Today every HVAC engineer will have considered moving from paper based AC service records to a software based solution. After all every engineer most likely carries some form of mobile device with them, so why not put it to better use?
Done correctly moving to mobile is one of the single things any AC or Refrigeration company can do to improve their efficiency and used correctly it can bring huge rewards over and above making your day to day life easier. This article considers the Pros and Cons of adopting mobile and software based service solutions.
Pros at a glance
- Instant access to location and asset information
- Reduced errors
- Less time spent writing out forms
- Get certificates to customers quickly so you can invoice
- GPS locations help find customers on the road
- Admin staff can perform many tasks freeing up engineers for other things
- Customers value your commitment to keeping them compliant
- Faster response times to on demand work
- Verifiable F-Gas compliance structure
Cons at a glance
- Asset information has to be entered into the system
- Need to purchase suitable devices for engineers
- Training for engineers and staff to use the system
On first impressions the Pros outweigh the Cons but by far and away the biggest barrier is populating a new software system with information. Without it it isn’t much use.
So is there a way to dip your toe that is easy, carries little risk and won’t take all month?
If you are just starting to consider mobile job management then you probably have work coming out of your ears and the last thing you want is to have to spend days or weeks putting information into a potential candidate system only to find out its not for you.
Of course there is always going to be something to do, software isn’t magic after all but thankfully there is a way to test, evaluate and migrate on a sliding scale that won’t consume your working day.
Start with 1 engineer
- Using our software you can start with 1 engineer. Get the app and register for a free single engineer account. The process takes about 15 minutes to complete and by that time they will be ready to go.
- Run paper against mobile for a few weeks to see how it works. You engineer can report back to you on his progress and issues.
As you roll out let your engineers capture asset information on the next site visit
- After a few weeks your single engineer will be up to speed and be able to guide other engineers
- Rather than trying to populate the system in one go, let your engineers capture new location and asset data when they attend sites
Why not take RedPoint F-Gas for a test-drive today? Download the app and register for your free single engineer account. If you like it which we are sure you will upgrade to multi engineer at any time.
