Three Software Solutions

EyeonTask (www.eyeontask.com, 307-316/4418) is field service software for small and medium-sized businesses looking to automate day-to-day operations with customized software.

Suitable for HVAC contractors active in commercial work and available in three scaled plans (Imperative, Advance, and Premium), the solution, which includes native Android and iOS apps, handles estimates/quotes, job scheduling and dispatch, online inventory management, job time tracking, client history, and service tracking. 

Upon successful completion of a work order, the field worker can take signature of the customer as a feedback for the work done and can generate an invoice for the work done and receive payments in the field. The two higher plans also include contract management and a branded customer portal.

Users can generate digital quotes for emailing from within the software or for printing out and sending. The Intelligence Scheduler function, which can feature day, week, and month calendar views, informs the dispatcher the job location, which field workers are available, and their current or preceding job locations.

Field personnel can, using the mobile app, create a quote in the field. Once approved by the customer, the quote can be turned into a work order to be dispatched to the fieldworker. Field personnel on a job can also provide customers with an estimate for future work. Invoices can be generated at the client site from customized templates that are editable in the field. You can also set up recurring invoices.

EyeonTask also provides asset/inventory management, with real-time monitoring of stock in/stock out at warehouses and low stock alerts. The module integrates with accounting—as soon as a field worker consumes at item at a client site, the back office is notified and the inventory is automatically adjusted.

Field personnel can check in/out of jobs. Plus, through the admin portal, the admin can control field personnel time logging settings and alter the in/out times of the field workers.

The contract management feature enables tracking of contract duration, budget, payment terms, equipment used, and terms of one-time or recurring invoices. You can also set up equipment warranty and annual maintenance contract reminders.

The customer portal allows customers to create their own work orders, see status updates, and make payments directly to you.

Pricing:  subscription monthly

GetCost Pro (www.getcost.com) app for iOS and Android devices (downloadable at Google Play and the App Store  and also accessible through a web browser), suitable for small businesses, enables a user to create estimates and invoices, send them by SMS or email or download as a PDF, schedule, and track payments by clients. You can include images, maintain a timesheet, set discounts and taxes per item, and allow clients to pay with a credit card or through PayPal. The app also includes the ability to maintain a timesheet.

The solution, which supports up to five users and includes team chat, enables keeping track of timesheets, expenses and mileages of each user by projects, jobs and clients. You can also easily create detailed invoices with the timesheet, expenses, and mileages. The app, which integrates with QuickBooks Online, also offers a client hub affording clients access to all estimates and invoices.

Pricing for GetCost Pro: monthly fee. A free version limits access to one business user and one project and has limited reporting.

Fittlebug (www.fittlebug.com, 630/444-2000) is dynamic real-time booking software, suitable for small businesses, that enables a company’s customers to self-schedule appointments 24/7 based on real-time down-to-the minute or block time availability. After booking, the customer receives an immediate confirmation email. In addition, a company can send out custom reminders of appointments to customers. The software also allows the business to collect a security deposit if desired. 

All prices are shown for what the customer might want. (Fittlebug is not an invoicing tool in the traditional sense although the order confirmation lays out the cost and remaining amounts less the deposit.) Business owners can create unique specials and promotions based on dollar amounts, percentage, or custom promotions packages with unique codes for one time use or multiple use applications.

A “Hidden Charge” feature allows the contractor either to add a travel or extra charge to any zip codes, with that charge spread out over a number of items the job includes, or to add an additional amount to raise the “service provider minimum” for that zip code.

The platform, which offers a full API sync with Service Monster field service solution and dual syncs with Google Calendar, also offers a distinctive incentive savings tool that lets customers enjoy a discount in cost if they book your company services at a time available around other jobs already scheduled in their area. Owners can set distance in miles and can offer either a dollar amount or percentage to attract the customer to choose that time.  

Pricing: two plans, each carrying a monthly licensing fee; the higher fee plan has no transaction fees while the lower monthly cost plan carries a percentage fee per transaction.

Patti Feldman writes articles and web content for trade magazines and manufacturers of building products. She can be reached at [email protected].