Finding the right job management app for field service companies can be a complicated affair. Most field service business services include asset or technician transportation, day-to-day work/job scheduling and dispatching, ensuring technician safety, and integrating the management of such activities with billing, accounting and other back-office systems.
That’s why having a dedicated job management app for your field service company is highly recommended, as it helps cut costs and grow profits. But how do you go about choosing the right job management app?
To help you choose, we’ve shortlisted some factors that we believe every job management app should possess.
On time scheduling and dispatching
The right job management app can help your in-field technicians plan their day-to-day schedule properly and coordinate with your dispatchers in the back office through communication tools like built-in calling or messaging. This also helps teams to remain aware of each other’s whereabouts, and update job orders and assignments accordingly. Some other similar advanced features include smart scheduling, job notifications and in-vehicle telematics.
Customer Relationship Management
Many job management apps have a client/customer-side app that includes a communication/messaging feature, which greatly increases the capabilities of customer relationship management (CRM). Clients can use the app to contact the servicing team (or even the technicians directly) and update them with any revisions in scheduling or other requirements. CRM tools can also help with customer segmentation and email marketing campaign management.
Work Order Management
Work order management systems allow field service companies to track important job details such as timestamps (request generated, technician dispatched, job complete), inventory used, technician assigned, etc. In fact, without proper work order management, field service companies may face loss of revenue owing to loss of or incomplete work orders. Ensure your job management app has a built-in work order management system that can integrate with your existing processes.
Strict Network Security Measures
As a field service company, you’ll be required to handle sensitive client data on a daily basis. Ensure that your selected job management app has important network security measures in place. Hackers on the internet are always updating their methods of attacks, forcing organisations to update their security measure or risk losing valuable data. Your preferred job management app should be able to sync with your existing security systems and not interfere with precautionary measures like firewalls or VPNs.
Intuitive User Interface
Many job management apps have a clunky and hard-to-use UI, mostly inspired by dated web designs. The perfect job management app should have a UI that is not cluttered and displays all the relevant data without forcing the user to go on an unnecessary button hunt. Also, if your app has a desktop/web version, ensure the UI on that platform is consistent with the app version, so your technicians are not forced to relearn a different interface when they have to use the desktop/web app.
Compatible with both Android and iOS
Finally, last but not least… The reason why most companies choose a job management app is to ensure efficient workflow where employees can constantly update changes in scheduling and dispatching. By selecting a job management apps that works on both iOS and Android platforms, your employees can use their existing personal devices for work as well. This means you avoid the hassle of procuring separate work devices for them, which is an added cost that will ultimately affect profits and growth.
So make your decision of selecting a job management app wisely. Assess all your options and pick one that will suit all of your business needs, without creating too big a dent in your budget.
