As a plumber, you know that managing a team can be a difficult task – it takes hours of planning, back-and-forth communication, tracking your staff, entering jobs into diaries and much, much more. Often you are not working at maximum efficiency, but that cannot be helped… or can it?
CHOOSING JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR PLUMBERS
There are many software applications on offer for plumbing companies, differing in simplicity and complexity. If you are scratching your head, trying to figure out which one of the options to choose, this simple step-by-step guide should help:
Can you try the software before buying?
This is the most important question to ask, as trying the job management software before buying will allow you to decide whether the system is too complicated before you pay a large amount. Eworks Manager offers a fantastic 14-day free trial of our comprehensive job management software for plumbers.
Can I continue to use my current accounting software?
If you are already using a tried and trusted accounting system, it can be extremely difficult to transfer all your staff, customer and other pertinent information over to a new system, so it is important to find a solution that allows for integration.
Can I assign multiple employees to one project?
You might need a team of plumbers working on one project, so it is vital to find a job management software for plumbers that allows you to assign more than one plumber to a job or project, and allow for the client's input on the assigned job.
Does the software allow for hourly payment?
If you have an hourly payment structure, it would be best to find a software that has a time-tracking feature. Some software has this feature built-in, but it is important to find out how user-friendly it is, as it also allows for the ability to calculate accurate costs of projects for customers.
Can I store all my files in one place?
Storing everything in one system will make it much easier to access this information when you need it the most. Some job management software for plumbers will allow for this, but some will require you to use a product such as DropBox or Google Drive. Eworks Manager stores all of your important files in one easy-to-use system.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR PLUMBING COMPANIES?
Whether you are working alone or a plumbing company with several workers, there are numerous benefits of using job management software for plumbing companies, some of which include the following:
Manage jobs with ease:
Today's fast-paced world usually means that many plumbers have more jobs "on-the-go" than they can keep up with. With the popularity and necessity of smartphones and devices, your clients and staff can contact you at any time to make queries or complaints, so by utilising job management software, you have direct access to the information that provides answers to these questions, complaints and so forth.
Another benefit of managing your business using job management software is that you can manage your business remotely. Because the system is digital, it allows you and your team to work from different locations. This has helped businesses immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Real-time tracking:
Personnel management is one of the most important and difficult tasks that any business owner or foreman has to undertake in the daily running of a plumbing company. With certain job management software systems, you can track the movements of your field operatives in real-time, allowing you to easily manage the jobs they are completing and being assigned daily.
Complete compliance:
Health and safety compliance regulations are vital to adhere to for any company in the plumbing and heating industries; by utilising job management systems, you can assign these procedures to every job and mark them off once they have been completed - the fact that every job is saved on the system, which ensures that you have a full history of which documentation or notes that were generated.
Invoicing is streamlined:
Using a paper invoicing system is one of the primary reasons for the loss of revenue in trade companies. If there is a long paper trail to follow, you are in danger of losing track of estimates, quotes and invoices, whereas if you implement software, you are able to create, send and track customer invoices all from one platform!
Optimize your organisation:
One of the main benefits of using job management software for plumbers is that your workflow is organised and improved. You no longer need to rely on an outdated filing system or Excel spreadsheets to organise jobs or track inventory, as almost all job management software platforms allow for the complete integration of all these aspects. All documentation is stored in one place, saving both time and any monetary losses.
Aside from the above advantages, job management software for plumbers allows for the accurate tracking of all costs in your plumbing business, which has previously been a difficult and time-consuming activity for plumbing companies, no matter the size.
This software also allows you to measure the productivity of your staff and find areas which can be improved on, such as hours spent on a particular site or identifying recurring jobs that do not bring in a profit. We can streamline workflow and operations for your plumbers!
Efficiency and customer service go hand-in-hand in the plumbing industry, so sign up for the Eworks Manager free trial today and see how we can help you reach new heights!
