How HVAC Scheduling Software Helps in Managing the KPI-based Job Scheduling

With every new service request, job locations in the HVAC business keep on changing. Thus, it is hard to predict staffing needs in field services, particularly during peak hours. In addition, managing the regular staff scheduling gets more complicated with the additional requirements like adjusting the KPIs, flexible week offs, leaves, compensation offs, etc. 

Certainly, it is an extremely time-taking and juggling act for the field service supervisors and managers, especially if they are still practicing the old-school methods like using spreadsheets. For the field service managers, scheduling the tasks as per the KPIs can be so time-consuming that it may turn out to be a whole-day work. Thus, practicing manual methods to achieve skill-based task scheduling takes a big dig into the managers' productivity and reduces their efficiency towards other managerial responsibilities. 

However, KPI-based job scheduling is the need of the hour because ineffective scheduling impacts the productivity of the field technicians in a major way. Particularly, it hampers the first visit effectiveness of the technicians. The absence of KPI-based job scheduling may provide the HVAC technicians with jobs beyond the capacity of their skill sets. In such a scenario, the technicians fail to execute the troubleshooting at the first visit. They usually require paying repeat visits to accomplish the task.

As a solution to this, HVAC management software can help the managers with KPI-based job scheduling. The HVAC management software fixes all the complexities around staff scheduling. It facilitates automated scheduling solutions for big-size workforces that are working at different territories in rotating shifts. An automated HVAC software offers various advantages around job scheduling. A few of them are listed below:

Easy to Adapt

In a spreadsheet, marking any change in the existing scheduling calendar is a manual job, and it is heavily prone to error. Moreover, suppose someone else is asked to make any alterations to the schedule calendar. In that case, seeking the manager's permission can be a long follow-up process, which may require making phone calls or text messages and allocating access permissions for data collaboration. 

Manual methods are always time-consuming as well as error-prone. But through HVAC service software, managers can do the KPI_based task scheduling extremely easily using the user-friendly automated templates of the software. These software suites come with customization facilities in the templates for managers to easily tweak the scheduling process as per their business's requirements. It is convenient and super easy to give access permissions to other trusted parties in real-time. 

So anyone with valid access permissions can access the software and make any necessary alterations in the schedule calendar. Immediate notifications about the changes done are sent to the concerned stakeholders to keep them informed.

Meet Mobility Demand

HVAC management software suites also have the mobile app version to be installed in the smart devices of the field technicians. Having these apps handy on their mobile phones provide complete mobility solutions to the field technicians. They get easy access to their self-service requirements. For instance, the HVAC technicians can easily access their daily, weekly or monthly schedules anytime from any place. 

Whenever new schedules are made, or any alterations are done to their existing schedules, notification/ reminders of job schedules are sent to the concerned technicians, informing them of the updates regarding date, time and location. The technicians' attendance can be updated virtually using the GPS integration that allows the field technicians to share their live locations.

Visibility & Accountability

HVAC management software is designed to optimize the job schedules based on field technicians' KPIs, skillsets, availability, and location proximity. The software ensures that the most appropriate, rightly skilled nearest available technician is dispatched for a job so that the technician can reach the job site within the minimum turnaround time. It helps in improving the customer experience also because the nearby technician reaches the job site on time and renders the job at the earliest possible time slot. HVAC software also functions as an automatic notification portal, as it sends automatic notifications to the field technicians, informing them about the schedule changes. 

Wrapping up

There are many interesting ways to leverage HVAC management software. It facilitates effective job-scheduling based on KPIs, provides the field technicians with mobile solutions to access their self-service, automates the standard communication by sending them daily and weekly reminders. Also, the software is like a centralized database that stores all the enterprise data at one centralized location. 

The cloud-based data repository is accessible from anywhere, and many participants with valid access permissions can collaborate upon the data, share, use or retrieve it as per their needs. These features streamline the field operation workflows, facilitate easy performance tracking of the technicians, and enhance the field workforce's efficiency by providing them with the necessary on-the-move support to execute their jobs more effectively.