In today’s modern world, new technology is making our lives infinitely easier. Things that used to be complicated can now be done with a push of a button, which means that we can work smarter and be more profitable than ever before.
However, even with all of this high tech wizardry, many companies are still doing things the old fashioned way. Take work orders for example; most of the time these are physical documents that pass from business to client and back again, all without any kind of automation involved.
Unfortunately, this can lead to a host of problems, not the least of which is that orders can get lost, damaged, or misfiled, resulting in a delay in operations that could cost you a ton of money. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you could digitize the whole process? Well, now you can with digital work orders.
What is a Digital Work Order?
Simply put, this is when you take all of the information on your regular work order sheet and digitize it. There are several new apps, such as InField Clipboard, that allow you to build your order from scratch and customize it to fit the needs of your business. This way, you can enter all of your information digitally, rather than scan a document after the fact.
Top 8 Benefits of Using Digital Work Orders
As you are about to see, there are some profound reasons to utilize software that can create digital work orders. Whether you are a startup company or you’ve been in the business for a while, you can benefit immensely from them. Once you’ve seen the difference they can make, you’ll wonder how you lived without it.
#1 Customize Your Forms
Not every company is the same, meaning that you need to make sure that your work orders are best for your operations. With programs like InField Clipboard, you can create a form just the way you like it, with as much or as little information as you need from your clients. You can even format it to be the same as your current work orders so that there is a smoother transition from paper to digital.
What makes this process even more desirable is that it doesn’t take much time or effort to make changes to your forms. There’s no programming involved, no complicated steps. All you have to do is put in what you want and take out what you don’t. Best of all, you can create different forms for each of your clients if necessary, all without having to print a single drop of ink.
#2 No WiFi, No Problem
One of the issues that most companies worry about when digitizing their mobile software is that being out in the field is usually hit or miss. If you don’t have a good data plan or access to a wireless network, you can wind up in a worse position than if you stuck with old-fashioned paper.
Fortunately, most apps that offer digital work orders don’t have this issue. You can fill out your forms and store them to your device immediately, with or without a connection. Then, once you are in the range of wifi, you can upload everything so that it shows up on the back end. Never miss a beat because of spotty reception.
#3 Clear and Legible Writing, Every Time
Do you have a client that scribbles everything that they write? Do your employees suffer from poor penmanship? It may not seem like a big deal, but not being able to read notes can be dangerous and lead to unforeseen setbacks, which can hurt your bottom line. However, since your work orders are digitized, you never have to worry about this problem ever again.
In fact, some programs enable you to still write with a stylus, but the software will automatically make it more legible (except for signatures). This way, you don’t even have to be adept at typing on a tablet either. This will make it easier to process your orders, and no information will be left behind.
#4 Navigation Built In
You probably already use GPS software to find your clients already, but what if you could tie it into your work order app as well? With digital work order apps like InField Clipboard, you can seamlessly connect your directions with the order so that your workers just press the address and they get a route in seconds. With functionality like that, it shows how digital work orders can make your operations run much more efficiently.
#5 Connect to Your Back End Seamlessly
The most poignant aspect of using digital work orders is that all of your forms are automatically integrated into your company’s system. This way, you can make things so much easier for every person on your team, whether it’s sales or management.
- You can email your digital forms to the client and get them back much quicker than before.
- Your employees can access the work orders that are assigned to them so that there is never an issue of missing paperwork or forgetting to bring the right form.
- If one of your teams is falling behind, reassign the work order to someone else immediately. All of the pertinent information will transfer over, meaning you don’t have to transcribe anything over the phone.
- Create digital forms for your internal needs and process them as necessary. This can make your accounting system much more efficient.
- Send data to an external system for storage purposes or for your home base to access it on a computer, rather than a tablet.
- Set rules for your workflow so that you can automate as many processes as you like. Whether it’s sending a thank you email to clients, uploading signed orders to management, or some other part of your workflow, you can program it to meet your needs.
#6 Print Forms Whenever You Like
Perhaps you prefer to have a physical copy of completed work orders on file, just in case. You can connect your tablet or mobile device to your printer and create a hard copy of any of the forms you create, all with the push of a button. This way, you can still get the best of both worlds. Thankfully, though, it’s much easier to go from digital to physical than the other way around. Never worry again about transcribing, scanning, or manually entering data into the computer again.
#7 Analyze Your Data
One of the most time-consuming processes for your business is taking your work orders and creating a comprehensive report based on the numbers. Chances are that this is one of the biggest sources for delays on the back end, which is counterintuitive because these reports are crucial to your overall success.
With digital work orders, you no longer have to enter this information manually, nor do you have to create a record from scratch. Most apps that generate them will have analysis software built in that handle this process for you, making it faster and more accurate.
Best of all, you can also automate these reports so that they get sent to you or anyone else on your management team as soon as they are generated. This way, even if you are not on site you can still get a comprehensive view of your business and make sure that everything is running smoothly.
#8 Improve Your Bottom Line
When you digitize your work orders, coupled with all of the other efficiency benefits you get from using an all-in-one program, you can vastly improve your operations to the point where you can solicit more clients and sales.
- If you have to make changes out in the field, then a digital work order allows you to integrate those adjustments on both the front and back end.
- You can process work orders and send invoices instantly, rather than waiting for employees to turn them in to the office.
- Estimates can be done remotely, allowing you to do more of them in a single day, all without losing any productivity. When an assessment is drafted, it will be available digitally to get approval from the client, allowing you to shave hours off of your current operations.
Conclusion
Overall, there is no reason not to start using digital work orders. Not only will they help you save time that you can reinvest back into your business, but it will remove a lot of the steps that you take to keep things organized and efficient.
This means that no matter what stage your company is at, you don’t need to maintain a full-time staff to manage your paperwork. You can put more of your time and energy into customer service and providing great value to your clients, all while having the peace of mind that everything on the back end is being handled properly.
What’s even better is that you can utilize this software in conjunction with other apps, like Google Maps, which allows you manage your field resources at every step of the way, from inquiry to invoice.
You owe it to yourself to see how digital work orders can benefit your business. Whether you just need to save money on printing costs or you want a better way to analyze your operational data to make changes and speed up your process, digital work orders make everything easier for you.
There are tons of different digital work order apps available, including InField Clipboard. Find the one that fits best with your company and see what you’ve been missing.