Job management software can revolutionise the way electricians work. But what is job management software for electricians? How does it work? And will it benefit you?
In this article, we guide you through all this and much more.
Keen to see this technology firsthand? You can skip to the good part by booking a demo to see BigChange’s solution in action.🎬
WHAT IS JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR ELECTRICIANS?
A job management system is a tool that allows electricians (and other trades) to store and access documents/certificates, job sheets, and customer information while streamlining core operations.
A truly effective job management solution should cover each stage of the job lifecycle: from scheduling jobs and planning routes to communication between field and back office teams, and invoicing through to payments.
Most of all, though, job management software unlocks the benefit of time. Not only for back-office staff but for engineers who can instead focus on:
- Improving first-time fix rates
- Fit more jobs in a day
- Save hours on admin and paperwork
- And much more
ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR SOFTWARE?
It helps to think of a job management system across three groups:
- 1. Basic scheduling software
- 2. Stand-alone mobile apps
- 3. All-in-one software including mobile apps, scheduling, smart routing, invoicing, and more.
A top-performing solution, like BigChange, will fall into the third camp. It helps manage your day-to-day processes while offering vital functionality that helps take your electrician business to the next level.⚡
THE 8 BENEFITS OF JOB MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR ELECTRICIANS
Let’s talk about benefits. More specifically, how they can help your business save time while boosting the bottom line. Here are the top 8 reasons to implement a proper system today:
1. GAIN BACK TIME THROUGH EFFICIENCY
By their nature, job management tools are designed to give your team time. That’s done through managing and automating processes across your entire business. So you spend less time writing out job sheets and more time completing them.
2. BOOST CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SELF-SERVICE
The best tools are not just reserved for your team. Instead, they actively loop in customers and make it easy for them to self-service job bookings, and receive real-time messages for ETAs and more.
3. KEEP EVERYONE IN THE LOOP WITH REAL-TIME UPDATES AND A MOBILE APP
Admin work is rarely a joy for engineers. But, if you give your electrician’s job management software with a mobile app, it keeps admin minimal and allows for much faster job sheet completion.
4. NO MORE DOUBLE KEYING THANKS TO INTEGRATED TOOLS
Spending time double-keying information in separate tools is a time thief. Instead, opt for a platform that links to your other systems, like finance and accounting tools. That way, you only need to enter information once, and data is centralised and everyone is up to speed.
5. CENTRALISED CUSTOMER DATA AND DOCUMENT STORAGE
Your customer data needs to be under lock and key, at all times; simply having it as part of a spreadsheet won’t cut it. A job management tool with an integrated CRM in the cloud means your team can find customer information, vital documents, safety certificates and more in only a couple of clicks. Cloud job management software is also more secure. Data can be encrypted and firewalls prevent data leaks.
6. GET BUSINESS INFORMATION INSIGHT
If your chosen tool can produce reports on how well you’re meeting SLAs and hitting KPIs, then you can spot issues and blind spots before they become a bigger headache.
7. EASILY SCALE
Top electrician firms like MEDLEC and McNally EV truly scale their businesses. That’s because they know they can schedule more jobs in a day, fit in emergency call-outs, and invoice quicker.
With the right tech, your business can grow as quickly as you need it to.
8. NEVER LOSE A CERTIFICATE
For electricians, compliance is crucial. When you use an all-in-one job management tool, you can ensure certificates and other important docs are always available and nothing ever gets lost.
COMMON PROCESSES FOR A JOB MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
There’s a whole host of processes that effective job management tools can cover. Here are some of the top ones that you might need:
- 📃Quotations: Create and send quotes to customers in minutes with pre-set pricing structures. For common jobs like installing a new electrical outlet, you can use a pre-existing template without creating it from scratch.
- 📌Job scheduling: Use a simple dashboard and calendar view to schedule jobs and respond to emergency call-outs. You can even optimise routes to fit more jobs in a day and reduce fuel consumption. The best tech integrates GPS and what3words for easy navigation and exact locations.
- 📲Job tracking: Get a live view of all operations in real-time, including job status, engineer location, vehicles, and stock. Plus, with the right job management software for electricians, you can use a mobile app to share digital job sheets, and directions, and capture digital signatures on-site.
- 🧑🔧Compliance and safety: Access risk assessments and workflows to ensure engineers follow exact risk or safety instructions. Plus, look up a library of certificates, health and safety docs, and more.
- 🫶Customer management: Make it easy for customers with an online booking portal, and activate automated messages with ETAs. Plus, give your back office a single view of all live opportunities and pipeline data.
- 📊Business reporting: Transform business profit by understanding which jobs and accounts lose money. Set and track key performance indicators, and uncover areas for process improvement.
- 💸Invoicing: Like with quotes, you can customise invoicing too. Need different prices for different days of the week, out-of-hours, and weekends? No problem. Need to sync up with your accounting tools, like Sage or Xero? Done.
- 💳Payments: You can even integrate with popular payment gateways.
WHAT DO ELECTRICIAN JOB MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TYPICALLY COST?
That depends on a few key things like:
- The size of your company and how many employees you have.
- The kind of plan you want and which features matter most to you.
- Your requirements for hardware.
That’s why our team at BigChange developed three plans matched to the needs of modern field service businesses. You can check out our pricing here.
Or for an idea of industry pricing, here’s what you might expect:
🚗FOR VEHICLE TRACKING SOLUTIONS:
Expect to pay around $25 per vehicle each month. These systems often include:
☑️Live vehicle tracking
☑️Arrival time updates for customers
☑️Driver behaviour insights
☑️Route optimisation to cut down on fuel consumption
☑️Compliance management for vehicles
☑️Choice between hard-wired or plug-and-go devices
🧰FOR COMPLETE JOB MANAGEMENT PACKAGES:
Prices may start from around $200 per office user or field engineer monthly. Comprehensive solutions typically provide:
☑️Job scheduling and work orders
☑️Real-time tracking of teams and vehicles
☑️Ability to connect office and field teams
☑️Instant invoices and quotes
☑️Customer self-service for job bookings and payments
☑️Access to business information, reports, and KPI tracking
The market offers a variety of options tailored to your specific needs. So it’s worth chatting to providers to pinpoint the plan that aligns with your business goals. If you have any queries or need guidance to choose an appropriate plan, don’t hesitate to reach out for personalised assistance.
Or if you are unsure what the real business benefit will be, fill out our savings calculator to see your total annual business benefit, including productivity gains, potential extra revenue and jobs. And fuel savings!