[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.gpsinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/scheduling-software-hero.jpg” alt=”scheduling software” title_text=”scheduling software hero” admin_label=”Fullwidth Image” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.4″ max_width=”800px” custom_margin=”||0px” custom_padding=”||0px” hover_enabled=”0″ use_custom_width=”on” width_unit=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Blog Title” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#275c8d” header_font_size=”50px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin_phone=”0px|||” custom_margin_last_edited=”off|desktop” header_font_size_tablet=”” header_font_size_phone=”24″ header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”Blog Body 1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]Picture this: you\u2019re running a successful service business with three full-time technicians, each averaging about 5 customer visits per day, all without any type of scheduling software. They come into the office first thing every morning to punch a time card, pick up their 5 paper work orders, and set off. You have little to no contact with your techs throughout the day, until they\u2019re returning to punch out. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”Blog Body 2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]At the end of each day, you review completed work orders for any notes, like special services or equipment that is needed. You also look over today\u2019s phone records as you write out 15 new work orders for the next day, being extra careful to write addresses properly. Hopefully you\u2019ve planned ahead in your files for equipment needing inspection or additional maintenance so you can add that into the schedule, too. You consult a map as you build tomorrow\u2019s routes, working one or two new customers in, making sure to number each work order according to optimal route.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”Blog Body 3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]You may think this sounds like the daily grind for a service company in the early 1990s, before cell phones, computers, and the Internet simplified the day-to-day tasks of running a business. But even in 2020, fewer than half of field service companies use any sort of field service management software to simplify job scheduling.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”Blog Body 4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re part of the group that is still using manual processes, consider the ways in which\u00a0automating them could save you time and money<\/a>. We\u2019re taking a look here at how moving from paper to scheduling software can benefit your business.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.gpsinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/work-technology-electrical-electricity-room-arm-705049-pxhere.gif” alt=”scheduling software” title_text=”work-technology-electrical-electricity-room-arm-705049-pxhere” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”losing info” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Though we used a small service company in our example above, the pitfalls of relying on manual scheduling can, and do, affect field service companies of all types and sizes.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”losing info” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]Leading the pack of unreliability is paper, which can easily get lost, destroyed, or thrown away. With white boards, you can lose key information with a single bad eraser swipe. And, while spreadsheets might seem like the answer, they too are only as reliable as the last time you hit the save button. Anyone who has ever had their computer freeze or crash before they could save their work knows this all too well.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”losing info” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]Hand-written schedules also present the additional challenge of being just that \u2013 hand written. We\u2019ve all heard jokes about doctors having notoriously bad handwriting. But consider being a field service technician about to head to their next job, trying to make out an address that was hastily scribbled down by an office manager from a phone call six days ago. You call the office for help, but no one is answering; what do you do?[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”losing info” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]One of the biggest benefits to scheduling software is perhaps the simplest. The electronic schedule in field service management software can\u2019t be lost or thrown away, and your changes are saved as you make them. Key information like addresses and phone numbers are not only clearly presented, but are also often built into efficient routes (more on that later).[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”|off|” admin_label=”the whole story” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_font_size=”36px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nNo More Losing Information<\/h3>\n
Everyone Has the Whole Story<\/h3>\n