Where Plumbing Dispatch Software Is Headed in the Next Five Years

Plumbing dispatch software—or field service management software—has truly revolutionized the way many repair service businesses operate. Once something so expensive and complex that only enterprise organizations used it, field service management software is now available through an affordable subscription model.

This means businesses like yours have been using software as a service (SaaS) to save time, find efficiencies, grow their business, and experience the joy of working from anywhere. Now that we know what field service management software can do, it’s natural to wonder where it’s headed next.

The short answer? More of the same, but better.

The long answer? Let’s take a look at the three areas we see field service management software making the biggest difference five years from now.

 

1. Work from Anywhere While Centralizing Operations

Now that plumbing dispatch software is affordable, it’s available outside of enterprise organizations. With subscription SaaS available to service repair businesses of all sizes, the whole “do business from anywhere” concept is becoming a way of life, and it’s set to truly transform operations.

It sounds a little backwards to say that everyone working from different locations could centralize operations—but that’s exactly what it does. Remote work has had a major impact across industries, with technology helping organizations be more efficient and improve their talent pool while empowering employees to maintain a better work-life balance.

Download the free checklist: Save Time by Implementing Field Management Software

Taking the Office Anywhere

For repair service business, all of this centralization means that your “front office” is your PC, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Field management software brings disparate systems into one central location, so you can be at home or sitting in a dentist’s waiting room and still have full awareness and access to everything in operation.

With plumbing dispatch software, managers can:

• Keep track of technicians
• Look at real-time reports
• Assign new jobs
• See payments and invoicing activity

In five years, a repair service business that’s still using paper and manual processes will … umm … sorry, we got distracted trying to imagine a world where everyone chooses to use manual processes. With the advances SaaS has brought to service repair businesses, anyone still using manual processes is going to be left behind.

2. Using Real-Time Collaboration to Provide Better Customer Service

When was the last time your field staff actually collaborated on something that improved your business or how you provide service?

If you can’t even think of the last time your field techs were in the same room with each other, you’re not alone. Your teams work hard, and when (and if) they see each other, it’s usually after working hours when they’re kicking back and enjoying some well-earned time off. Nobody wants to talk about work during the big game—or the big season premiere of their favorite show.

That’s one of the amazing things about plumbing dispatch software: The collaboration is practically built in.

If you choose SaaS that comes with a mobile app, it does more than give you better visibility and help you make more informed decisions about who to assign to what job. A convenient mobile app is a great way for field technicians to share new knowledge, provide each other with important information about clients, and help find solutions to unexpected issues. It makes everyone more productive.

Sure, before your technicians had the ability to call each other, you, and the front office. But who had the time? With everything centralized through SaaS field service software, techs can message each other when it’s convenient or get the word out about important information ASAP. Using field service software, your teams can collaborate and help your business provide better service.

3. Customers Are Going to Expect the Convenience of On-Demand Software

Heck, they already are. If you’re still using manual processes for payments, for example, how’s that going for you? Do you find that customers expect the same conveniences they get when they order food? The future is going to be more of the same.

Whether they’re paying for pizza, auto registration, or plumbing services, customers expect payments to be easy and paperless. The days of mailing a customer a paper invoice and having them send you a check are gone—customers expect instant payments, and using field service management software makes digital payments easier on you.

As long as you choose a solution that integrates with your accounting software, like QuickBooks^®, field service management technology can only make payments better for everyone.

 

Don’t Get Left in the Past—Try Field Service Management Software for Yourself

While we’re still living here in the present, do yourself a favor—check out what field service management software can do for your operations. It’s so affordable, easy to use, and simple to install, at least checking it out is a no-brainer. Request a demo now.