Why your trade business needs time tracking software
Time tracking software is a tool that records the time you spend on different tasks. It works by recording the start and end times of your tasks, as well as any breaks you take in between. The recorded information is particularly useful in many aspects of job management. If you’re in the field service industry, here are 10 good reasons why you need time tracking software.
Monitor job progress
It can be difficult to manage dozens of field technicians and keep track of the progress of multiple jobs. With time tracking software in your job management platform, you can quickly see what tasks each technician is doing from a single dashboard. This makes it easy to determine whether jobs are on track with deadlines and key project milestones. The best time tracking systems also send push notifications if technicians are falling behind schedule, so you know when to take corrective action.
Improve price quotes
Labour costs are often blown out of proportion during an initial quote, which can result in a job being priced too high. This can dissuade potential customers from using your services. Fortunately, time tracking software makes you fully aware of how long each task takes to complete. Based on this information, you can calculate the average job duration and use that to generate more accurate price quotes. This way, you’ll be able to win more business as well as improve your profit margins.
Track billable hours
Since time tracking software produces comprehensive timesheets, you’ll know exactly how much to pay contractors and technicians. Users can start and stop recording their work time with a press of a button, which is especially helpful for people on the go. In practice, technicians can stop recording their time between appointments, and start logging billable hours as soon as they reach the jobsite.
Create accurate invoices
Most contractors and technicians will roughly estimate the amount of time spent on a project and bill their customers based on that. The problem is this method often leads to overcharging or undercharging, which is unfavourable for all parties involved. For one, if contractors overcharge for the service, clients may feel cheated and refuse to hire them again in the future. On the other hand, if contractors undercharge, they may not be able to turn a profit.
Time tracking software provides an accurate record of the time spent on each job, ensuring that your customers invoices are accurate. This ensures fair prices for the client while allowing you to cover the costs of the job and increase revenue. Plus, if billing disputes ever occur, you’ll have detailed proof to show your clients.
Increase employee productivity
Simply tracking employee productivity can lead to an increase in output. When employees know that they’re being monitored, they will be more mindful of how they use their time and complete tasks more quickly.
What’s more, time tracking software lets you see which employees are slacking off. Once you’ve identified the underperformers, you can take disciplinary action against them or recalibrate your policy on how workers should be spending work hours. Overall, this leads to a more efficient and effective workforce, which saves your business money in the long run.
Enhance job scheduling
By knowing how long jobs take to complete, you can schedule work more effectively. For instance, if you know that preventive maintenance jobs take four hours, you can schedule them for a timeslot that won’t impact urgent work orders. You can even set appropriate buffer times for when unexpected delays occur. This helps you prevent overbooking and better manage customer expectations.
Balance workloads
In any field service and maintenance business, there will be peaks and lulls in work. During busy periods, some technicians may be overloaded with jobs, while others have nothing to do. Time tracking software can help you see when these lulls occur so that you can redistribute workloads and maximise everyone’s output. Additionally, you can prevent technicians from being overworked, keeping their mental and physical health in good condition.
Prioritise projects
Another benefit of time tracking software is that it can help you prioritise projects. This is because you can see which tasks are taking up the most time and which ones can be completed more quickly. Using this information, you can decide which projects should be given priority to maximise efficiency.
Identify areas for improvement
Time tracking software provides valuable insights into your business operations. It can reveal which tasks take the most time, which workflows are inefficient, and where bottlenecks occur. When you identify these issues, you can make improvements to certain processes and enhance your team’s overall performance for future jobs.
Reward top performers
An accurate work log helps you determine which technicians are completing their jobs quickly and efficiently. You can then use this information to reward top performers with bonuses and incentives. By recognising and rewarding good work, you can significantly boost morale and motivate your team to maintain high-performance levels.
If you’re looking for a job management system that incorporates intuitive time tracking features, WorkBuddy is the solution for you. Our system is designed to help technicians and contractors track their time so you can streamline every aspect of your business. Book a free demo today to see WorkBuddy’s features in action.
