5 Ways Field Service Management Software Benefits HVAC Companies

In the last few years, it seems like every industry is trying to find ways to do more with less, and that goes for field service too. It’s become essential for HVAC and other service organizations to take advantage of any opportunity to increase efficiency, and investing in field service software is one of the best ways to do it. With the right software solution, a service organization can enhance the output of their business enterprise through increased productivity, better utilization of resources and uncovering new ways to become more efficient and effective in the process of delivering service to customers. In this blog, we’ll take a look at the benefits of field service management software and, specifically, how HVAC companies can benefit from using it.

Improved Scheduling and More Informed Decisions

HVAC companies face a high volume work orders and have a mobile workforce, which positions them to be some of the biggest beneficiaries of the scheduling capabilities. With a field service software like the RazorSync app, job tracking and scheduling becomes much easier. RazorSync acts as an all-in-one solution to help HVAC businesses streamline field operations. You can schedule recurring jobs and create a series of jobs through a single entry. In the case of “non-priority” jobs, you have a flexibility to schedule jobs without specifying a day or time. Later, you can fill in gaps in your staff’s schedule to increase productivity.

Because so many professionals use Google calendar today, RazorSync can be integrated seamlessly and will automatically update and display changes through the calendar. This way, you can extend use of the RazorSync’s scheduling capabilities to those who don’t have a license for the software.

Mobility Can Empower Your Field Technicians

Many of the leading field service software solutions, including RazorSync, allow you to make your business mobile. Mobile has already redefined how field service technicians work. Every industry uses mobile in a different way, but there are a number of ways that mobility can benefit almost all field service companies.

Mobility helps drive customer engagement and enhances communication by allowing a lot of tasks to be completed on smartphones and tablets, including everything from requesting appointments to invoicing and signing off on reports to sending notifications. On top of that, mobility helps technicians communicate more easily and directly with customers. Keeping customers engaged while fixing equipment is a key way to increase satisfaction.

Another benefit of RazorSync compared to other field service management solutions is that RazorSync’s mobile app can be run from anywhere the user is, even if they’re somewhere without cellular or wireless access. The app will continue to run and store information that later will be automatically synced with the RazorSync cloud. This can be particularly useful for HVAC technicians, who often find themselves operating in areas where signals are weak or non-existent.

Automated Quoting Can Improve Your Sales Process

Your technicians are largely the face of your business and are already at your customers’ doors. And if they provide outstanding service, it’s likely that customers will take their recommendations seriously. The reason for this is that, oftentimes, customers trust your field technicians more than they trust your salespeople, as they are seen as technology and product experts.

With a mobile field service solution, you can turn your technicians into your best salespeople by giving them the opportunity instantly create quotes out in the field to secure additional work. In addition to providing the software, you can train your field technicians to look for opportunities to sell by recommending additional products and services. Well-thought out and carefully executed up selling is one strategy that can directly and positively impact your organization’s bottom line.

Streamline Management Inventory and Service Vans

Mobile field service apps like RazorSync allow you to streamline inventory of parts for HVAC contractors, monitor and re-order stock based on prior projected usage and set up an early warning system to alert managers. Additionally, field service techs can update their van inventory from anywhere, becoming a more prominent part of inventory management process. Because everyone is using the same software and interface, you can also collect data in the field and back office that will help improve parts planning and allow you to forecast future inventory needs more effectively.

Real-Time Tech Monitoring Helps Increase Tech Utilization

Optimize the utilization of service technicians with the ability to see the exact status of technicians presently working in the field on various requests. This means that dispatch service calls can be made more efficiently, performance of overall service can be monitored more effectively, and communication with service technicians becomes easy and streamlined.
Technician utilization–how much time your technicians spend in transit, filling out paperwork and idle–is a critical metric than can impact revenue growth and customer delight. Many field service organizations do not fully utilize the time their technicians have. According to a recently conducted field service report by Aberdeen in 2012, average technician idle time can be up to 40 percent, which contributes to overall poor performance. Assigning technicians on paper and manually dispatching can be inefficient, but when you deliver an optimized schedule based on the rules you define, you can ensure your best, available technician is on time for every job. When you do that, you increase the chance of fixing everything the first time, which delights the customer and keeps the technician feeling rewarded.

This blog only scratches the surface when it comes to the benefits that HVAC and other field service companies can get out of using field service software, but be sure to tune in for future blogs. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of field service software, or if you’re interested in a trial or watching a live demo of the software, contact us today or call 877-675-439.