# FSM vs ERP vs QMS vs LIMS for inspection companies

> FSM (field service management) software schedules and dispatches field work; ERP (enterprise resource planning) runs finance and resources across the business; QMS software manages quality documents and non-conformances; LIMS (laboratory information management system) tracks samples, tests and results in a laboratory.

- Source: https://amps.global/glossary/fsm-erp-qms-lims/
- Type: Glossary
- Published: 2026-09-05
- Tags: software

## Key facts

- Generic FSM tools (simPRO, ServiceM8, Jobber, Tradify, AroFlo) schedule and invoice but lack certificate tracking, calibration traceability and method-specific report templates
- ERP suites (Odoo, Dynamics 365, SAP) need heavy customisation for NDT; some NDT vendors position as LIMS+ERP
- QMS and LIMS focus on quality records or laboratory samples rather than field jobs
- AMPS is job and asset management built for NDT and inspection work, integrated with Xero for accounting rather than replacing it

Also known as: field service management, enterprise resource planning, quality management system software, laboratory information management system.

## The overlap

An inspection company touches all four: dispatching technicians (FSM), invoicing and payroll (ERP), certificates, procedures and NCRs (QMS), and sometimes laboratory testing (LIMS). Buying four systems means four logins and re-typing; buying one giant suite means paying for modules nobody uses.

## Where AMPS sits

AMPS covers the job and asset side that is specific to inspection work: jobs, assets with QR codes and history, personnel and equipment certificates with expiry flags, Word-based reporting with an AI assistant, timesheets and costs. It hands accounting to Xero, files to OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive, analytics to Power BI and email to Mailgun, with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace sign-in.

## Related pages

- [Guide: NDT software vs generic field-service software](https://amps.global/guides/ndt-software-vs-generic-field-service-software/)
- [Guide: what is NDT software?](https://amps.global/guides/what-is-ndt-software/)
- [Integrations](https://amps.global/features/)

## Sources

- [Field service management on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_service_management)
- [Enterprise resource planning on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_resource_planning)
- [LIMS on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_information_management_system)