Job Management 101: How to get the most out of a Job Management Software

5 Ways Job Management Improves Business Efficiency and Productivity

Many businesses are in constant fire fighting mode, ignoring job management. Tight deadlines and pressure force them to adopt ad hoc measures to complete the job on hand. Most often, companies focus on the immediate task on hand, hard-pressed for time, keeping thoughts of process optimization for another day. They keep using legacy tools such as emails and spreadsheets, manual data entry, and copy-paste between systems.
Such manual and ad-hoc processes lead to time wastage, errors, and impeded visibility. Some enterprises may get away with such inefficiencies in the immediate term. But beyond a point, it stifles the scalability and competitiveness of the business. Employees become frustrated when they have to work hard in a stressful atmosphere repeatedly. Customers get annoyed when they notice a dip in performance and service standards. Companies should allocate time and energy to set up streamlined and optimized processes for long-term sustainability.
Forward-looking enterprises adopt job management. They deploy job management software to process all activities in the job cycle in a systematic and streamlined way. 
Read more: 5 Good Reasons to Adopt a Service Management Software for Remote Work
This post takes a look at how job management improves business efficiency and productivity. 

1. Job management approach

Job management is a systematic approach to work. It entails the application of technology to optimize the workflow and execute tasks in the best possible way.
The guiding focus of job management is to improve business operations. The focus is on optimizing each phase of the job cycle activity to improve process efficiency and accuracy. Each element of the job cycle becomes part of a cohesive system rather than a collection of isolated tasks. For instance, job management software reuses data from one activity to improve downstream activity. The software collates task requests and prioritizes them based on importance.
The job management approach goes beyond defining the start date and end date for each deliverable. It sets the objectives of each task, taking into account the different aspects of a job. The job management software analyzes transactional and related data to prioritize tasks and improve overall performance. It considers pre-set metrics of success to set and improve work processes.
There is no standard ritualistic procedure for job management, though. Each enterprise is unique, and each job management cycle is different.
Read more: 4 Reasons Why Field Agents Resist Inspection Management Software and How to Overcome It

2. Client management

No business can exist without managing its clients or having a system to respond to customer requests. Core inclusions of any job management software are:

• Quote and estimates: Quotes and estimates are the first concrete step in the sales process. Customer satisfaction and internal efficiency depend on how the business generates a quote, provisions offered to modify estimates, and how a company converts an accepted quote or estimate into an active job. The latest job management software enables dynamic estimates, where the value mentioned in an estimate changes automatically when the customer changes one variable.
• Budget tracking: The job management software also tracks the budget to match the quoted or estimated price. Cost overruns can leave the business squandering money by fulfilling a quote that can sound the business’s death knell.

Each job cycle differs, depending on the enterprise. For instance, some businesses rely on estimates, while others use only price quotes.
Read more: Tips To Utilize Field Service Software For Estimating The Right Price While Quoting

3. Scheduling and dispatching

Managing open jobs is a hassle and a significant source for mix-ups and inefficiencies. Orchestrating scheduling, dispatching, and managing employees are time-consuming. Customers changing their requests, field agents calling in sick, work not being completed on time, and requiring a revisit are all contingencies that add to the complexity. It lowers the energy of the despatching team, which could find better use in other core activities.
The latest job management software deploys algorithms trained on the company policy related to assigning tasks, automating workflows, and streamlining processes. 
A modern job management software:

• Assigns the most suitable agent to an open work order
• Integrates with the HRIS process to approve leaves only when there is adequate staff availability
• Tracks open orders and aids the dispatcher with complete visibility in field operations

The profitability of a field service business depends on optimal scheduling. The spin-off benefit is the ability to identify spare capacity clearly, to commit to new jobs.
Read more: 6 Ways a Service Scheduling Software Delights Customers and Improves Your Efficiency

4. Workflow management

The primary function of job management software is workflow management.
Intelligent job management software helps in the following ways:

• Offers readymade templates for field agents and other staff to manage jobs, quotes, and reports. Intuitive features such as the ability to auto-generate repeat jobs spare the time of field agents and back-office employees.
• Ensures the seamless flow of information. The software issues automated notifications and reminders to employees, keeping them up-to-date on the tasks allocated to them. It keeps employees, supervisors, and other team members updated on the progress and status of open jobs.
• Document creation and sharing become effortless.
• Makes the timesheet management more dynamic. Internal efficiency depends on tracking employee time accurately and analyzing employee timesheet data to track productivity rates.
• Makes available inspection forms and checklists to track work completion and speed up processing. The inspection management module of job management software improves compliance and quality checks.

The best workflow customizes the way the enterprise works. Expecting the enterprise to adapt to the workflow pre-coded into the job management software is a recipe for disaster.
Read more: The 6 Must-Haves for a Work Order Management System in 2021

5. Back office support

An enterprise’s success depends on seamless integration of supporting activities such as invoicing, inventory management, and accounting. 
And that’s what a good job management software does:

• Ensures the invoicing of all tasks, with nothing slipping through the cracks. The software details the modalities of generating invoices and collecting payments from clients.
• Makes it easy to track purchase orders, allocate costs to jobs, and sync bills to the accounting system. Seamless sync of data to the accounting and CRM suite optimizes the use of resources.
• Delivers dynamic reporting capabilities. Good job management software shed insights on performance, productivity, and profitability. Dynamic reports make explicit the most profitable and least profitable customers, productivity metrics, budget analysis, and other insights. A spin-off benefit is improved transparency and free flow of information, which promotes collaboration between team members.

Orchestrating a seamless job cycle is tough when done manually and using first-generation legacy computing tools. The right job management software makes the task easy and delivers big-time efficiency and customer satisfaction improvements.

Why use ReachOut as my job management software?

ReachOut suite (ReachOut) is an end-to-end field services organizer and job management solution with all the required features to serve today’s businesses. ReachOut is an excellent fit for industries ranging from appliance repair, HVAC, residential and commercial cleaning, installation services, telecommunications, and more.
ReachOut helps you manage all jobs, people, tasks, and reports in one place, including:

• Recording customer service requests as tickets
• Managing work orders and jobs
• Managing inspections and audits
• Switching from paper-based forms to digital forms
• Easy scheduling and dispatching
• Remote management of operations
• Staying in control of your teams and processes
• Customizable templates and forms for audits and inspections 

Case Study: Running a Backflow Testing business with ReachOut! How ReachOut’s customizable digital forms and service scheduling features transformed a backflow testing business in Idaho?
The best way to identify if ReachOut job management software suits your business is to sign up for a free trial. You can also leave us a message to talk to an expert about ReachOut.