You know your current process isn’t working. You’re drowning in paperwork. It’s taking forever to invoice your customers. You’re spending a lot of time communicating with your field employees. You’ve sent a number of inaccurate invoices.
You’re finally ready to investigate field service software. But you’re unsure whether the cost will deliver a return on your investment (ROI). Here are 5 ways to measure your ROI for field service software:
Call Answering
If you aren’t using field service software in your business, it’s likely that if a customer calls to ask a question about a bill or recent service, it takes a considerable amount of time to answer that question. You may have a file cabinet full of customer data which your office manager must use to access customer information. It could take minutes to access that customer information.
Field service software can trim the time it takes to answer common customer questions significantly. But it can also help you record information faster. For instance, say you own an irrigation business and you need their security access code in order to perform the work. You can save a considerable amount of time storing it electronically with software.
- ROI: It’s likely you can save at least a minute per call.
- Benefit: Office staff are more available to answer calls, improving customer service. Accuracy is improved with electronic records.
Scheduling
One of the biggest differences between electronic and paper scheduling is the efficiencies that electronic field service scheduling enables. For example, say a customer calls with an emergency and they need service immediately. With service business scheduling software, your dispatcher can see where each field employee is located throughout the day. With that information, they can schedule the nearest field employee or the one that has the lightest workload.
The scheduling efficiencies don’t apply only to emergency events. When scheduling any event electronically, you can create tighter, more profitable routes because you can instantly see where all of your appointments are located. That’s very difficult to accomplish if you are using a paper-based system.
- ROI - Customers that install field service software are able to add at least 1 extra job per tech or crew per day
- Benefit - You’ll not only be able to schedule faster, but you’ll be able to schedule better, denser routes.
Field Data Collection
We’ve dealt with field employees for nearly two decades. One of their biggest pet peeves is paperwork. They typically love doing the work they do - mowing lawns, installing irrigation systems, installing security systems - but dislike the paperwork around those activities. That paperwork is where your business makes money.
With software, your guys in the field don’t need to complete paperwork, They can use any smartphone or tablet and mobile field service software to time in and out, select the parts and materials used, and enter any other notes or collect any other data - like assessment information.
Then, they can sync all that information to the office. It’s easier, more accurate and timely.
- ROI - You’ll typically save anywhere from 1% to 5% on parts leakage alone.
- Benefit - You’ll get better data quickly.
Administrative Time
We just discussed the ROI of capturing field data electronically. Not only can you get better data quickly and save up to 5% on parts leakage, but capturing information in the field also significantly reduces administrative time. Why? Because you don’t have to rekey a piece of paper into your accounting platform in order to generate an invoice.
Because the data flows electronically from the field back into the office and, hopefully, integrates with your accounting platform, you only enter data once. Many of our green industry customers have indicated they were able to eliminate an administrative position and invest in equipment that made them more productive in the field - and more profitable as a business.
- ROI - You’ll save at least 1 minute per work order, depending on the amount of data required to be input.
- Benefit - Reduced administrative time enables you to deploy resources more efficiently.
Cash Flow
For service-based businesses that bill based on time and material, paper-based billing typically takes days, or worse, weeks, to complete. First you have to round up the paperwork from your field workers, then query them about their notes, before inputting the data into your accounting platforms.
For many field service businesses, getting that information from the field doesn’t occur until the end of the week. Receiving answers to questions takes a couple days. Inputting the data into the accounting platform doesn’t happen immediately. Before you know it, it’s weeks from the service date and they have yet to invoice their customers.
That causes cash flow issues. But if you have field service software installed you can bill the same day you perform the service.
- ROI - For the average time and material billing, you’ll invoice two weeks faster than normal. If you have a line of credit, that translates to 14 days of interest that you aren’t paying.
- Benefit - You’ll alleviate cash flow concerns, get paid faster, and save interest expenses on your line of credit.
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