[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.13.1″ collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.13.1″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>
When your field service business is humming along, you\u2019ll rarely see techs in the office \u2013 they\u2019re out completing jobs. But they still need to access work order information and update status as they go. A mobile work order app can make this process convenient and efficient. A work order app presents all the information for service tasks on a mobile phone or tablet. Employees access instructions, customer history, and equipment details on their devices. When done, they enter notes and status directly into the system for immediate update.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> But not all work order apps are equal. It\u2019s important to find one that meets the needs of your business and your techs. To find the right solution for you, look for these 5 essential features:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Mobile apps with a dashboard help technicians plan their days, stick with a schedule, and prioritize work. A good dashboard organizes tasks by status and urgency so users can make a quick assessment about how to manage their time. They can drill down into any task for relevant information, such as attachments, notes, instructions, driving directions, and other job-related details. They should also be able to view or link to a calendar for appointments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> An effective <\/span>mobile work order app<\/span><\/a> should help users make updates on site. With simple editing features, techs can change the work order status as soon as they\u2019re done. Plus, they can add labor hours and expenses immediately.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Without on-site work order updates, you have to call techs for progress reports or wait until they\u2019re in the office. The more time that lapses between job completion and work order updates, the more likely someone will forget an expense or misremember the hours spent on a job, which could lead to billing mistakes and lost profits.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> When techs make updates promptly with a work order app, management and customers follow status in real time. And accounting can kick off the billing cycle as soon as a job is done, which speeds cash flow.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Work orders and associated notes are important documents for your business. The more information they capture about each job, the better story they tell for your customers, internal audits, and business planning. Photos and videos often tell the story better than any notes or status tags can.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Even before mobile apps were available, techs would often take photos or videos of their work for customer review. Pictures are also useful for recording the condition of equipment or identifying other issues that may lead to follow-on proposals for additional work.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> A good mobile app makes it easy to take and attach a photo or video with just a few clicks and set it for public or private view, depending on whether customers need to see it. With easy uploading, techs are more likely to snap pics, adding important details to work records that you and customers will appreciate.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> There\u2019s no better time and place to get customer approval than on site just as a job is completed. A good mobile app with signature capture enables on-location digital approvals; customers can \u201cwrite\u201d their signatures directly into the app. Your team no longer has to spend time trading emails for customer approval and waiting days or weeks until you can start the billing cycle.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Mobile apps need to pack a lot of functionality into a small screen. There\u2019s no keyboard for easy typing, and web forms designed for computers don\u2019t always translate well to mobile. Any good work order app should be optimized for mobile usability. If it isn\u2019t, techs will find it a pain to use and revert back to paper or spreadsheets; your business won\u2019t realize the benefits of your investment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> For the best usability, the app should use a simple, clean design displaying only relevant information to the task. You shouldn\u2019t see any space wasted on useless details or graphics. Because mobile apps are used in many environments, they should be easy to read in bright daylight or dim areas, and you should see a clear contrast between text and background colors.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> The flow of interaction should follow a logical progression with relevant menu options on each screen and an easy way to back track. Commonly used tasks should be optimized so techs can finish them in just a few clicks. Tasks that involve uploads or downloads, such as attaching photos, should show status icons so users can tell if the action is in progress or completed. And if there\u2019s an error, the app should help users get back on track with informative error messages.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> It may take a little time to find an app that checks all the boxes, but the effort is worth it. Well-designed solutions pay off better in the end. If the interface is easy to navigate, for example, techs will learn it faster and use it more. When your team is using the app regularly, your process is more consistent, you keep customers and managers updated in real time, and the billing process starts earlier, easing cash flow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Customers love the results from a good work order app. They get status updates faster, view photos of the finished work, and receive timely, accurate invoices. The transparency builds trust and helps grow your business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> These days, almost everyone carries a cell phone wherever they go. Why not take advantage of the devices to help your business run smoother and drive margin? Choosing the right work order app will get you there.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> BlueFolder understands that a field service management (FSM) system provides the most value when technicians, management, accountants, and customers can all use it effortlessly. So we\u2019ve designed an FSM software that\u2019s incredibly easy to use. And our mobile app is no different.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Technicians in the field benefit from a simple and efficient interface, the ability to upload photos and videos, and signature capture. Your team can update work order status, labor hours, expenses, and notes with a few clicks. The BlueFolder work order app puts the power of FSM in your techs\u2019 hands, boosting business efficiency and maximizing billable hours.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Want to see what a well-designed mobile app can do for your business? <\/span>Take it for a test drive today.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When your field service business is humming along, you\u2019ll rarely see techs in the office \u2013 they\u2019re out completing jobs. But they still need to access work order information and update status as they go. A mobile work order app can make this process convenient and efficient. A work order app presents all the information […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\r\n Managing multiple field service technicians and equipment while keeping your business organized and accurate is quite the chore, especially without the right software. There are a few different options to consider when it comes to\u00a0properly managing your teams and equipment efficiently<\/a>. Writing everything down by hand just isn't going to cut it anymore. To grow as a company you have to put systems in place that help you achieve your full potential. That means using software that can assist you with everything from customer management to\u00a0work order management<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Most companies use either a field service software (or field service management software) or a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). However, many people don't know the difference between the two or how each one can benefit their companies. While they share similar features and capabilities, a CMMS and an FSM solution both serve different purposes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To determine which one is right for your company, let's take a look at what both a CMMS and an FSM solution can offer your company and the key differences between them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A\u00a0computerized maintenance management system<\/a>\u00a0(CMMS) is a software program used to manage information about the maintenance operations of a company.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It also allows companies to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A CMMS comes with benefits that can help your company be much more proactive and efficient about its maintenance operations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A CMMS can benefit your company in multiple ways, including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The features of some of the top CMMS software programs include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Field service management<\/a>\u00a0(FSM) software is similar to CMMS software in that includes work order management and the ability to track and schedule equipment maintenance. But FSM software also helps collect field data and track client requests and personnel status, as well as improve operations visibility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n FSM software can help improve\u00a0work order management<\/a>\u00a0and service delivery while enhancing customer service. It will improve your team's overall efficiency by streamlining work orders between the fieldworker and the company office while making it easier for teams to communicate. FSM software also makes it easy to optimize maintenance routes and check your company's key metrics and analytics anytime. But more than that, it helps with:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n An FSM allows for smart scheduling and for self-service (which makes your company more efficient and attractive to customers). FSM also increases mobility by bridging the gap between technicians in the field and employees in the office. Your teams can utilize messaging and notifications to stay in sync on open jobs and status.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The best features of FSM software help make life easier for you and your employees. For instance, some of these features allow you to manage customer records, set up recurring jobs, track work orders, assign work orders to your technicians, manage service contracts, and more. With customization options, you can tailor your FSM to meet your needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some of the other top features of FSM software programs include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some FSM software programs also have digital signature capture, branded templates and PDFs, voice and search commands, and phone system integrations. Others offer features like intelligent scheduling at the point of booking, open API, a supplier database, and real-time suggestions optimization.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n While they share similarities, there are key differences between field service software vs CMMS software.\u00a0FSM software is primarily focused on serving external customers and includes tools to help you document and accelerate your service billings, get paid faster, and grow your business. CMMS solutions are typically more geared towards organizations that are performing asset and equipment maintenance for internal customers and don't require robust customer management tools or billing features.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n1 – A Dashboard Offers a High-Level View<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
2 \u2013 On-Site Work Order Updates Increase Productivity and Consistency<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
3 \u2013 Attaching Photos and Videos Enhances the Work Record and Drives Additional Business<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
4 \u2013 Signature Capture Speeds Cash Flow<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
5 \u2013 Work Order Apps Optimized for Mobile Usability Have the Best ROI<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Finding the Right Work Order App Makes a Difference<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
BlueFolder\u2019s Work Order Mobile App Fits the Bill<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Field Service Software VS CMMS Software<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is CMMS Software?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Benefits of a CMMS<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Features of CMMS Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is Field Service Software?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Benefits of Field Service Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Features of FSM Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What are the Key Differences?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n