Innovative Field Service Management Solutions: Fuel Control, Scheduling, and Automation

FieldEdge by Xplor (www.fieldedge.com) , a global platform integrating software, payments, and commerce- enabling services  and Service Autopilot by Xplor recently teamed up with Coast fleet fuel card to launch a GPS-powered fuel management solution for service businesses by which field managers can atomatically block unauthorized purchses at the pump.

The integration of Coast’s smart fuel card technology with FleetSharp (www.fleetsharp.com) GPS tracking gives real time control over fuel spending and includes the ability to clock unauthorized fuel purchases automatically, track mileage automatically with automatic odometer readings with each fill-up, issue instant alerts for theft or discrepancies if tanks are overfilled or fuel goes missing, and afford protection of up to $25,000 against fuel fraud. 

Through the partnership, field managers can automatically block unauthorized purchases at the pump.

Kickserv

Kickserv by EverPro (www.kickserv.com) software solution for HVAC & Mechanical pros handles scheduling of appointments, creation of professional estimates, and customer requests for service. Plus, users can set up automatic sending of reminders to customers.

Users can store and manage details of every job for easy access. An integrated planner tool enables visibility into which employee is at what job and features a calendar that shows who is working on certain days, to help facilitate efficient job planning.

Technicians can create estimates and invoices and request payments from their mobile phone. An included payment tool allows you to accept a deposit on your mobile device before you order parts. Kickserv syncs payments and costs to QuickBooks. 

Clients can log into the Customer Center to schedule or reschedule an appointment online, pay an invoice, and leave notes for technicians.

The software supports customizing tags to help organize, categorize, and segment your data and you can easily identify upcoming jobs by the date or filter jobs by the type of service offered. Some of the Kickserv plans also offer the option of placing a job on hold while waiting for parts.

Kickserv syncs payments and costs to QuickBooks.

Pricing: five plans available to accommodate startup, small, growing, established, and large businesses, each with fee per month.

Joist

Joist software (www.joist.com) is an all-in-one estimate and invoicing solution for smart phone, tablet, and computer, designed to enable trade contractors—in the field and in the office—to manage business, from pre-award to invoicing. Users can quickly create professional estimates with inputting of line items for labor and materials, custom invoices, manage client data, track projects, and accept online payments. Once approved, an estimate can be converted instantly into a branded invoice.

Project management features include contract templates for repeat use, digital signatures, and the ability to track progress, and add notes, and save line items, photos (up to 20 per document, including before/after comparisons for individual line items) and other attachments.

The software also offers homeowners financing options, which costs contractors nothing—no signup or fees required. The financing process is seamless: clients see a “view financing options” button and can get pre-accepted within minutes, with funding in one-to-two business days. Automated review requests are sent when invoices are paid, helping build Google Reviews.  

Pricing: three monthly tiered plans: Basic, Pro, and Elite, differentiated by the number of documents and inclusion of advanced features. Basic includes up to five invoices or estimates per month, credit/debit/online payments, and homeowner financing options. Pro adds abilities for unlimited estimates and invoices, e-signatures and work orders and QuickBooks sync. The Elite plan further includes sales and marketing reports, ability to send and manage change orders, and options to include social links (display website, Facebook, Google, Instagram and Yelp links on estimates/invoices) and add license information. Free trial of Basic plan available.

Synchroteam

Synchroteam cloud-based field service management software (www.synchroteam.com, 855/809-6200), see April 2018 tech column, www.contractormag.com/management/feldmans/article/20883255/three-cloud-based-solutions) recently updated its platform with addition of AI functionalities to automatically trigger various actions within the software to allow for a more productive workflow. They are designed to help enhance lead generation, find suitable job postings, and monitor the supplier’s website for inventory pricing and stock levels and update inventory.

Synchroteam can be integrated with Browse AI, a no-code web automation tool that extracts and monitors data from any website. You can use both solutions together to create automated workflows.

For example, if you use Browse AI to monitor your website for new service requests, you can configure it to automatically create a new job entry for the new request in Synchroteam. Also, if a customer’s information is updated on a third-party site, Browse AI can detect that change and push the updated information to the customer’s record in Synchroteam.     

Command Post Notes

Command Post Notes (Command Technologies, Inc. www.commandpost.ai/notes, 858/642-2900) is a simple daily reporting app built for field crews. Easy to utilize, it enables users to capture voice, photos, and typed notes in one tap to document progress and problems. The app timestamps, organizes by work area and topics, and produces Daily Reports to speed dispute resolution and keep HVAC projects on track. Offline friendly with English/Spanish transcription, it is designed so crews reliably use it.

Pricing: free app, optional organizational features on annual plans.