Back to all BlogsRising fuel costs, pressure on margins & cash-flow issues, what can you do?
The increased cost in doing business will hurt small to medium sized businesses the most and they will need to make changes for their business to succeed.
Higher prices for the petrol you put into your vans, the increased electricity costs for running machinery and keeping your office operational, will mean your business will need to run more efficiently to succeed.
Hear what others in the industry say they are doing differently…
Kellyjoe, Sales Manager, Klipboard: I regularly talk to many Klipboard customers and Field Service business owners, from a variety of different industries about the challenges they are facing at the moment.
I find it’s very useful to discuss current pain points and I am constantly surprised by how many shared challenges they are facing, regardless of the markets they serve.
Most business owners are very aware of the need to modernise their service business, while others are a little more reluctant but are very aware of the pressure they are under to make their business run efficiently.
The most common challenges
Rising fuel costs, restrained cash flow, issues with recruiting engineers and the unpredictable nature of job bookings, cancellations and no-shows are causing the most headaches for service business owners at the moment.
During the pandemic, one of the key issues was gaining access to customer locations to carry out servicing, inspections and repairs. As people return to the office that has become less of an issue but the costs of operating a service business seems to be rising.
That’s why more and more customers are speaking to us about ways to reduce wasted time and streamline more of what they do every day.
My insight & guidance: Streamline your processes and optimise where possible
I listen to Field Service business owners and one thing is loud and clear – they know they could be operating their business in a more efficient manner.
They are aware of inefficiencies such as the time it takes to invoice on a job or how prepared they are to adjust their schedule if they get a reactive call out or a customer is no-show when a field worker arrives on site.
Yet many choose not to act because they think it’s going to be difficult to change.
A fear of software and change evaporates with one demo of Klipboard
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly even the most tech-phobic person gets on board with Klipboard straight away.
Once I’ve guided them around the key features such as the drag and drop scheduler, asset management tools and the register, they are firing off questions to me and getting excited about the difference this can make to their business.
Kellyjoe’s 5 tips that you can introduce into your service business today during these challenging times
To succeed in whatever market you operate in, you’ll need to be ‘Uber-efficient’. Are you ready to make these 5 essential changes to your service business?
1. Plan your routes better
Rising fuel costs are going to play a big role in how successful your business is this year. The cost of fuel means the impact of a wasted journey or inefficient route planning is more than just wasted time, it’s now even more costly for your business.
Kellyjoe’s tip: Use a Job Scheduling tool that helps you send the right people to the right job, using the most efficient route possible.
Job Management Software with route planning tools will ensure your mobile workforce spends more time on the jobs and less time on wasted journeys.
You will gain complete visibility of your team. This allows you to make better decisions on who to send on jobs and you will be able to advise your customer on when they are likely to be seen next.
2. Spend less time on unnecessary admin
Every hour spent on needless admin is costing your business more than you might realise.
The average Field Service professional spends between 5 – 6 hours a week on admin tasks.
Activities such as gathering service histories and documentation are taking far too long.
Using multiple systems to schedule jobs or send the details of those jobs to your team is also an inefficient way of using your time.
Many Field Service businesses still use paper based methods like triplicate forms when they are on the job. These require additional data entry when they are returned to the office. This is also an efficient use of time and could lead to paperwork being misplaced or lost on site.
Kellyjoe’s tip: Digitalise your paperwork
Using Job Management Software can help you digitlise your admin and simplify your job scheduling.
Using a single platform for scheduling jobs and recording service history means everything you need is quickly accessible from one place.
Digital mobile forms allow you to collect information on jobs such as inspections, services, installs or repairs while on site. Once this data is collected on the mobile app, it’s instantly available to the rest of your team back in the office.
3. Communicate better with your customers
How slick is your competitor’s operation?
Customer expectations have changed significantly over the last couple of years. We are living in the ‘on-demand’ era and your customers will not only order their meals, taxies and groceries on an app, they will manage services for their businesses on them too.
Your customer expects to be able to see when their next job is scheduled. They want instant notifications of when that’s booked, a reminder when the job is due, details of the engineer or technician attending the job and when it’s completed.
Kellyjoe’s tip: Automate your customer communications
Most Field Service businesses haven’t got the resources or technical knowledge to develop a sophisticated booking app like Uber – why would they? However, that doesn’t stop your customer from expecting that level of service.
By using Job Management Software with Automated Customer Communications you are able to provide that level of service without the need to create a solution yourself.
Modern examples of field service job management software now include Email notifications and SMS for clients, informing them exactly what’s happening at key stages of the job.
4. Get a competitive edge
You’ll be well aware of how competitive your market is at the moment. You’ll also know it’s not necessarily the cheapest quote that wins the work.
To get the competitive edge in 2022, you’ll need to demonstrate your ability to streamline how your client will work with you. This is adding real value to your customer.
Kellyjoe’s tip: Empower your customers to accept online quotes
By offering the ability to accept a quote online, you’re not only reducing the amount of time your team is spending chasing the quote, but also streamline your job management process by instantly converting the accepted quote into a job.
5. Add outstanding invoice notifications to improve your cash flow
Cash flow is going to play a major role in how successful a business is in 2022.
The backdrop of increased fuel costs and the difficulties in obtaining parts due to global supply chain issues have made running a service business more challenging.
You’ll need to ensure that your business has a healthy cash flow to continue to meet your customers’ demands.
Kellyjoe’s tips: Notify your customers of outstanding invoices
The time it takes to have an invoice paid can be restrictive for your business and harm your cash flow.
You speed up your payment processes by automatically notifying your customers when they have an outstanding invoice by using Job Management Software. This is a more efficient and smarter way to link your job management with your finances.
The most impactful change you can make: Start a FREE Trial with Klipboard
To adjust to the changing conditions you are starting to work under you’ll need to make some changes. The easiest first step is to get all of your Field Service operations under one system.
Start a 14- day Free Trial with Klipboard today and empower your team, communicate better with your customers and optimise your job scheduling.
