3 Software Solutions for Service Contractors

jobi (www.jobi.pro 877/764-6304) gives contractors providing residential HVAC, plumbing and electrical services the ability to run their business from a smartphone. It includes three solutions: a contractor-logo-branded homeowner app; a field app for technicians, installers and sales people; and a web-based Admin dashboard and dispatch board with call taking screens to schedule and dispatch service, sales and installation calls.

The contractor homeowner app enables clients to order service, make in-app invoice payments, track the tech coming to their home and track their service history and upcoming service agreements from their phone. Homeowners can also go to the contractor website or get a remote screen-share pricing presentation controlled by the tech if the client is at another location.   

The field app enables techs to map their way to the customer location, price out jobs with a complete task-based verbally packaged flat rate pricing suite which can be merged with the contractor’s flat rate files, (which can also be imported). Technicians and sales personnel can also build custom flat rate options and prices on the fly for non-stock items with dispatch permission.

Field tech and sales people can create and make pricing templates or use one of the 50+ pre-built premium, mid-range, and economy option sheets for homeowners to choose the level of service desired. Techs can also track client service history, schedule service calls and agreements or lead turnovers during their calls. When at the homeowner location, the tech can scan credit cards, capture signatures and generate invoices from within the app. 

The third component – the web-based Admin dashboard, dispatch board and call taking screens – supports GPS mapping of all technicians and of the location of all jobs on one map. Management can set sales goals for each technician on a real-time dashboard and view current sales of each technician. A real-time dashboard screen can show technicians’ sales versus sale goals. Also, managers can login and switch users to inspect field pricing before it is given to a homeowner.

Three pricing plans: for up to three management, office or field staff, for up to seven users, and for up to 17 users.  For an additional fee, contractors can add call tracking and call analytics, giving the ability to track ad campaigns through CallRail (www.callrail.com), a third-party solution for tracking and managing phone leads. 

simPro (www.simpro.us, 855/338-6041) cloud-based management software system is an end-to-end business management solution for service, project, and maintenance trade contractors that is designed to help enable greater accuracy and efficiency in business processes. The company offers three solutions, each scaling up in capabilities and functionality: simPRO Service, simPRO Enterprise, and simPRO Corporate. They all integrate with simPRO Mobile apps for field service management.  

Monthly subscriptions for the software are based on business specifics as well as total number of user licenses in the office and field.

simPRO Service is a starter option for contractors managing maintenance and installation jobs by flat rate or time and materials while simPRO Enterprise is built for companies that manage complex and multi-stage projects. simPRO Corporate is suitable for field service contracting firms with existing specific workflows and methods of operation and, typically, is a tailored solution with respect to infrastructure and data needs. All options support importing of vendor catalogs.

Each of the solutions include scheduling of preventive and reactive maintenance, dispatch, inventory management, billing in the office and in the field, and payment processing in the field, with acceptance of electronic signatures. Users can also access service history of every customer and, with the addition of the simTRAC add-on, can track the location of the entire workforce in relation to scheduled or yet-to-be-scheduled jobs on one screen (requires installing GPS trackers in each vehicle).    

In addition to the job costing, recurring and preventive maintenance, and small project management capabilities of simPRO Service, Enterprise also includes the ability to manage multi-phase projects, compare estimates with actual budgets, change orders, subcontractor management, and progressive invoicing with the ability to have up to ten separate companies.

Monthly subscriptions for the software are based on business specifics as well as total number of user licenses in the office and field.

Verizon Connect Work (www.verizonconnect.com, 866/844-2235) is cloud based scheduling and dispatch software compatible with iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Suitable for small businesses, it features estimating to create “quotes” to provide to prospects , which, if accepted can be quickly turned into “jobs”; calendar view job scheduling by time and tech, with notations on job address and type of service call; dispatching; tracking of billable hours and billable items (materials); simple form templates, and job reporting.

Users can drag and drop unassigned jobs, update and reassign jobs, and add multiple contact details. They can then easily dispatch that information to the field so that techs can view the information, capture photos, take notes, and accept electronic signatures right from their phone or tablet. Completed data entered offline is synchronized automatically when the computing device connects to internet.

A single activity dashboard screen view can show historical work performance by revenue per month, active jobs per field worker, new customers per month, and jobs per month, as well as by a single day’s performance.  The solution integrates with accounting software QuickBooks (Desktop and Online), Zero, and MYOB, and with the payment processer Stripe.  

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