How Can Your Contractors Benefit from Field Service Software?

Contractors make up the bulk of the workforce in several field service industries. Many HVAC, electrical, and installation service providers have more contractors than employees. Managing contractors is different from managing regular employees and involves several challenges.

Contractors are not regular employees of the company. They often juggle work from different companies, leading to a loss of focus and diluting commitment. They usually have competing deadlines, which may not match the deliverable timelines of any one company. Also, they do not have a long-term vision or value alignment with the company. 

Companies find field service management software indispensable to overcome such challenges. Contractors, too, benefit through such a suite. 

Read more: Four Ways to Improve Customer Experience Using Field Service Management Software

Common challenges faced by contractors

Field service contractors often work in a remote and independent environment. In companies of even moderate size, multiple contractors operate on various sites. Managers have inadequate tools to track on-site contractors and ensure optimal work output. Often they do not have time to audit or review the contractor’s work either.

In several companies, the benefits of new technology do not reach contractors engaged in field service. Many enterprises remain happy with the status quo and prefer not to risk disruption by digital transformation. Even when implementing automation or other new technology, the focus is on regular employees. Field service contractors remain low on the priority list. Often, contractors continue with outdated technology and practices and suffer from low productivity.

Another challenge for contractors is communication and collaboration. Most businesses do not have an integrated collaboration platform that co-opts contractors. Piece-meal communication tools hurt efficiency. Contractors spend more time than they have to for communication, leading to a loss of productivity, low morale, and stress. Disorganized information leads to errors and miscommunication. Important communication slips through the gaps altogether. 

How field service management software helps

Getting field service management right is a difficult task in itself. Managing multiple contractors with different work specifications makes the task more difficult. Field service management software, however, helps. 

The FSM suite becomes a single console to manage all jobs outsourced to contractors and subcontractors. A ticketing system opens a work order for every approved work and enables end-to-end follow-up. 

Managers use the scheduling software for contractors to assign work and track progress. The schedulers may:

• Link the software with databases detailing contractor skills, certifications, and experience. These insights enable assigning competent or qualified contractors for each job. 

• Configure easy, integrated views of work allocation to balance the workload among contractors. Making schedule changes as needed also becomes easy. 

• Automate tasks such as rescheduling a work order to the next available slot when the contractor calls in sick or some other contingency.

• Notify contractors and customers of job assignments, upcoming jobs, and any changes.

• Streamline dispatch by integrating maps. The scheduling software for contractors plots the best routes to reach the work site. Improving contractor efficiency reduces wait time for customers and boosts customer satisfaction. 

Contractors, for their part, get real-time access to information and the ability to contact their handlers at any time. When contractors download the mobile app, which forms a part of the field service suite, they get the following:

• Push notifications on schedule changes, reminders on upcoming jobs, and other relevant details.

• Access to customer information contained in the CRM

• The work details at the customer site.

• Access to equipment handbook, warranty certificates, and other documentation connected with the job

• Ability to download relevant forms. Service providers structure reports and checklists. Contractors download the same through mobile apps. Such forms clarify the workflow and allow contractors to make sure they cover all bases. For instance, the service provider may co-opt compliance requirements in these forms.

• Mark work completion to automate timesheets and auto-generate invoices.

• Connect with managers for clarifications or remote experts for help when struck. Routing communications through the field service app leaves a record and makes retrieval easy. 

Read more: Why Is Optimizing Service Management The Top Priority Today?

Why ReachOut is the preferred choice for contractor management

Not all scheduling software for contractors is equal. Always opt for software that offers a comprehensive set of functionality and comes with a robust backend. 

Top field service management software such as ReachOut offers a comprehensive feature set. Contractors who use the app work at their productive best.

ReachOut’s scheduling software for contractors solves contractor scheduling challenges. Managers create, review, assign, and track contractor work orders effortlessly. A neat and user-friendly scheduling tool allows field service managers to assign contractors to open work orders. The scheduler can make assignments based on contractors’ skill levels, availability, and considerations. Contractors get prompt notifications on such changes.

The suite integrates leave management with scheduling. Schedulers can assign jobs to contractors after confirming their availability.

GPS tracking enables managers to keep track of day-to-day work activity. Contractors may get instant help from their managers when needed. They may collaborate with the back office in real-time, recording all interactions.

ReachOut Suite offers hundreds of ready-made forms to suit all occasions. Managers may customize the forms to their liking. Further, stylized forms allow service providers to co-opt branding elements. They may also transition from pen-and-paper forms to digital mode without going through a learning curve.

Robust APIs and native integration options ensure seamless data flow from CRM and other databases. Contractors get all relevant information through a single, integrated console. They may auto-generate invoices at the end of their work. Customers may pay through electronic means. The timesheets, accounts, and payroll update automatically. Payment settlement gets done faster without involving clerical work or manual invoicing.

Secure single sign-on, advanced hosting options, audit logging, and more enable a robust backend. Multi-language capability and flexibility make the business resilient. Field service managers and contractors may access this integrated, device-agnostic software from anywhere.

ReachOut’s all-in-one field service management software makes it easy for service providers to manage contractors and subcontractors. They can assign the right contractor to the right task and manage them well. They supervise all jobs through a central panel and intervene when needed. Contractors who use ReachOut gain huge productivity boosts and collaborate better. Company-contractor relations improve, as does end-customer satisfaction.

Contact our experts today and learn how ReachOut Suite can help your contractors enhance work productivity and efficiency!