Executive Summary

Manufacturing Field Service

The manufacturing industry faces constant pressure to streamline product and supply chain cycles while meeting cost, profitability and customer expectations. Equipment and product manufacturers are also expected to deliver maintenance, repair and operational services promptly to support customer requirements. As production systems become more automated and interconnected, field service teams and the manufacturing functions that support them must operate with high levels of coordination and responsiveness, as service disruptions can directly affect production continuity, customer satisfaction and revenue.

Field service teams and the manufacturing functions that support them must operate with high levels of coordination and responsiveness.

Field service in manufacturing is distinct because manufacturers support diverse, capital-intensive equipment across long and variable lifecycles. Manufacturing-focused field service management (FSM) must maintain installed base visibility, manage warranty and service contract entitlements and enforce strict safety and regulatory requirements, all while protecting uptime for revenue-critical assets. These challenges are compounded by global asset footprints and heterogeneous operating environments, making coordination, compliance and lifecycle-centric service management central to manufacturing field service operations.

ISG Research defines FSM as the practice of delivering technical support at the customer’s site or related locations. In manufacturing, this approach is critical as organizations seek to enhance customer experience while minimizing operational disruption. Field service is not merely about dispatching workers; it is a complex orchestration that requires optimizing processes and automating workflows to ensure reliable resolution of service events and sustained production uptime.

As technology advanced, particularly with the rise of mobile devices and cloud computing, field service for manufacturers evolved from manual and paper-based processes to more connected digital workflows. Early software solutions integrated real-time communication, GPS tracking and customer service tools, streamlining operations and improving data collection and analysis. The advent of the internet of things (IoT) further transformed manufacturing field service by enabling remote monitoring and predictive maintenance, allowing technicians to address issues proactively rather than reactively.

Manufacturers are investing in FSM now because downtime costs have escalated sharply as production systems become more automated, interconnected and intolerant of disruption. SLA penalties and contractual service obligations introduce direct financial risk when service execution falls short. As outcome-based service contracts become more common, FSM platforms are increasingly required to manage risk, ensure compliance and protect revenue, rather than simply dispatch technicians in response to failures.

The manufacturing field service landscape is evolving toward asset-centric, interoperable platforms that integrate service execution with production, supply chain and commercial systems. Modern FSM platforms help manufacturers coordinate service activities with manufacturing schedules, inventory constraints and contractual obligations, enabling more predictable and auditable operations across complex environments.

The manufacturing field service landscape is evolving toward asset-centric, interoperable platforms.

Manufacturing enterprises require FSM platforms that provide comprehensive installed base visibility, linking individual assets to configuration data, warranty status, service history and contractual entitlements across the asset lifecycle. Effective FSM must tightly coordinate parts availability and logistics so that specialized components are staged and delivered in alignment with planned service activities, minimizing production disruption. Skills-based dispatch capabilities are essential to match highly specialized technicians with complex equipment, while controls for safety procedures, certifications and regulatory compliance ensure work is executed correctly and remains auditable.

Manufacturers also require FSM platforms that are fundamentally asset-centric, organizing service around equipment configurations and lifecycle states rather than isolated work orders. Robust warranty and entitlement management helps enforce contract terms, control service costs and ensure accurate billing. Service bills of materials connect assets to the correct parts, tools and procedures, supporting consistent execution across global service organizations. Predictive and proactive maintenance capabilities further protect uptime and reduce unplanned interventions, particularly for capital-intensive equipment. Knowledge delivery tied to specific equipment models and configurations supports safe, accurate service execution, while analytics link service activity to cost, margin and contract performance, providing visibility into service profitability.

Mobility remains central to manufacturing field service operations. FSM platforms focus on controlling scheduling and communicating updates across service teams, manufacturing operations and supply chain functions. Mobile applications provide technicians with access to technical documentation, equipment histories, service procedures and compliance requirements, enabling real-time data capture and decision-making at the point of service. These capabilities help reduce administrative overhead, shorten service cycles and improve first-time resolution.

Successful adoption of FSM in manufacturing depends on positioning the platform as an enterprise capability rather than a regional or departmental tool. Change management is especially important for specialized technicians and third-party service partners, requiring clear role definition, standardized workflows and tools that reduce manual documentation in the field. Many manufacturers pursue phased rollouts by asset class or region to validate integrations, refine processes and scale adoption without disrupting production-critical operations.

Successful adoption of FSM in manufacturing depends on positioning the platform as an enterprise capability.

Manufacturers measure the success of field service programs through metrics that reflect both operational efficiency and business impact. Core indicators include equipment uptime, mean time to repair, first-time fix rate, service contract compliance, technician utilization and inventory performance. Together, these measures provide a fact-based view of field service performance and support continuous improvement initiatives aligned with manufacturing and service objectives.

When evaluating FSM tools, manufacturing enterprises should assess scalability and flexibility to support current operations and future growth. Integration with ERP, CRM and inventory management systems is critical to enable unified workflows across manufacturing, service and supply chain functions. Security, data governance and system resilience are also important considerations, particularly in global manufacturing environments with distributed assets and regulatory obligations.

The 2026 ISG Buyers Guide™ for Manufacturing Field Service evaluates software providers in key areas including mobile workforce management, scheduling and dispatch optimization, work order and asset management, customer engagement, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) integration, data and analytics, knowledge management and predictive and proactive maintenance. This research evaluates the following software providers: Comarch, Dusk Mobile, Gomocha, IBM, IFS, KloudGin, MSI Data, Oracle, PTC, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, ServicePower, Syncron and Zinier.

Buyers Guide Overview

ISG Research has conducted market research for over two decades across vertical industries, business applications, AI and IT. We have designed the ISG Buyers Guide™ to provide a balanced perspective of software providers and products that is rooted in an understanding of business and IT requirements. Utilization of our research methodology and decades of experience enables our Buyers Guide to be an effective method to assess and select software providers and products. The findings of this research provide a comprehensive approach to rating software providers and rank their ability to meet specific product and customer experience requirements.

ISG Research has designed the Buyers Guide to provide a balanced perspective of software providers and products that is rooted in an understanding of business and IT requirements.

The 2026 ISG Buyers Guide™ for Manufacturing Field Service is the distillation of continuous market and product research. It is an assessment of how well software providers’ offerings address enterprises’ requirements for field service software in the manufacturing industry. The Value Index methodology is structured to support a request for information (RFI) for a request for proposal (RFP) process by incorporating all criteria needed to evaluate, select, utilize and maintain relationships with software providers. The ISG Buyers Guide evaluates customer experience and the product experience in its capability and platform.

The structure of the research reflects our understanding that the effective evaluation of software providers and products involves far more than just examining product features, potential revenue or customers generated from a provider’s marketing and sales efforts. It can ensure the best long-term relationship and value achieved from a resource and financial investment We believe it is important to take a comprehensive, research-based approach, since making the wrong choice of field service software can raise the total cost of ownership, lower the return on investment and hamper an enterprise’s ability to reach its potential. In addition, this approach can reduce the project’s development and deployment time and eliminate the risk of relying on opinions or historical biases.

ISG Research believes that an objective review of existing and potential new software providers and products is a critical strategy for the adoption and implementation of field service software. An enterprise’s review should include an analysis of both what is possible and what is relevant. We urge manufacturing enterprises to do a thorough job of evaluating field service software and offer this Buyers Guide as both the results of our in-depth analysis of these providers and as an evaluation methodology.

Key Takeaways

Manufacturing field service is becoming increasingly asset-centric as downtime, contractual risk and production interdependence raise the cost of service failure. Manufacturers require tighter coordination across service execution, parts logistics and compliance to protect uptime for revenue-critical equipment. As outcome-based service models expand, field service platforms are being positioned as systems of control rather than simple dispatch tools.

Software Provider Summary
The ISG Buyers Guide™ for Manufacturing Field Service evaluates 15 software providers offering products supporting field service operations in manufacturing environments. The research ranked the top three overall leaders as Salesforce, ServiceNow and IFS. Providers were classified using weighted performance in Product Experience and Customer Experience for ISG quadrant placement. IBM, IFS, Oracle, PTC, Salesforce, SAP and ServiceNow were rated as Exemplary, with ServicePower rated as Innovative. Dusk Mobile was rated as Assurance; and Comarch, Gomocha, KloudGin, MSI Data, Syncron and Zinier were rated as Merit.

Product Experience Insights
Product Experience, representing 80% of the evaluation, focuses on Capability (35%) and Platform (45%), which includes adaptability, manageability, reliability and usability. Salesforce, ServiceNow and IFS achieved the highest performance as Leaders in this category, supported by strengths in installed base visibility and asset-centric service execution and enterprise-grade platform scalability and governance. Leaders demonstrated enterprise-grade platform capabilities across varied roles and contexts.

Customer Experience Value
Customer Experience, representing 20% of the evaluation, focuses on validation and TCO/ROI. ServiceNow, Salesforce, Oracle and IFS were the Leaders in this category, showing strong customer advocacy and clear investment in success outcomes. Providers with lower performance often lacked publicly available customer validation or failed to demonstrate structured ROI measurement and proactive lifecycle engagement.

Strategic Recommendations
Manufacturers should treat FSM as a core operational capability aligned with production continuity and contract performance. Buyers should prioritize platforms that integrate asset data, parts logistics and compliance controls into service workflows. Strong governance, scalable integration and measurable service profitability should be baseline requirements. This approach enables manufacturers to reduce downtime risk while protecting margin and customer commitments.

How To Use This Buyers Guide

Evaluating Software Providers: The Process

We recommend using the Buyers Guide to assess and evaluate new or existing software providers for your enterprise. The market research can be used as an evaluation framework to assess existing approaches and software providers or establish a formal request for information from providers on products and customer experience and will shorten the cycle time when creating an RFI. The steps listed below provide a process that can facilitate best possible outcomes in the most efficient manner.

1. Define the business case and goals.
   Define the mission and business case for investment and the expected outcomes from your organizational and technological efforts.
2. Specify the business and IT needs.
   Defining the business and IT requirements helps identify what specific capabilities are required with respect to people, processes, information and technology.
3. Assess the required roles and responsibilities.
   Identify the individuals required for success at every level of the enterprise from executives to frontline workers and determine the needs of each.
4. Outline the project’s critical path.
   What needs to be done, in what order and who will do it? This outline should make clear the prior dependencies at each step of the project plan.
5. Ascertain the technology approach.
   Determine the business and technology approach that most closely aligns to your enterprise’s requirements.
6. Establish software provider evaluation criteria.
   Utilize the product experience: capability and platform with support for adaptability, manageability, reliability and usability, and the customer experience in TCO/ROI and Validation.
7. Evaluate and select the software provider and products properly.
   Apply a weighting the evaluation categories in the evaluation criteria to reflect your enterprise’s priorities to determine the short list of software providers and products.
8. Establish the business initiative team to start the project.
   Identify who will lead the project and the members of the team needed to plan and execute it with timelines, priorities and resources.

Using the ISG Buyers Guide and process provides enterprises a clear, structured approach to making smarter software and business investment decisions. It ensures alignment between strategy, people, processes and technology while reducing risk, saving time, and improving outcomes. The ISG approach promotes data-driven decision-making and collaboration, helping choose the right software providers for maximum value and return on investment.

The Findings

The software providers and products evaluated in the research provide product and customer experiences, but not everything offered is equally valuable to every enterprise or is needed to operate in business processes and use cases. Moreover, the existence of too many capabilities in products may be a negative factor for an enterprise if it introduces unnecessary complexity. Nonetheless, you may decide that a more comprehensive set of capabilities in the product is important, and where they match your enterprise’s requirements.

An effective customer relationship with a software provider is vital to the success of any investment. The overall customer experience and the full lifecycle of engagement play a key role in ensuring satisfaction and long-term success. Providers with dedicated customer leadership, such as chief customer officers, tend to invest more deeply in these relationships and prioritize customer outcomes to TCO and ROI expectations. It is equally important that this commitment to customer success is clearly demonstrated throughout the provider’s website, buying process and customer journey.

Overall Scoring of Software Providers Across Categories

The research finds Salesforce atop the list, followed by ServiceNow and IFS. Providers that place in the top three of a category earn the designation of Leader. IFS and Salesforce have done so in five categories; ServiceNow in four; and Oracle and SAP in one category.

The overall representation of the research below places the rating of the Product Experience and Customer Experience on the x and y axes, respectively, to provide a visual representation and classification of the software providers. Those providers whose Product Experience have above median weighted performance to the axis in aggregate of the two product categories place farther to the right, while the performance and weighting for the Customer Experience category determines placement on the vertical axis. In short, software providers that place closer to the upper-right on this chart performed better than those closer to the lower-left.

The research categorizes and rates software providers into one of four categories: Assurance, Exemplary, Merit or Innovative. This representation of software providers’ weighted performance in meeting the requirements in product and customer experience.

Exemplary: This rating (upper right) represents those that performed above median in Product and Customer Experience requirements. The providers rated Exemplary are: IBM, IFS, Oracle, PTC, Salesforce, SAP and ServiceNow.

Innovative: This rating (lower right) represents those that performed above median in Product Experience but not in Customer Experience. The provider rated Innovative is: ServicePower.

Assurance: This rating (upper left) represents those that performed above median in Customer Experience but not in Product Experience. The provider rated Assurance is: Dusk Mobile.

Merit: This rating (lower left) represents those that did not surpass the median in Customer or Product Experience. The providers rated Merit are: Comarch, Gomocha, KloudGin, MSI Data, Syncron and Zinier.

We advise enterprises to use this research as a supplement to their own evaluations, recognizing that ratings or rankings do not solely represent the value of a provider nor indicate universal suitability of a set of products.

Product Experience

The process of researching products to address an enterprise’s needs should be comprehensive and evaluate specific capabilities and the underlying platform to the product experience. Our evaluation of the Product Experience examines the lifecycle of onboarding, configuration, operations, usage and maintenance. Too often, software providers are not evaluated for the entirety of the product; instead, they are evaluated on market execution and vision of the future.

The research results in Product Experience are ranked at 80%, or four-fifths, using the underlying weighted performance. Importance was placed on the categories as follows: Capability (35%) and Platform (45%). Salesforce, ServiceNow and IFS were designated Product Experience Leaders.

Customer Experience

The importance of a customer relationship with a software provider is essential to the actual success of the products and technology. The evaluation of the Customer Experience and the entire lifecycle an enterprise has with its software provider is critical for ensuring satisfaction in working with that provider. The ISG Buyers Guide examines a software provider’s customer commitment, viability, customer success, sales and onboarding, product roadmap and services with partners and support. The customer experience category also investigates the TCO/ROI and how well a software provider demonstrates the product’s overall value, cost and benefits, including the tools and resources to evaluate these factors.

The research results in Customer Experience are ranked at 20%, or one-fifth of the 100% index, and represent the underlying provider validation and TCO/ROI requirements as they relate to the framework of commitment and value to the software provider-customer relationship.

The software providers that evaluated the highest in the Customer Experience category are ServiceNow, Salesforce, Oracle and IFS. These category Leaders best communicate commitment and dedication to customer needs.

Software providers that did not perform well in this category were unable to provide or make sufficient information readily available to demonstrate success or articulate their commitment to customer experience. The use of a software provider requires continuous investment, so a holistic evaluation must include examination of how they support their customer experience.

Products Evaluated