That’s why facility maintenance software is critical to the success of these businesses. They need to be able to handle any type of call that comes into their shop. After all, if you’re going to offer facility maintenance, you need to have a wide scope in order to cover all the needs of your customer. Another reason facility management software is being used is to control the people performing that service. Margins can be slim in the facility maintenance world. Time is of the essence. Delays cost money. So, whether that is delays in arrival times, completing tasks or performing administration work, that is money coming off the bottom line.
Let’s look at some common facility maintenance problems and how facility management software is finding a solution.
Meeting Diverse Needs with Facility Management Software
First of all, as we pointed out, facility maintenance has many diverse needs from customers. Many of Fieldpoint’s most successful facility maintenance professionals offer various cleaning and maintenance services. It’s for that reason that they turned to facility management software. One that could handle any type of service call required. Considering the number of calls that could come in, facility maintenance professionals need to be able to create work orders, dispatch technicians and quickly turn around invoices.
So, with facility management software behind them, these businesses are finding unique ways to find solutions to their diverse customer needs. Field service automation is one of those ways. Customers are being given multiple ways to schedule appointments. With customer portals, automated phone systems and QR codes, customers can schedule service in many different ways. And most importantly, work orders can be created quickly. If needed, checklists can be attached for a specific job. Work orders can then be pushed to the field and dispatched immediately.
If your organization offers diverse services, you need a facility management software that can handle all those services. No matter if customers are calling in to have a bathroom cleaned, lawn maintenance or an HVAC unit looked at, your facility management software can handle dispatching the service required.
Getting People to Complete Facility Maintenance with Mobile
Secondly, margins are small in the facility maintenance service industry. So, completing bulk maintenance is important. Many facility maintenance professionals make very little profit per call. They have to take as many calls in a day as possible. As a result, they need to find every corner they can cut to save time. That’s because time is money. And for every new service call that can be scheduled, it’s a little more revenue.
To complete this, facility maintenance teams are using many different tools in facility management software. Work orders are being pushed to the field using the mobile field service app. So, technicians don’t have to return to the office to pick up a new work order. It is available to them on their mobile device. This saves driving times and keeps the technician or crew moving to new calls.
Also, with the mobile app, crews and technicians can complete service checklists. This ensures quality standards are met on every call. These checklists are on their mobile app and can be filled out quickly and returned back to head office. Work orders can be closed on the mobile app with a customer’s signature. And then an invoice can be generated immediately to get service paid for. Mobile apps are removing the time technicians are spending completing work orders and now turning out invoices quickly. Work orders don’t need to be returned to the office to be processed and then invoices. They can all happen instantly from the mobile device.
Save More Time with Routing Tools
Another way to cut corners is by using resource routing tools. With this tool, find the nearest technician to a job site with the right skills and get them quickly to the job. Reduce driving times by selecting the closest technician. In an instance where you have technicians with full schedules, optimize their route to reduce driving time. Reduce the times a technician drives around the city, and don’t have them travel back over the same routes they already did. Instead, schedule the best order you can that limits time on the road and miles driven. This also saves gas money and maintenance costs on their vehicles.
Working with Subcontractors and Third-Party Vendors
Finally, where some of the most successful facility maintenance professionals are finding help to fulfill the needs of their customers is with subcontractors. It’s how they are able to offer many different kinds of services. That’s because a subcontractor will be found with that skill set, and you will work with them to get the service completed. With that, however, they need a way to manage subcontractors, hire them, get them the work orders and pay them.
So, treat subcontractors just like any other technician. With workforce management integrations, push your work orders to third-parties and have subcontractors submit quotes and bids. Accept the quote, turn it into a work order and push it to them using the mobile app. The subcontractor can complete the appointment, close the call on their mobile device and get the invoice and their payment voucher created right away.
Another benefit of subcontractors is their diverse nature. You can hire a subcontractor for any type of work a customer requires. It always you to expand your workforce, the services you offer and the area you cover, without increasing expenses.
Facility Management Software is a Diverse Tool
Due to the needs of customers always changing, you need a facility management software that is able to stand up to the tests your customers will throw at it. Don’t let any type of work order worry you. Quickly create work orders. Dispatch your technicians using a mobile app. Route them to the service call and use subcontractors to complete service. With a facility management software, you can put your focus on offering exceptional service, and worry less about the margins on your service calls.