What Is Job Sheet Software: A Beginner’s Guide

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.

5 Ways Real-time Job Tracking Boosts Efficiency (With Examples)

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.

6 Common Mistakes With Field Service Management

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

BigChange helps surface repair specialist Prymo double business

PRYMO SURFACE SOLUTIONS HAS DOUBLED THE SIZE OF ITS BUSINESS IN JUST SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A BIGCHANGE JOB MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

Offering a complete repair, restore and resurface solution for any type of surface, Prymo has dramatically increased productivity in the office by eliminating paperwork and introducing automated workflows. The system also gives management 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. 

“Committing to BigChange was a big step but it was all about mindset,” commented Prymo Managing Director and founder Jasen Jackiw. “I knew the system did everything we needed, and more, so it was a bit like a symbolic burning ship. By signing on the dotted line, I was getting rid of the worries and the ‘what ifs’ and committing to making the company a success. And that’s exactly what happened; with BigChange we are going from strength to strength and the system just keeps on delivering”.Jasen Jackiw, Managing Director and founder of Prymo

“BigChange has also empowered and motivated us as a team,” he continued. “This has transformed the feel of the business from a small company to one that can provide a more corporate, larger-company experience – but retaining the personal touch.”

Based in Manchester, Prymo is the largest repair and resurfacing company in the north-west. From small damage repairs to full facade solutions and work packages, Prymo offers a complete surface repair, coatings, restoration and cleaning solution for organisations such as Balfour Beatty, English Heritage and Manchester City Council and has just committed to a 25% growth in its mobile team to drive future expansion plans.

The BigChange job management system, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job schedulinglive trackingresource managementjob finance and business intelligence, has replaced a number of disparate systems including spreadsheets, sales management software and multiple apps with one simple to use and easy to integrate solution. The use of real-time tracking in combination with intelligent routing and scheduling is ensuring efficient job planning and communication with customers and technicians, armed with mobile phones running the BigChange app, can access a huge variety of customisable job sheets and workflows whether they are working on large construction projects or in retail environments.

Prymo has also halved the cost of its internal account management thanks to BigChange. By eliminating menial administrative tasks, staff have been freed up and redeployed to work on customer service and business development.

“By investing in BigChange we have invested in our staff and we have committed a 110% to BigChange and therefore the business and its people,” Jackiw continued. “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

How Gas Engineer Software Saves Time And Money (+ Case Studies)

IN THIS BLOG WE’LL TALK THROUGH HOW EXACTLY SOFTWARE CAN HELP GAS ENGINEER BUSINESSES DELIVER EFFICIENCIES AND MEASURABLE ROI.

From scheduling to invoicing, gas engineers face challenges – such as managing jobs, coordinating with clients, and keeping track of paperwork. Not to mention trying to balance all these tasks while also providing high-quality service to your clients. 

👉That’s why gas engineers often turn to job management software.

In this blog, you can explore how software can help save time and money by streamlining operations. We’ll also provide real-world examples of gas engineers who have successfully implemented software in their business and seen significant time and cost savings as a result. 

If you’re looking to improve your efficiency and effectiveness as a gas engineer, keep reading to learn more about how gas engineer software can help.

INTRODUCTION TO GAS ENGINEER SOFTWARE

Gas engineer software is designed to assist gas engineers in managing and streamlining their business operations. It typically includes features such as job scheduling, invoicing, stock management, documentation management, and customer relationship management (CRM).

In short, the goal of this software is to help gas engineers save time and money by automating or simplifying various tasks and processes. 

It also helps improve customer service and communication with clients. 

Gas engineer software can be used by both individual gas engineers or by gas engineering companies to manage their operations more efficiently and effectively.

Pssst. BigChange is an example of a leading gas engineer software solution. You can read more about how we help plumbing and heating firms here.

THE TOP 4 BENEFITS OF USING GAS ENGINEER SOFTWARE

#1: Time savings

If there’s one thing gas engineers need more than anything else, it’s more time. ⌚

There are a number of ways the right software can save you time:

  • Scheduling and dispatch: The right software can help you schedule and dispatch field engineers more efficiently by allowing you to view and manage jobs in one place. This reduces the time spent on manual scheduling and coordination tasks.
  • Invoicing and billingGas engineer software automates invoicing and billing processes, making it easier for you to process payments and reduce the time spent on manual billing tasks.
  • Document management: Easily manage important documents, such as service reports and invoices, in one central location. This can save time by eliminating the need to search through paper files or multiple different software systems. For example, the right software eliminates repetitive forms and instead allows engineers to verify and tick off all answers in one go.
  • Customer comms: Communicate with customers more efficiently by sending updates and alerts via email or text message. This can help to reduce the time spent on phone calls and other manual communication methods.
  • Inventory management: Gas engineer software even helps track and manage inventory more efficiently, by providing real-time visibility into stock levels and where stock is  and allowing you to place orders as needed. This can save time and reduce the risk of running out of critical parts or supplies.

#2: Cost savings

And one thing we all need more of this year is cost savings. 💰

Here are some of the ways gas engineer software can provide significant savings:

  • Improved efficiency: By streamlining and automating various tasks and processes, the right software reduces the time and resources spent on admin tasks. This can lead to cost savings in terms of labour costs and other operational expenses.
  • Reduced errors: Job management software reduces errors and improves accuracy in tasks such as billing and documentation management. This can help to reduce costs associated with correcting errors and improving efficiency.
  • Stock control: With real-time visibility into stock levels you can place orders as needed. This can help to reduce costs associated with overstocking or running out of critical parts or supplies.
  • Asset tracking: Gas engineer businesses can track and manage their field assets better thanks to real-time visibility into the location and status of these assets. Plus, they can even photograph assets as proof for customers or insurance purposes. This can help to reduce costs associated with loss or damage.

#3: Improved customer service

Keeping up with customer expectations is essential in this day and age. 🤝

The right software can improve customer service in a number of ways:

  • Improved communication: Digital tools boost communication with customers by sending updates and alerts via email or text message. This reduces response times and improves the overall customer experience.
  • Real-time updates: Similarly, you can provide real-time updates on the status of service requests, allowing customers to see when their request has been assigned to an engineer and when it is expected to be completed. This improves transparency and customer satisfaction.
  • Self-service portals: Some solutions include self-service portals that allow clients to submit service requests and track progress online… As well as access their full job histories, job cards and certificates. This hugely improves convenience and speeds up the request process.
  • Feedback and reviews: You can even use it to gather and manage customer feedback and reviews, giving you key insight to identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes. This can help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

#4: Improved bottom line

Last but not least, is the impact on the bottom line. 📈

Here are some of the ways gas engineer software improves the bottom line:

  • Increased revenue: The right software will help you increase revenue by improving efficiency and productivity. For example, by reducing response times and improving the speed and accuracy of service delivery, you can take on more work and serve more customers.
  • Improved business intelligence: Intelligent reporting provides financial information, such as work-in-progress (WIP) reports and profitability forecasts, whilst at-a-glance dashboards provide snapshot information of progress and availability.
  • Improve cash flow: Get paid faster by updating jobs and issuing invoices on-the-go (or by automating them).

If you’re convinced of the benefit, you can find out more about the BigChange platform here. Trusted by 50,000 field service workers and back office personnel, BigChange is the leader in job management software.

Alternatively, let’s look at some real-world examples. 👇

REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES OF GAS ENGINEERS USING SOFTWARE TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Here are a few examples of real life results:

Gas Smart Heating boosts efficiency by 25%

Before moving to BigChange, Gas Smart had a tool in place, but it quickly proved to be insufficient: 

“Our old system was fine at the start, but as we began to recruit more engineers it was clearly not up to the job. What we really wanted was a single system that would do everything.”

“The thing about BigChange is that it can match the functionality of systems costing hundreds of thousands of pounds used by national utility firms. This allows new independent players like Gas Smart Heating to enter the market and match the levels of service provided by the traditional suppliers,”

📕Read more about how Gas Smart significantly improved efficiencies here.

Heatforce boosts customer service and business performance 

Before using BigChange, Heatforce relied on several separate systems, spreadsheets and paper records that led to an enormous burden as the company expanded. 

“We were inundated with paper and with separate systems it was proving increasingly difficult to manage operations so we knew we needed to completely overhaul everything.”

“BigChange has completely transformed the way we work; having everything in one place with live information at our fingertips gives us a level of control way beyond our original expectations.”

📕You can read more about how BigChange transformed operations here

MHL heating engineers improve admin efficiency by 90%

In expanding nationally, MHL set out to outsource as many workflows as possible. Through BigChange, the company has transformed efficiency by as much as up to 90%. 

“Our engineers are connected in real time to receive and complete jobs, including digital certifications. For our clients, everything is completely seamless and with instant, fully digital reporting including photographs from site, we can meet even the most stringent reporting requirements, including those of facilities management who in turn have to report to their own clients.”

📕You can read more about MHL’s success here

CHOOSING THE BEST GAS ENGINEER SOFTWARE

While there are a few gas engineer software solutions out there, not every solution is built the same. Here are the best features to look out for:

  • Is it an all in one solution? For example, does it include job tracking, invoicing, GPS tracking, and CRM?
  • Can engineers update jobs in real-time via a mobile app? Check to make sure there is a mobile app and at the same time, make sure the tool is easy to use.
  • Can it store gas safety documents (safely and securely)? Does it provide an easy to access digital library of COSHH certificates, safety documents, and more? 
  • Does it automate essential workflows? For example, can it trigger alerts to notify engineers when new jobs arrive on their mobile device? And can it send customers notifications? 
  • Can it streamline invoicing? And does it enable you to issue an invoice and job sheet as soon as the job is complete? Also check if it easily integrates with other systems, such as Xero. 
  • Does it capture customer CRM data? Can you view customer quotes and invoices? And provide real-time engineer and job status updates? 

📕Related: How to choose the best gas engineer software

READY TO ADD GAS ENGINEER SOFTWARE TO YOUR TOOLKIT?

The right solution eliminates as many manual processes as possible from your day-to-day work, saving you precious time and effort. 

In short, the right software will pay for itself very quickly. 

To get started researching and comparing different options, seek recommendations from colleagues, and take advantage of demos offered by software vendors.

You can even book your first demo right now. 

Benefits of digital job cards (+ free field service job card template)

Job cards play an essential role in day-to-day field service management, covering all the essential job information. 

Why?

Because without a job sheet to hand, work orders might be delayed, essential information is missed, and miscommunication between engineers and back office staff is rife. 

This is where digitising your job sheets comes in. 

By using digital solutions like job management software, you can create digital job cards at the click of a button, and ultimately improve the productivity of the whole team. 

But what is a digital job card? What are the benefits? We’ll cover this below. Plus, you’ll get a free copy of a best practice field service job card template.

Let’s get into it. 👇

What is a digital job card? (For field services)

Traditionally, job cards are paper-based. But like with any paper-based process, it’s prone to issues and human-error. On the other hand, a digital job card can be viewed, edited, and updated in real-time by any team member – including engineers and back-office staff. And you can even send a copy, instantly, to the customer too. 

What’s more, you can access them on a mobile device. Mobile job sheets are game changers for your field based team. Engineers can quickly take photos, take signatures, provide documents to customers and more. 

How do digital job sheets work?

Essentially, digital job sheets replace your paper-based job cards with a digital version – usually stored in the cloud via a job management software platform. 

It ensures all work is completed without any missing sheets or unreadable handwriting. It also means that any errors or problems in work can be acted on straight away. 

A system (like BigChange) would take your existing job sheet/cards and turn them into documents that are created and accessed online. And as the job is being completed, back office workers and customers are able to see real-time updates.

❌You might think sticking to paper-based job sheets is fine for now, but be wary of these key challenges. 

Challenges of using paper-based job cards

To put it bluntly, paper-based job cards are an accident waiting to happen. Notorious for sporting scribbled-out writing, oil marks, and spelling mistakes, they can be widely inconsistent and miss vital information. 

Key job details might be misread due to poor handwriting. Not to mention presenting an unprofessional look and feel for customers 

All of this adds up to a lot of headaches for back office workers. 

🔖Related: Going paperless: What does it really mean for field service management?

With this in mind, what does a good job card look like? 

What does a good digital job card template look like?

A good job sheet process gathers all the information (in one place) accurately, consistently, and in real-time. 

A typical digital or mobile job sheet includes: 

  • Name of the job
  • Company logo
  • Date 
  • Customer details
  • Location of the job 
  • Details of the job (images, description, notes, serial numbers)
  • Quote/estimate for the job
  • Paid/unpaid job 
  • Cost of materials used
  • Attachments such as images and documents 
  • Engineer and client sign-off

In fact, it might look a little something like this job sheet template:

🔽You can download a job card PDF version of our job sheet template here.

Now that you know what one looks like, let’s get into the key benefits of digital job cards. 

Benefits of digitising job cards

Digital job cards have plenty of benefits. Here are a few of the most important:

  • Real-time information: Job information is sent to the back-office in real-time, so they have true visibility of progress against the plan.
  • Cloud-based: Create new jobs in the field, enabling you to respond quickly to customer requirements as they arise. You can even see on-site information in real-time. 
  • Photo and signature capture: Easily capture proof of work, and capture signatures before, during, and after work.
  • Documents on demand: Mobile workers can access documents, images, and diagrams in the field. 
  • Win back more time: Save a huge chunk of admin time by entering information digitally rather than writing it all up.
  • Reduce risk: Having a digital job card system limits risks, such as losing handwritten notes, and ensures all information is captured first time. 
  • Mobile app: App users can view the history of jobs against any customer, with valuable insight at the tap of a screen. You can also take photos, scan barcodes, and more.
  • Reduce waste: Automating manual processes like job cards has a positive impact on reducing waste and saving on paper.
  • Maintain high standards: Ensure consistent service standards and protect your brand image with branded job cards. Plus, you can bill customers within minutes. 

In short, digital job cards are immediately available to the customer and act as a single source of truth if there are any queries regarding the job. And because they are permanently held on your CRM, they are always available as a key source of information you can search through any time. You can even attach an invoice to it before issuing it to the customer. 

In fact, one thing our clients love about digital job cards is that they help ensure engineers have all the information they need for each and every job:

“The engineers know in advance what their day looks like and they know they have the information they need to deal with each and every job. With BigChange, even the back-office staff know they have the tools they need to get the job done from scheduling to keeping the customers informed and managing cash flow.”

Adam Redgwick, Sales Director, Warmaway

Digitise job cards with BigChange

We hope this blog has convinced you of all the ways digital job cards will benefit your business. 

You can do all this and more with BigChange. The BigChange system automatically generates standard job cards, featuring data captured in the field. 

You can choose the information that will be displayed on the job cards and even personalise with your company logo, custom fields and branding. 

And even if you have an existing job card template, you can simply import it directly into BigChange’s job sheet software. Alternatively, BigChange offers a custom design service. 

Replace your traditional paper job sheets with digital versions

6 ideas for your 2023 job management approach

In the fast-paced field service industry, everything revolves around how quickly engineers, back-office staff, and other team members can get the job done, and get it done right. 

That’s why we expect 2023 to place even more emphasis on speed, accuracy, automation, and quality. 

To help you achieve just this, this blog looks at six ideas for your job management approach in 2023. 

But first, let’s look at what’s driving change. 👇

Why job management is set to change in 2023

There are two drivers prompting a need for immediate change in field service management:

  • Changing customer expectations
  • Economic challenges

Changing customer expectations

Across all industries, customer expectations are high. Field service businesses are no different:

  • Customers now expect better communications. In fact, 75% of customers think that fast response times are the most important part of the customer experience.  
  • They want jobs completed first time. When first-time fix rates drop below 70%, businesses notice a 10% deterioration in customer retention rates.

But those that do prioritise customer service actually enjoy 5.7 X more revenue than those that don’t.  

Economic challenges

The aftermath of the pandemic, heightened fuel costs, supply chain issues and sky-rocketing utility bills are just a few of the challenges facing businesses in 2023.

The bottom line? These challenges slow down operations, reduce cash flow, and severely impact profit margins.

While this may paint a doom and gloom picture, it can be an opportunity for growth too. 

In fact, the past 12 months have seen more field service management businesses innovating and accelerating the use of new ways of working than ever before.

Let’s dive into some examples of how.

6 ideas for your 2023 job management approach

Here are just a handful of ways that field service businesses are maximising operations and boosting customer experiences, that we expect to continue throughout 2023:

Job management idea #1: Improve time management

When managing a field service business, managing time properly is everything. After all, poor job scheduling can lead to poor customer experiences, damaged reputations, and lost clients.

What’s more, it impacts your profits. Low engineer productivity and available engineers not being assigned to jobs = missed income opportunities.

On the flip side, it’s not great for your engineers’ morale or job satisfaction if they become overloaded due to poor job management either.

Actionable tips: 

💡 Plan ahead. Think about jobs as a whole, not just the resourcing of them. For example: What parts or equipment will be needed? What are their lead times?

💡 And avoid using too many manual and paper-based processes in your day-to-day workflows.

Job management idea #2: Schedule routes more efficiently

With pump costs set to continue to be high in 2023, finding ways to reduce fuel costs will be key to cost savings. But also, it prepares field service businesses for meeting government requirements on reducing carbon footprint. 

Actionable tips:

💡 Go digital. A digital scheduling assistant can help get the right engineer, with the right skills, to the right place, by the right route, and streamline job management.

💡Monitor your team’s driving behaviour. With tools like BigChange, managers can set driving behaviour alerts and view driver data, in order to curb idling, speeding, and harsh acceleration.

Not only does this keep your people safe on the road, it also cuts fuel costs and emissions. For instance, driving at 55mph uses 25% less fuel than driving at 70mph.

Job management idea #3: Improve engineer and back-office communication 

With the majority of field service workers being out in the field, creating a collaborative work environment with healthy communication can be difficult. Yet immensely important. Your workers can only be as successful as the information they have access to. 

Actionable tips:

💡 Provide your team with field service management software that has real-time data to resolve any communication challenge in one fell swoop.

💡 Use a tool that plugs into accounting software so you can quickly invoice once a job is complete.

💡 Leverage a strong CRM system that’s mobile so that all customer interactions are stored in one place and everyone can quickly access them when speaking to a customer. 

Job management idea #4: Make use of the right software and tools

If you are in the field service management industry, one of the main causes of reduced performance could solely be the tools you are working with.

Actionable tips:

💡 Consider whether the software tools you use have the capacity and features you need to achieve your goals in 2023. You may need a more comprehensive platform as your business grows and changes. 

💡 If you’re using several tools, spreadsheets, and manual methods, consider switching to an all-in-one solution to manage every area of your field service business. If you’ve a range of tech-abilities within your business, it’s easier for people to learn and manage a single platform. 

Job management idea #5: Empower mobile engineers

Field service engineers are the face of your company. Their capabilities on the job are critical to make or break the customer experience. 

That’s why they need the right information, the right tools, and the right parts to do the job to a high standard, and the first time they attend the site. This is where digital solutions come in. 

Actionable tips: 

💡Job management software, mobile apps, and the right tablet are just some of the tools that simplify and speed engineers in the field – ensuring responsiveness, continuity of service, resolving issues sooner, and making them more productive and cost-effective.

💡 Be prepared to react on the go. These tools also allow you to make the most of opportunities when in the area, or to add additional jobs for the customer whilst on site, to maximise efficiency and ensure correct billing.

Job management idea #6: Consider planned preventative maintenance

Unplanned downtime can cost companies hundreds of thousands of pounds. That’s why it’s critical to ensure equipment functions at optimal performance levels, at all times. 

Here are ways field service businesses tackle vehicle maintenance but you could apply this approach to machinery and client systems — client maintenance may be essential for compliance and legal requirements so this is one you can’t ignore!

Actionable tips: 

💡 Engineers could complete daily vehicle checks and record results on their mobile or device. These reports help fleet managers spot problems before they become a major, costly problem or stop the vehicle being on the road, potentially putting engineers out of action.This prevents the need to hire vehicles or jobs need rescheduling.

💡 With some tools, you can also set alerts against any defects so that the fleet manager can immediately action them and keep the driver informed at the same time.

What’s more, it also reduces safety risk to your engineers. And can save on fuel costs. Did you know, tyres are responsible for around 20% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption?

Key takeaways

With these job management ideas, hopefully you can see exactly how you can improve operations, boost efficiency, and ultimately book in more customers. Of course, this all supports better cash flow and increased revenue.

💡Final tips

  • Set time aside in the day to check job progress and team updates.
  • Use a job management tool to track jobs, vehicles, and more.
  • Update your website with any new testimonials and case studies. 
  • Work with the most accurate and up-to-date information to make real-time decisions
  • Listen to what workers are saying – get feedback from them on how processes can be improved.

Your next steps

Ready to take job management digital? If you’re in the market looking for a job management software solution to do all the heavy lifting, check out this blog first: Top 5 must-haves when choosing job management software.

Add BigChange to your shortlist. And see why hundreds of field service businesses choose us by booking a personalised demo right here.

BigChange celebrates its 10th birthday

New Year’s Day 2023 is a very special time for BigChange: we will celebrate our tenth birthday. In the beginning, it was just me, my wife Amanda, Andrew, Johann, Anthony, Roger, Matt, Edward, Simon, George, Francis, Alex and Jerome. We now employ more than 230 people and almost everyone from that start-up team is still with BigChange today.

It’s hard to believe that our first ever business plan aimed for just 100 customers across Europe – and we thought that was ambitious. Our technology now supports 2,000 customers hailing from as far afield as Australia and Canada, with 80,000 users on the platform.

To celebrate this landmark birthday, I’d like to share a bit of our history – a timeline of all the important milestones. It’s been an awesome journey!

2011 – The year I sold my last business, Masternaut. But I wasn’t ready to retire at 50. I soon began work on a new start-up: BigChange.

2013 – I launch BigChange on New Year’s Day. Technologist and co-founder Johann Levy, who developed the first iteration of JobWatch and is still our Head of Innovation today. Watch a younger Martin Port introduce JobWatch https://youtu.be/L2u7TwV_GNA

2014 – Over the past 18 months I have raised over £1m in growth funding.

  • Revenues grew 300% this year and we really hit our stride.

2015 – We enable one-man bands to grow into national players. Michael Taylor at pest control specialist Contego https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/chairmans-spotlight-michael-taylor-founder-ceo-contego-martin-port/?trk=pulse-article_more-articles_related-content-card began using BigChange this year. In 2022, he employs 140 people.  

2016 – BigChange wins the BigChip Award 2016 for best B2B eBusiness project.

2017 – We now have 600 customers, ranging from local councils to utility companies, with 15,000 individuals using the technology. This was the year we won our first international customers in France and the US too.

  • Listing in the Deloitte Fast 50 Tech Track – a list of the fastest-growing technology firms in the UK. We were the only tech company in Yorkshire to make the Top 50.
  • We launch our Motivational Monday initiative, inviting inspiring people from all walks of life to come and share their stories with the team. Over the years, we have welcomed Falklands war veteran Simon Weston CBE; Kevin Keegan OBE, football star and manager; and the model turned entrepreneur Caprice. 
  • The year of our office move! Our new headquarters in Thorpe Park Leeds allows us to double our workforce from 70 to 170 over three years.
  • We feature in the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 league table, which ranks Britain’s private technology, media and telecoms companies with the fastest-growing sales – we made the ranking in 2019 and 2020 too.
  • We launch our Road Safety Leaders for Life campaign in Partnership with Brake, the road safety charity.  

2019 – BigChange pioneers the 4.5-day working week. Our Flexi Friday initiative was a huge hit with the team.

  • The BigChange Network launches in April 2019 to make it quicker and easier for organisations to win new business and collaborate with suppliers and contractors. 

2020 – BigChange wins the Queens Award for Enterprise in the innovation category. This is one of the highest official honours for companies in the UK.

  • We launch the BigChange University, pioneering a new online training curriculum and inviting customers to take part in free sessions to learn how to make the most of our technology. More than 2,500 students enrol in that first year.
  • We hire 30 new team members, despite two national lockdowns and a recession.

2021 – We raise £75m from Boston-based Great Hill Partners. The deal values our business at £100m and supercharged innovation.

  • I move into a chairman role at BigChange, appointing the brilliant Richard Warley as CEO.
  • BigChange wins the coveted Best Companies to Work for award, gaining recognition for being an outstanding employer. We also win the Yorkshire Post’s Best Company 2021 in the £10m to £50m category. In the GP Bullhound Northern Tech Awards 2021, BigChange is recognised as one of the Top 15 Fastest Growing Larger Technology Companies in the North of England Scotland and Ireland.

2022 – BigChange launches its Channel Partner Programme, which will help to accelerate international growth.

  • BigChange takes a major step on the road to Net Zero, carrying out its first carbon audit and putting in place a carbon reduction plan. We will be carbon neutral this year through offsetting.
  • BigChange won Business Enabler of the Year at the Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards, which are the ‘Oscars’ of business awards.
  • We also retained our coveted Best Companies to Work for award.
  • This year, we hit the incredible milestone of £500,000 in charitable contributions.

Over the past decade, we have forged lasting partnerships with some incredible companies. From Sunbelt Rentals, the UK’s largest rental equipment company, to household names like Dyno-Rod and public sector organisations like Sheffield City Council. We are the platform that underpins their growth and drives efficiency and productivity. Over the coming years, we will continue to attract more enterprise clients, while also supporting the growth ambitions of smaller companies.

We have done our bit to help some brilliant organisations through our corporate social responsibility scheme, such as: Transaid, the international development charity; Business in the Community; road safety charity Brake; Living Potential Care Farm; national hearing loss charity RNID; and homelessness charity St George’s Crypt. Philanthropy will continue to be an important part of our work here at BigChange. 

We have a world-beating product, an unbeatable proposition and we are streets ahead of the competition. Over the coming decade, we plan to hit a billion-dollar valuation, and become a “unicorn”. Huge thanks to our incredible customers and the first-rate

BigChange Job Management system helps NWCE treble workforce

NWCE Food Service Equipment is saving thousands of pounds a year, boosting engineer productivity, and reducing its environmental impact, having implemented a job management system from BigChange. Offering commercial catering equipment services across the UK, NWCE uses BigChange to intelligently schedule and create optimised routes for its team of around 60 field engineers.

With average savings of just over 30 miles, per van, per day, this equates to enormous annual savings, reduced travelling times and a decrease in Carbon Dioxide emissions. BigChange also provides the Bolton-based business with 24/7 visibility of its mobile workforce, automated stock management and a range of fleet management tools.   

“We had a system before BigChange, but it was slow and clunky,” commented Ben Odling, Managing Director of NWCE Food Service Equipment.

“BigChange is the complete opposite! It’s fast, it’s reactive, and it is there when you need it. With our promise not to let our customers down even when their equipment does, this directly relates to and supports our ethos and way of working.”Ben Odling, Manager Director of NWCE Food Service Equipment

NWCE Food Service Equipment offers a nationwide commercial catering service working with a diverse customer base which includes organisations and businesses from the health, retail, hospitality and education sectors. With a team of engineers, gas professionals and kitchen installers, NWCE services include 24-hour breakdown and repair, design and installation, equipment maintenance, and sales on a vast array of catering and refrigeration equipment found in commercial kitchens or catering environments. 

NWCE implemented the BigChange job management platform, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job schedulinglive trackingresource managementjob finance and business intelligence, in 2019. The intelligent scheduling assistant, which uses real-time data to account for location, traffic information, job constraints and engineer type, combined with smart route planning, has contributed to an average saving of more than 30 miles per vehicle per day.

This equates to a reduction in travelling time of 3 ½ hours per engineer per week, boosting productivity by 10 per cent. It also means the business is limiting the environmental impact of its mobile operation with an annual reduction in vehicle emissions of 90 tonnes of CO2.

Engineers are further boosting efficiency with direct access to customer files, site service histories and equipment documentation using the BigChange app; this also helps NWCE keep their clients up to date on asset management and equipment spend. Customisable job sheets can be automatically shared with the back office, which is improving customer communications and service levels.

“Before BigChange, an engineer could be hanging around on-site waiting for paperwork to come through by email,” continued Odling. “For example, if a fryer was condemned, they would have to wait for someone in the office to dig out the right piece of paper for that specific unit, send it across for the engineer to fill out and return, and then put together a quote for a replacement. With BigChange, it’s literally a one-button process, and the customer has all the information they need to make a decision before they even know the extent of the problem.”

Other aspects of BigChange that are positively impacting on NWCEs bottom line include automated stock control, with real-time updates and trend analysis, which allows for just-in-time ordering and re-stocking and a reduction in expensive items sitting in a warehouse or in service vehicles. Fleet management tools, including daily vehicle checks and alerts for events such as MOTs, servicing and insurance renewals, are improving driver and vehicle performance, and real-time tracking allows NWCE to issue accurate arrival times and update customers of any delays.

“Since implementing BigChange, we have trebled 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,” Odling concluded.Ben Odling, Managing Director of NWCE Food Service Equipment

Forecourt construction firm DBS boosts productivity 20% with BigChange

BigChange has helped DBS, a specialist in the repair and maintenance of petroleum forecourt structures and retail sites, boost operational productivity by 20 per cent.  The job management system has also improved customer service, cut office administration work by half, and improved workforce health and safety. The complete job management platform links field workers to back-office staff with real-time tracking, scheduling and reporting.

DBS is a family-run business that has been trading since 2000. Based in Southampton, DBS is a leading forecourt maintenance service company, specialising in the nationwide construction, branding, repair and maintenance of all commercial, retail, agricultural and petrol forecourt structures. Working with brands such as BP, Shell and MFG, DBS offers a range of construction services, including steel erection and fabrication, signage, HIAB crane hire, roofing and cladding.

“Prior to BigChange, we relied on spreadsheets, paper files and a large wall-mounted map. We work all over mainland UK and would update the map manually each day, with magnets to show the current location of each gang and all our outstanding surveys and jobs. It was extremely time-consuming and left room for human error.”Emma Lamburne, Operations Manager at DBS.

“We considered other systems before choosing BigChange, but they were either too complicated or not fit for purpose. We have up to six teams available to work, 24/7, anywhere in the UK, in addition to our survey team,” she continued. “Between them, they can visit up to 40 sites a week, so being able to track and share live ETAs is really helpful. The scheduling function allows us to respond to emergency callouts whilst minimising disruption to planned works, and the HR features, including time sheets, holiday requests and staff training, have all been well received by our staff.”

Using the BigChange job management platform, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM)job schedulinglive trackingfield resource managementjob finance and business intelligence in one simple-to-use and easy-to-integrate platform, DBS manages virtually every aspect of its mobile operation. Quotations for proposed work and invoices for completed projects are automated as BigChange integrates with the company’s accounting software, and field engineers can digitally complete Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS), saving time, paper and the potential for errors.

Real-time tracking allows back-office staff to keep customers up to speed, and automated scheduling has allowed the company to be flexible with working practices. Digital forms and photo libraries are helping engineers and surveyors to share condition reports and feedback, which in turn is helping DBS be proactive with maintenance programmes and responsive to client requests for information.

“BigChange saves us time and money on every aspect of the business, and the support has been outstanding.”Jacob Lamburne, Operations Director, DBS

Forecourt Construction Firm DBS Boosts Productivity 20% with BigChange
Forecourt construction firm DBS boosts productivity 20% with BigChange.

“We’ve eliminated paper and all the administration dealing with it, and in the office, we’re certainly twice as productive. BigChange has also had a big impact on our field operations with better scheduling and resource allocation, improved communication and real-time reporting. It means we can do more jobs during the month, and I reckon we’re 20 per cent more productive now, and that has a big impact on the bottom line.”Jacob Lamburne, Operations Director, DBS