Operating an HVAC field service company is difficult, and in order to succeed at it, you need reliable software. Pick one of these five different HVAC software choices to help your business run more smoothly and save money in the process.
The HVAC business is experiencing robust growth. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it now provides work for about 400,000 people in the United States, but over the course of the next ten years it is expected to expand by 13%, adding roughly 50,000 employment at a rate that is significantly higher than the national average.
The increase can be attributed to the boom in the development of both commercial and residential buildings.
There is a good chance that your company is extending its operations as well. Even though this is something that each and every proprietor of a company wishes to achieve, the reality is that this is a difficult sector that quickly becomes more complicated with each new technician that is added to your team.
You might have come to the conclusion that using spreadsheets is simply too much for you to handle, and as a result, you are seeking for software that is ideally suited for an HVAC business. You, my friend, have arrived to the correct destination. We’ve done some research and come up with a few different software packages that we think would be an excellent fit for your business.
The following is a list of the best HVAC software alternatives for your company:
1. Best small Businesses – Jobber
2. Best for Overall Features – mHelpDesk
3. Best for Mobile App – Service Fusion
4. Best For Support – FieldEdge
5. Best For Tracking Technicians – Intuit Field Service Management
What to search for in a good software for HVAC systems
Companies that deal with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are always on the go, which is why they want software that can meet the intricate requirements of an industry that is notoriously demanding. As a consequence of this, you should search for field service management software choices that have specifically these three qualities while making your selection.
1. A user-friendly and intuitive interface
If the user interface of your work order software is cluttered or unclear, having work order software with comprehensive and powerful capabilities is of no value to you because it will be impossible for you to utilize the software.
In some cases, it is in the eye of the beholder; therefore, you will want to be sure that whatever software choice you choose makes sense to both you and your team; otherwise, it is only going to result in difficulties further down the line.
2. A good mobile app
Companies that deal with HVAC typically have employees working in the field practically around the clock. It’s just part of their routine. As a consequence of this, you need software that comes with a mobile application so that your technicians can use their phones to access essential services such as billing and punching in and out.
The mobile app does not need to contain all of the functionality that the desktop program has, but it should have an easy-to-use layout and your staff should be able to access the tasks that are most essential to them quickly.
3. Powerful capabilities for tracking technicians and generating invoices
Capacity to swiftly and effectively invoice customers both in the field and at the home office is a crucial component of any field service management firm, including HVAC. This ability is required in order to stay competitive.
It is also very important to be able to track your technicians. This will allow you to ensure that they are taking the quickest and most cost-effective routes possible, which will reduce your expenses, and it will also allow you to know exactly where your technicians are at all times, which will allow you to schedule them more effectively.
The five most recommended pieces of software for HVAC systems
There is a wide variety of software available, each of which comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. We did some research and came up with five of the most viable options for HVAC companies, and then we analyzed how each one differed from the others.
1. Jobber is the best HVAC service software option for small businesses Jobber is a great, simple HVAC service software option that does a lot of things well, and its low price point makes it a particularly good option for small HVAC businesses that don’t need a large enterprise field service management platform. Jobber is the best HVAC service software option for small businesses.
It possesses a large number of useful features that managers will find appealing, in particular with regard to the process of invoicing. It assists in the organization of your invoices and makes it simple for technicians to prepare and complete invoices through the use of a mobile app while they are out in the field.
In addition, the software makes it possible for technicians to swiftly check in using the Time Sheet button and to manage their time using the Clock In button.
Pricing: The pricing is relatively inexpensive at $200 per month for 30 people or fewer, and there is an alternative for one person that is $29 per month.
2. Best for total features: mHelpDesk
Features, features, and even more features are what set mHelpDesk apart from other similar programs. When you finally get a chance to explore all that this software has to offer, you will be blown away by the number of options it gives you.
Its billing and invoicing tools are well-organized, which makes it simple to dial them up fast. It also demonstrates which bills have been met and which ones have not yet been paid for in a clear manner.
The user interface is also very good, and it includes a daily calendar that slides out from the main dashboard. This allows you to see at a glance what is going on in the current day. It gives an excellent overview of the activities that your business is involved in, and from there, you may drill down into additional specifics.
Additionally, we were impressed by their customer service because it is easy to obtain someone on the phone and they provide excellent assistance.
Pricing: The “Pro” edition, which allows you to manage a small team of up to three members and costs $169 per month (extra users cost $45 per month each), has pricing that begins at $169 per month. The third tier is $374 per month and allows for up to ten users (any additional users cost $35 per month), and it comes with a variety of other features in addition to bespoke job forms and 10,000 text message alerts. There is a Custom option available for companies who require an unlimited number of users.
3. Service Fusion is the best option for a mobile app.
We were particularly surprised by the mobile app that Service Fusion offers, which is easy to use, has a straightforward interface, and has everything that an HVAC technician needs to conduct his job directly from his phone. Even the desktop version is straightforward, and even those who have no prior experience with HVAC business software will find it simple to use. This is true even if they have never operated a computer.
Other beneficial features of Service Fusion include the application’s capacity to monitor service personnel while they are out in the field and the system’s capacity to make the generation of work orders a breeze by automatically populating the fields with customers’ names.
In addition, for an additional fee, there is a routing tool that provides you with the ability to monitor your drivers and guarantee that they have access to the most productive routes (and so you can monitor their driving habits).
Pricing: Although it is not free HVAC software, Service Fusion is one of the most reasonable solutions available. It offers unlimited users for each of its three tiers, with the Starter tier costing $99 per month, the Plus tier costing $199 per month, and the Pro tier costing $349 per month.
4. FieldEdge is the best option for support.
Because they provide such good customer support, which is essential when you’re getting feature-packed software for a larger team, FieldEdge is an especially good HVAC management software option for larger businesses that want to get to the next level. This is especially true because FieldEdge is a particularly good option for larger businesses that want to get to the next level.
This program also has a significant amount of possibilities for customization, making it an excellent choice for larger businesses who are looking for a software alternative that will fit them like a glove. You will be assisted by a representative from FieldEdge throughout the process of integrating data into the new program and teaching people to utilize it.
Sadly, this also means that the price point will be very high, which may dissuade businesses on a lesser scale.
Live interaction with QuickBooks and an integrated price book of HVAC inventory items are just two of the one-of-a-kind features that set this program apart from others.
Pricing: There is some sticker shock involved with FieldEdge, since there is a one-time price of $4,000 for remote training and setup before you can even get started using the software. Following a conversation over the phone with their customer care staff, we learned that the typical cost of a license is $100 per month per desktop user and $125 per month per field technician. Nevertheless, depending on the nature of your company, you might be able to negotiate better conditions.
5. Intuit Field Service Management is the most effective tool for monitoring technicians.
Because it was developed by the same company that created Quickbooks, Intuit Field Service Management is an excellent piece of accounting software for HVAC businesses. You won’t have any trouble managing the administrative elements of your company thanks to the intuitive user interface that comes along with this software.
However, it also works fairly well as a dispatching program for HVAC systems. It has a function called “Bread Crumbs” that enables you to monitor the routes that your technicians are taking, which enables you to either come up with more efficient routes in order to save money or simply keep an eye on them to ensure that they are driving safely. Bread Crumbs is a feature that can be found in this product.
Its mobile app is important for technicians since it has a straightforward user interface that displays the task at hand along with essential client information. This information includes the customer’s specifics as well as an estimate of how long the service will take.
There is only one version of the software, however it is priced differently depending on the number of users: $35 per month per user for 10 users or fewer, $31 per month per user for 11-40 users, and $28 per month per user for 41-101 users.
Now is the moment to do an in-depth analysis of your company.
In spite of the fact that all of these software solutions are quite good and that the vast majority of people will find them to be helpful, the fact remains that each company is unique, and there is no software option that can be considered universally applicable.
If you’re having trouble finding software, take a few minutes to jot down some of the features and capabilities that are most important to you. Either the accounting and administration processes have grown more streamlined, or keeping up with invoices has evolved into a time-consuming nightmare.
When you give it some thought, you might find that the things you previously considered to be vital to your company are quite different from the things that truly are crucial to your company. If you use this introspective approach to figuring out what is truly holding your company back, you will be led in the proper direction to find a solution.
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