The right GPS tracking system will make your mobile workforce more productive and will make your company more profitable. But there are many companies to choose from. Figuring out which system is right for your company is not an easy task. Fortunately, the 2011 Buyer’s Guide for GPS Vehicle Tracking can guide you through the process.

As more field service companies turn to GPS vehicle tracking to lower their fuel and maintenance costs, protect their assets, and provide better service to their customers, it is beginning to be a necessity to remain competitive.

The 2011 GPS Vehicle Tracking buyers guide from SageQuest is packed with helpful tips that will make the process easier. The guide will save you time and help you make the right decision for your company. The guide will also help you avoid some common pit falls companies encounter when choosing a GPS system. Since picking out a GPS provider can prove to be a longer term decision, it is important to know all the facts and get it right the first time.

Download the 2011 Buyer’s Guide for GPS Vehicle Tracking

The SageQuest GPS Buyer’s guide makes it easy to decide if a GPS vehicle tracking system is right for your service business, and what you should look for in one for your company.

The 2011 Buyer’s Guide includes:

• How Vehicle Tracking Works
• Three Categories of Systems
• Choosing the Right Solution
• A Step by Step Approach to Shopping
• A Solution Review Worksheet
• And much more

Download the 2011 Buyer’s Guide for GPS Vehicle Tracking

SageQuest, an ESC integration partner, provides GPS fleet tracking and management solutions that improve the efficiency and productivity of mobile workforces. Unlike other providers, SageQuest focuses on delivering true business insight and the personal service you need to maximize your potential return. The award-winning product, Mobile Control, provides a comprehensive set of tools and the flexibility to fit the needs of virtually any mobile workforce.

There is already a second version of ESC Mobile for Windows Phone 7 with many off the promised new features.

The new features of the Windows Phone 7 app include signature capture, the ability to add and modify equipment, and the ability to modify status change times, and a quick way to bring up directions or change status.

The signature capture is now part of the summary screen. There is a line in the summary that reminds the technician when the customer’s signature has not been captured. The screen shots below show where you enter the signature for capture and the screen you can show to customers to sign.

Signature Capture:

You are also now able to add new equipment from the Equipment screen. The equipment will be added to the ESC database when the dispatch is completed and marked as “Finished.” The screen shots below show the equipment the customer has and the screen you would use to add new equipment.

Add\Download Equipment:

You are also now able to modify the status change time before the status change is sent back to ESC. When you select a new status code you are given the option to edit the time. However, once the status has been changed and sent to ESC, you are not able to change the status. The screen shots below show where and how you can choose to edit the status change time.

Modify Status Change Time:

You also now have the ability to bring up Bing Maps by long tapping on the customer’s address on the dispatch screen. You can also change the status by long tapping on the current status code. These functions also work by using the icons at the bottom of the Dispatch screen, but this provides another easy way to do it.

If you haven’t tried the ESC Mobile app for the Windows Phone 7, you can download it in the Windows Phone 7 app store or through Zune.

Also, if you are of the iPhone or Android persuasion, you can download the ESC Mobile app for those devices in their respective app stores. Get the iPhone app here or the Android app here.

All the apps are free to download and come with a connection to a sample database, so even if you are not an ESC Mobile or even an ESC customer, you can try the apps and see how they will work for you, your technicians, and your business.

More and more field service companies are turning to GPS vehicle tracking to lower vehicle fuel and maintenance costs, protect their assets, and provide better service to their customers.

However, companies thinking using this technology to build their business need to get a grasp on what kind of return on their investment to expect. As with any capital improvement project, you need to know what kind of return on your investment you should expect before investing.

The math for calculating ROI is simple, but determining the realized benefit and total investment cost to getting there is challenging. SageQuest’s ROI guide will help you know where to start, show you what numbers you need to know, and share stories of businesses that have benefited by using GPS vehicle tracking. You can download the guide at sage-quest.com/roiguide or by clicking the link below.

Download the 4 Steps to Understanding ROI for GPS Vehicle Tracking

SageQuest’s guide takes away the guessing game that comes along with deciding if a GPS vehicle tracking system is right for your service business. The guide offers the key information that demonstrates both the potential savings and added values a vehicle GPS system can produce.

The guide includes:

• The 4 easy steps to understanding ROI
• Key ways you can save
• A complete example with real numbers
• A fill-in worksheet to calculate your own ROI
• Examples of customer savings

Download the 4 Steps to Understanding ROI for GPS Vehicle Tracking

SageQuest, an ESC integration partner, provides GPS fleet tracking and management solutions that improve the efficiency and productivity of mobile workforces. Unlike other providers, SageQuest focuses on delivering true business insight and the personal service you need to maximize your potential return. The award-winning product, Mobile Control, provides a comprehensive set of tools and the flexibility to fit the needs of virtually any mobile workforce.

See the details of each service dispatch.

With ESC Mobile, you get instant access to your ESC service dispatches in the field. ESC Mobile dispatching works with the ESC desktop software to give you instant access to your service dispatches on your Windows Phone 7.

With this app, you have the ability to track and modify the jobs you’re working on, giving office personnel real-time updates. You can try this app with your Window’s Phone 7 even if you do not currently have the ESC desktop software.

With the ESC Mobile, service technicians in the field are able to see all the information pertaining to the dispatches they have been assigned to complete.

ESC Mobile for the Windows Phone 7 works with the latest Version 11 release of ESC Service Software.

Install the Windows Phone 7 app today!

Why get the ESC Mobile on your Windows Phone 7:

• Instantly access critical dispatch and work-order information in the field
• Spend less time calling the office to give and get updates on jobs
• Add dispatch notes, send status updates, and send text message to the instantly back in ESC
• Quickly get detailed customer location information, equipment details, and service agreement information before arriving on site
• See complete service history of all the work previously preformed for the customer, including who did it, when it happened, and how much was charged
• Create new dispatches and customers
• Use the phone’s built in GPS and Bing Maps to get detailed driving directions and maps to the customer’s location
• Captures GPS data and sends it back to ESC so it can be viewed on the dispatch board (MapPoint integration required)
• Use real-time status updates to track time spent traveling to and working on each job
• Attach photos from the phone’s camera to dispatches to create a record of work completed
• View files that are attached to the customer or dispatch (Word, Excel, PDF, text, images)
• Use the phone’s camera to take pictures of completed work and attach them to dispatches
• Build invoices and email them to customers in the field
• Process cash and check payments as well as credit card payments with QuickBooks Merchant Services
• The ability to call or email a customer contact by touching the hyperlink

The ESC Mobile dispatching is a simple and affordable way to outfit your field technicians with real-time job information and time tracking. ESC Mobile is designed to work with ESC Service Software, used by over 5,000 HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Equipment, and other service contractors in the United States and Canada.

Below are several screen shots of the new app:

See the list of upcoming service dispatches

Get maps and driving directions to your customer's locations

Create invoices in the field

Log cash, check, and credit card payments

Process credit cards with Intuit Merchant Services

Get a detailed summary of each dispatch

Install the Windows Phone 7 app today!

The following article, by VP of Operations Eric Rausin, is from the November ESC Newsletter. You can subscribe to the monthly newsletter by clicking here and filling out the short form.

They say change is inevitable. I believe this to be true (unless you’re dealing with vending machines) and a lot of interesting changes are sweeping the mobile landscape right now. Just three years ago Apple changed the mobile playing field with the introduction of the iPhone. A few months ago sales of iPhones were eclipsed by sales of Android, Google’s phone operating system. Now Microsoft and Blackberry have both released new phone based operating systems. With all these choices, it can be difficult to determine which mobile solution will best meet your needs when it comes to integrating with ESC. I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you exactly what we’re doing so you can make an informed decision.

Let’s start out with the new technology. A few months ago we converted our existing Mobile Web product to work on both the iPhone/iPad and Android operating systems. While this initially didn’t add any features, it allowed us to radically overhaul the interface to make it much prettier and touch screen friendly. In the most recent versions of those apps we were able to take advantage of the power of the devices and added the following features:

• Attach pictures – you can now take pictures with your phone and attach them to the dispatch itself. This is a huge time saver and a great way to document the work you’ve done.
• View attached documents – view and recall a complete list of documents attached to the customer’s location from your phone. You can recall and view any document your phone can open but you will not be able to make any changes to them. This is a perfect way to view previous pictures or letters while in the field.
• GPS Integration – using the built-in GPS on your phone you can now see your technician’s trucks appear directly on the map in your Electronic Dispatch Board. No more guessing who the closest tech is to a call, now you can see it instantly.
• Turn by turn directions – So the tech doesn’t know how to get to the customer’s site? No problem. We’ll send the address of their next call to the devices built in mapping application so they can get exact directions to the customer’s location from where ever they are.

The android and iPhone apps also allow you to create and email invoices in the field.

Speaking of which, the Windows Mobile 7 client will feature full invoicing capabilities, as well as the ability to take payments and even authorize credit cards (in conjunction with QuickBooks Merchant Services). Once the invoice is saved it can be emailed to the customer, sent to an email enabled printer (see my review of one in next month’s newsletter), or printed out at the office and mailed to the customer.

The Mobile 7 client doesn’t currently have the ability to attach pictures, view attached documents or integrate with the built-in GPS but, just like the invoicing features are coming to the iPhone and Android clients, these features will be added to the Mobile 7 client over the next couple of months. We plan on keeping the feature set for all three of these clients as similar as possible.

These clients are the future of mobile computing at dESCO, and now that the price of these devices and software is so affordable – there is really no excuse not to go mobile. As you can see, we’ll definitely be there for you – now and for a long time to come!

We are pleased to announce the official release of ESC Mobile Web for the iPhone/iPad and Android based phones. We have customized both applications to make full use of the device’s touch screens and feature the following abilities:

• View complete dispatch information
• Change dispatch status
• Track time spent on jobs
• Add dispatch notes
• Create new customer records
• Create new dispatches
• Send text messages to the office

The applications work with the ESC desktop software through a link to the Connections Server in your office, so you will need a connection to the Internet to use the software. The link is in real-time, so any changes you make, either from the office or from in the field on the phone, are instantly visible on the other. This gives you unlimited flexibility in scheduling.

Both apps include a connection to a demo database. This means that you can download the app today and see exactly how it will work for you in the field without any setup or commitment. Once you are ready to buy this add-on, just give us a call at 800-226-7529 and we’ll help you get everything working perfectly with your database for just a small monthly fee per user.

You can download the iPhone app directly from iTunes for free by searching for ESC Mobile or viewing this link. Please note this app looks fantastic on the iPad as well.

You can download the Android app for free directly from doubleTwist, the Android store, by clicking this link. You can also download the app by scanning the following QR code with a bar code scanner application on your phone.

It seems today everyone has a cell phone (or even two). A device that was once the plaything of the rich is now a part of everyday life, both personal and professional.

The question then is should there be a line between how cell phones are used for business and personal matters? It makes sense to carry one device, to receive calls from your spouse and your boss on the same phone, but is it a good idea to rely on your technicians to use their own cell phones to receive dispatches and business information or is it better to have your technicians carry company phones to do use to do business.

One obvious question is information security. It might be wise to have your technicians use company phones if they’re downloading price books or customer details that you would want returned and secured if they are fired or quit. If that information is on the tech’s own phone it may be difficult to secure that information. However, if they’re using a work phone, that would get turned in along with their truck and keys at the end of their tenure.

On the other hand, if the work related information is not downloaded to their phone, but simply accessed through the internet, it doesn’t seem to make as much of a difference if they use their own phone or a work phone. In this scenario, it’s not the device that holds the information but the login credentials that grant access to the information. Under these circumstances, if the tech is no longer working for you, you change their login codes so they can no longer access your company information. This way it doesn’t matter that they used their personal phone to access your business information or if you issued them a company phone.

Many technicians might want to use their personal phone for business if only to avoid having to carry more than one phone with them at a time. Also, keeping contacts’ phone numbers synced across two devices might be more trouble than it’s worth. Others may want to have a better separation of their work and personal phone numbers, making it easier to switch off on the weekends and after quitting time.

Do your techs use personal phones for business or do they get company phones, and why?

You’re not going to get paid on time for every job you do. Sometimes the situation just gets out of your control. It’s a fact of life. Fortunately for service contractors, three of the most common reasons service contractors are not paid on time are within your control.

Before reading on, take a quick second to glance over the bolded heading below. If you can honestly say that your company has never lost revenue or had their cash flow suffer due to late payer, skip this post or try reading something like this, this, or this.

Lost Invoices

It’s amazing how generous service contractors can be. However, to get paid on time, you need to avoid the accidental freebie jobs. Invoices and completed work orders shouldn’t be filed under the seat in your tech’s vehicle. But somehow, it’s still a regular occurrence to find old invoices there when cleaning out the truck. If the customer doesn’t get the invoice, you’re certainly not going to get paid.

Your business needs a system to follow every job through from beginning to end to make sure that nothing gets lost in the shuffle and business of every working day. Your company should have a method to track each customer from the time they call requesting service, through the time your techs get the job, through the time they finish the work, through the time the customer receives the invoice, to the time you receive the money. Any gap in this work flow can mean lost revenue or a delay in cash flow.

Delayed Invoices

Customers–more than ever in this Internet age–expect to get their invoices right away. Many contractors, especially if they also work in the field, don’t keep up with their office work. That means that there can be quite a gap in time between when you do work and when your customer sees the bill.

It’s hard to expect timely payment from a customer, when it’s been so long since you completed the job that they hardly remember what the invoice is for. Customers have become used to receiving bills immediately. They’re also becoming more used to having invoices emailed to them, and then being able to pay those invoices online. To get paid quickly, it is important to bill quickly, in the field as soon as the job is completed if possible. When techs are able to create invoices and collect money via checks or credit cards for work they do in the field, you are far less likely to wind up waiting for payment or losing out on uncollected revenue.

Invoicing with Terms

The terms you offer can also have a negative impact on cash flow and timeliness of payments. Giving a customer 15 or 30 days to pay by cash or check invites the possibility of the customer forgetting about the invoice. Some contractors have gotten fed up with the issue of late cash or check payments and have just started to require customers to have a credit card on file.

Contractors that balk at having to pay 3% to the credit card companies often forget the cost of uncollected debt and the time and effort of having to call up and remind customers of past due invoices. Being able to capture signatures and accept credit cards in the field can be the difference between having a healthy cash flow and constantly be waiting on customers to pay their bills.

A predictable cash flow is incredibly valuable to service contractors. Your employees and vendors expect to be paid on time, and so should you. Putting systems in place to track work and invoices, making sure customers are billed quickly, and avoiding invoicing with terms are all ways to make sure you get paid on time.

What are some other ways to make sure you are paid in a timely fashion? Leave your ideas in the comments.