In the hustle of managing a field service business, there's one tool that often plays an unsung hero's role — the job sheet. From detailing tasks to tracking resources and facilitating communication, job sheets are a critical tool. They connect different aspects of a job, ensuring smooth operational flow and first-time fix.
But despite their importance, job sheets often don't get the spotlight they deserve. This blog post aims to change that. We'll discuss what they are, why they're vital to your business, and how they're transforming in the digital age.
Whether you're a seasoned field service manager looking for optimisation strategies or new to the industry, understanding the nuances of job sheets can revolutionise the way you manage your field operations.
The role of job sheets in field services
Job sheets provide everyone involved – from the back-office to the field engineer and the customer – a clear, concise, and crucial breakdown of every task at hand.
A typical job sheet contains a mixture of four key elements; the who, the what, the where, and the why:
- Who: Who is going to complete the job, and who are they going to complete it for?
- What: What type of job is it, what problem has the customer encountered that needs rectifying, and what types of parts and materials do they need?
- Where: Where will the job take place, and the estimated time it will take to complete?
- Why: Why is the customer encountering the problem? This can often found by reviewing previous job history.
In addition to these benefits, BigChange's digital job sheets come with enhanced features. Questions can be asked that don't have to appear on the customer's final job card, allowing businesses to maintain internal controls without impacting the customer's experience. In fact, you can produce multiple designs of job sheets from the same questions, providing flexibility in how information is presented and managed.
What's more, BigChange's digital job sheets also offer added controls for managers. The system can mandate that a question is answered before the job can be completed or started, ensuring that no vital information is missed. For instance, if a job sheet included 'how happy would you say the customer is at the end of the job' and the answer was 'very unhappy', the system can automatically trigger alerts, such as a text or an email, to a manager so that remedial action can be taken. This functionality makes it easier to ensure customer satisfaction and provide a swift response to any potential issues.
Plus, digital job sheets are far more accessible. Field workers can pull up a job sheet whenever they need it, reducing the likelihood of miscommunication or forgotten details. Management also benefits by having real-time access to job progress and resource usage information, allowing for faster decision-making. Storing job sheets digitally also makes data retrieval and analysis more efficient. Instead of manual searching and tallying, businesses can easily search, filter, and analyse job data, uncovering trends and insights that help optimise future operations.
Case Study: The impact of going digital
Consider the case of CC-Infrastructure Services (CC-IS) who moved from paper to digital job sheets. They found that not only were their field engineers able to service more jobs in a day due to time saved in paperwork, but the data captured was also more accurate and timely.
Since implementing the BigChange job management system, which incorporates a mobile workforce app, customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, resource management, financial management, and business intelligence, CC-IS has virtually eliminated paper from its mobile operation. This has allowed the company to deliver more projects with the same administrative resource, supporting growth and meeting customer service levels.
Using BigChange, CC-IS now provides clients with a detailed digital job sheet, including before and after photographs, providing evidence of completed works in virtually real-time. This speeds-up invoicing reduces queries and therefore improves cash flow. If additional work is flagged whilst a team is onsite a quote can be calculated, shared, and agreed upon without additional downtime.
The evolution from paper to digital job sheets is a testament to their importance. By adopting digital solutions, businesses can maximise the potential of job sheets and overcome traditional and manual limitations.
This digital transformation not only equips field service businesses for the demands of today, but also sets them up for the challenges of tomorrow. The role and importance of job sheets are unquestionable. If you haven't already, it's time to recognise the power of digital job sheets in your field service operations and embrace the possibilities they offer.
If you're looking to enhance your business operations with digital job sheets, reach out to BigChange.
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