Client purchased a service company which used a mix of off-the-shelf and custom desktop software applications to handle the entirety of their business.
None of the applications shared a database thereby requiring data to be entered manually across the different applications. Discrepancies in the financial reports,
inability to track procedures, lack of responsiveness to known bugs, and poor web integration in the custom software made the client look for better software solution.
Issues:
- Accounting errors
- Multiple software applications to manage the business
- Incomplete reports
- Developer non-responsive to updates
- Unable to track standard operating procedures
- Archaic method to track tech training and licenses
Goals:
- Design a single application
- Reduce complexity
- Generate in-depth reports across business
- Track technician training and certifications
- Design a customer portal for paying bills and scheduling a service via website
- Generate reports required by city, county, and government bodies
- Develop flexible scheduling component that allows assigning technicians based on proximity
- Shift toward paperless
Resolution:
Designed a single, cloud-based web application to handle all aspects of business including accounts payable, accounts
receivable, scheduling technicians, extensive business reporting, customer care. An API was built to integrate a mobile application with the web application.
The project included an on-line customer center for customers to pay their bills, schedule services, and request updates to their account information.
Features included
Accounting component
- Monthly reports
- Billing
- Paperless billing
- Payment
- Profit and loss reports
- Customer aging reports
- Web-based payments for customer portal
- And more comprehensive reports
Service component
- Scheduling
- Route adjustments on the fly
- Google Maps Integration
- Technician performance – training and certifications
Customer Service
- Customer retention program
- Track customer calls
- Procedures to create consistent customer service experience
- Ability to attach files, pictures, contracts to customer account
Mobile app for technicians
- Download Route
- Get direction to appointments
- Enters treatment and chemicals used
- Logs activity
- Take photos, notes and attach to account
- Collect customer signature
- Uploads data to main database