Daily operational tasks like work orders or payment processing can quickly pile up for field service-based businesses such as HVAC and plumbing companies. And when the workflow is hampered, technician productivity can decline. To effectively manage business operations, technicians, and equipment while out in the field, it’s wise to adopt a field service management (FSM) solution.
Fortunately, there are numerous options when it comes to field service management software that can improve productivity and functionality. Here are our top three options you should consider incorporating into your HVAC or plumbing operations.
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With desktop and mobile capabilities, FieldEdge is a field service management solution that offers HVAC and plumbing business owners numerous tools both in-office or out in the field. Managers can organize and dispatch employee work assignments and customer details, including due invoices and individual warranty agreements, all from one convenient platform. Likewise, their smart dispatch board with GPS functionality helps managers efficiently track and dispatch technicians to boost overall productivity, work order completion times, and customer satisfaction.
For small to mid-sized HVAC and plumbing companies, Service Fusion is a complete field service management powerhouse. Their FusionPay all-in-one payment processing platform offers on-the-go payment processing through a convenient mobile app that automatically uploads transactions to a designated financial platform. You can also create job estimates on the fly, either in-office or out in the field, and quickly have them converted into work orders and invoices with the touch of a button.
ServiceTitan is another field service management solution that offers a heaping of tools and capabilities HVAC and plumbing business managers can use to streamline their operations. Top-notch customer experience capabilities provide clients with the ability to book services, confirm appointments, anticipate technician arrival, and leave reviews all from one mobile-friendly program. Maintenance and warranty agreement management tools also help managers effortlessly schedule recurring services for customers and access agreement details while out in the field.
Inefficient bookkeeping methods can quickly impact the health of any business. For HVAC and plumbing businesses, a lack of a proper accounting solution can easily result in unbalanced receivable and payable accounts, payroll details, and incorrect profit and revenue reports. Ultimately, these shadily managed financial components can leave your business in hot water, risking the status of your employee, supplier, and customer relationships.
To effortlessly remain on top of your ongoing business finances (and avoid any financial hiccups later on down the line), check out these accounting software top choices.
As a leader in everything accounting, Quickbooks can help any size HVAC or plumbing business manage all financial aspects of their operation. Syncing capabilities with many field service management platforms, including FieldEdge and ServiceTitan, allows you to import and track all income and expenses automatically. This information is inputted alongside accounts receivable and payable details to also provide weekly reports and balance sheets that outline the current financial health of your business.
When you run a successful HVAC or plumbing company, you’ll want to make sure your hard-working technicians are paid on time and correctly. Xero accounting software offers elite payroll services to help managers run and maintain company payroll with ease. Xero automatically calculates and pays out employees, all while deducting and filing necessary state and federal taxes. Self-service capabilities also give your technicians the ability to access pay stubs and W-2’s through an easy online platform that will notify each individual by email when payment has arrived.
Issuing and collecting customer payments should be streamlined with the rest of your financial operations. Wave accounting software is perfect for HVAC and business managers looking for a simple and customizable way of managing invoices. Be sure to also get paid on time with automatic and manual billing email reminders customers can use to pay invoices directly from their inbox. Payment details and inflow of profits are also automatically synced with Wave’s accounting platform for an easy way to manage your finances.
Whether it's a basic A/C unit upgrade or in-depth plumbing layout for a newly constructed home, HVAC and plumbing managers should consider the use of project management software to ensure proper completion. Using such tools will allow contractors to map out each project detail to the finest extent, all while using calculating tools to create itemized cost estimates and proposals.
Never miss a detail — and avoid unexpected project hiccups — with these top project management options.
Extensive time and focus must be allocated to outlining the scope of a new project. Unlike the old-school pen and paper method, STACK software allows project managers to save a hefty amount of time and increase estimate accuracy with project takeoff and estimating software. For those who are not familiar, a takeoff is the specific amount of materials required for project construction and what the materials will cost. By using automated calculations and material cost estimates, HVAC and plumbing contractors can create flawless project plans and ensure customer estimates are accurate.
For plumbing contractors, FastPIPE has been a leader in plumbing project management and estimating software since 1995. With a master estimating catalog of over 150,000 items, including piping, fittings, and glanges, FastPIPE uses current data to help build project estimates fast and accurately. Likewise, industry-standard labor estimates are inputted to provide customers with an in-depth, accurate breakdown of their project’s total cost. This data can then be converted into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to help contractors organize all costs pertaining to the project.
Esticom is an all-in-one web-based project management platform that provides takeoff and construction estimates in addition to bid management capabilities. Using this cloud-based platform, contractors can create and access project plans with detailed material and labor cost calculations from the office or via mobile while out in the field. When a project proposal is issued to the customer, bid management capabilities allow you to organize projects by bid due date and project value to help boost the chances of your company acquiring that big job.
With the countless tools available today, even a small-scale HVAC or plumbing company has the chance to address operational flaws and become a local leader. By incorporating the use of field service management, accounting, and project management software, you’ll never miss a beat with ongoing work orders and projects. When searching for a solution, keep these leading options in mind to boost company efficiency, productivity, and revenue.