Benefits of Job Management Software
If you’re operating a trades business without using job management software, you are missing out on potential profit, efficiency, and growth. A bold statement, but we’ll stand by it.
The effect that the right job management software can have on your operations is huge. And while choosing and setting it up might seem like an overwhelming task, six months down the line you’ll be thanking your past self for tackling it.
Here’s why you need to be taking advantage of JMS:
It speeds up your PROCESSES
Time is money! Perhaps the main selling point for most job management software platforms for builders and tradespeople is the time that they save in administration tasks.
Quoting, invoicing, customer communications, and other aspects of your operations can be automated to various degrees. The repetitive menial tasks can be done by the software, leaving only the ones that require your human brain. And even those are made easier—for example, most JMS will make information such as supplier price lists or previous customer communications readily available to reduce time spent in research.
ServiceM8 is a great example of this! We love how “paperwork” can be done on the fly from your iPad or iPhone because it only requires a few clicks here and there. The automation capabilities are fantastic, too—it’s ideal for booking reminders, follow-ups on invoices or quotes, and when you’re seeking feedback from your customers. Set it up and let it do the work for you.
Fergus has a great dashboard that allows you to see at a glance the status and history of each job plus what you need to do to progress it. This is particularly useful for back costing and ensuring all jobs have their associated costs correct before an invoice is sent to a customer. It makes the whole process faster and easier for all involved.
It amps up your ORGANISATION
Some tradespeople describe themselves as disorganised—and while that can be a quirky and loveable personality trait it’s not an asset in business. When you are disorganised it’s easier to miss or forget things like customer follow-up calls, job leads, invoices, and opportunities for profit.
A good job management software will make sure that more loose ends are tied up and nothing falls between the cracks. When everything is collected onto a job card (or equivalent) and you can see what’s been done and what hasn’t, it’s easier to stay on top of the details.
ServiceM8 is a hero in this function, too! Can you tell we love this powerhouse software? It comes with the ability to add tasks within the description of the job. Then your team knows exactly what needs to be done and can “tick” tasks off, feeling organised and accomplished. Everybody wins.
Need another example? Buildxact allows you to schedule each individual stage of a project and link stages to each other. This means that if any date is pulled forward or pushed out, the stages auto-adjust accordingly.
It powers your PROFIT
Profit is the primary reason most of us went into business. It is something that every trade and construction business owner should be watching like a hawk. Good job management software allows you to track your incoming and outgoing costs with expert care.
Take, for example, NextMinute—a beautiful piece of construction software. This platform allows you to quote, set your labour rates and track staff time, then add in all your costs (subcontractor invoices, materials, variations etc.) and then invoice to make sure all costs are captured and nothing is left behind. With its structured layout you can track your costs stage by stage and compare quoted vs actual to ensure you are profitable at all stages.
It increases your ACCURACY
Having all the information you need at your fingertips is ideal for accurate quoting, invoicing, and top-notch customer communications. With details collected into a job card (or equivalent), there’s no need to search for them across email inboxes, notebooks, text messages, and other locations.
Accuracy is important for good ongoing relationships with your clients. Keeping your quotes, communication, and invoices on point leaves no room for misunderstanding or disputes. It builds a reputation for reliability. And that’s gold when it comes to word-of-mouth advertising, one of the most effective channels for trades businesses.
Clients using SimPRO, for example, benefit from a direct link with their main supplier which allows them to upload their price file directly into the system. You can see when they make price adjustments and have correct pricing at your fingertips wherever you are. SimPRO also makes it easy to see in detail where you made losses on previous quoted work (materials or labour) so you can adjust quotes for accuracy next time.
It supercharges your CUSTOMER SERVICE
This ties into the previous point. The right job management software will support you to give your clients the very best service—a major asset to your brand.
While each JMS has varied features, many offer some kind of communication automation, often for email and SMS. Take, for example, the ServiceM8 automation templates we mentioned earlier. Automated reminders and follow-ups are a great way to ensure your clients are kept up-to-date and informed.
We also mentioned earlier that having accurate information easily at hand for all relevant stakeholders will improve your customer communications. When you have a larger team, this is especially important. A client might talk to the business owner, an employee, and an administrator throughout the course of their interaction with your company, and you want to give them a seamless experience.
Buildxact exemplifies how the right JMS will take the stress out of your customer communication. With this piece of software, updates are sent to your client via the client portal as changes are made so they are always in loop. The client portal is also an easy way for your clients to make their selections for particular items they would like included in their build—for example, the size of their oven or the length of their carpet pile.
Find the app that will maximise the benefit to your business
Ready to take advantage of job management software and harness the power for yourself? You’re in the right place—Free Up are the experts in finding and implementing tech tools for builders and trade businesses.
We start with a systems review which provides clarity about how you can work smarter and not harder in your business. The team will identify and report on how you are currently doing and how your systems and tech can be improved, providing a roadmap that includes recommendations for new tech tools or how to gain more from the ones you already have.