Spreadsheets may have felt like the perfect solution for job management when you first started out, good enough to schedule jobs, track customers and manage a growing team. But, the problem is as your business grows and workloads expand, cracks will begin to show.
If you’re outgrowing your current processes and getting frustrated with time-consuming tasks, it’s time to change the way you work. We share the top signs your business has outgrown the use of spreadsheets and why it’s time to move to a job management software like WorkPal.
First, let’s begin with a quick definition of what job management software is.
What is job management software?
Job management software is a digital tool designed to help businesses in the field service industry schedule, track and manage jobs more efficiently. Office teams and field workers are connected in real time, making it simple to assign tasks, monitor progress, input job details, manage invoicing, reporting and customer information, all in one place.
The features and benefits of job management software are endless, we’ll cover some of the highlights later on but you can discover more details on the features and benefits of WorkPal here: https://yourworkpal.com/what-is-field-service-management-software/
So, if you’re unsure if you’re ready to switch from spreadsheets to job management software, here are our top 5 things you need to think about …
5 signs you’ve outgrown spreadsheets for job management
For the field service industry, timing, communication and accuracy are key and relying on spreadsheets is inconvenient, ineffective and will cost your business time and money.
1. Inaccurate data is draining your resources
Manual data processes can be prone to human error, which means when you’re relying on spreadsheets to manage workload and job management, it’s easy for details to be overlooked. Whether it’s incorrect client information, missed job instructions or forgotten invoices, mistakes can lead to operational issues and wasted resources.
When you’re unable to quickly access information or input data, organising your workforce becomes far more difficult, slowing response times which will impact revenue streams and potentially upset customers.
2. Job management and scheduling becoming difficult to track
Tracking jobs, organising your team and updating schedules through spreadsheets can feel disordered and unreliable. As your business grows, manually tracking and managing jobs becomes increasingly complicated with teams having to dig out information from different
places just to get a clear scope. This is inefficient and jobs can become complicated if updates are not reflected in real time.
3. Communication gaps slows your team down
As you know, communication between your office team and field team needs to be seamless to keep operations running smoothly. When using spreadsheets, it can be easy for teams to miss the latest updates, from engineer hand overs and reports to stock orders and invoicing.
If updates aren’t kept up to date and accessible in one place, you’re likely to experience delays with jobs, issues with service delivery and potentially problems adhering to regulatory standards when needed. When using spreadsheets for job management, teams waste time trying to catch up with each other instead of focusing on getting the job done efficiently.
4. Customer satisfaction is dropping
Unorganised scheduling, missed updates and gaps in communication don’t just impact your team – your customers can feel it too. Delays to jobs, unclear communication and silly errors can cause frustration for your customers making you look unprofessional and making them feel undervalued.
In the competitive field service industry, its vital to keep customer satisfaction high to keep customers and boost referrals. Job management software allows you to do this.
Why businesses are ditching spreadsheets for WorkPal’s job management software
Many businesses in the field service management industry who were reliant on spreadsheets have made the move to WorkPal and now benefit from streamlined operations and improved efficiency.
Through our user-friendly interface, WorkPal allows teams to reduce the chaos and pitfalls associated with spreadsheets. Job scheduling, tracking, invoicing, reporting and more are all managed in real time through our centralised platform, resulting in faster response times, better communication and less risk of errors!
Here’s some of our top features and benefits …
Top WorkPal features and benefits
Efficient Scheduling
The hassles of manual scheduling disappear with WorkPal. Our Efficient Scheduling allows you to plan smarter routes for engineers in real time. By maximising the efficiency of your engineer’s routes and job schedules, you can help meet customer expectations, minimise scheduling conflicts and keep workflows streamlined.
Recurring Job Scheduling
WorkPal’s Recurring Job Scheduling feature allows you to see statuses of jobs at a glance, assign and track jobs effortlessly and set up jobs to be repeated automatically on specific days and dates. Through the Recurring Job Scheduling feature, you can save endless admin hours manually completing tedious repeated job scheduling tasks, optimise staff schedules and boost team efficiency.
Direct Invoicing
Create and generate invoices automatically upon job completion. WorkPal’s invoicing feature allows you to automate and integrate invoicing processes, reducing admin time, minimising errors and improving your financial operations.
Mobile User Customisation
Our Mobile User Customisation feature gives you the visibility and control you need for effective field management. Your engineers gain easy access to job information on the go and all the tools needed for effective communication.
Enhanced export options
Managing customer communications has never been easier with our enhanced export options. Eliminate the need to hunt through multiple files and spreadsheets, instead you can gather and export all the essential files for a job in one convenient place.
Ready to make the switch to job management software?
Making the move to WorkPal gives you the tools to enhance efficiency, offer better service to your customers, enhance communication, and save time and money. Our dedicated team of experts are on hand to assist you and help you make the move from spreadsheet to software, no matter your business needs. Get in touch to learn more or book a free demonstration today.
