Even with all the latest advances in technology, something we’ve learned repeatedly is that, when it comes to field service management, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. We had the chance to catch up with the Hubbard Mechanical team including Art Hubbard, Stephanie Hubbard, and Natalie Norwood about their experience with previous cloud-based operating software, and how their workflow was simplified after integrating with the BuildOps platform.
Operating out of central Kentucky, Hubbard Mechanical, and its team of 13 employees, have been servicing Lexington, Winchester, Georgetown, Mt. Sterling, Versailles, and surrounding areas since 2015. But that’s not where it all started. Homeowners and commercial maintenance personnel have trusted Art Hubbard for quality and reliable HVAC, boiler, and plumbing services for the last 25 years. Their clients rely on them to help create a comfortable home and work environment—and we’re excited to help Art and his team take the next step into their digital future.
It’s not always about being stuck in the past. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of not having found the right solution for your organization’s unique needs. And that was exactly the case for Stephanie Hubbard and her team. “Before BuildOps, we used another cloud-based software to handle our day-to-day operations,” she told us. Hubbard Mechanical needed an automated solution to handle their dispatching, in-field workflow, and invoicing needs. “We experienced recurring outages on their server—and their one-size-fits-all approach certainly did not meet our needs.”
Tracking larger jobs became difficult, and keeping track of customer equipment was almost impossible. This, along with numerous outages over the course of their previous partnership became the catalyst in searching for a more sustainable solution. “We wanted the ability to pull reports instantly on equipment for our customers,” she said. “BuildOps asked us exactly what it was we were looking for and tailored their program to fit our needs,” Stephanie went on to say. “And the amount of time and effort they’ve put in to understand our business and workflow has made their software more powerful than any other.”
We also had the opportunity to speak to Natalie Norwood about her experience while making the switch over to our brand-new, personalized platform. Being a prevalent part of the back office, Natalie was able to offer her own unique perspective on how BuildOps has made an impact on their business. “My primary duties include invoicing and job costing/profit analysis within the BuildOps platform,” she told us. “Though, on a smaller scale, I would also assist with quoting jobs, ordering/renting equipment, logistics for multi-day commercial jobs, and scheduling.” She went on to tell us that, by the time she joined the business, Hubbard Mechanical had already made the switch from pen and paper to another well-known commercial software—whose invoicing, she says, was far more rudimentary.
“While everything had a line item associated with it, as it does with BuildOps, the majority of the other information—records, costs associated with each visit—were not included on the invoice,” she said. “We had to copy and paste the notes from each visit individually into each invoice,” she finished. “It was time-consuming and frustrating.”
After implementing BuildOps as their solution of choice, Hubbard Mechanical was able to track a multitude of different assets and customer information, expand their profit margins, and increase the overall efficiency of their operation. “The amount of communication they had with us before, during, and after developing the platform for our company was unprecedented,” Stephanie told us. “The process took time—but it created a workflow that ultimately led to faster dispatch and quicker billing times.” Her techs now have access to robust software in the field, and the amount of data logged is much higher. “And the workflow,” she said, “has become very easy.”
The whole process has given the office an immediate visual of a specific job, and whether or not it needs to be kept open. As for customers? They get a clear view of what’s going on with their job and a real-time account of the charges they’ll receive.“Our techs like the software,” she said. “It gives them a good view of each job requirement and provides them with a massive database of information they can refer to from previous visits.”
To add an additional view from Natalie’s perspective, data, and information tracking became second nature. “I very much appreciate the details and analytical approach the platform takes when generating raw data on jobs, customers, and properties,” she told us. “I was very intrigued by the onboard quoting feature BuildOps offered us,” she went on to say—a feature that will certainly benefit the company as they scale their operation.
According to Natalie, some of the highlights of the new platform include her ability to now reassign PO’s to different job numbers, see all technician reports, photos, and equipment for a specific job, and the sheer capability of the purchase order sections. “It’s extremely helpful,” she said. “Technicians now have the ability to create their own PO, and also fill in information for field orders created in the office at an earlier date!”
Now that they’ve optimized their day-to-day workflow with BuildOps, we’re looking forward to seeing what their plans are for scaling into the future. “BuildOps will definitely be a huge part of our plans for growth,” Stephanie said. “As a company, BuildOps was set on gathering our input and gave us every opportunity to ask questions and express ideas to help us achieve our goals.” The company plans on continuing to use BuildOps to help adapt the program to fit its evolving needs.
As far as Natalie is concerned, she can see a future where further personalization with the BuildOps quote feature could lead to an even more seamless and flawless use of the system for the company and its technicians.
At BuildOps, our reputation means everything. And we’re always ecstatic when we hear the praise of yet another satisfied customer. “I would 100% recommend BuildOps—in fact, I have!” she said in closing. “I can’t say enough about this company and their program.” “We truly feel like the company WANTS to hear from its customers to help tailor their workflow and make it easier, and more efficient going into the future.”
And in the words of Art Hubbard himself, “When we need to evolve our program, Stephanie and Natalie send an email to the BuildOps team—and it gets resolved. The customer service from this group is really above and beyond what we could’ve imagined.”
We here at BuildOps appreciate their vote of confidence.
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