To unlock growth and scalability in field services, these are the key features to look for in the best job tracking software.
Job tracking software is becoming a must-have tool for field service businesses of all sizes and industries. Why? Because it helps companies to easily and efficiently control all elements of job management.
Field services can better track engineers, stock, new job requests, and more.
Now, there are quite a few tools that can help with job tracking. But to unlock growth and scalability, there are certain key features you need to make job tracking and job management a doddle.
Let’s dive in.
How job tracking software supports field service growth
New to job tracking software? Here’s what it is in a nutshell 👇
Job tracking software is a digital tool built specifically to enable field-based businesses to track job progress in real-time, assign tasks to field technicians, monitor performance, and streamline invoicing and cash flow.
Ultimately, it's one of those project management tools that allows you to keep things lean. Exactly what you need during economic uncertainty, with staffing and stock shortages to boot.
To better understand how it can help your team, here are the top reasons leading field service businesses make the leap to job tracking software.
Reduce admin time
Heavily admin-driven processes cost you time and money and are thwarted by so many other complications, such as delays, human error, and more. This alone can be the reason field service organisations seek out the best job tracking software.
Why? Because it allows you to slash admin time by automating repetitive processes.
Here are just a couple of ways:
- Automate alerts and notifications for both customers and engineers so that both are prepared for upcoming jobs booked in.
- Build ready-made templates for texts, emails, and documents to save time on repeatable tasks.
📕Read more: Moving from manual to automated job management
Real-time business intelligence and customizable dashboards
With all job information stored in one place and updated in real-time, field service businesses can track business performance instantly. For example, reporting features allow you to track expenses, invoices, and even job profitability analysis (including job margins and forecasting).
And on a more granular level, project managers can use features that help to optimise travel routes and team member’s time to drive down costs or to book more jobs in a day.
📕Read more: 5 ways real-time job tracking boosts efficiency (with examples)
Deliver better customer service
When you think about it, it’s easy to see how the customer alerts improve the customer experience. Imagine being able to track where an engineer is via GPS? Customers now expect that level of service, like they’d get from businesses like Amazon.
On top of this, they also want things to be easy. And that’s where client portals come in. Customers want to be able to self-serve when it’s convenient for them: to pay that invoice, to rebook an appointment, and quickly access documents like warranties and certificates.
📕Read more: Why effective job tracking is the key to delighting customers
If this all sounds good and job tracking software sounds like something that could benefit your business, take a look at the best job tracking features to look out for below.
Best job tracking software features
As you grow, tracking jobs becomes even more complex. That’s one reason so many field service teams look for the right job tracking software. But what makes for the “best” job tracking software.
Here are the four key features to look for:
#1: Smart scheduling assistant ⏲️
Now, this is a mega handy and agile tool that can streamline even the most busy team workloads. Essentially, with this feature, you can better employ your engineering team's time by optimising their working day.
How? It takes into account tons of factors, like traffic congestion, fuel consumption, engineers’ current locations (thanks to GPS tracking), and distances from their homes. And then it helps you to select the best engineer to send.
But it won’t send just any engineer. If you put in constraints, it can ensure it also selects one with the right accreditations and training… Or, it can select two team members if that is what is needed for the job.
The beauty of this is that automation replaces the traditional and heavily manual processes otherwise associated with job scheduling and project planning.
📖 Keen to learn more? Check out this blog: Smart scheduling: Definition and how it grows field service businesses.
#2: Remote job allocation ⏩
Without job tracking software, it’s a nightmare to know exactly where your entire team is without ringing them each individually and trying to map that out. And that’s where remote job allocation features come to the rescue 🦸
Remote job tracking features tap into real-time data so you can see where engineers are live on a map. It also shows availability. So, you can then quickly drag-and-drop new jobs onto an engineer’s schedule. It will appear instantly and they’ll get a notification straight away.
Engineers can also self-allocate jobs. This is handy when there’s an additional job request while they’re on-site – and you need to track this for invoicing – or if something crops up in the local area. It saves them a return visit, which boosts morale for them and is a better customer experience.
#3: Vehicle and stock tracking 📍
Going beyond tracking where vehicles are on a map, the best job tracking software will also allow you to track assets and stock too.
Not only does this mean you’ll know exactly how much stock is available and ready for individual jobs, it prevents you from over-ordering, which is better for cash flow and filling your warehouse which creates logistical nightmares and can be costly… It also means you can quickly find the stock you need – whether that’s in the warehouse or on a colleague’s van – so that you can boost first-time fix rates.
And you know as much as we do how much of an impact high first-time fix rates has on job profitability and the ability to book more jobs.
#4: Customer alerts 🔔
You’ve probably already started to build a picture in your mind of how all the above delivers better customer experiences. We just wanted to cover customer communication in a little more detail.
From the start of their journey with you, customers can receive automated booking messages via email or SMS message thanks to job tracking software. All this happens within minutes of a booking being made.
Saving the customer from hanging around waiting on-site, real-time status updates on ETAs and GPS tracking means they can see exactly when an engineer is likely to arrive on the day they’re due to visit.
And once individual tasks have been completed, they can access documents via electronic file storage (no more paper), easily locate them in their customer portal, and quickly pay invoices.
In light of all this, it’s worth considering which job tracking software provider can deliver all these features and more.
Enter the best job tracking software provider: BigChange
You can probably now see how job tracking software makes business project management a breeze, and how it allows you to see where you can squeeze profit margins, and optimise operations to drive revenue… All whilst delivering unrivalled client management.
It’s why it’s becoming an essential tool for field services. But you don’t want any old tech. You deserve the best.
And this is where we come in.
Trusted by over 50,000 field service workers at 1700 organisations worldwide, it’s easy to see why BigChange is considered one of the best job tracking platforms.
It’s a sleek, intuitive, all-in-one job management solution that lets your project managers track jobs with just a few clicks. Anyone with the correct permissions can access it from anywhere. It literally saves hundreds of hours of admin, reduces fuel costs – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Most importantly, it's built with the end user in mind. Job tracking becomes a breeze with everything in one place and available to business owners, project managers and remote teams – including a mobile app.
Plus, it has all the integrations you need for your favourite project management apps, like Xero, Sage, and QuickBooks.
Check out our demo video below.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/3-26Aa_8i9A
Bit cocky to say we’re the best?
Here’s why we can justify saying this 👇
Why BigChange is the go-to job tracking software for field services
Unlike other solutions, BigChange is an all-in-one project management platform that provides so many more advanced features:
- All your favourite integrations: With things like accounts packages, web-based phone systems, and more.
- Value for money: Flexible pricing options, allowing you to upgrade from a basic plan to a more premium plan as you grow. Add as many users per month as you need!
- Automated workflows: Automate task management, scheduling, alerts, and notifications to save endless hours of admin time, cost, delays and errors.
- 24/7 training and support: Field teams work outside of office hours? No problem. We’ve always got someone on hand to help with any queries related to our software. Plus, we’ve got a whole university providing video tutorials.
- Built for mobile: Specifically designed for a mobile app – so you can click buttons and read the information easily – our software is also available offline for when engineers are without signal and the information they add offline will automatically upload once they’re back in range.
- Customisable: Take job sheets for example. We’ve built customisable templates so you can easily tick-off compliance and risk assessment requirements – and manage engineer health and safety.
- Data security, as standard: We know this makes or breaks a deal with a client and that’s why we’ve prioritised safety for our users and their customers. Two-step authentication, adhering to Information Security standards (like ISO 27001), controlled access, HTTPS access and server data protection – and more – are all standard.
And you can manage unlimited projects! Ideal if you’ve got multiple large clients and different project types.
👉 Looking for a full list of features? Head to our features page to learn more.
But don’t take our word for it, here’s what field service businesses say about us.
What buyers like about BigChange
Here’s just a snapshot of what customers say about us:
“Quest is expanding with confidence thanks to BigChange. the insight and agility we gain using the platform means we are winning more business; we are expanding as a result and we are able to offer a level of customer service that is unrivalled in our industry” - Ivan Smyth, Managing Director at Quest Waste Management
“BigChange gives me the tools and information I need when I need them, it provides the mechanism to share time or business-critical data, and it provides the intelligence we need to be accountable to ourselves, our customers and external organisations. This has allowed me to invest time in other areas of the business, such as the website, advertising and customer care, which has undoubtedly contributed to our growth.” - Nick Saunders, Operations Manager at J W Hinchliffe Tanks
Plus, there’re tons of case studies that you can check out here. Or, take a look at our 4 and 5-star customer reviews.
