Software solutions for field service management

LoopCAD 2016 MJ8 Edition, www.loopCAD.com, is stand-alone CAD software for creating professional quality circuit layout drawings for radiant heating and snowmelt systems. The software, which uses object-oriented drawing tools, generates floor-plan drawings consistent with most manufacturer recommendations for residential and commercial radiant heat systems. It includes integrated heating and cooling load calculations (as the user draws), detailed hydronic calculations, snowmelt design and 3D views of the 2D drawings, for ensuring accurate heat load calculations and more effectively communicating the design.   

Users can import PDF, AutoCAD, or scanned drawings to use as a template. The drawings can start with predefined rooms, doors, windows and other objects. Rooms can be resized by dragging the walls or corners and can be docked together to create complex floor plans.  

LoopCAD automatically generates circuits for most rooms, designing around obstructions such as stairs, cabinets and kitchen islands. For rooms with complex layouts, the designer can use freehand drawing tools to tweak the loops or draw the loop from scratch.

The solution provides ASHRAE and CSA residential heat loss calculations as well as ACCA-approved Manual J (8^th Edition, Version 2.5) calculations for residential heating and cooling loads, including advanced calculations and options such as block, room and peak loads, AED calculations and graphs for proper fenestration loads calculations in Manual J (automatically evaluated for every project), October cooling load evaluations performed automatically for all projects, and standard compliant reports.  

A custom Review Step enables critical review of the key data and settings in a project, with easy access for making changes and re-evaluating results. The software raises “warning flags” when design parameters fall outside of normal values recommended by Manual J.

The software also includes the ability to specify distribution piping, move and mirror floorplan functions, and an automated check for program updates.

According to LoopCAD, the Quick Design Mode can reduce design times by 50% or more for projects that do not require a detailed circuit layout. In Quick Design Mode, the detailed circuit layout is replaced by assigning rooms to manifolds, without drawing the detailed circuit layout. Later, if needed, the detailed circuit design can be added to the project.     

The software also includes the ability to specify distribution piping, move and mirror floorplan functions, and an automated check for program updates.

LoopCAD can generate a variety of reports to match formats specified in Manual J, including Form J1, load summary, load report and AED report.

HouseCall Pro, www.tryhousecall.com, is a mobile field service management app for small contractors who don’t yet have field connectivity. Designed to be used with a smartphone and over a web portal, it offers contractors interaction with their techs in the field and an existing database of customers via computer and mobile computing devices.

It includes capabilities for estimating, dispatch and scheduling of technicians, invoicing and payment processing, and work order and contract management and is fully integrated with HouseCall, a free consumer booking app available in more than 700 cities in the United States and Canada.

Each tech gets notified directly on a smartphone when a service call or job is set up. Both management in the office and the assigned techs have access to and can track the service history of each customer. The software supports real time “pushing” from any computing device of updates and notifications regarding customer requests and availability, changes in materials and labor needs, and job notes.

The contractor and the tech have various ways of keeping a customer informed on scheduling and timing. Customers receive a text about the date and time of the scheduled service call, the name of the technician and preparation instructions. They also receive a text message when the tech is actually in transit.

Techs can use a “chat” feature to alert a customer if running late, interact with the customer on details or request a photo of problem. A “live map” feature enables dispatch back in the office to know when a tech arrives onsite.   

Among customizable CRM options: contractors can set up an automated email campaign to remind customers of scheduled appointments and can set up automatic one-time email blasts, reminder and thank-you postcards (separate fee), or one-time or recurring emails to contractor-selected individual customers or groups of customers.   

Customers receive a text about the date and time of the scheduled service call, the name of the technician and preparation instructions.

In addition to basic estimating, the software enables generating of quotes and basic billing, with the ability to send invoices by email. The invoice, which can include the company logo, lays out charges for services and materials in separate rows and presents the information in a professional-looking manner. 

HouseCall Pro also has capability for automated invoicing, credit card processing for payment on the spot, acceptance of electronic signatures and generating of email-ready receipts. The software supports automatic export of invoices and records of the payments to the contractor’s QuickBooks and provides seamless integration with QuickBooks Online (not desktop), enabling one-button transfer of invoice history along with full customer detail database.

HouseCall Pro is fully integrated with HouseCall, an app that enables existing customers to book a service call at the push of a button and potential new customers to peruse a roster of independent local service providers by category for contact information and pricing and scheduling directly.

Bill and Patti Feldman write articles and web content for trade magazines and manufacturers of building products. They can be reached at [email protected].