Digital transformation: The advantages of mobile job sheet software

Ann F Dewar
September 11, 2023

Digital transformation. You’ve heard the buzzword, so let’s cut to what it really means for field service businesses. With mobile job sheet software at the forefront, you can enhance operational efficiency, serve customers faster, invoice more promptly, and gain a competitive edge.

Picture this: appointments, instructions, parts lists, billing information, and more, sent straight to your engineers' mobile devices. No more paper shuffling, misplaced notes, delays in information, or chaotic and time-consuming processes.

Mobile job sheet software resolves all this. It’s essentially a digital hub for all your field service business needs. Keen to hear more?

Let’s dive into exactly how mobile job sheet software powers productivity. 👇

What is mobile job sheet software?

Mobile job sheet software provides digital, and crucially, mobile access to the job schedule, job details, and customer information. It means both field service teams and back-office teams can instantly access daily schedules, customer requests, directions, job instructions and more.
The real key change here is that field teams can do this from a mobile device or tablet. With some advanced tech, they can even do this despite being offline/with limited internet access.

Mobile tablets

Ultimately, this allows for real-time visibility into field operations.

Why mobile job sheet software beats paper-based job sheets

Still on the fence about traditional versus digital methods? This section is for you…

Let’s be brutal: Paper-based job sheets are inefficient. Think about all the time spent filling out forms, transferring data, and retrieving information. Plus, it’s a huge liability. There’s the risk of the information getting lost. Imagine losing crucial job details, customer preferences, invoice specifics, or even the risk of not invoicing at all.

It can be a nightmare.🤯

What’s more, there’s environmental and cost implications with paper-based systems. Reams of paper, ink cartridges, filing, and admin costs. Plus needing larger offices to accommodate the extra administrators needed… It just doesn’t stack up.
But take this case example. When DW Forklifts implemented BigChange mobile job sheets, it led to an increase in onsite productivity of 20%. Plus the BigChange system has allowed routine administration to be cut by 50% and, with 24/7 visibility of operations and automated ETA alerts, customer service has been boosted.

DW Forklifts

So, while in the past you may have benefited from traditional methods, it's worth questioning: Do they have a place in modern field service management? Or, are they holding you back? To help you decide, let’s look at some of the benefits of mobile job sheet software.

3 key features of mobile job sheet software

Mobile job sheet software has heaps of benefits. But let’s look at what tips field service businesses to make the switch to mobile job sheet software:

#1:Real-time job updates

This just isn’t possible with traditional paper-based processes. Say goodbye to the need for end-of-day catch-ups, frantic calls to the office, delays to job details and client history, and regular visits to the office to pick up and drop off paperwork. Especially for last-minute changes to the schedule.

With mobile job sheet software, real-time updates mean job status, resource allocation, team locations, and more are all accessible from your desk or mobile device. Meaning updates are available on the go.

It essentially becomes a control panel for your entire operation, allowing for immediate decision-making.

Picture:

✅ Addressing problems instantly

✅ Attending emergencies more promptly (for client satisfaction and hitting SLAs)

#2: Automated scheduling

We’ve just touched on this briefly. With automated scheduling, mobile job sheet software makes it much easier to book appointments and manage work orders.

It can even factor in things like engineer availability, skill set, and geographical location / congestion to its automation capabilities so that you see a significant boost to productivity and a lead in service quality.

Plus:

✅ Jobs are completed faster

✅ Customers are impressed by timely service

✅ Engineers and office staff can feel less stress

#3: One information hub

Having information stored centrally is like a dream come true for field service businesses. If you’ve ever spent more than five minutes looking for a job sheet, you’d understand why. It’s absolutely essential for efficiency and this is where mobile job software shines. 

It becomes the hub for every job-related detail – customer data, job history, invoice information and more. In a practical sense, eliminating the need for paperwork simplifies both record-keeping and communication and provides tonnes of benefits, like:

✅ Anyone, from anywhere, can instantly access job information (securely, of course)

✅ Eliminates paperwork delays

✅ Improves auditing and supports compliance requirements

Top benefits of mobile job sheet software

We’ve lightly covered some of the benefits of mobile job sheet software through the practical application of these top features. But, let’s go into these in a little more detail so you can see why mobile job sheet software becomes a crucial ally.

📈Immediate decision-making: Real-time data and analytics reporting 

If you’ve got this capability within your mobile job management software, you can literally track performance metrics - like revenue - customer interactions, and resources, all LIVE and just at the click of a button.  

Why’s this a game-changer?

It means you can:

  • spot opportunities for improvement and growth
  • forecast demand
  • better understand customer behaviour

And use it to reshape your field service business and boost your bottom line.

🔍Meet auditing and regulatory compliance needs: Digital paper trails 

To tick regulatory and compliance needs, one thing you need is full records of work completed, for a period of time. Depending on the volume of jobs you do in a day, this can mount up.

With mobile job sheet software, the process of completing jobs and recording them is made much easier and more readily retrievable.

For instance, digital job sheets can prompt and mandate an engineer to complete certain tasks – with inspection forms and checklists. Meaning jobs are more likely to follow set processes. 

Plus, it makes recording completion quicker and easier… As well as finding the job history later for a site revisit. This makes auditing for certain accreditations less stressful and less risky.

🔐Improved data security: Data protection features

With the right mobile job sheet software, it’ll come loaded with robust security features that allow you to encrypt data storage, prompt multi-factor authentication and improve data transmission processes.

Breaches of data have hit the headlines over recent years and so customers, understandably, will see this data security as a deal-breaker. Not least because handling sensitive data, like payment records, protects you both from financial loss and reputational damage. Ultimately, investing in data security is crucial for any business and its clients.

Why mobile job sheet software is a must-have for field services

If you’re looking to level-up your field service businesses, mobile job sheet software is a no-brainer. Why? Because, through its capabilities of connecting field workers with back-office teams, you can:

  • Improve efficiency: Mobile access eliminates wasted time on unnecessary calls, travel, data duplication, and delays in getting key information. All of which leads to more first-time fixes. 
  • Boost your bottom line: Spend less time on admin and data entry, streamline payroll and invoicing, plus reduce compliance risk, and more.
  • Increase customer service levels: Instant access to customer history, digital forms, customer self-service portals, and even signatures and feedback forms enables both field and back-office teams to deliver a better service. 

Achieve better compliance: Digital forms, checklists and reports improve quality control and auditing. Plus ensure no missing fields/information and provide evidence/ proof of work done.

📲To get started, you can learn more about mobile job management software here, or talk to an expert today.

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