TECHNOLOGY
START FROM THE BASICS TO FIND THE RIGHT SOFTWARE PLATFORM FIT FOR YOUR COMPANY’S NEEDS.
I
t wasn’t too long ago that it was common for crews to carry a stack of papers in the truck cab with informa- tion about the next clients or the hand-written receipts for work done. Tose methods work just fine for some contractors, but as labor continues to be one of the largest industry obstacles to growth, business owners
are always looking for ways to get more efficiency out of lower inputs. One set of tools that can be helpful in unlock- ing those opportunities comes through job management or field service software, which can help a smaller group of employees get more done. Improved efficiency isn’t the only reason to invest in job
management software. As customers become more tech- nology savvy, they have greater expectations for a smooth process from hiring to paying the bill. “Customers expect their contractors to be highly re-
sponsive and to interact with them digitally, whether it’s booking new work, communicating between jobs or ac- cepting payments,” says Nick Keyko, senior director of marketing at Jobber, Edmonton, Alberta. “It’s not just about keeping up with customer expectations. Moving ac- tivities like quoting and payments to an online portal helps you win more work and get paid faster.” For some contractors, working with a portal might be
new or daunting. Tere are multiple platforms available with various capabilities across a wide range. Trying to fig- ure out which option is the right fit with the appropriate features can feel dizzying. Every field service software implementation is going to be a little bit different to fit the needs of the company. But there are a few functions that any effective platform should have as a basic starting point.
BACK TO BASICS
One of the most important jobs that field service software can help with is customer relationship management. As a baseline, a platform should be able to manage tracking cus- tomers and contacts with some flexibility, says Nick Streit, product manager at HindSite Software, St. Paul, Minneso- ta. Te software should be able to track who orders what, and make sure that it gets added to the calendar effectively. “Te other aspect is to say, ‘Who didn’t order a service,
and can we get them to order it?’” Streit says. If you’re look- ing to push a particular type of work for the season, job management software can help find those customers who would be worth expanding an already existing relationship with, rather than spending money on developing new cli- ents. “Having this full customer profile, this prebuilt relation- ship and density — it’s astronomical how much informa- tion you actually have access to,” Streit says. Making a more seamless connection for customers to
choose the services they need and pay for them can make a contractor more approachable for those who just don’t have the time or want to interact with a salesperson. Tat can open a company up to additional business that wasn’t available before. “Contractors can win 16% more jobs just by texting
customers a link to review and approve quotes online,” says Keyko. “Homeowners can select the services that best fit their needs and watch their quote total automatically up- date before they approve and pay their deposit.” Online payments can help contractors get paid much faster than standard procedures as well, says Keyko.
If a business has a lot of employees, a software that includes
scheduling and dispatching features will be more important for them than a business that is a team of two.” – Nick Keyko, Jobber
irrigationandlighting.org Late Fall 2022 Irrigation & Lighting 31
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