Latest news with #FSM
Time Business News
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Field Service Management Software Drives Operational Efficiency
The Field Service Management Software industry is inherently complex. Whether managing teams of technicians, scheduling jobs, or keeping customers happy, business owners and managers constantly juggle competing priorities. Add to that the inefficiencies caused by manual processes, miscommunications, and human error, and it becomes clear that traditional management methods hold businesses back. This is where Field Service Management (FSM) software becomes a critical advantage. By automating processes, streamlining operations, and offering real-time insights, FSM software transforms how field service businesses operate, paving the way for enhanced efficiency across the board. If you're ready to learn how adopting FSM software can revolutionize your operations, keep reading. We'll cover the key reasons to invest in FSM software and its remarkable impact on your business. Field Service Management software is more than a tech trend; it's a tool purpose-built to address the unique challenges faced by field service businesses. Here's why businesses are increasingly adopting FSM software: Manual management methods such as spreadsheets or paper-based systems might feel familiar, but they often result in inefficiencies, missed deadlines, and costly mistakes. FSM software takes the pressure off by automating critical tasks like scheduling, dispatching software, invoicing, and customer notifications. For example, instead of dispatchers spending time calling or texting technicians, the software can automatically assign jobs based on technician location, skills, and availability, and update everyone in real time. This helps your team stay focused, reduces delays, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Effective communication is essential when managing teams in the field. FSM software offers real-time updates that keep everyone, from dispatchers to technicians, in the loop. Technicians can access job details, update status in real-time, and log any issues they encounter through mobile devices. On the customer side, many FSM solutions also offer interactive portals or automated notifications that let clients see job progress, expected arrival times, or even leave feedback. This not only improves transparency but also helps build trust and reduce unnecessary calls to your office. Data silos can cripple a business's ability to perform effectively. FSM software provides a centralized platform where every piece of information is stored, from customer histories and invoices to inventory details and employee schedules. This centralization not only ensures that teams can access critical data instantly but also eliminates redundant processes like entering the same data twice. Many FSM tools integrate seamlessly with IoT devices and GPS tracking. For example, specialized sensors can notify teams when equipment requires maintenance, while GPS can help track fleet management and optimize routes. By combining FSM software with IoT and GPS technology, businesses can make data-driven decisions, reduce downtime, and improve logistics. Now that we've outlined the 'why' and 'how' of implementing FSM software, let's look at what it means for your business in practical terms. FSM software eliminates inefficiencies and empowers teams to focus on high-value tasks. For instance, with automated scheduling, technicians are sent out with clear instructions and optimized paths to complete jobs faster, leaving room for additional tasks during the day. Managers, too, benefit as they spend less time on paperwork and more time analyzing data or improving business strategies. In field service, long-term success depends on your ability to deliver fast, reliable, and professional service constantly. In fact, 67% of field service companies say they've felt growing customer demand for remote service options. FSM software ensures that promises made to customers align with actual outcomes, with self-scheduling tools, real-time job tracking, automated updates, and detailed job completion reporting. Furthermore, error reduction and improved communication mean fewer missed or delayed appointments, which are often a leading cause of customer churn. While FSM software requires a financial investment upfront, its cost-saving potential over time is significant. Automated operational processes reduce overhead costs tied to manual labor, data silos, and service inefficiencies. Additionally, features like predictive maintenance enabled by IoT integration minimize equipment downtime, eliminating expensive emergency repairs and unplanned service interruptions. Efficiency is what sets top field service businesses apart. With the right FSM software, you can automate routine tasks, improve team coordination, and deliver the level of service your customers expect, without the overhead of manual processes. Field Service Management software is clearly a foundation for smarter operations and sustainable growth. Whether your priority is cutting waste, streamlining communication, or improving customer loyalty, FSM software helps you get there faster. Now is the time to rethink what's possible for your field service business. Ready to take the next step? TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FSM Buys 15% of Awale Resources to Boost Cote d'Ivoire Exploration
Fortuna Mining Corp. FSM announced that it acquired 15,037,593 common shares of Awalé Resources Limited, gaining a 15% stake in the latter. This move aligns with Fortuna Mining's long-term growth strategy of strengthening its exploration pipeline in Côte d' Resources is focused on its 100%-owned Odienné Project in Côte d'Ivoire. The company's active team, which has developed a strong presence in the region, will help Fortuna Mining boost its pipeline in Côte d'Ivoire. Fortuna Mining acquired the said shares through a non-brokered private placement at $0.399 per share for $6 million. FSM has recently been actively optimizing its portfolio. In May 2025, the company announced that it closed the sale of the interest in Roxgold Sanu and three other subsidiaries to Soleil Resources International Ltd. With this move, FSM will no longer have any stake in the Yaramoko Mine, which is operated by Roxgold April 2025, Fortuna Mining sold its non-core San Jose mine in Mexico. With the sale of Yaramoko, the company will cease to have any operations in Burkina Faso. Its operating portfolio will include the Séguéla mine in Côte d'Ivoire, the Lindero mine in Argentina, the Caylloma mine in Peru and the Diamba Sud Gold Project located in Mining opted to sell the Yaramoko mine, considering its limited remaining life and increasingly difficult operating conditions in Burkina Faso. The sale provides the company with additional liquidity to focus more on its strategic deal boosts Fortuna Mining's first-quarter cash and short-term investments to more than $380 million and liquidity to more than $530 million. This transaction will also reallocate around $50 million in capital and free up management capacity. Shares of Fortuna Mining have gained 41% in the past year compared with the industry's 1.4% growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research FSM currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Some other top-ranked stocks from the basic materials space are SSR Mining Inc. SSRM, Alamos Gold Inc. AGI and Hawkins, Inc. HWKN. SSR Mining currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and Alamos Gold and Hawkins carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks Mining has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 58.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SSRM's 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.14 per share, implying a year-over-year upsurge of 307%. SSR Mining has skyrocketed 147.9% last Gold has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AGI's 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.24 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 55%. Alamos Gold shares have surged 66% last has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWKN's 2025 earnings is pegged at $4.37 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 8.4%. Hawkins shares have jumped 55.5% last year. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Alamos Gold Inc. (AGI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Fortuna Mining Corp. (FSM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Silver Standard Resources Inc. (SSRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hawkins, Inc. (HWKN) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Parents warned they could be missing out on huge benefit as they need to apply
Students who are eligible for free school meals should be automatically registered to ensure no child misses out, the Education Policy Institute has demanded in a report Students who are eligible for free school meals should be automatically registered to ensure no child misses out, a think tank has demanded. Parents across the country face different requirements in applying for free school meals which is creating "inequalities" in accessing them, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) said. In some local authorities, parents are required to make their own application while facing significant barriers and if not found eligible at the time must reapply when circumstances change. Other local areas keep an eye on whether a child becomes eligible and sign them up as soon as they are entitled, without relying on parents sharing details or making an application. It comes after Keir Starmer last week announced that more than half a million children will become eligible for free school meals after a major expansion of eligibility rules. The PM unveiled plans to extend the lifeline benefit to all kids in families who get Universal Credit (UC) in England, in a move that could save parents up to £500 a year. Currently, only households on UC who earn below £7,400 a year qualify for free school meals. The expansion, which will come into force in September 2026, marked a victory for the Mirror's long-running campaign to widen provision to stop children being too hungry to learn. But concerns have been raised that many children will not actually receive the free hot lunch as they might not be registered. The EPI said despite efforts to enrol kids, issues around language barriers, digital access and stigma are preventing kids from benefiting from the system. Some local authorities, who already have auto-enrolment, discovered 'large numbers' of eligible children were not registered before they introduced the system. The Education Policy Institute's paper, funded by The Nuffield Foundation, calls on the Government to introduce a national auto-enrolment scheme to ensure all eligible families are registered for free school meals. It said: "Despite this expansion in FSM (free school meals) eligibility, without further action from the Government, children may continue to miss out on the free meals they are entitled to. The barriers to registration and differences in registration practices across LAs means children still face inequalities in access to free meals." The report added: "In terms of barriers families face in applying to FSM - including English as an additional language, stigma, confusion about eligibility - auto-enrolment would largely eradicate these issues." The report also found that some children who attend maintained nurseries before and after lunch are missing out on free meals to which they are entitled. An additional 77,700 children became eligible for free school meals in the past year, according to recent data published by the Department for Education. More than one in four (25.7%) pupils in England were eligible for free school meals in January, the equivalent of 2.17 million children - up from 24.6%, or 2.09 million, in January 2024. The Liberal Democrats have been piling pressure on the Government to auto-enrol eligible children for free school meals. Munira Wilson, the party's education spokeswoman, said: 'We were heartened last week to see the Government finally listen to so many campaigners - including Lib Dems - by expanding free school meals to all children in poverty. This report rightly identifies the next piece of the puzzle: the many, many children missing out on the meals they are entitled to. 'It's heartbreaking to think that thousands of families are missing out on transformative help that they might not even know their children are eligible for. We urge the Government to take this next common-sense step, listen to Liberal Democrats once again and introduce auto-enrolment for all kids on free school meals.' Dr Kerris Cooper, senior researcher for early years and inequalities at EPI, said: "Our research shows that while the extension of free school meal eligibility is a very positive step, more needs to be done to ensure that all children entitled to free meals can actually access them. "Introducing national auto-enrolment and including children in early education would enable this expansion in FSM eligibility to more meaningfully extend access to more children in poverty." Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: "Moving to a national system of auto-enrolment would be the next logical step to ensure that everyone who is now eligible under the new criteria will actually receive a meal and the intended benefits." He added: "We see no reason why a national system of auto-enrolment cannot be established relatively straightforwardly.' Last week, education minister Stephen Morgan told MPs in the Commons that the Government would be working to make it easier for people to apply. He said the announcement on expanding free school meals was a "significant, straightforward process for parents to know whether they are eligible".
South Wales Guardian
12-06-2025
- General
- South Wales Guardian
Government should auto-enrol eligible pupils for free school meals
There is variation in free school meal registration practices across England, research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has suggested. It comes after ministers set out plans to expand free school meals to all pupils in England from families on universal credit. Currently, households in England on universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits) to qualify for free school meals. The expansion of free school meals to all pupils in families on universal credit from September 2026 will make 500,000 more children eligible for free lunches, the Government has said. Parents currently have to apply for their children to receive free school meals and eligible children are not automatically enrolled. The paper, funded by The Nuffield Foundation, calls on the Government to introduce a national auto-enrolment scheme to ensure all eligible families are registered for free school meals. It said: 'Despite this expansion in FSM (free school meals) eligibility, without further action from the Government, children may continue to miss out on the free meals they are entitled to. 'The barriers to registration and differences in registration practices across LAs means children still face inequalities in access to free meals.' The report added: 'In terms of barriers families face in applying to FSM – including English as an additional language, stigma, confusion about eligibility – auto-enrolment would largely eradicate these issues.' Despite efforts to boost registration, language barriers and a lack of digital access are preventing the meals reaching children that need them, it said. An additional 77,700 children became eligible for free school meals in the past year, according to recent data published by the Department for Education. More than one in four (25.7%) pupils in England were eligible for free school meals in January, the equivalent of 2.17 million children – up from 24.6%, or 2.09 million, in January 2024. But the report from EPI – which is based on surveys and interviews with local authorities and multi-academy trusts in 2024 and early 2025 – found where a child lives or goes to school determines how hard it is for families to register for free school meals. In some local authorities, parents are required to make their own application while facing significant barriers and if found ineligible at the time must reapply when circumstances change. While in others, they use local auto-enrolment to proactively identify entitled children without relying on parents sharing details or making an application. The report also found that some children who attend maintained nurseries before and after lunch are missing out on free meals to which they are entitled. Dr Kerris Cooper, senior researcher for early years and inequalities at EPI, said: 'Our research shows that while the extension of free school meal eligibility is a very positive step, more needs to be done to ensure that all children entitled to free meals can actually access them. 'First, there are still significant barriers for families to register for FSM, and where a child lives plays too big a role in their chances of being registered. 'Second, the youngest children, who face the highest risk of poverty, will not benefit from this expansion in eligibility unless all children attending early education are also included and settings are supported to deliver this. 'Introducing national auto-enrolment and including children in early education would enable this expansion in FSM eligibility to more meaningfully extend access to more children in poverty.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'The expansion of free school meals, to include all children in households on universal credit, is a positive move that recognises there are children living in poverty who have been missing out. 'Moving to a national system of auto-enrolment would be the next logical step to ensure that everyone who is now eligible under the new criteria will actually receive a meal and the intended benefits.' He added: 'We see no reason why a national system of auto-enrolment cannot be established relatively straightforwardly. 'This is something that would make a big difference to vulnerable families.' Last week, education minister Stephen Morgan told MPs in the Commons that the Government would be working to make it easier for people to apply. He said the announcement on expanding free school meals was a 'significant, straightforward process for parents to know whether they are eligible'. A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Through our Plan for Change, this government has taken a historic step to tackle the stain of child poverty and spread opportunity – extending free school meal eligibility to all children in households on Universal Credit. 'This means over half a million more children will be able to access free meals from the 2026 school year, lifting 100,000 children completely out of poverty – and we will launch an upgraded eligibility checking tool next year to make it simpler than ever for parents to see if they can benefit. 'This forms part of our wider plan to put money back in the pockets of working families – with parents also set to benefit from our free breakfast club rollout and school uniform cost cap, helping them save up to £500 a year.'
Glasgow Times
12-06-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Government should auto-enrol eligible pupils for free school meals
There is variation in free school meal registration practices across England, research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has suggested. It comes after ministers set out plans to expand free school meals to all pupils in England from families on universal credit. Currently, households in England on universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits) to qualify for free school meals. The expansion of free school meals to all pupils in families on universal credit from September 2026 will make 500,000 more children eligible for free lunches, the Government has said. Parents currently have to apply for their children to receive free school meals and eligible children are not automatically enrolled. The paper, funded by The Nuffield Foundation, calls on the Government to introduce a national auto-enrolment scheme to ensure all eligible families are registered for free school meals. It said: 'Despite this expansion in FSM (free school meals) eligibility, without further action from the Government, children may continue to miss out on the free meals they are entitled to. 'The barriers to registration and differences in registration practices across LAs means children still face inequalities in access to free meals.' The report added: 'In terms of barriers families face in applying to FSM – including English as an additional language, stigma, confusion about eligibility – auto-enrolment would largely eradicate these issues.' Despite efforts to boost registration, language barriers and a lack of digital access are preventing the meals reaching children that need them, it said. An additional 77,700 children became eligible for free school meals in the past year, according to recent data published by the Department for Education. More than one in four (25.7%) pupils in England were eligible for free school meals in January, the equivalent of 2.17 million children – up from 24.6%, or 2.09 million, in January 2024. But the report from EPI – which is based on surveys and interviews with local authorities and multi-academy trusts in 2024 and early 2025 – found where a child lives or goes to school determines how hard it is for families to register for free school meals. In some local authorities, parents are required to make their own application while facing significant barriers and if found ineligible at the time must reapply when circumstances change. While in others, they use local auto-enrolment to proactively identify entitled children without relying on parents sharing details or making an application. The report also found that some children who attend maintained nurseries before and after lunch are missing out on free meals to which they are entitled. Dr Kerris Cooper, senior researcher for early years and inequalities at EPI, said: 'Our research shows that while the extension of free school meal eligibility is a very positive step, more needs to be done to ensure that all children entitled to free meals can actually access them. 'First, there are still significant barriers for families to register for FSM, and where a child lives plays too big a role in their chances of being registered. 'Second, the youngest children, who face the highest risk of poverty, will not benefit from this expansion in eligibility unless all children attending early education are also included and settings are supported to deliver this. 'Introducing national auto-enrolment and including children in early education would enable this expansion in FSM eligibility to more meaningfully extend access to more children in poverty.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'The expansion of free school meals, to include all children in households on universal credit, is a positive move that recognises there are children living in poverty who have been missing out. 'Moving to a national system of auto-enrolment would be the next logical step to ensure that everyone who is now eligible under the new criteria will actually receive a meal and the intended benefits.' He added: 'We see no reason why a national system of auto-enrolment cannot be established relatively straightforwardly. 'This is something that would make a big difference to vulnerable families.' Last week, education minister Stephen Morgan told MPs in the Commons that the Government would be working to make it easier for people to apply. He said the announcement on expanding free school meals was a 'significant, straightforward process for parents to know whether they are eligible'. A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Through our Plan for Change, this government has taken a historic step to tackle the stain of child poverty and spread opportunity – extending free school meal eligibility to all children in households on Universal Credit. 'This means over half a million more children will be able to access free meals from the 2026 school year, lifting 100,000 children completely out of poverty – and we will launch an upgraded eligibility checking tool next year to make it simpler than ever for parents to see if they can benefit. 'This forms part of our wider plan to put money back in the pockets of working families – with parents also set to benefit from our free breakfast club rollout and school uniform cost cap, helping them save up to £500 a year.'
