Last Updated on July 17, 2023
In order to keep up with the fast-moving industry, many plumbing contractors around the world are making the switch to software to help with their field service management. Customer expectations are changing and field service management software is one of the ways that plumbing service companies and field technicians are keeping up. Can you continue to adapt and grow your plumbing business in the face of these new demands? Or will your inefficiencies leave your business in the dust?
Deciding to make the switch to field service management software is a big decision! That’s why it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons. In this article, we’re comparing plumbing field service management WITHOUT software to plumbing field service management WITH software to demonstrate the extent to which adopting a software solution can change your plumbing business for the better.
Plumbing Field Service Management WITHOUT Software
First, let’s dive into the world of plumbing field service management without the help of a software solution. As a plumbing contractor, you likely face many challenges on a daily basis. The biggest challenge most plumbing companies face is finding the right balance between offering quality service and generating revenue for your business.
Without a field service management software to help manage things like scheduling, document management, inventory management, and more, you may find that you often have to compromise. This could mean letting down your customers to maximize revenue, satisfying your customers but losing out on revenue, or sometimes even letting down your customer AND losing revenue.
Plumbing Field Service Management Pain Points
In the plumbing industry, customer service is everything. But at the same time, you also need to make money from each job to remain profitable. In the next few sections, we’re sharing some of the pain points you may experience that are leading to reduced revenue and customer dissatisfaction with your plumbing business.
Scheduling Issues
Manual scheduling has been known to create many issues for plumbing companies. The two major problems are scheduling conflicts and lack of scheduling adherence. When you plan a schedule manually, you are more at risk of manual errors such as double booking your technicians. Your technicians may also have difficulty adhering to their schedules if it is difficult for them to access this information in the field.
Both scheduling conflicts and lack of scheduling adherence could result in your business being unable to deliver services on time and losing out on customers and revenue. If you don’t deliver your plumbing services on time, your customers will find someone else who can. There are plenty of fish in the plumbing industry sea. Don’t let scheduling issues be the reason that your customers choose a different plumbing company!
In addition to scheduling technicians, plumbing companies also tend to have difficulties scheduling and managing equipment. Scheduling conflicts with equipment are just as problematic as scheduling conflicts with employees. If your technicians don’t have the right equipment for the job, your projects will get delayed leading to reduced profitability and customer satisfaction.
Field Technician Communication Issues
Without a software solution, technicians cannot access information on-the-go, and they must rely on staff in the office being available to provide the information they need. This can take a lot of time that eats away at your potential revenue for each job.
This type of communication can also lead to misunderstandings that could result in technicians completing work incorrectly or work outside the scope of the service contract. This will result in technicians having to return for repeat visits and will negatively impact your first-time fix rate. The first-time fix rate of your business is an important field service management metric to track because it affects both customer satisfaction and job revenue.
[If you’re looking to find more information on what metrics all field service management companies should be tracking, check out our helpful guide here]
Lack of Document Tracking
Without an integrated field service management solution in place, plumbing companies have to spend time searching through file folders, or even worse, filing cabinets, to find important information for customers and technicians. This not only results in unnecessary labor costs but also can delay communication with your customers, which can ultimately reduce customer satisfaction and could result in your company losing out on repeat business.
Plumbing Field Service Management WITH Software
The pain points discussed above can make it difficult for field service teams to work productively and effectively. Fortunately, field service software can be used as a tool to address these challenges to help your technicians deliver the best service possible. Field service software addresses the challenges that are slowing your business down. This helps you stay competitive with other companies in the industry while boosting revenue and customer satisfaction.
Plumbing Field Service Management Capabilities
In the following sections, we’ll share some of the features and functionalities that plumbing software offers to address the common field service management pain points in the industry.
| Job Scheduling & Dispatch Scheduling As we discussed above, scheduling issues can be costly for your plumbing business. On the other hand, a well-maintained job schedule and dispatch scheduling software capabilities can keep your technicians productive, and customers satisfied. A robust plumbing software will include both job scheduling and dispatch scheduling features – the two work hand in hand. Job scheduling features prevent issues by making job schedules easily accessible. This ensures everyone is always on the same page about the work to be done for a given project. Dispatch scheduling features often allow service managers to track their technicians with GPS integrations to optimize technician schedules. This helps service managers improve technician utilization and schedule the right technician for each job based on availability and skills. |
Equipment Management
Equipment management software features are a great way to address equipment scheduling issues. Instead of struggling to keep track of your equipment, a software solution can help you maximize your equipment investments. You’ll be able to assess the profitability of each piece of equipment, easily keep track of your equipment’s whereabouts and usage, and ensure that equipment is maintained and in good working order for use on the next job.
Mobile
The best software for plumbing contractors will offer a mobile app for technicians to access important information in the field via a tablet or an iOS or Android mobile device. This allows staff in the office to easily share information via their desktop with technicians in the field in real-time via their mobile device. This mobile platform reduces the need for technicians to make trips back and forth from the office, prevents misunderstanding leading to repeat visits, improves first-time fix rate, and improves the overall workflows and productivity of your field service team.
Document Management
Another important plumbing field service software capability is document management. Keeping all of your essential information under a singular portal makes it much easier to access the information you need and relay information efficiently. This includes work orders, service agreements, contracts, invoices, and other important information related to each job. If your customers request information, you’ll be able to quickly respond to their requests with accurate, real-time information. With greater access to customer data, your team will also gain a more complete picture of each customer’s history to help them provide the best service possible.
Jonas Construction Software Meets the Growing Needs of Plumbing Contractors
Jonas Construction software is the best plumbing software available to plumbing contractors for streamlining job management, increasing profitability and improving customer management. Our plumbing business software has helped many plumbers, and plumbing companies streamline their field service management processes to maintain a competitive edge against other contractors in the industry. Contact us to learn more about our software features and capabilities for plumbing contractors or request a demo today.
