Author: Martin Port

IN THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES YOU NEED TO GRAB ANY OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS THAT CRUCIAL COMPETITIVE EDGE. JOB TRACKING SOFTWARE HAS BECOME AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES AND INDUSTRIES TO DO JUST THAT. WHY? BECAUSE IT ALLOWS BUSINESSES TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF JOBS 24/7.

So what exactly is job tracking software?

In a nutshell, job tracking software provides you with an end-to-end overview of your business, covering everything from where your drivers are at all times, to job progress and your finances.

You might be wondering ‘Why do I need this when I am managing well without it?’ Well it falls into the category of things you don’t know you need until you have it – think Wikipedia or Google. It is not only labour saving, it helps you in ways you may not have considered, so let’s dig deeper.

In this blog post, we will discuss the big 5 reasons why you should be using job tracking software in your business.👇🏻

#1 Increased Efficiency

One of the biggest advantages of job tracking software is the immediate boost to efficiency the right software will give you across your whole business

You can easily monitor driver location and the progress of jobs, ensuring that they are completed on time and to the required standard. This can help to increase productivity and reduce the risk of delays and missed deadlines, helping you smash those all-important SLAs.

Furthermore, job tracking software can also help you identify and resolve any bottlenecks in your processes and your job scheduling, which can further increase efficiency. And we all know what first time fixes add to both customer satisfaction and your bottom line!

#2 Better Communication

Good comms are an essential element of every successful business but implementing them is another matter entirely. Silo working practices are a huge problem for businesses and can be made even more difficult where you have multi-site structures.

Job tracking software makes collaborative working a doddle, linking employees across your company regardless of department or location, whether working in the office or on the road.

If you have chosen job tracking software that also has a mobile app, it can be used to assign jobs instantly, sending through digital worksheets, photos and information without the need for any paperwork.

Not only that but shared software acts as a single source of truth, meaning that everyone is on the same (digital) page and that there are fewer misunderstandings.

#3 Improved Accountability

Most of you will be familiar with the painful complexity of trying to track who did what when across your business. This is especially true if you are using a paper system, or a number of different softwares that don’t ‘speak’ to each other.

Job tracking software simplifies things by tracking the progress of jobs from scheduling to completion, with some offering financial integration with packages such as Sage and Xero.

This allows you to establish not just accountability for work but also a real sense of ownership, with everyone clearly understanding their role in the health of your business.

Job tracking software allows managers to see who is responsible for each task, when it is due and whether it has been completed or not.

🎯This can help to increase productivity and can also be used to set goals and targets for employees.

#4 Better Resource Management

Job tracking software can revolutionise the way that jobs are allocated by your scheduling team. Intelligent assistance may well form part of the software package, automating considerations such as employee credentials, and customer time constraints to optimise journey planning. This can result in huge savings on fuel economy and often frees up time on the schedule for additional jobs.

Being able to track the locations of resources, vehicles and equipment means that you can respond instantly to urgent job requests

And it’s not just field workers who benefit from job tracking software. Huge numbers of repetitive tasks, such as notifying customers with confirmations, sending updates, issuing financial documents and chasing payments can all be automated, meaning you need less administrative staff whilst remaining hyper-efficient!

#5 Better Decision Making

So what can you be doing with all of the administrative time that has now been freed up? Simple. It allows you time to focus on strategy.

Job tracking software can provide you with a wealth of data that you can sort and filter.

On an overview level, this data can be used to identify areas where your business could improve efficiency, reduce costs, or increase revenue.

On a granular level, job tracking software can be used to track the performance of specific employees, for example, to identify any areas where they may need additional training or support.

Final thoughts

Job tracking software is a powerful tool that can help businesses of all sizes and industries to:

• increase efficiency
• improve communication
• increase accountability
• better manage resources
• make better decisions

It will provide you with the kind of personalised business intelligence and reporting that you simply can’t achieve in other ways.

It helps keep different departments and sites aligned with your business goals.

Job tracking software can give you real competitive advantage right across your business. Are you ready to hear more?

Why not contact BigChange for a chat about ways that job tracking software can help fast track your business growth.🚀

IT’S INEVITABLE. AS FIELD SERVICE BUSINESSES GROW, KEEPING TRACK OF EVERY ELEMENT OF A JOB CAN BECOME JUST THAT LITTLE BIT TRICKIER.

Plus, the more jobs there are to manage, the more communication tends to break down, updates are slower, human error is more prone. All this eats into profit margins.

And this is where job management software comes in.

In this blog, we’ll look at the top reasons field service businesses take the plunge. But first, let’s start with a quick definition of what exactly job management software is.

QUICK DEFINITION: WHAT IS JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

Job management software is a tool that allows field service businesses to easily and efficiently track jobs and specific tasks.

How?

Backed by the right cloud-based tech, the tool gives all employees quick and easy access to complex project schedules, real-time tracking, reporting and even invoicing. So, whether your staff are in the field or in the office, everyone is kept up-to-date – instantly.

The efficiency and productivity benefits are endless… For example, it provides real-time updates of customer information, speedy and accurate automated invoicing, better forecasting, and so much more.

In fact, there are so many benefits that we’ve written an entire blog on it 👇

📕 Read more: How does job management software actually save your field service business money?

Now, if you’re not sure if you’re ready for job management software, making the leap can seem unnecessary. After all, you’ve successfully run a business without it.

So let’s look at telltale signs that now really is the time to change.

TOP 5 SIGNS YOUR FIELD SERVICE BUSINESS IS READY FOR JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

For decades, field service businesses have successfully operated using a manual approach to job management.

But going paperless ultimately saves businesses money (more on this here).

Let’s look at the most common areas manual-based processes start to create strain on field service businesses and ultimately hold them back. Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. Costly delays
2. Job tracking issues
3. Compliance, communication and team collaboration
4. Sales and customer experiences are suffering
5. Too many software solutions draining time

#1: Costly delays

Field service businesses relying on manual processes can hit unnecessary costs and delays.

Why?

Because they don’t have quick access to a centralised platform to input customer information and it can then be tricky to organise the right stock, mobile workforce resources and vehicles.

The result? Businesses often aren’t able to achieve first-time fixes (because of not having the right part/credentials) and they can’t respond quickly to new client requests, call-outs and scheduled servicing.

Ultimately, this impacts revenue streams and also the standards of customer service.

📲How job management software helps:

Essentially, it provides instant access to information so that employees can see key information such as engineer and site locations, client job records, relevant suppliers and prices, and team availability. User access, of course, can be limited.

This instant information transfer whilst on the road means fast response times for urgent jobs and a greater likelihood of smashing SLAs.

And fundamentally, with the right software, Managers can be better prepared in the first place. Using the software as a task management tool, they can quickly sort exactly what they need to save time and money on things like return visits by organising the right people and the right equipment for each job.

#2: Job tracking issues

Manually tracking scheduled service agreements and ensuring engineers are allocated within SLAs uses significant admin resources… And it leaves businesses open to missed appointments.

Plus, manual processes mean businesses often have to dig information out from multiple sources to create one view of job progress. This is rarely up-to-date.

📲 How job management software helps:

To sum up, it automates this entire process.

The result? Teams receive automated notifications and warnings when service agreement visits are approaching SLA deadlines. Or, when job sheets are complete, allowing for swift invoicing. And this level of reactive ability can help win new business and negotiate better terms on renewals.

What’s more, real-time oversight enables more accurate future planning.

Plus, it enables quick access to key job and financial information for high-level reporting for Managing Directors and shareholders.

#3: Compliance, communication and team collaboration

Manual communication such as job reporting and engineer handovers can be easily affected by logistical issues such as working hours, or even internal conflict.

This means that there’s a delay in key information being passed through to the back-office teams. And this impacts a wide range of things: everything from stock orders, to invoicing, to financial reporting.

To add to this, this issue is compounded when field service businesses work with other external contractors to complete jobs — especially when they need to adhere to regulatory standards.

📲 How job management software helps:

Job management software creates a central project view. It provides one single point for all information by allowing multiple users to upload, view and documents — like job records and invoices — in real-time, available 24 hours a day.

Plus, with some project management software contractors can get managed access to this centralised platform. This means they have all the information they need but the field service business can limit the user’s access. So better external team collaboration too 👍

You can also automate job sheets and mandatory fields to ensure engineers complete jobs within the guidelines of certain accreditations and legislations. This can be a deal-breaker for new business opportunities and really help you stand out against the competition.

#4: Sales and customer experiences are suffering

Often, field service businesses that use manual processes see a lag in response times and customer service.

That’s because of the issues flagged above like difficulty tracking jobs. 

Without things like invoicing, job scheduling and inventory management being managed in one central place, businesses can expect errors and delays — which can impact customer satisfaction and retention.

📲 How job management software helps:

Ultimately, job management software is a powerful tool for streamlining processes both internally and for the customer, and for improving forecasting and planning.

Here are just a handful of ways it does this:

• Easily access quotations once submitted – no discrepancies in quotes between sales and accounts.
• Sales teams can quickly quote profitable prices – with easy access to stock costings to identify margins.
• Sales teams forecast better – with real-time updates, they can see how they are performing against targets and forecast future sales.
• Minimise stock delays and disruption to customers – by ensuring smooth relationships with suppliers through prompt payment and knowing exactly what you need for forthcoming jobs.
• Access the latest information – with both real-time customer updates and stock information in one place, you can easily keep customers updated, particularly handy when they call in. Better still, with some field service management software, additional features like client portals allow customers to view job updates, track engineers and self-serve to book appointments.
• Track customer feedback and communications – with some CRM systems you can even automate personalised feedback forms.

#5: Too many software solutions draining time

Multiple software solutions for accounts, stock management, sales orders and more wreaks havoc in any business and make it difficult to manage finances — everything from forecasting, to budgets, through to payroll.

And they can cause teams to work in silos, rather than collaboratively because employees just can’t see what other departments are doing and the impact on the business.

📲 How job management software helps:

Put simply, it allows field service businesses to gain easy, quick access to a variety of financial and working documents, like job sheets, through a single online portal. With some job software solutions, this can even be remotely accessible via mobile applications or tablets so it’s easy to update on the go.

The result? Real-time notifications for quick and better decision-making. And saving hundreds of admin hours manually inputting or even duplicating data input.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Just a quick one to bear in mind before launching in: Not all field service management software is the right software for your business.

If you want a solution that can support growth, here are the key features to look out for:

✅ An all-in-one solution – that covers multiple business needs like job tracking, scheduling and invoicing.

✅ Easy integration with your other tech – to enable swift invoice issuing and allow prompt payment.

✅ Accessible 24/7 – and from anywhere, and any device so engineers can use it out in the field and outside of office hours (keep an eye out for cloud-based tech).

📕 Take a look at this handy checklist to learn more: 5 tips for choosing job management software.

Ready to add BigChange to your shortlist? Get in touch for a personalised demo and one of our field service specialists will talk you through how it can help your business grow.

IF YOU’RE A FIELD SERVICE BUSINESS OWNER OR MANAGER, YOU KNOW FIRSTHAND HOW CHALLENGING IT CAN BE TO MANAGE MULTIPLE JOBS, TASKS, AND PROJECTS — ON TOP SCHEDULING AND DISPATCHING FIELD WORKERS. 

Luckily, there are ways this can be managed so much more easily. The solution? Job sheet software 👇

Specifically designed to streamline and optimise field management processes, job sheet software can help increase efficiency, productivity, and the bottom line. 

Given its power, we’re dedicating this blog to looking at the different types of job sheet software, key features to look for, and the many benefits of using this software in your business… All to help you find the right job sheet software for your needs.

Now, let’s get started!

WHAT ACTUALLY IS JOB SHEET SOFTWARE?

Job sheet software is a type of digital tool that’s specifically designed to help field service businesses manage and streamline their work processes.

How?

Essentially, it replaces traditional paper job sheets with a digital version. But going beyond this, it is also often used to create, assign, and track jobs, tasks, and projects — as well as to schedule and dispatch technicians and other field workers. 

What’s more, job sheet software can also include features such as:

• Collaboration and communication tools
• Data tracking and analysis
• Customisation and integration options

… All of which can help field service businesses increase efficiency, productivity, and organisation.

To sum up: Job sheet software has become an essential tool for managing and optimising operations to boost profits.

📕Keen to learn more? Check out this blog: Benefits of digital job cards (+ free field service job card template)

TYPES OF JOB SHEET SOFTWARE

There are several types of job sheet software that businesses can choose from. These are the top three:

1. Standalone job sheet software
2. Cloud-based all-in-one job sheet software
3. Mobile app-based job sheet software

#1: Standalone job sheet software

Standalone software offers a basic digital job sheet solution. This type of job sheet software is often aimed at small field service businesses that might be happy with less functionality.  

While it might be an improvement on a basic Excel spreadsheet, it is unlikely to give you the additional features you really need.

Sounds good for you? Here’s a little advice 👇

💡Top tip: Before choosing a standalone job sheet software, check whether it will integrate successfully with other software packages you are running in different parts of your business. Otherwise, it just becomes another silo tool to manage. And you miss out on better insight and automation.

#2: Cloud-based all-in-one job sheet software

As the name suggests, all-in-one software is designed to win more work, control every job, manage your remote workforce and get paid sooner – as well as digitising your job sheets.

Also, with an all-in-one solution you don’t need to worry about whether different software across your business will cooperate, as this type of job sheet software replaces it all.

Sounds like one for you? Not surprisingly, this is the most popular type for field service businesses. Here’s a quick tip 👇

💡Top tip: Look out for software that includes financial packages such as Sage and Xero. This gets rid of the need for double-keying. Speeds up invoicing by allowing automation and makes forecasting much easier too! And of course, this is better for cash flow.

#3: Mobile app-based job sheet software

This type of job sheet software is accessed and used through a mobile app that can be downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet. It is often used by field technicians and other workers who need to access job information and updates while on the go.

Actually, some all-in-one solutions really are all-in-one and include a mobile app as part of their offering (so if this option appeals, it might still be worth weighing up #2). This means that you can be sure that your office-based staff and your field workers can seamlessly communicate and access the same information and they can get quicker updates which is ideal for many reasons!

Quick heads up 👇

💡Top tip: Look for tools with push notifications to alert employees of new job assignments, updates and important messages.

As you can see, not all job sheet software is built the same. We might be biassed, but we really do believe an all-in-one solution is the best way forward. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the key features.

KEY FEATURES OF ALL-IN-ONE JOB SHEET SOFTWARE

An all-in-one job sheet or job management software tool has many must-have features:

✅ Digital job sheets – to create templates to suit your branding and specific job or business requirements

✅ Job management and scheduling – to allow both back-office teams and field workers to see when jobs are booked in.

✅ Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – so all customer information is updated in one place, whilst allowing for self-serve on bookings.

✅ Real-time tracking – to instantly see where field workers are, as well as tracking stock and parts.

✅ Business intelligence – to track sales pipelines, profit margins, control cash flow, and produce financial reports.

✅ Finance management – easy integrations with systems like Sage and Xero make for quick and accurate invoicing, quotes and billing.

✅ Customisation and integration options – customers can be sent digital job sheets including certificates and pictures, as soon as the job is completed.

And why are all these features important? Let’s now look at the benefits.

BENEFITS OF JOB SHEET SOFTWARE 

Here’s just a short list of reasons why these features are must-haves when looking for a job sheet software provider:

• Ensures all information is captured the first time
• Reduces admin time and cost 
• Rapidly access client information, on-site information and in real-time 
• Increases efficiency and productivity
• Improves organisation and time management 
• Reduces paper usage and increases environmental sustainability
• Improves health and safety compliance 

The last benefit is a BIG one for field service businesses as many work in highly regulated industries like gas safety and national security. For example, customisable forms enable you to make sure key compliance criteria are added to job sheets and PDF reports that are shared with clients.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT JOB SHEET SOFTWARE

Starting to feel like you need job sheet software? Excellent! Now, whilst we’ve listed the key features to look for, you’re going to want to iron a few things out internally to choose the right solution.

Step 1: Identify your business needs – What exactly do you need the solution for? This will help narrow down your options in step 2.

Step 2: Evaluate different software options – Weigh up the pros and cons of the standalone, all-in-one, and mobile options to see which suits your needs now, and for when you grow, as you don’t want your job sheet software to hold you back at a later date.

Step 3: Testing and demos – Most tools will offer this to let you try it out and get a feel for whether you like it. Always do this as it can be hard to tell from a website alone if a product is actually easy to use.

Step 4: Implementation and training – Having an easy-to-use tool makes training and adoption so much easier. Some tools even provide online training and help hubs.

📕Want to learn more? Quick checklist: Top 5 must-haves when choosing job management software.

Streamline your operations and boost productivity with job sheet software

To sum up, job sheet software is a powerful tool that can help businesses streamline and optimise their work processes. 

Why?

Because it:

• Allows for speedy growth, without additional administrators
• Enables businesses to share information with customers immediately – especially important in pass/fail scenarios
• Creates a professional look – as you can brand customer communications with templated documentation, emails and notifications

All of which can help businesses increase brand image, efficiency, productivity, and the bottom line 🚀

Whether you’re a standalone business or a larger field service business, there is a job sheet software option that can meet your needs. 

So if you’re looking to improve the way you manage your work and your team, consider giving job sheet software a try. It just might be the solution you’ve been looking for!

Better still, try our leading job sheet software. Trusted by hundreds, BigChange is built specifically for field service businesses to improve job scheduling, task management and resource allocation.

But don’t take our word for it, check out these case studies.

Or, dive straight in and book a demo right here today.

WITH FIELD SERVICE BUSINESSES, IT’S SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. THIS INDUSTRY OPERATES IN A FAST-PACED, HIGHLY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT. 

Coupled with new issues — like economic challenges and heightened customer expectations (more on this here) — makes the need for speed and efficiency in operations even more of a must-have to survive and thrive.

And this is where real-time job tracking comes in.

In this blog, we’ll look at what exactly real-time job tracking is and how it bolsters efficiency, productivity, and profits, using real-life field service business case studies.

Let’s jump to it.

QUICK DEFINITION: WHAT EXACTLY IS REAL-TIME JOB TRACKING?

Put simply, real-time job tracking allows field service businesses to instantly see a current and accurate view of what is happening in the business. For example, it provides up-to-the-minute visibility on the status of ongoing projects and tasks and even employee performance.

With real-time collection and analysis of data, this makes it much easier to communicate and collaborate, plan and forecast, and improve customer experiences.

How do field service businesses do all this?

Thankfully, there are bespoke built software solutions that make real-time job updates and job tracking super easy as the automation does the legwork. Plus, it’s easy for everyone in the business to access.

THE STATS: WHY REAL-TIME JOB TRACKING IS A MUST-HAVE

Before we delve into practical examples, let’s look at some proof points.

Studies have found significant efficiency and productivity uplifts when businesses use real-time job tracking technology.

Here are just a few standout stats 👇

• Companies using real-time job tracking saw a 20% increase in productivity (Aberdeen Group)
• Real-time job tracking leads to a 20% reduction in project timelines (Project Management Institute)
• 63% of construction companies using real-time job tracking reported increased efficiency (Software Advice)
• Real-time job tracking leads to a 25% reduction in inventory costs (National Institute of Standards and Technology)

While these are not specific to just field service businesses, it’s easy to see how they can relate. So, now, let’s look at exactly how it impacts this sector…

HOW REAL-TIME JOB TRACKING BOOSTS FIELD SERVICE PERFORMANCE

One of the main reasons field service businesses love real-time tracking is because it allows engineers to provide updates while on-site.

Thanks to the right tech, engineers can do everything from looking up customer certificates, checking stock, marking a job as complete… And so much more.

This has tons of benefits. Let’s look at the top five in more detail 👇

Real-time job tracking benefit #1: Improve visibility of business performance 📈

Firstly, being able to see progress in real-time allows you to see bottlenecks and areas that need improving. This could be anything from a lack of parts or tools, through to communication issues, or a lack of technical knowledge.

With a view of this in real-time, teams can take fast remedial action because there’s no longer the lag in communicating issues and inputting this information into systems. Better yet, really good job tracking software will optimise scheduling to prevent these issues from arising in the first place.

Of course, this all adds to better efficiencies and a better customer experience.

🔍 Case study example

In fact, specialist fuel tank services business, JWH Tanks, boosted annual turnover by 35% thanks to better job tracking, which allowed them to make significant cost savings.

“BigChange gives me the tools and information I need when I need them, it provides the mechanism to share time or business-critical data, and it provides the intelligence we need to be accountable to ourselves, our customers and external organisations. This has allowed me to invest time in other areas of the business, such as the website, advertising and customer care, which has undoubtedly contributed to our growth.” – Nick Saunders, Operations Manager at J W Hinchliffe Tanks

Read the full case study here.

Real-time job tracking benefit #2: Improved comms and collaboration 🏅

It’s no surprise that better visibility of performance supports quicker communication and better coordination of tasks and resources.

Essentially, teams can quickly work together to resolve challenges, provide customer progress reports, and even get invoices and customer feedback surveys out quicker. Improving communications with the customer too.

Plus, with the right tool, you can do deep dive analytics, such as measuring team members’ performances as well as high-level business reports and updates on progress for each job. This means things are less likely to leak through the cracks.

The end result? It massively reduces how long it takes to complete jobs and boosts overall efficiency.

🔍 Case study example

Just take a look at Surface repair specialist, Prymo, who doubled business thanks to the complete visibility of the operation 24/7, as well as the ability to produce in-depth business-critical analytics at the touch of a button. This empowered and motivated the entire team. 

“By investing in BigChange we have invested in our staff. As a result, we have made people’s jobs easier so we have less problems. Less problems means a happier team with a better mindset and this means a more productive workforce.” – Jasen Jackiw, Managing Director and founder of Prymo

Read the full case study here.

Real-time job tracking benefit #3: More efficient planning and accurate forecasting 📃

With real-time tracking, businesses can spot potential issues before they cause a problem. For example, some tracking tech can monitor stock, which has proved incredibly popular in today’s climate, or respond instantly to instances like sick leave or job overruns.

And if there’s a customer emergency, real-time job tracking allows field service businesses to direct that nearest engineer to a job. Optimising fuel and employee time, and helping to meet customer SLAs faster.

When it comes to forecasting, with real-time updates, field service businesses can even see which jobs can be completed and invoiced at certain times.

🔍 Case study example

Perhaps that’s why food service equipment provider, NWCE, has saved thousands a year, boosting field workers’ productivity, and reduced its environmental impact.

“Since implementing BigChange, we have tripled the size of our employed workforce and, with the competitive edge that BigChange provides, I am confident we will continue to expand and evolve, and BigChange will support us at every step.” – Ben Odling, Managing Director at NWCE Food Service Equipment

Read the full case study here.

Real-time job tracking benefit #4: Deliver to customer expectations 🎁

You’re probably starting to build a picture of how this all impacts the customer’s experience too. 

It all leads to quicker resolution of customer issues and the ability to easily update customers if they get in touch.

Here’s another example. With real-time job tracking, you can alert customers to an engineer’s estimated arrival (some tools even allow them to track the engineer’s vehicle so they can see when they are nearby) — this alone can be a huge convenience to customers.

🔍 Case study example

Another point in case is National Heating company, Heatforce, who is leveraging real-time insight to boost customer service. How? Through improved scheduling and faster call-out response, together with instant digital communications backed by detailed proof of work records.

“With BigChange, office efficiency has already increased by 25 percent. In addition, improved job scheduling means less miles are being travelled and productivity is up; especially as engineers don’t need to come to the office as often. We’ve also increased contract win rates thanks to the added capability BigChange gives us and, despite the lockdown challenges of recent months, the system has actually enabled us to increase our profitability.” – Jake Maddocks, Director at Heatforce

Read the full case study here.

Real-time job tracking benefit #5: No missed or late invoicing as jobs and financial documents are visibly linked 💰

The obvious thing to mention here is that with all the above, you can complete more jobs first-time, so you can invoice faster as well as schedule more new jobs.

And with a mobile workforce having the ability to sign off a job onsite and for the back-office teams to be notified instantly, this can trigger accurate invoices (detailing the resources used for the job).

In terms of payroll, tools that have built-in timesheets allow field service businesses to correctly pay employees, regardless of whether they missed a time punch. It also means employees can work at different times without needing to be monitored.

The end result? Better morale and maximum productivity. And better cash flow.

🔍 Case study example

It’s one of the ways specialist transport and delivery provider, SPL, has seen 40% growth since using job management and job tracking software. How? Because digital workflows have reduced costs and improved communications.

“BigChange provides this! From initial enquiry through the actual delivery process to invoicing and payment, every piece of information is recorded and centrally stored, meaning it is accessible whenever and wherever it’s needed. In addition, the CRM has transformed our sales process, so we are winning more business; the intelligent scheduling means we can do more work with the same resource, and the real-time tracking and updates mean we can respond to changes as they occur and keep the customer informed.” – Phil Dixon, Commercial Director at SPL

Read the full case study here.

GROW YOUR FIELD SERVICE BUSINESS WITH JOB TRACKING TODAY

These are just a few examples of how real-time job tracking has practically been used to boost efficiency in the workplace.

To sum up, with instant access to job status, real-time updates on progress, and immediate notifications of potential issues, project managers can quickly pivot and keep projects on track.

Plus, with better tracking, field service businesses are better placed to forecast and make more informed decisions on future plans.

Ready to unlock the benefits today? Dive straight in and book a personalised demo of BigChange.

IN THIS BLOG WE’LL TALK THROUGH HOW OTHER FIELD SERVICE BUSINESSES AVOID COMMON OPERATIONAL ISSUES.

When it comes to running a slick field service management operation, there are three key areas in which businesses trip up: process, communication, and not focusing on the customer.

These all have a direct impact on profits and so getting these things right should be on everyone’s 2023 wishlist.

Let’s dive straight into the 6 most common pitfalls… And, more importantly, how to dodge them going forward.

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT MISTAKE #1: LOW FIRST-TIME FIX RATES

Measuring first-time fixes is likely one of your top KPIs because it’s used to measure quality and productivity.

Jobs that aren’t complete when an engineer first attends, or when they go back to rectify an issue, are a leading cause for haemorrhaging money for most field service businesses.

Why? Because low first-time fixes direct engineers away from new business opportunities, cost money, lower productivity, and overall they don’t create a great impression for the customer.

Here’s how to fix this 👇

💡Top tip: Field service businesses that nimbly avoid this issue focus on customer intel – they know the precise job details and make sure they have everything they need for the job. Using a CRM software will ensure that your office staff have access to all of the job information for a customer… Make it cloud-based and your field service workforce can access it too. Better yet, if you use a fully integrated field service management software, teams can update each other at all times, wherever they are.

📕Want to learn more?  Read: Top 5 tips to improve cost efficiency in field service management

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT MISTAKE #2: LACKING ROBUST PLANNING

To achieve first-instance and first-time fixes, you need to be prepared. And this covers everything from inventory and stock control through to scheduling engineers to be at jobs as quickly as possible.

Put simply, not having the right tools or parts means the job won’t get fixed the first time around. Seems obvious, but this is largely overlooked by the majority of field service businesses.

The cause? Often, it’s because of a lack of customer intel or reduced technical understanding of other team members planning in jobs.

Again, the inconvenience of an unfinished job could have serious complications for the customer (e.g. going without utilities)… And at best, would require the customer needing to become available again due to a missing part, which can damage your reputation.

💡Top tip: Savvy field service businesses now prepare jobs on an individual basis. They look at the exact stock needed, any specialist knowledge required, and even the location in relation to other jobs on the schedule to optimise field workers’ time and routes. This can all be managed through a job planning tool so that everyone is on the same page.

📕Want to learn more?  Read: How does job management software actually save your field service business money?

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT MISTAKE #3: DIFFICULTY MONITORING OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Data is now deemed the most valuable asset in the world, according to The Economist. In fact, 76%¹ of businesses say it’s an integral part of forming their business strategy.

To sum up, accurate data and analytics on everything from customer information through to field visit reports and job sheets allow you to not only get the information you need, when you need it… It also allows you to track everything down to fuel used, miles travelled, overtime used, and more.

💡Top tip: With the right business intelligence tools, you can track every element of a job in a single platform. The end result? You can streamline operations, improve job profitability, AND increase customer satisfaction. 

📕Want to learn more?  Read: 5 job management challenges and how to overcome them.

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT MISTAKE #4: USING OLD-SCHOOL METHODS

The biggest cause of the first three top mistakes? Sticking to the way things have always been done.

Field service businesses that continue to lean on paper tickets, Excel spreadsheets, whiteboards and the likes, find it almost  impossible to avoid wasting effort and days of time fixing things, making it hard to compete in an increasingly digital world.

Plus, these manual methods leave businesses open to human error, slow invoicing and cash flow, and customer dissatisfaction.

Here’s just one example: A&S Newbuild Aftercare saw a boost in turnover of £5m in just two years after switching to digital operations. Find out how, right here.  

💡Top tip: Once a field service business says goodbye to old methods, every area of the business is easier to manage — from reducing manual processes through to real-time reporting. With a proper job management tool, being slow is no longer an issue that impacts competitive advantage. 

📕Want to learn more? Read: Moving from manual to automated job management

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT MISTAKE #5: POOR COMMUNICATION

There’s no doubt that poor communication across a field service business leads to bad coordination.

Keeping field service teams on the same track as back-office teams can be tricky, particularly if you’re using the old-school methods mentioned above that just don’t allow the two to easily update each other.

This has impacts on all areas of operations from job scheduling, planning in first-fixes or attending emergencies, all the way through to accounts as work cannot be invoiced until a report is filed saying the job is complete.

💡Top tip: This all changes with real-time updates on jobs, like live tracking of your field based teams. Automated texts and emails free your office staff from repeat process drudgery whilst actually improving your customer comms. Meanwhile, field workers can use a mobile device to access the job data they need and can then quickly file reports and get customer signatures on the job.

📕Want to learn more? Read: Going paperless: What does it really mean for field service management

FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT MISTAKE #6: PUTTING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE LAST

So we’ve already touched on customer experience briefly in the sections above. It’s easy to see why a customer focus is beneficial.

Yet, in so many industries — not just field services — this one can often get dropped towards the bottom of the priority list.

With the pressures on other KPIs like first-time fixes and other cost efficiency strategies, the impact of strong customer service on profits falls behind.

But, ultimately, boosting customer experiences bolsters profits and business growth.

Here’s just one example: Comlink Fire and Security increased their turnover by 298% by digitising internal business processes to improve customer service. Read more here.

💡Top tip: With a CRM built specifically for field service businesses, you can improve all areas of the customer experience from booking in the initial appointment through to providing self-service tools for them to book in, pay invoices and provide feedback. All this is automated with the right tool, so it’s quick and frees you up to focus on other work.

📕Want to learn more? Read: How to use CRM to improve the customer experience

KEY TAKEAWAY

As you’ve probably guessed, tech and going digital with field service operations is how businesses are supporting growth in 2023 and beyond. 

But before you go comparing software providers, we’ve one final takeaway for you.

⚠ Look out for an all-in-one job management software solution. And one built specifically for field service businesses. Reason being, if you choose different software solutions for each of these challenges, you’re leaving yourself open to gaps in service and profitability.

Why? Because the systems just don’t talk to each other or provide one single view of business operations. And teams continue to work in silo — which defeats the object.

If you’re ready to grow your business and profit margins, you’re probably ready for automated job scheduling. Why not jump straight in and book a one-on-one demo with our field service business specialists? We’ll show you exactly how our software can help you avoid these common mistakes to win you more work, reduce operations costs and satisfy customers.

Sources:

¹ Reea Global