If you work in field services, you know how complex and fast-moving the work can be—from managing engineer productivity to improving customer response times. That’s why leaders across the industry are turning to TSIA Intelligence in the TSIA Portal to get quick, data-backed answers to their most pressing questions.

In this blog, we’re highlighting the top field services questions being asked in TSIA Intelligence—along with simplified answers you can use to improve your operations, drive efficiency, and benchmark your performance. Whether you're focused on boosting field utilization or optimizing dispatch strategies, these insights are designed to help you make smarter decisions more quickly.

Key Takeaways

• Optimization starts with visibility. Tracking metrics like engineer utilization, first-time fix rate, and customer satisfaction gives you the data you need to identify what’s working—and what’s not.
• Technology plays a key role. From remote diagnostics to intelligent scheduling, tools that enhance visibility and responsiveness are crucial for improving both customer outcomes and team productivity.
• Benchmarking matters. Most field service organizations operate at 75–85% billable utilization, but top-performing organizations achieve closer to 90.2%—a clear sign that better performance is possible with the right strategies.

What’s the Best Way to Track Field Service Productivity?

If you're trying to understand how productive your field service teams are, it starts with tracking the right metrics and having the right systems in place. The best way to measure productivity isn’t just about counting hours worked—it’s about looking at how time is spent, how satisfied your customers are, and how effective your team is at solving problems the first time around. Here are some of the key areas to focus on. 

1. Time Tracking

Begin by establishing a formal time-tracking policy. That means answering and defining:

• Who needs to submit their time?
• What types of activities should they report?
• How is that time categorized?

Accurate time tracking is essential—it’s the foundation for understanding how your team is spending their work hours and calculating actual productivity.

2. Utilization Rate

One of the most telling metrics is the utilization rate, or the percentage of time your field service engineers are actively working on billable tasks. Higher utilization typically means greater efficiency. According to TSIA benchmarks, top-performing organizations show significantly higher utilization rates compared to the industry average.

3. Customer Satisfaction

Don’t overlook how your customers feel. Tracking CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) and NPS (Net Promoter Score) helps you understand whether your service is meeting expectations. Teams that earn high scores here are typically also performing well in terms of productivity.

4. First-Time Fix Rate

This metric tracks the frequency with which your engineers resolve issues during the initial visit. A higher first-time fix rate means fewer follow-ups, happier customers, and more time freed up for your team.

5. Employee Feedback

Field service productivity isn’t just about data—it’s also about listening to your team. Regular feedback and employee satisfaction surveys (ESAT) can surface roadblocks or frustrations that may be hindering your team's progress.

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By monitoring these areas—time tracking, utilization, customer satisfaction, first-time fix rate, and employee input—you’ll get a more complete picture of your productivity and be better equipped to improve your field service operations.

Related: TSIA Field Services Benchmarking

How Can You Optimize Engineer Allocation in Field Repair Services?

To maximize the effectiveness of your field service engineers, optimizing their deployment is crucial. It’s not just about having the correct number of people—it’s about making smarter decisions with your resources to improve response times, boost efficiency, and enhance the customer experience. Here are some top strategies to improve engineer allocation.

1. Start with Remote Resolution

Before dispatching an engineer, ask yourself: Can this issue be solved remotely? By utilizing remote diagnostics, AI tools, and predictive maintenance enabled by IoT sensors, you can often resolve issues without needing to send anyone onsite. That means fewer truck rolls, less downtime, and more availability for your team to handle complex cases.

2. Streamline Scheduling and Routing

Utilizing GPS and advanced scheduling tools can significantly reduce travel time. Intelligent routing ensures your engineers are assigned based on location, urgency, and skill set, so the right person gets to the right job faster.

3. Match Skills to the Job

Make sure your engineers are doing more than just repairs. Equip them to assess how customers use your products, gather feedback, and suggest improvements. This makes every visit more valuable and improves how you deploy resources.

4. Monitor Key Performance Metrics

Track KPIs like:

• First-time fix rate.
• First-Visit Repair Time.
• Utilization Rate.

These metrics provide you with insights into how well your team is performing and where you can refine your allocation strategy.

5. Use Gig Workers for Flexibility

During peak times or for specific tasks, consider using gig workers. This provides flexibility without long-term hiring commitments and helps maintain service quality during periods of increased workload.

Related: Gig Worker Integration in Field Services

6. Invest in Continuous Training

Ongoing training—both technical and customer-facing—can help your engineers handle a broader range of issues and offer better support during visits. Well-trained engineers are also more likely to be satisfied with their roles and perform more efficiently.

What the Data Shows

TSIA data reveals a strong correlation between the allocation of competent engineers and high productivity. Pacesetter organizations—those leading the way in field services—report an average engineer utilization rate of 90.6%, compared to an industry average of 83%.

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Related: The State of Field Services 2025

What’s the Industry Standard for Billable Utilization in Field Services?

When it comes to measuring field service productivity, billable utilization is one of the most important metrics to track. It tells you how much of your team’s time is spent on customer-facing work that generates revenue.

Most companies in the field services space see billable utilization rates around 75% to 85%. This has been a reasonably consistent benchmark over the years, representing the portion of engineer time that’s tied directly to client work or entitled services.

Companies that fall into TSIA’s “Pacesetter” category operate at much higher levels of efficiency. These leaders report billable utilization rates of approximately 90.2%, demonstrating that with proper resource planning, scheduling, and time-tracking strategies, it’s possible to outperform the industry average significantly.

What This Means for You

If your current billable utilization hovers near the 75% mark, you’re aligned with the broader industry. But if you’re aiming to boost productivity and profitability, the data shows that there’s room to grow—up to 90% or more—with stronger processes and more innovative resource management.

Field services is a demanding function, but the questions you ask—and the insights you act on—can set your organization apart. Whether you're trying to improve resource allocation, drive utilization, or reduce repeat visits, focusing on the right metrics and processes makes a measurable difference.

Use these insights as a starting point to evaluate your current strategies and identify areas for improvement. If you want to go deeper, TSIA has the tools and research to help.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is TSIA Intelligence?

TSIA Intelligence is an AI-powered tool available in the TSIA Portal that gives you fast, trusted answers to your most pressing business questions, pulled directly from TSIA’s deep research library. It’s designed to help you make better decisions, faster, across all areas of technology and services.

How can TSIA Intelligence help my field services team?

By surfacing relevant benchmarks, proven practices, and expert-backed strategies, TSIA Intelligence helps you address operational challenges like engineer utilization, scheduling efficiency, and customer satisfaction. It’s a quick way to gain clarity and direction without having to dig through reports.

Is this blog focused on field services?

Yes. Every question and answer in this blog is based on what TSIA members are asking TSIA Intelligence in the field services research area. The goal is to provide you with a snapshot of the top challenges and solutions that your peers are currently seeking.