The Flow of Automated Work Orders: Efficiency Boost for Plumbers
Cloud-based work order and job management software works by using automatic conversions to turn quotes into work orders that can be tracked and edited. Once a work order is complete, field employees can easily turn the completed order into an invoice, which can then be sent directly to the customer.
This method of streamlining workflow management is vastly superior to making traditional paper trails. Rather than your administrative staff inputting the same information on multiple papers to manage a single job, every aspect of workflow management can be done with the click of a button. In addition to improving the efficiency of your business, the use of cloud-based workflow management also reduces human error.
Step One: Generate Professional Quotes
Generating an accurate professional quote is one way to stay competitive in the plumbing business. Quoting software can be used to duplicate quotes for repeat clients and can track follow-ups for new leads. Quotes can be emailed to the customer with full price breakdowns for transparency.
Step Two: Convert Quotes to Work Orders
Once a quote is accepted by the customer, your administrative staff can convert quotes into work orders. From there, work orders can easily be placed on the calendar using plumber scheduling software. In the field, work orders can be edited and customized with checklists, notes, to-do lists, picture attachments, and a record of used materials.
Pictures and comments from the field technician can build a profile for your customer. Information from the work order can be added to the file for the client, which can be helpful if the client contacts you for service again in the future. Adding pictures and other information to the work order can give the next technician more insight into how a job was completed for that client.
Step Three: Turn Work Orders Into Invoices
After your field technicians finish a work order, the work order can be automatically converted into an invoice. This step can be done with a mobile device at the push of a button while the technician is still in the field. Invoices can include all notes from the work order and can be emailed with a payment link to the client.
Step Four: Send Invoices to Customers
Emailing invoices to clients is much faster than relying on paper mail service. Additionally, the payment link included in the invoice email allows for faster payment processing and more accurate accounting. The invoice you send to your clients can include specific details from the work order, including price breakdowns, which can help you build trust with your customers.
Step Five: Automatically Complete Timesheets
When your field technician turns a work order into an invoice, cloud-based job management software will automatically fill in the timesheet for the employee. A GPS-enabled mobile app can track the location of the employee. Along with a simple check-in and check-out system, tracking accurate billable hours with job management software is easier than ever.
How Does Plumber Scheduling Software Work?
Improving the overall efficiency of your plumbing business means you may need to re-think the way your administrative staff schedules work orders. Paper schedules are time-consuming, hard to adjust, and difficult to track. Plumber scheduling software, on the other hand, simplifies the process, giving your staff the tools to optimize scheduling tasks.
At-a-Glance Capacity
One of the biggest challenges of managing multiple schedules is the inability to view the entire calendar at once. A cloud-based scheduler with at-a-glance capacity allows your administrative staff to see the entire calendar for all technicians at once. Additionally, calendars for multiple technicians can be joined into smaller groups for easier management if you have a large team. The ease of viewing lets your administrative staff see which technicians are free with a single look.
Drag-and-Drop Scheduler
When new work orders are approved, these orders can easily be dropped into free time slots on the calendar using the drag-and-drop scheduler feature. This is a much easier option than creating a new appointment and manually adding work order details. With this level of automation, you can be confident that accurate work orders are scheduled for field technicians, which ensures your clients receive optimal service.
Dispatcher Mode
Sometimes, plumbers are called for urgent job requests, such as when pipes burst during the winter. Scheduling software with a dispatcher mode simplifies urgent work orders by automatically dispatching work orders and job site information to your field technicians via mobile devices. Plus, with GPS-enabled tracking, your administrative staff can identify which technician is in the closest proximity to the urgent job request.
What Other Software Can Benefit Your Plumbing Business?
Plumbing businesses tend to go through a high volume of inventory, so using service software that includes an inventory management feature is incredibly helpful. When you can accurately track your inventory, you will ensure your business is always stocked with essential supplies. Inventory management software can be used to automatically track inventory in your warehouse and on individual work trucks.
One reason why inventory management software is so accurate is that some parts of your work order software include an automated tool to track the materials used for each job. This means your service software will subtract materials used for work orders and automatically alert you when inventory on the truck is running low.
The root of efficiency for your plumbing business can be found in the way your company manages day-to-day tasks, such as job management and scheduling. Service software can make it easy to track invoices and manage schedules for multiple employees. Get in touch with ServiceBox to test out a free demo today.
