With the world of work increasingly going digital you’ve probably heard the term ‘job management software’ bandied about. You may even be using it for your tradie business already! Or if not, no doubt you’re seeing ads popping up on your social media feeds and other sites offering the ‘best’ job management solution.
It’s a market with a growing clamour of voices that can make it time consuming to figure out which of these ‘best’ software solutions is actually ‘right’ for your business. Which is why we’ve created this blog post to bring together everything you should consider when deciding on the best fit for your business.
So how does job management software work and what should it include?
Job management software is a ‘Service as a software’ platform that is usually priced via a subscription model. It brings essential aspects of your business together into an online platform that you can access on multiple devices – whether that’s your computer, phone or tablet. So wherever you or your team are, you’ll have access to the one system.
At minimum, a good job management platform for tradies should do the following:
- Job creation and allocation – store and track your jobs with details such as customer information, job status, date and time, staff allocated and other notes
- Job schedules and timesheets – track work and staff schedules on the one calendar making it easier to see what everyone is doing and avoid double bookings
- Staff location tracking – helps track staff throughout the day as they tick off jobs around town
- Financial management tools – customised templates for quotes and invoices that can be delivered to customers via email or sms. Track expenses and taxable items
- A version for smartphones and tablets – (ideally for IOS and Android) to integrate your platform across multiple devices for your team in the field
- Third party software integration – link up other systems such as your accounting software into the one platform so you don’t need to juggle multiple apps
How do I find the right job management platform for my business?
When deciding upon the best job management software for your business it’s important to do your research by visiting review sites like ‘Capterra’, ‘GetApp’ or your phone app store such as Google Play, or typing in keywords into a search engine. Try phrases like ‘Job management software for tradies’ and see what comes up! You can also sign up for a free trial on platforms such as GeoNext. Some other points you should think about include:
The size and structure of your business as some job management software tools work better with smaller companies than larger ones
What are some short term and long term goals for your business and how will the job management app you choose support these goals? Are you hoping to grow? Branch out into new markets? Buy another company? Or stay a similar size but improve efficiency and save time?
Make a note of the types of processes you do on a day to day basis and see if the features of the job management software you are considering will help save time on your admin
What’s the biggest thing causing you a headache with your business operations that a job management app can help with? For example having a robust and flexible job and staff scheduling system might be your highest priority
Is the subscription plan reasonable and easy enough to opt out of if things aren’t working out? No lock in contracts!
What about the onboarding process? Ask how that works and what kind of support you will get to learn the system
Keen to give job management software a go? Try GeoNext for FREE and get 50% off for three months!
One of the biggest benefits of job management software is the time you will save on admin. With GeoNext, our customers have saved up to 14 hours a week on paperwork alone, which has given them time to grow their business or just enjoy having their weekends back.
Sign up for a free 14 day trial, or book a demo where one of our specialists will be in touch to discuss your business needs.
