There is no shortage of software available for the HVAC market. Vendors offer a variety of programs that can do everything from calculate heat loss to fully run every facet of a contractor’s business. Here are some examples of what’s available in the market today.
dESCO LLC
ESC service management software by dESCO LLC is a complete solution designed to manage customers, work, and finances of field service companies. The latest version, ESC version 14, was released in November and includes improvements to the desktop and accounting solutions, as well as introduces two new, redesigned, and native iOS and Android apps: ESC Mobile Manager and ESC Mobile Tech. Designed specifically with the user in mind boasts, each app offers more features, requires less connectivity, and boasts a simplified interface. Using ESC to automate processes, service companies can become more efficient and grow their businesses without the need to hire more personnel. ESC simplifies business operations and provides more control over people, customers, cash flow, and costs. It eliminates paperwork and bottlenecks from work orders to invoices and empowers techs in the field to do more, such as invoicing and processing payments — lowering processing costs and reducing collection issues.
FieldAware
FieldAware is a cloud-based, made-for-mobile field service management software that features scheduling, dispatching, customer management, work order and task management, quote creation, invoicing, and a customer self-service portal. With FieldAware, contractors can complete more jobs each week by reducing travel time and return trips, completing more work each week, improving customer referral rates, reducing errors (in the field and in the office), scheduling faster and routing better, improving upselling, getting paid faster, and reducing selling cycles. Companies already using FieldAware have experienced an average 20 percent boost in revenue and an additional 17 percent increase in profitability. The FieldAware mobile app provides complete customer details, customer assets, and work history to give the contractor a complete view of past work performed. The app allows contractors to take and share photos and use voice transcription to take notes and add detail. PDF forms can be completed on the device, as well.
RazorSync LLC
Designed to help small service businesses run more efficiently, RazorSync streamlines the entire service delivery flow from scheduling to dispatch and invoicing to payments. With RazorSync, business owners and technicians are free to operate efficiently from wherever they are using a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. The most recent update, released in October 2014, created a more seamless integration between RazorSync and Intuit’s QuickBooks Online, allowing contractors to have a more robust communications bridge for synchronizing their customer records, service items, invoices, and payroll with QuickBooks. RazorSync places significant emphasis on creating a natural user experience that allows business owners and field workers to be up and running within minutes. RazorSync will function without interruption and will automatically sync with the cloud once a signal is reestablished. Designed as a pure mobile-to-cloud solution, there isn’t anything to install on-site.
Wrightsoft Corp.
Right-Suite Universal from Wrightsoft is designed to help users accurately calculate residential and commercial loads; properly design and size duct systems, including residential, commercial, and high velocity; design radiant, geothermal loop, and solar domestic hot water (DHW) systems; produce automatic parts takeoff lists using parts and pricing unique to the user’s company; provide business solutions, including proposals, system comparisons, operating cost analysis, account management, and customer questionnaire; and prepare ACCA-, ASHRAE-, and HRAI [Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada]-approved professional documentation and reports. Using the mobile offerings, Right-J Mobile and Right-Mobile Consultant, contractors can give professional, customizable presentations on their companies; perform Manual J (whole-house) load calculations; automatically generate a proposal with a company logo; compare utility costs for up to four systems; perform return on investment (ROI) analysis; add accessories; create and manage residential replacement cost, pricing, and profits; identify rebates automatically; and more — all while out in the field.
Data-Basics Inc.
SAMPro Enterprise by Data-Basics Inc. is a comprehensive software suite for job costing construction, service management, mobile workforce, and back office accounting. Version 9.0 of the software, which is scheduled to be released by Jan. 1, 2015, will feature two new mobile apps — CRMAnywhere and SubAnywhere. The TechAnywhere application gives field technicians two-way access to current work-order data using any Android wireless device. Techs can change the status of work orders, record time, select inventory used, capture signatures, swipe credit cards, process documents and attachments, and more — all in real time. The system utilizes a proprietary feature, whereby a customer’s predetermined rules are established upfront during implementation. With these rules in place, SAMPro Enterprise can monitor projects as they progress and effectively manage the entire workflow of the company. Similarly, the Escalation Manager feature will automatically email, fax, or otherwise alert specified managers at the first indication of a predefined problem.
Sawin Service Automation Inc.
The Sawin Pro software solution is a fully integrated system that combines service/dispatch, job costing, accounting, inventory, payroll, and sales/marketing into an integrated, seamless solution for service contracting firms. The original program was deployed in 1984 and has since been re-engineered from scratch multiple times to accommodate the fast pace of changing technology. The most recent release in October 2014 included enhancements to the mobile solution and other applications, like Web Portal, Executive Dashboard, Barcoding for Inventory, and more. Sawin Pro offers contractors a single point of entry for data, enabling utmost efficiency and transparency. Increased efficiency can improve a contractor’s bottom line, and, with the use of a proven mobile solution, the return on investment is recognized instantly, allowing for manageable growth with lower overhead.
Mypointnow.com
VenturePro is full field-service and business management software specifically designed for today’s small to mid-sized contractor. The mobile-based technology features two interfaces: the desktop interface, which can be accessed from any modern Web browser, and the mobile version, which is supported on all Android and Apple devices. Industry tools in VenturePro include quoting, scheduling, dispatching, team and personal calendars, a PDF library, service reminders, integrated customer reviews, QuickBooks integration, and more. The MyDay feature provides technicians with all scheduled appointments and jobs for a given day on any mobile device. Once the day has started, MyDay shows what has been done, where the tech has been, and what is left to do. The software also offers connected contractor websites, which can generate significant increases — in some cases more than 100 percent — in organic search performance. VenturePro allows contractors to be more efficient, organized, and transparent in daily operation.
Xref Publishing Co. Inc.
The XREF Encyclopedia is a PC application that offers a vast source of information on heating and air conditioning equipment. The software comes in the form of massive searchable databases with millions of pieces of information including historic information that is no longer available elsewhere. XREF has no affiliation with any HVAC equipment manufacturers or any bias toward any particular brand. The Encyclopedia offers one-stop shopping for all of the brands’ parts information, and companies throughout the U.S. and Canada use it to compare replacement parts. New part number crosses, specs, and model parts lists are constantly being added, and updates are released four times per year, thus providing users with the most up-to-date parts data available. The database contains parts lists for more than 300,000 HVAC models, and the cross reference feature boasts a count of 1.3 million individual records.
Publication date: 12/29/2014
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