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Top 3 Benefits of Contractor Management Software

Top 3 Benefits of Contractor Management Software

As the graying of the workforce leaves field service organizations lacking the personnel necessary to fill demand, they are turning to contractors to quickly scale their services. This means that field service organizations are increasingly relying on contractors to fill workforce gaps in skills, availability, and geographic location. With this growing number of contractors being integrated into company workflows and customer-facing services, it’s more important than ever to put a safe, seamless, and efficient contractor management process in place. However, that’s easier said than done. 

The Complexity of Contractor Management

Manual contractor management can be the source of decreases in service quality, productivity, and customer experience if not done properly. Due to the inherent complexity of onboarding new contractors and fluctuating data points like contractor scheduling and service coverage needs, it’s easy for important information to accidentally slip through the cracks. That’s not due to a lack of skill in field service managers, it’s due to a lack of access to real-time data, automated contractor management practices, and comprehensive mobile tools. That’s where contractor management software comes in.

Resolving Complexity with Contractor Management Software

With access to contractor management software, field service managers, contractors, and customers alike are empowered to create the best service experience possible. By providing access to real-time data points, automating fluctuating workflows, and facilitating frictionless communication, contractor management software takes the complexity out of contractor management. 

While there are numerous benefits to leveraging contractor management software, let’s dive into the top 3. 

Top 3 Benefits of Contractor Management Software

  • Enhanced Service Quality & Efficiency

Contractor management software enhances service quality by ensuring that contractors are qualified, prepared, and following compliance at every step of the contractor’s engagement with a field service organization. With contractor credentialing and combined background checks and drug testing, only the most responsible technicians are brought on as contractors in the first place. Likewise, intelligent onboarding guarantees that each contractor is set up with a detailed servicer profile, provided custom training and is ready to safely undertake work. 

Missing out on any of these steps can result in not only detrimental customer experiences but also downright dangerous service. Manual contractor management can’t always catch the errors necessary to prevent such grave mistakes, after all, manual processes are prone to human error. However, contractor management software leverages intelligent automation to make sure that nothing slips between the cracks, and that’s what makes quality service. 

Moreover, contractor management software increases service efficiency. Service jobs can vary widely in their requirements, and not all technicians are trained for all of the problems that might arise. Sending a technician to complete a service job that is not prepared for the task at hand significantly slows down service delivery. That’s why it’s important to dispatch the most qualified technician for each specific job. Contractor management software makes that possible. With detailed technician servicer profiles, client-specific training, and progress monitoring, it’s easy to identify and dispatch the most efficient technician for each and every job. 

  • Increased Service Coverage

It’s no secret that demand for service jobs can fluctuate dramatically in the field service industry. However, just because it’s known, doesn’t mean that field service organizations are set up to successfully handle these fluctuations. With the graying of the workforce, many service organizations are struggling to find enough technicians to service their standard geographic locations, let alone branch out when demand calls for it. 

Contractor management software helps resolve this workforce capacity issue. By enabling field service organizations to flexibly leverage third-party contractors, they are prepared to meet demand exactly when they need to. Moreover, with an increase in technician skills, availability, and geographic location, organizations can increase service coverage for more diverse jobs and in more remote locations. This allows field service organizations to focus on growing their profits, while also keeping their technicians and customers safe.

For instance, the best contractor management software has comprehensive zip code management capabilities that help foster safe service experiences. Zipcode management gives field service organizations increased control over technician dispatch locations. In terms of the pandemic, this means that organizations can demarcate COVID-19 hotspots, and ensure that technicians are not put in danger. In addition, locality can be used to determine technician dispatching, helping to streamline arrival times while also limiting potential exposure. Valuing the safety of both technicians and customers is not only the right thing to do but also helps to foster a positive customer experience. 

  • Improved Customer Experience 

One of the most important benefits of contractor management software is an improved customer experience. That’s because in the modern field service industry, providing a positive customer experience is just as necessary as the ability to provide service in the first place. For instance, according to industry research, 80% of customers say that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, with 57% reporting having stopped service with a company because a competitor provided a better experience. This means that success-driven field service organizations need to take their customer experience seriously. Contractor management software makes that possible. 

With a user-friendly customer portal, contractor management software empowers customers to take their experience into their own hands. Instead of being left in the dark about technician arrival times or service expectations like manual service often does, a customer portal enables customers to view real-time technician locations and communicate directly with technicians as needed. This helps curate a seamless customer experience while preventing sources of friction such as missed expectations or communication blackouts. Not to mention, the built-in EFT payment feature allows customers to easily pay for service electronically. 

Conclusion 

As illustrated above, there are numerous benefits of contractor management software. Overall, field service organizations will benefit greatly from embracing digital transformation and enabling data-driven decision-making with AI-driven software. Contractor management software helps facilitate this modernization, while also enhancing service quality and efficiency, increasing service coverage, and improving the customer experience. 

Learn how to choose the best contractor management software for your field service organization.

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