The first thing to go digital in the commercial contractor universe was the development of enterprise resource planning tools (ERPs). It was driven by the need to manage contractors, project timelines + progression, and financials, all within one system. On top of that, ERPs set out to streamline an organization’s service operations and procedures. That’s a tall order when you’re relying on pen and paper alone!
Since then, a variety of advanced and specialized software has come out, helping contractors more effectively run their businesses. With all the factors and dependencies that go into a successful service operation and project completion, these platforms are key to mapping those out and managing them.
Today, operational software is a must-have to compete with the best contractors, but the question is how to find the right one for your needs.
This article takes an expert look at the challenge, breaking it down, simplifying it, and providing actionable solutions. Before you buy any software package, make sure you read this first.
You may have heard this before, but it’s worth another mention: there is nothing like all-in-one software. Even in specific industries like construction or field service, software is more likely to apply to just one, or maybe some, parts of your business — but rarely all of them.
For that reason, you must know what your needs are, so that you can find what product is tailored to meet them. For example, consider the complexity of your business processes and everything that goes into each one.
A multi-functional platform that can handle every operation, from first dispatch to paid invoice, will drive efficiency across every part of the business and thus offer a much higher ROI.
If you’re a contractor with more than five technicians, this is likely the kind of solution to take your business to the next level. However, if you’re only doing house calls once a week as a side hustle, then perhaps that’s too much of an investment. It’s about knowing what you need.
Once you know what that is, you have your starting point and you’re on your way to finding the right system for you.
Too often, well-meaning contractors go into the software-buying process with a strong sense of what they’re looking for. But they’re usually making these kinds of decisions from a place of pain rather than objective need and clear criteria.
Enter: A comprehensive checklist of features that you can/should expect from your software provider. With it, you can compare different platforms (of your choice) against a standard list of criteria and score them according to how well they meet your needs. When you’ve done your due diligence in evaluating each option, whichever scores the highest is likely going to be the best fit for your business. It’s a way to quantitatively compare something you might have only qualitatively assessed.
We drew up a software scoresheet based on the most important functions of commercial contractor scheduling and/or project management software for you to use. On the list are five broad categories where each function falls, and each function can be scored depending on how well you think a particular software platform performs.
There are many reasons why employees resist technology, but high complexity and poor workflow are among the most important. In the HVAC/plumbing/electrical industries, where old-school values are still held dear, that can be an even bigger challenge.
While most software tools are built for general use, a lot of customization is often needed for the platform to suit unique business needs. The more customization options you have, the better you can tailor the software to meet your needs.
Comprehensive customer support is crucial. From initial onboarding to ongoing support , you should expect your provider to be there when you need them and know exactly what to expect.
Those basics will take you far if you’re going from pen and paper to your first operational technology. But if you’re going to invest time and money in a platform, you don’t want to have to go through the same investment a couple years later because your basic platform can’t keep up.
With more advanced functionality, comes less. need for multiple software tools that add unnecessary costs and complexity (not to mention inefficiency) . For example, customer management features can be instrumental in helping you transform your customer service.
Depending on your specific business, you might also like:
As you evaluate the software solutions available, use the scoresheet to ask the right questions and get answers on any other issues you might have (there’s even a place for notes on the last page).
Such probing questions will help you go below the surface and understand on a much deeper level what each platform can do for you and how your options stack up.
Have your team try out the software and give their honest feedback about its usability and functionality. A live demo gives you time to assess how effectively the software platform meets your business needs.
This is also the time to discover and talk about any challenges your team may face. Since you have no obligation to buy the product if it doesn’t satisfy your needs, the demo is a valuable opportunity to “try before you buy.”
Based on the information you’ve collected in the scoresheet thus far, use this opportunity to ask any questions that will help you determine if the software is a good fit. Be honest here! There’s no harm in being transparent when it comes to what you don’t understand.
When your extensive product evaluation and testing phase is over, it should be very easy to pick the option that suits you best. Your software scoresheet will tell you right away which option is superior.
The hands-on experience will also let you have a feel of what works best for your team in terms of usability, pricing, support, and scaling needs. This method of software evaluation is especially useful in picking the excellent products from the “good” ones because you get to test every important feature.
At BuildOps, we are not afraid of being evaluated against such a demanding scoresheet because we developed and built our commercial contractor service and scheduling software specifically for contractors in legacy industries.
Ours is a niche product that has already won the hearts of many veteran contracting businesses, and we are confident that we can serve you better than any other solution out there.
Schedule your live demo with the BuildOps team today and experience the freedom of capable, all-in-one operations software built purposely for the modern commercial contractor.
FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
BuildOps connects every part of your business. #1 all-in-one Field Service Management and Project Management Software for commercial service contractors. Streamline your dispatch, quoting/invoicing, service, projects, and reports.
