionally, Microsoft Dynamics 365 works with the Microsoft HoloLens so technicians can use augmented reality (AR) to solve issues faster. This means technicians can access resources such as manuals and video calls in a hands-free environment.

The use of IoT and AR make Microsoft an excellent choice for companies looking to incorporate cutting-edge technology into their field service. But there are also standard features to consider. Microsoft’s FSM solution doesn’t support billing and invoicing beyond converting work orders into invoices. Moreover, ServiceMax provides better technician, operations and work order management. Aside from these three features, Microsoft’s capability is equivalent to that of ServiceMax, as determined by our analysts.

Verizon Connect 

Fleetmatics was acquired by Verizon in late 2016, becoming a part of the Verizon Connect brand. However, the FSM system is largely the same. This solution provides excellent work order management, scheduling, dispatch management, inventory management, billing and invoicing, and reporting. The solution’s technician management and customer management tools are also great but are slightly outperformed by ServiceMax. Verizon Connect is most restricted by its operations management tools, offering zero capability when it comes to maintenance plans, warranties and claims, preventative maintenance, etc.

One thing unique to this solution is how it handles the ELD mandate. Verizon Connect’s app automatically syncs with electronic logging devices to create and maintain a virtual logbook. Verizon Connect is suitable for all business sizes and is a completely cloud-based solution. There’s no option for a free trial, but prospective buyers can receive a free demo to get a feel for the product.

Housecall Pro 

Our last ServiceMax competitor, Housecall Pro, boasts some pretty great results for their customers. First, their clients see a revenue increase of up to 30 percent in their first year with Housecall Pro. Clients also see payments coming through five times faster with Housecall Pro than with their previous system and can save up to 500 business hours per year with their new streamlined processes. And with a user base of over 42,000 professionals, you can trust Housecall Pro has the experience you’re looking for.

This solution provides excellent customer management, scheduling, dispatch management, billing and reporting tools. Routing and work order management are still pretty good, although ServiceMax outperforms Housecall Pro in these areas. Housecall Pro is limited when it comes to technician management but does allow users to track productivity and provides a knowledge management system. Users can schedule recurring visits, but most other functionality related to operations such as reverse logistics, depot repair, etc. are not supported. Housecall Pro also cannot track inventory.