Enhancing Electrical Service Efficiency with Job Management Tools
Cloud-based job management software can be the backbone of your business. This software is designed to support your business through every step of completing a job request, from the first-contact quote with the client to sending the client an invoice for a completed work order. The best job management tools are easily accessible through mobile devices and use GPS-enabled tracking so field electricians can be assigned to urgent jobs quickly.
Job management tools include programs for professional quoting, converting quotes into work orders, scheduling work orders, dispatching technicians, generating invoices, sending digital invoices, and automatically filling in timesheets. Your electrical service software for job management can greatly reduce duplicate data and save your administrative staff time, too.
Six Key Features for Electrical Service Software
1. Interactive Work Order
Interactive work orders allow your field technicians to remotely update a work order file to add notes, attach pictures, and more while on the job site. This is an important feature since it keeps the file for your client up to date and ensures crucial information is saved with the work order. If you are building a client file, then notes from an interactive work order can help you serve that client better in the future.
The interactive work order is even helpful for scheduling work orders. When you use cloud-based electrical service software, you can turn professional quotes into detailed work orders as soon as a quote is accepted by the client. Your administrative staff can view details about the work request so the best technician for the job is assigned to the job request. Your administrative staff can also add notes to the work order file, such as specific requests from the client.
2. Safety Checklists
You can help your field electricians with safety management by using job management tools such as safety checklists. Part of safety management for your electricians is ensuring all components of a job request are completed.
A safety checklist attached to an interactive work order will mandate that all boxes on the checklist must be marked before a job is considered complete. This program can also ensure the quality of work completed by your electricians, which can benefit the reputation of your company.
3. Pre-Program Alerts
Many of your clients will have recurring work orders. If your electricians are tasked with inspecting electrical systems for commercial businesses, this task may need to be completed annually. You can save your client some time by using pre-program alerts as a reminder to schedule routine maintenance work orders. When your scheduling staff gets a reminder, they can contact the client to schedule an appointment.
4. Inventory Management
Electricians can go through a significant amount of materials to complete a single job, particularly if your electricians are working with construction crews. Instead of tracking inventory by hand with paper lists and running the risk of miscounting your current inventory, you can use inventory management software to automate this process.
Inventory management software works by tracking the location and amount of the inventory belonging to your business. This means the inventory tracking software will keep count of supplies that are on work trucks or stored at your business headquarters. When the software detects that your inventory has neared a low threshold, you will get a reminder to order new supplies before you run out.
5. Scheduling Calendar
The easier it is to use the calendar for your business, the better organized your team schedules will be. It's crucial to use a calendar that works for the size of your company and allows your scheduling team to easily see which technicians are available. You can use this software to categorize work orders or teams of electricians for even greater organization.
A calendar with an at-a-glance feature can view the whole schedule for the day, week, or month to easily pinpoint open time slots, while a drag-and-drop feature allows your scheduling team to drag work order requests into available times. These particular features can even be useful for scheduling urgent work order requests.
6. One-Touch Billing
Payment processing can be one of the most tedious tasks of your daily business management. In the past, businesses would have to send an invoice by mail to the client and then wait for the client to pay the bill. However, modern billing technology has significantly sped up this process by using programs such as one-touch billing.
One-touch billing software enables your field technicians to complete a work order and send a freshly generated invoice directly to the client without leaving the job site. All your technicians need to send the invoice is the client's email address, which should be included in the client information for the work order request. The invoice can include a price breakdown and an online payment link, so the client can quickly finalize payment.
How Can Your Electrician Business Stay Competitive?
With new technology and growing demands for easy access to electric-based amenities, electricians are in high demand. If you want your electrician business to stay competitive in such a demanding field, you will need to ensure your electricians are keeping up with the latest advances in technology and that you are supplying your business with the latest electrician tools. You can send your electricians to training seminars or attend conferences to stay up to date about the latest advancements.
If your business can streamline daily job management, then you are one step closer to running a successful business. Job management tools like interactive work orders can enhance the organization and productivity of your entire team, from admins to field technicians. Reach out to ServiceBox to try out a free job management software demo today.
