Introduction

Mobility and field service: The talk has been happening forever. The idea that real-time information improves customer service and boosts technician productivity is changing the entire industry. According to a Field Technologies Online survey, 33 percent of sampled field service organizations said their top strategic initiative was optimizing mobile operations with the latest technologies.

What is the real problem with paper documentation? How are companies using mobile apps? What are the features that strengthen your business? What’s the best way to transition to a mobile app?

Working with thousands of field service companies, we’ve heard these questions a lot. So, we decided to share our answers in this ebook. We hope this information helps you think strategically about mobile apps and make the best decision for your business.

Chapter 1: The One Thing Robbing You of Billable Hours and Slowing Your Sales Cycle

You work hard to provide the best service. But paperwork orders, service reports, estimates, and other documentation rob you of time and money. Here’s how:

Paper forms make you wait hours or days for information

Paper forms take hours or days to return back to your office. Slow information delays sending out invoices and following up with customers.

Worse, your employees spend too much time getting information. They may have to run to and from the office just to get the details of the next job. This struggle means fewer jobs per day and fewer billable hours.

In both cases, sharing information via paper is a struggle. Going mobile removes this issue; all forms filled out on a mobile app are immediately available in the cloud. Receive information from the field in real-time. With dispatch, you can easily send mobile notifications to employees with information about jobs.

For instance, at the beginning of the day, you can send out mobile work orders to technicians with the time of appointment, the customer’s address, and a brief note about the customer’s issue inside the work order. Your employees immediately receive the information on their smartphone or tablet. Less time waiting, more time working.

You’re wasting that information… again

Even after your reports return from the field, employees have to type up that information. If you spend just one hour a day on data entry, that adds up to over 200 hours in a year.

More than time, data entry creates opportunities for errors. You may have heard about the National Health Service error where 20,000 men were pregnant in Britain. It wasn’t a fluke of nature, just bad data entry.

While hilarious, data entry errors are common. In field service, these errors lead to inaccurate invoices, incorrect purchase orders, and unnecessary work.

Going mobile dramatically reduces these issues. All information is immediately available in the cloud and can be emailed to customers or partners.

Furthermore, that information can be integrated into other software programs and databases. A simple CSV export makes it easy to take your information from the cloud into a variety of programs including QuickBooks, Salesforce, and more.

Paper allows for errors

Even before data entry, paper forms allow for a variety of mistakes. First, there are the forms that never come back at all. They get lost somewhere between the work site and your office. This can be a huge issue: one company found that missing work orders were costing it up to $10,000 a month.

Not only do you have missing forms, but also unreadable text, missing fields, and bad information. This makes billing and paying employees harder and slower. Going mobile ensures you get accurate information the first time. No more handwriting, just clear text. Add automatic time and date stamps to know how long your employee was on site working on a problem. Use your own list of materials, pricing, and more inside an app. With calculations, it’s easy to create an accurate quote on-site.

Tired of forms returning incomplete? Make fields required. One click ensures that these fields can’t be skipped.

Human error is a part of life, but going mobile reduces errors and creates more accurate reports.

You wait to get paid for

Even after onsite work is finished, there’s more work to be done just to get paid. You have to bring back the work order, fill out an invoice, and then send it out to a customer. This can add on days or weeks to your sale cycle.

But what if you could get paid on-site as soon as you finish? With GoCanvas, you can. Simply fill out your form, and calculate the price of the work inside the app. Our mobile payments functionality allows you to charge on-site. Accept credit or debit cards, or take cash or check.

Your customer gets a receipt in their inbox as a part of their copy of the work order or invoice. You get paid the same day your work is done. And that sales cycle that took forever? It’s done in one day.

Using paper for your records costs you time and money. Worse, it often causes more errors along the way. Going mobile allows you to get paid the same day you do your work, and share information in real-time inside your business and with your customers.

Mobile apps shorten your sale cycle, increase your billable hours, and save your office hundreds of hours a year.

Chapter 2: Improve Your Internal Visibility with Mobile Apps

Whether you have two or 200 employees, your business’ success depends on their hard work. Passionate, motivated team players are the difference between surviving and thriving. But in field service, your employees are often far from the office.

So how do you know which employees are carrying their weight? Time cards and field reports can be one way of trying to find out. But paper forms take time to get back, and are limited in information. Mobile apps can improve your internal visibility and ability to make strategic decisions faster.

Time and date stamps

Let’s say your paperwork order says the work took three hours, but what if the customer only remembers the work taking two hours? This puts you in an awkward position with your customers and employees.

By going mobile you can create more accurate records of hours worked. Simply open up a work order or service report, and the time is automatically entered. The app can even calculate the time worked based on clocking in and clocking out.

Time and date stamps ensure better accuracy and fewer issues for both invoices and payroll. Mobile time cards help businesses spend less on tracking employees and more on their actual work.

Pictures

Sometimes, the work you need to do is obvious. You need to fix a major water leak or install a heating system. But for some businesses, like pest control, the work can be less obvious. Or if your work is technical, like pool maintenance, text can be confusing to customers. For the office, text isn’t verifiable. 

Adding pictures can be incredibly helpful for your business and customers. With one click, a mobile app gives you a great visual. It’s easier to show termite damage with a photo than with words. Visuals make it easy for both your office and customers to understand. Photos educate clients and build trust in your work and analysis. Your business enjoys visual confirmation that work is either needed or was performed.

Dispatch

Sending out job information to field employees can be a hassle. Either they have to drive to and from the office between jobs, wasting time and gas. Or, they have to constantly check their email or phone for job information. How can you be sure that they get it, and follow through on the work? 

A dispatch system improves communication and provides more oversight. Dispatch with GoCanvas can also track the progress of these appointments. 

The dispatch feature will show when employees opened the dispatch when they started filling out the work order, and when it was completed. Sharing job information becomes easier, and you know when the job is done in real-time. 

Oversight is never perfect. However, mobile apps allow you to have a better understanding of field employees’ work — not only when and where employees work, but also what they do. Being available in real-time also helps you make strategic decisions about your workforce and ensure you have the strongest and most effective team.

Chapter 3: How a Texas Moving Company Saved $175,000 with GoCanvas

Highlights 

• Savings of $175,000 in processing and labor costs • Improved information collection 
• Stronger management oversight 

Apps Used 

• Bill of Lading 
• Damage Report 

Background 

Founded in 1996 by owner Kenny Baker, AB Moving has a fleet of 72 trucks, serving customers in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. The company is headquartered in Allen, a Dallas suburb, with 15 office employees, and all moving is done by subcontractors. The company and its 72 mover teams complete as many as 700 jobs each week. 

AB Moving has been moving homes and businesses for over 20 years. AB understands they aren’t just moving customer’s possessions, but their lives. 

Yet paper wasn’t serving the company well. In 2009, AB Moving started using a sophisticated software application to record customer, job booking, and move data. But drivers were still using paper bills of lading and damage reports. 

The result? All movers had to come into the office at 5 a.m. to pick up that day’s assignments. Though AB Moving had sophisticated technology, it struggled to get information from the field integrated back into its system. 

Brent Davis, the general manager, knew they could do better. “I was an auto adjuster for 17 years,” Brent says, “and was also the guy who test-piloted all the new technology. I’m just blessed with the ability to see how things can be done in the most efficient way.” 

So Brent began looking for a technology fix that would eliminate as much of the paper as possible. 

Solution & Results 

In January 2014, AB Moving made the switch to GoCanvas, the global leader in mobile apps for business. Thousands of organizations leverage GoCanvas’s cloud-based, software-as-a-service mobile app platform to replace cumbersome paper forms with highly customizable mobile business apps. 

Businesses can search from over 16,000 ready-made apps in the GoCanvas Application Store that can be customized to an individual business user’s needs. In addition, GoCanvas offers a do-it-yourself app builder that enables non-technical users to build their own apps in minutes. 

Over the past year, AB Moving drivers have stopped using paper and started to use Samsung Galaxy tablets and GoCanvas mobile apps. The company has discovered measurable results, including: 

Substantial Financial Savings 

Previously, AB Moving took payment with a manual credit card machine or over the phone. However, this process was slow, cumbersome, and had high fees. By going digital, AB Moving has lower fees, and estimates they’ve saved $125,000 in fees alone.

AB Moving’s previous process was also time-consuming for office employees. They would spend hours matching contracts and credit card receipts, taking credit card information over the phone, and printing bills of lading. By streamlining this process, AB has saved another $50,000 in employee time. 

In total? AB Moving has saved $175,000 by switching to GoCanvas. 

Measurable Time Savings 

AB Moving’s drivers work through many parts of Texas, often far from the office. Previously, all drivers would have to come into the office at 5 a.m. to pick up their jobs for the day. Davis recalls with a cringe, “If it was raining outside, they would come in and get the papers all wet. It was awful.” 

With GoCanvas, the office can set up all moves the day beforehand. The light dispatch feature allows AB Moving to pre-populate bill of lading forms so movers know where they need to go and what to do. The matching and scheduling process that once took hours or days is now available in minutes. 

Dispatch reduces the number of unproductive miles for drivers. AB Moving saves gas and time. 

Improved Data Collection 

AB Moving also receives stronger and more accurate information from GoCanvas. Previously, it would have to compensate customers up to 90 days after the move, since it didn’t have proof that items were already damaged. 

Today, movers can easily take photos of items damaged before moving. With all information in the cloud, the photos are easy to find and always accessible. Photos have reduced the number and costs of post-move damage claims. 

In addition, bills of lading are required by state law to be signed. Davis explains, “There are fines for incomplete forms. With the GoCanvas application, the movers can’t upload the form until everything is complete and it is signed. It’s bulletproof now, and that is saving us a lot of money in fines.” 

GoCanvas does this by easily making fields required. With paper, nothing stopped a form from being returned only half-finished. A driver can skip a field in the GoCanvas mobile app, but if a field is required, he won’t be able to submit the app until the required fields are completed. So AB Moving no longer struggles with missing information in their forms. 

Real-Time Oversight 

With a dispersed workforce, AB Moving struggled to get information about its workforce in an easy manner. Who booked the move? How did the customer hear about AB Moving? Were any packaging supplies sold? 

Today all reports are submitted immediately, so AB Moving can understand information in real time. The company is even taking this data further: data from each job is integrated with a home-grown application that AB Moving developed.

Through that application, Davis says, “Now I can see exactly what every mover did, who booked the move, the referral source, any boxes and other packaging supplies we sold. We can track anything we need to.” 

What once were disparate files are now seamlessly connected and available for understanding not in a week, but the very same day. 

Flexibility to Meet Evolving Business Needs 

As a cloud-based, mobile platform combined with an easy-to-use mobile app builder, GoCanvas provides AB Moving the flexibility to add new features and functionality to any of its mobile apps. As needs evolve and change, GoCanvas makes editing apps a frictionless process. 

For instance, as prices change, it’s easy for AB Moving to upload a new price list into its GoCanvas apps. The company doesn’t need to rely on IT support or have any knowledge of coding. With GoCanvas, it’s a simple drag-and-drop interface that anyone can use. 

Today, AB Moving has ditched paper for mobile apps. Having taken back time in the workday, the company can focus on helping people move easily throughout Texas.

Chapter 4: How The Best Field Service Companies Go Mobile

You know going mobile has benefits for businesses. But any change is an investment of time and money. So how are the best companies in the industry getting started with mobile apps? 

1. Start with a common form 

Choose a form you use every day. Maybe it’s a work order, or perhaps a service form. Choose something that you use frequently and move it to a mobile app. Starting with a form you use daily means you’ll be able to test it often and perfect the process. 

There are multiple ways to build your app with GoCanvas. You can build it from scratch with our mobile app builder. Our simple drag-and-drop platform makes it easy and requires no coding. 

Another option is to choose an app from our mobile application store. We have over 400 mobile apps in field service alone. All of these can be edited for the perfect fit. 

Don’t have time to build your own? Not a problem, send us your form, and we’ll convert it for you. 

No matter which way you go, choosing a frequently used form makes the initial process easier, and more sustainable in the long run. 

2. Think about the information you need and want 

Look at what does and doesn’t work in your form now. Are you consistently missing certain information? Consider making these fields required. Tired of inaccurate invoices? Calculations are a great asset to ensure accurate charges. 

With mobile apps, you can collect more information. Why not add a before and after image for customers? Perhaps add a coupon for customers in your PDF receipt. Automate labor, material, and tax calculations so your field techs don’t have to manually calculate the math. Or add barcode scanning to help your technicians understand the equipment they’re working with. 

Mobile apps provide endless options to engage customers and improve your understanding of your business. Depending on what you want to know, GoCanvas mobile apps can make that easier to find out. 

3. Test it 

To ensure your mobile app works best, test with a small group of employees to find any issues before full implementation. Often, companies will test with technologically savvy users and those more comfortable with flip phones. Have these employees use the mobile apps as they would in their day-to-day work. 

Test periods also help generate employee interest. Even during a trial, co-workers start seeing that using GoCanvas makes their work faster and easier. Employees begin to ask to go mobile! 

4. Be open to feedback 

To successfully implement your mobile app, you need to listen to the experiences of employees using it. Even after testing, it’s crucial that all your employees using GoCanvas feel like they can bring up issues. 

Sometimes the issue is small. One field service company struggled to implement because technicians had nowhere to put their gloves. With the gloves on, they couldn’t use the touch screen. By giving employees a belt clip, not only was the company able to remove the pain point, but also got more employees to use GoCanvas. 

Testing is crucial to help make the process smooth to start. Listening to feedback and addressing employees’ pain points will ensure wider implementation and long-term success. 

5. Contact us 

Every customer at GoCanvas is assigned a consultant. Available via phone, chat, or email, we are here to answer any of your questions. Something that may seem impossible, could need a simple fix. With years of experience, we’re ready and available to make your mobile app experience and adoption a seamless and easy transition. 

No two businesses, even in field service, are alike. However great field service companies use similar tactics to ramp up with mobile apps effectively. These strategies, from starting with one common form to feedback, will help ensure that your whole team uses GoCanvas and that it helps you do business.

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

Introduction:

The construction industry experienced an enormous amount of change in 2020 and the disruption will continue in 2021. The industry faced adversity in the form of economic challenges and a public health emergency that continues to put pressure on businesses and the health of workers. This will impact the decisions construction companies need to make to drive growth. 

Research from Deloitte shows the construction industry was better positioned to endure the COVID-19 pandemic due to lessons learned from the 2008 recession. It had better control over its leverage and credit, which provided a buffer against unforeseen economic shocks. However, construction companies continue to face cost pressures for building materials and equipment procurement. Many projects were also delayed and required permits often take longer to make it through the approval process.

However, these challenges present growth opportunities for the construction industry and mid-size companies in particular. Much of this growth will come in the form of new and better technologies, which will help companies work smarter and safer. 

The construction industry added more than $900 billion to the U.S. economy in Q1 2020, which represents the highest level since the 2008 recession. COVID-19 hit hard, however, eliminating two years of GDP gains seemingly overnight. Recovery may be tough, but it’s far from impossible. Below, we explore top industry trends your firm should consider this year, along with solutions to help you utilize them to your advantage.

But all challenges present opportunities for growth. The road forward is starting to become clear, especially for mid-size firms that can’t afford a repeat of this past year’s massive workflow interruptions.

Trend 1: Remote Connectivity

The work your construction business does onsite is inherently hands-on, but that doesn’t mean all your business processes should be hands-on.

Every industry has seen some degree of digital transformation over the last decade, but 2020’s lockdowns really brought one big thing into perspective: it’s going to be the digital-first businesses that survive and thrive going forward.

How does your management team collaborate when they can’t be in the same room? Do you process digital forms remotely or manage project data in one central location when your team isn’t in one place? Inspection forms, work orders, timesheets, and daily reports can all be streamlined with a transition from paper-based forms to digital forms.

Beyond its benefits in a post-COVID world, going digital translates to incredible cost savings for your business. Digital tools can help you:

• Streamline your sales and marketing processes. Take out rote steps in order to bring in more leads and close more contracts.
• Cut out inefficiencies and save money on administrative processes. Shuffling paperwork from person-to-person costs your business both labor hours and lost productivity due to manual errors.
• Hire faster and better. Free up valuable time your hiring team spends on administrative tasks and track applicants with less hassle.
• Spend less time managing legal issues and compliance. And spend more time growing your business.

Digitization isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a legitimate means to improve the day-to-day functions of your business and grow your bottom line.

If your firm still takes the “paper” in paperwork literally, then you’re doing yourselves a huge disservice. Mobile apps and other digital platforms have taken all of the paper — and even a lot of the work — out of managing the contracts, forms, schedules, compliance documents, and other essentials that you need for your business operations.

Here are a few key areas of the construction industry where digital solutions can simplify operations and save you serious money:

Maintenance Schedules

Keep maintenance inspections accurate by editing checklists, service bulletins, and schedules from a central, digital location. Keeping accurate logs is easier too when it’s done digitally. With the right mobile app, you can take a picture, tag it, and log it for future reference from your phone.

Work Orders

Modern solutions can send job information directly to your workers in the field to reduce downtime. They can also auto-populate data like material lists and customer information, eliminating errors. The ability to collect digital signatures is another way to streamline the end-to-end work order process.

Jobsite safety is critical to positive business outcomes for construction companies. Digital solutions can reduce data loss from lost safety incident reports to improve compliance and keep your workers safe. It also enables real-time intelligence from analytics to alert management of trends that require action.

Labor Management and Timesheets

Log and track breaks, work times, and safety protocols and training from anywhere, ensuring that your labor reports are always up-to-date.

Payment Dispute Technology

The right solution can help you document when work was done, so you get more assurance you’ll get paid for every hour worked. If you use an all-in-one solution, you can go paperless with estimates, invoices, and other critical payment-related documents so you can manage the full payment dispute process digitally.

Trend 2: Employee Safety

On-the-job safety issues can be costly, with injuries and illnesses costing businesses $170 billion a year, according to OSHA. But in 2021, we’re likely to see a much broader definition of what safety looks like — encompassing not just prevention of on-the-job injuries, but enhanced cleanliness protocols and a reduction in the number of workers per job shift.

Some of these measures are easy to account for. For example, expanded cleanliness regulations will require businesses to increase access to hand sanitizer on-site and forbid workers to share protective equipment. However, some increased safety measures will require more comprehensive coordination, and that’s where digital tools and automation can help. Digital tools can help you stay compliant with safety regulations, but they can also help you spot trends or red flags that might lead to costly accidents. For instance, some technology solutions can provide project leaders with instant snapshots of need-to-know information like which pieces of equipment shouldn’t be used because they’re due for maintenance. They can also give you confidence your safety reports are accurate and updated on a consistent timeline.

Automated trackers, forms, and lists help eliminate the guesswork and reduce errors in construction safety programs. Mobile technology and automation can improve safety measures that require a direct response to the pandemic. Use mobile apps to quickly and easily manage crew size and oversee orders of protective equipment. If your firm does temperature checks, you can track and log results digitally instead of manually so you always have access to the data.

45% of the behind-the-scenes work that your business does can be automated

Trend 3: Supply Chain Disruptions

The COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in resources and materials for 75% of U.S. manufacturers. Stable relationships with single suppliers — once seen as a mainstay of good business — will for many be replaced by a larger pool of alliances. This will ensure there is always a supplier ready to step in if a favored supplier falls short on supply.

Supply chain diversification could mean a big change in how your firm typically does business. However, this is a critical step to consider and can make or break your business in the event of future disruptions.

It’s no secret: adaptable firms persist during tough times. An adaptable supply chain will keep your business running through unforeseen disruptions. To start, make a deliberate effort to form new relationships with additional suppliers. This process can take a long time because it requires research, networking, and trust. However, your company will be able to pivot to additional suppliers if disruptions occur. Technology is here to help streamline this process, too. Consider a solution that can automatically populate forms with data you’re collecting about supplies, worksite inventories, logs, and schedules. That data can then be crunched into daily, weekly, or monthly reports that can help you see when a supply problem is coming. 

75% US manufacturers reported delays in resources and materials caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trend 4: Data Science for All

There are two key benefits of data capture and a strong data management program. The first is the ability to look back and understand how you can improve your business, and the other is the ability to apply predictive models to inform critical business decisions. Construction companies that undertake these efforts will realize a large competitive advantage over those who are resistant to change.

The good news is you don’t need a degree in data science to utilize data in a way that improves your business. In fact, you may only need to make a couple of small changes to leverage data in a meaningful way.

Here are the top ways construction companies and other firms are “upping” their data game:

Moving Data to a Centralized, Cloud-based Location

About 13% of a construction team’s working hours are spent seeking out project data and information. That’s a lot of time dedicated to hunting down information. It would be a better use of time if workers focused on quality work, job safety, and innovation. Instead of paper-based data capture or static spreadsheets across multiple computers, successful companies will shift to a cloud-based solution to ensure everyone has the same updated information in real time.

Auditing and Pooling the Data You Already Have

Odds are you collect data from apps or forms already, such as supplier or customer contact information. But does it get stored in one place? Does it get duplicated? Who is in charge of updating it and analyzing it?

An internal audit of your data capture procedures and an assessment of what data is captured will help you understand the scope of the opportunity to transition from paper-based processes to digital ones.

Automation for Easier Data Collection and Handling

We get it: Manual data entry isn’t fun. The good news is about 45% of the behind-the-scenes work your business does can be automated, according to McKinsey. This includes data collection and reporting. 

Once a data audit and capture assessment is complete, you can move your data to a centralized cloud-based platform. From there, you can use more advanced analytics tools to visualize historical trends and use predictive tools to anticipate changes in trends. For example, you may be able to predict when equipment will break down based on historical trends on equipment age, brand, and make. You may also be able to anticipate when you need to implement additional safety measures based on past incident reports. Data loss prevention is another advantage of digital-based solutions as opposed to paper-based forms. Workers may capture the data they need on inspections, work orders, timesheets, or daily reports, but paper forms are prone to be lost. This can cause headaches when it comes to proof of work completed and can result in lost revenue.

13% of a construction team’s working hours are spent seeking out project data and information

Final takeaways:

Digital technology had an outsized impact on the construction industry in 2020 and we expect the pace of change to continue to accelerate. Companies will need to focus efforts on technology-based solutions to cut costs and improve efficiency. It will be critical for them to accept constant change and adjust accordingly. 

Construction companies will need to:

1. Adopt digital solutions to replace manual and paper-based processes 
2. Ensure safety and health compliance through improved record-keeping 
3. Diversify their supply chain 
4. Take a data-driven approach to decision-making

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

Introduction

There are lots of factors to consider as you research new software. After all, your projects require a data model and workflows that other software providers don’t always understand.

• “Am I selecting tech made for MY needs?” Look for easy-to-use tools, such as a drag-and-drop interface and flexible design. The freedom to create and distribute documents quickly – based on your unique business needs– will keep everyone up-to-date on important changes.
• “Does this software reduce manual work?” A key benefit of investing in a mobile data platform is the ability to sync data in the cloud. Look for easy integrations to share field data with the office to improve the data you’re collecting. That way, you’re instantly sharing improved insights with everyone who needs the information.
• “Does this partner support my long-term goals?” The vendor you pick should feel like a partner on every level. After kicking off the project, it means they’ll still be on your side with a dedicated customer success team and ongoing recommendations to support your growth. 

We hope this guide makes your search a little easier. If you have any questions while comparing mobile data platforms, please contact us here.

The Challenge

A key challenge is removing the “busy work” that slows down operations for growing companies. Things like paper forms, data entry, manual workflows between people, and inefficient processes are examples of the types of hidden costs that stack up over time.

These types of issues directly impact your company’s bottom line in several ways:

• Higher operational costs due to inefficient processes that result in tasks that take longer to complete.
• Lost productivity when staff are busy with redundant tasks, rather than focusing their efforts on meaningful work.
• Duplicate work and wasted time occur when information is missing from paperwork or contains simple errors.

How Mobile Data Platforms Help

Leveraging a mobile data platform can help you avoid these common challenges. Companies use technology to streamline operations and automate how work gets done. Take Lumen as an example. Prior to having a mobile data platform, Lumen’s field operations staff relied on manual processes and time-consuming paper forms to complete service requests and reports. 

Their process involved sending a technician to a job site, completing an inspection form, returning the forms to a central office, scanning the form, and then attaching the scanned reports to their database entries. 

Seeing how much time was being spent by technicians to complete basic administrative work, Lumen implemented a mobile data platform to reduce the headaches from traditional paper and to give time back to their crew members in the field. Ultimately they reduced admin work by 35%, with savings up to $1 million in the first year. 

When manual processes and stacks of paperwork become too much of a drain on company resources, investing in technology can be an opportunity to reduce operational costs and enable growth.

Ultimately they reduced admin work by 35%, with savings up to $1 million in the first year.

Continue reading this guide to dive deeper into each of the recommendations and to understand how these factors can impact the success of your technology initiative. 

Buyer’s Guide Summary 

This guide is intended to be a resource for you to better understand mobile data platforms. As you research and evaluate software, consider these three recommendations: 

• Recommendation #1 – Select technology that’s easy to use and scalable. 
• Recommendation #2 – Opt for solutions that improve data processes and analytics. 
• Recommendation #3 – Find a partner to support your organizational goals.

Recommendation 1: Technology that’s easy to use and scalable

Naturally, comparing the features and functionality of products is often included as part of the software selection process. This helps discern what product features are needed to satisfy your business requirements. However, it’s equally important to understand how the technology will position your organization for success. After all the time and effort you put into the initiative, you want to be sure that the solutions fit your needs — both in the short and long term. 

What makes a mobile data platform easy to use? 

Overly complex solutions can be daunting to learn and difficult to gain buy-in from staff. Ease of use, both in the field and in the office, can be an indicator of how successful the solution will be once implemented. 

No-coding required 

Solutions with a drag-and-drop interface make it easy to design mobile forms without technical resources or coding. A modern user experience (UX) makes it easy to build, customize, and deploy mobile forms with a few clicks. While you may want to involve your IT department in the decision-making process, the actual tools should empower business users to make customizations without heavy development or technical knowledge. An easy-to-use software tool gives you the ability to quickly roll out and scale mobile form solutions in the field and customize them based on unique business needs. 

Smart form fields 

It’s helpful to reference all of the information needed in a single platform. Forms that can reference other databases can help to simplify data entry by pre-populating known information. This saves time in the field and ensures data accuracy.

Dispatch and workflow 

Eliminating manual work for staff should be a top priority, and solutions should prioritize automation to streamline inefficient processes. Capabilities like dispatch can simplify project assignments and workflow can enable multiple people to collaborate on a mobile form. 

Real-time data sync between the field and office 

Field workers should be able to easily complete all forms from a mobile device, both online and offline. This enables workers in remote locations to capture information and have it synced to the cloud whenever an internet connection becomes available. At the same time, employees in the office will need visibility into submission data in real time. Best-in-class mobile data platforms will enable sharing of information via notifications, emails, PDF reports, and pre-built dashboards to monitor and view the information in real time. Real-time data sync ensures that your organization always has access to the latest information, accessible from any device. 

Why does scalability matter? 

It’s important to consider where your business is going in the next few years and ensure that the technology implemented today will have the capacity to scale with your company’s growth. Some of the more basic mobile form solutions may only solve one business case for a team, but what happens when there becomes a need to expand? 

Implementing a pilot program in one focus area is a great place to start to prove the business case, but consider the other potential opportunities across all of your different business units. This can help you ensure the mobile data platform selected can scale to meet company demands, both now and in the future. 

Consider working cross-functionally within your organization to ensure different stakeholders’ needs are understood and the technology can support multiple processes. Scalability will matter when you need to roll out the technology for new or emerging needs in the business. 

The Takeaway:

Solutions that can balance ease of use, customization, and scalability will position your business to best capitalize on the mobile operations opportunity. These factors can lead to better adoption, faster time to value, and a greater return on investment. 

Recommendation 2: Solutions that improve data processes and analytics

It’s important to consider the technology and processes your company already has in place today. A mobile data platform should fit with the systems you currently use and it should help to improve your current workflows. 

A key benefit of investing in a mobile data platform is the ability to leverage field data and share it back in real-time with the office. Make sure that the solution you select will empower your organization to rapidly collect data from the field and instantly share the insights with everyone that needs the information. 

What type of data integration is required? 

Mobile data platforms should support data integrations to connect data from the field with the other cloud applications your business uses. Syncing data between systems can improve data quality, reduce manual work, and enable data insights. 

For example, you may need integrations with: 

• Cloud storage and databases 
• Accounting systems to process payroll 
• Finance systems to process billing 
• CRM systems to access customer data 
• Other similar types of cloud-based systems

As you evaluate technology, make sure to inquire about the types of integrations available. Some will be simple data connectors, while others may require a web services API to connect your data. While there may be some upfront work involved to get your data integrated, there can be significant time savings in the future achieved through a connected data ecosystem. 

How will data be used for analytics? 

Data analytics provide a way for your company to look for business trends and patterns. Identifying trends allows your business to take the appropriate next step and address any concerns or opportunities. A mobile data platform should enable and promote data analytics. This allows business leaders to dig into the data to better understand project performance, financials, and opportunities to drive business growth. 

You may want analytics to be built into the mobile data platform itself for better reporting capabilities of field information. In addition to native analytics capabilities in a mobile data platform, you may also need to share field data with other systems you use for analytics. 

For example, your organization may have a business intelligence (BI) solution that’s used for advanced analytics. Mobile data is one source of information that can be brought into your larger BI systems and you may benefit from having a platform that enables you to share data via an integration or API. 

Make sure to understand how data captured can be used for analytics, so you can take advantage of the opportunity to leverage data to inform business decisions. 

How is data processed and stored? 

It goes without saying that a mobile data platform should have the highest level of security and data privacy. The technology should be secure and enable compliance with any applicable regulations. 

For example, your business may need to be HIPPA compliant if you are processing medical information. Or maybe you may need to be GDPR compliant if you are processing and storing customer data. Best-in-class solutions will have the highest level of security and compliance, helping to ensure that your organization is following best practices for data security. 

The Takeaway:

Data is an asset that can be used to your advantage to gain greater visibility into your operations and used to discern trends. Consider your business data ecosystem today and ensure that a mobile data platform can enhance and support your existing business processes and data requirements.

Recommendation 3: Partner To Support Your Organizational Goals

Implementing a mobile data platform is both a technology and change management initiative. Make sure that you select a partner that is committed to helping you achieve your desired outcomes. You should gain a clear understanding of the support resources available and the roadmap for successful product adoption. 

What resources are available to help you succeed? 

There should be a proven framework for you to follow when it comes time to implement a mobile data platform. Vendors should provide you with a detailed plan for implementation, giving examples of how other companies in your industry have seen success using this framework. Typically you will get started by working with the vendor’s implementation and support teams to kick off the project and build custom forms and processes for your business. 

Once implemented, your business may also benefit from dedicated customer success resources to work with you to advance your usage of the platform. Ongoing consultation with the vendor can benefit your organization to take advantage of new capabilities, expand into other use cases, and provide recommendations to support your business goals.  

What support channels are made available? 

It’s helpful to understand what support looks like with a mobile data platform. Your organization will need to access resources like documentation, support agents and live chat, training opportunities, online communities, and other forms of self-service support resources. Proper support resources will ensure your teams’ successful adoption of the technology. 

How do you measure the return on investment (ROI)? 

With any technology initiative, it should be a partnership where your success is the top priority. Tools for demonstrating the return on investment can be built-in to the product, allowing you to visualize time savings and other forms of ROI. Calculating this can help you to showcase the value proposition internally at your company. The vendor should be able to assist you in making that business case for your company stakeholders and demonstrating how key business impact metrics are improving. 

The Takeaway:

Finding a vendor that understands your business, identifies challenges and opportunities, and works with you on a custom plan for success is crucial. Don’t overlook the people component when selecting technology, because, without the right people and resources, any technology initiative will fail. This includes training your staff, ensuring resources are available, and communicating how the technology project has brought value to your mission.

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

Don’t let paper forms and outdated processes slow down your business growth. Scale your business with the GoCanvas mobile data platform that is trusted by over 5,000 organizations worldwide. 

• A mobile data platform that’s easy to use and customize
• Supports data integration and offers built-in analytics
• A trusted partner with resources to help you succeed 

What are your peers saying about GoCanvas? 

• 55% reduction in time to complete and receive forms
• 30% decrease in time spent manually entering data
• 39% decrease in back-and-forth communication
• 18% reduction in risk and liability 
• 25% increase in work completed 
• 8% increase in customer satisfaction 

Contact our team to learn more about the GoCanvas product and we can answer any additional questions you may have about implementing a mobile data platform.

Introduction

In 2016, many U.S. employers were scrambling to prepare for a Department of Labor ruling that would change which employees were eligible for overtime. When a federal judge in Texas blocked the rule from going into effect, many companies breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure was off. Or is it?

What that impending law showed was that small businesses have a problem to solve.

Though paper processes are still prevalent in many small businesses, studies show that employees don’t like or trust those paper-based time-tracking systems. In fact, 37 percent of employees are worried that inaccurate record-keeping will mean they won’t get their full pay. Inaccurate processes also cost employers time and money — time because dealing with paper time cards is less efficient than digital processes, and money because mistakes in logging and rekeying can result in overpaying employees for hours worked.

37% of employees are worried that inaccurate record keeping will mean they won’t get their full pay.

Whether or not a looming federal law is forcing you to do it, take this opportunity to update your time-tracking processes to digital to not only improve your bottom line but to grow employee trust as well.

Here are four tips to help you make the switch.

Chapter 1: If you’re still using paper, you’re not alone (but you will be soon)

In a recent survey of American workers conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Canvas, almost half (49 percent) of workers said their employers still used paper to track time. But hundreds of companies every week are making the switch away from paper-based processes, recognizing that paper is slower, less efficient, and less accurate than digital and mobile apps. You don’t want to be the laggard here!

Switching away from paper reduces pressure on the back office to make sure employees are paid on time, which also makes for happier employees. One company that switched to Canvas for payroll saved two hours a day in processing time compared to using paper. But there’s another reason to switch from paper-based processes, and that’s trust.

Chapter 2: Employees don’t trust paper time cards/time sheets.

Of those workers who said their employers were still using paper-based time cards, half weren’t convinced their employer was capable of tracking their time accurately. Eight percent even said that their employers were “not at all” capable of managing this.

However, most workers said they do trust a digital system to keep track of hours: 59 percent said they trusted such systems, jumping to 68 percent among millennials.

Almost half (48 percent) said the ability to use their smartphone to input and access payroll and timecard data would make them feel more confident in the system.

50% of employees aren’t convinced that employers are tracking time accurately using paper-based time cards.

Chapter 3: Take this opportunity to further grow employee trust.

The biggest change employers can make is to do a better job tracking employees’ hours. If you are already making progress toward modernizing your time-tracking system, with the assumption you would be forced to track time accurately by federal law, don’t stop now.

This is still a great opportunity to modernize your old time tracking system. Digital and mobile timecards offer speed and flexibility (no need to drive time cards from the job site to the office for processing), accuracy, and protection in case of an audit.

59% of employees said they trusted a digital system to keep track of their hours.

Mobile timecards put workers in control; they can fill out and submit their hours worked from anywhere, and they can instantly be approved by their manager, the back office, etc., and sent to payroll without having to re-type anything. Mobile time cards also make it easy to differentiate between projects, what percentage of an employee’s time is billable, and more.

Because employees often fill in paper time cards after a shift or at the end of the week, you’re relying on their memory for how many hours they worked, which projects they worked on, when they took breaks, etc.

Mobile timecards eliminate the memory problem and improve accuracy — so you only pay for the actual overtime worked.

Chapter 4: Accurate time tracking helps you, too.

In addition to cutting down on timecard processing time and eliminating errors, accurate timecards can ensure you’re not overpaying any employees either, by helping to reduce unplanned overtime.

According to The Aberdeen Group, companies that used an automated leave management system — where employees can request days off without having to check in with a central gatekeeper — saw a 32% reduction in unplanned overtime.

Moving to digital also allows you to use business intelligence to analyze the data you collect with your digital time tracking, giving you crucial insights on employee productivity, overtime costs per job, and more. You will now be able to answer questions such as which employees work the most overtime. Which seasons or time periods are most likely to require overtime? With some careful planning, you can reduce overtime to only what’s needed, saving resources for when you need them most and better managing your payroll expenses.

Get More Out of Your Data

Once you start capturing your employees’ timesheets via a mobile app, put that data to good use. Analyzing your data over time offer insights you can use for decision-making and to gain a better understanding of how to improve the way you schedule, hire, and promote staff.

For more on getting the most out of your data, download: 

• See the Moving Parts in Your Business: Canvas Business Insights

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.