Dmitri Kopolovich, 20 Jan 2025
How the Planado FSM System Integrates with Billing and Transforms ISP Operations: An Insider’s Perspective
The modern telecom market demands that operators deliver not only high-quality service, but also rapid response times, transparent processes, and minimized operational costs. Automating field service operations (FSM, Field Service Management) has become a key tool for boosting operational efficiency—especially when the FSM system is tightly integrated with the provider’s billing platform and other IT systems.
Planado is an FSM solution developed by the founders of Hydra Billing, specifically tailored for the telecom industry. One of the co-founders, Vadim Zakharikov, previously owned a telecom company himself, so Planado addresses the real-world challenges faced daily by technicians, dispatchers, and management teams at ISPs.
Planado is an FSM solution developed by the founders of Hydra Billing, specifically tailored for the telecom industry. One of the co-founders, Vadim Zakharikov, previously owned a telecom company himself, so Planado addresses the real-world challenges faced daily by technicians, dispatchers, and management teams at ISPs.
Why Integrating FSM and Billing Systems Is Critical for ISPs
Most ISPs rely on a traditional setup: CRM for sales, Helpdesk for customer requests, billing systems for invoicing, GIS for route planning, plus dozens of manual processes connecting them all. The result? Delays, errors, wasted time—and lost customers.
The integration of Planado with Hydra Billing solves these challenges by enabling:
The integration of Planado with Hydra Billing solves these challenges by enabling:
- Automatic creation of field service jobs from support tickets or new connection requests.
- Seamless transfer of job statuses from FSM directly into billing and CRM systems—so data on installations, service activations, photo reports, and customer signatures are instantly recorded without manual entry.
- Remote testing and activation of customer equipment directly from the FSM mobile app, with results automatically saved in the billing platform.
- Streamlined workflows: technicians can move from request to activation in just one or two clicks—no need to call the office or deal with paperwork.
What Problems Does an FSM System Solve for ISPs?
1. Faster Customer Onboarding and Service
A technician receives a work order in the mobile app, complete with route details, connection diagrams, job specifics, and customer contacts. After completing the job, the technician immediately submits a photo report, records used materials, scans equipment, collects the customer’s electronic signature, and activates the service via Planado. All data is automatically sent to the billing system, and the service becomes active instantly.
A technician receives a work order in the mobile app, complete with route details, connection diagrams, job specifics, and customer contacts. After completing the job, the technician immediately submits a photo report, records used materials, scans equipment, collects the customer’s electronic signature, and activates the service via Planado. All data is automatically sent to the billing system, and the service becomes active instantly.
Result:
Planado is convenient not only for servicing existing subscribers but also for construction projects. You can attach files with fiber optic layouts, cable routing diagrams, and other as-built documentation to the system. This ensures transparency and control at every stage of network construction and makes information transfer between departments easier.
3. Minimizing Errors and Manual Work
FSM eliminates manual data entry: all statuses, photos, equipment serial numbers, signatures, and reports are generated automatically and integrated with billing and CRM. This reduces the error rate from 7% to less than 1% (according to client data).
4. Optimization of Field Staff Work
- The average connection time is reduced by half.
- The customer doesn’t have to wait, and the sales manager immediately sees the status in the CRM.
Planado is convenient not only for servicing existing subscribers but also for construction projects. You can attach files with fiber optic layouts, cable routing diagrams, and other as-built documentation to the system. This ensures transparency and control at every stage of network construction and makes information transfer between departments easier.
3. Minimizing Errors and Manual Work
FSM eliminates manual data entry: all statuses, photos, equipment serial numbers, signatures, and reports are generated automatically and integrated with billing and CRM. This reduces the error rate from 7% to less than 1% (according to client data).
4. Optimization of Field Staff Work
The dispatcher can see technicians’ workload, location, and availability in real time, and can quickly reassign jobs in case of emergencies or peak demand. Technicians don’t waste time clarifying details—all information and instructions are available on their phone.
5. Transparency and Quality Control
Managers have access to a complete archive of work orders, photo reports, movement history, and electronic reports for each employee. This simplifies payroll and bonus calculations, ensures compliance with standards, and facilitates onboarding of new staff.
6. Automation of Calculations and Reporting
5. Transparency and Quality Control
Managers have access to a complete archive of work orders, photo reports, movement history, and electronic reports for each employee. This simplifies payroll and bonus calculations, ensures compliance with standards, and facilitates onboarding of new staff.
6. Automation of Calculations and Reporting
Planado automatically calculates work time, successful and unsuccessful installations, repeat visits, emergency visits, employee efficiency, mileage, and generates detailed reports that can be exported to Excel or external systems via API.
Advantages of Planado for Telecom Operators
- Everything technicians and office staff need: a mobile app, integration with billing, automated activation and testing, photo reports, QR scanners, and electronic signatures.
- Deep integration with Hydra Billing: data exchange happens in real time, without delays or manual operations.
- Developed with real market needs in mind: the product was created by people with experience managing a telecom operator, so Planado has no unnecessary features—only what providers truly need.
Implementation Metrics (Example from a Telecom Operator)
Your subscribers won’t have to wait long for a connection—with Planado, orders are quickly assigned and processed, so you can connect clients within 1–2 days. This way, you won’t lose customers who urgently need internet, and they won’t switch to competitors.
Conclusion
Implementing the Planado FSM system integrated with Hydra Billing allows telecom operators to:
- Reduce costs on manual labor and communication
- Increase the speed and quality of subscriber service
- Simplify quality control and employee motivation
- Minimize errors and increase process transparency