Job Management Software

Andy
Hell yeah.

Ange
Hey, before we get into today’s show, why don’t you come and meet Andy and I in person at Lifestyle Tradie Live this September. 

Andy
There is a better way to run a trade business if you know the right structure and systems. Register now at lifestyletradie.com.au to get your free ticket. 

Ange
Yes, we’re coming to a capital city near you. This is an event for every trade business owner who wants to implement systems to their business, change chaos to control, get back their time and make more profit. 

Andy
With the ever changing economy and the interest rate rises, there has never been a more important time to get your business structure right. Go on, you know you deserve more freedom. Now, let’s get on with the episode. Your team probably hates the word Productivity, because in their eyes, more productivity may mean more work for them. But if you want to improve your team’s productivity without pissing them off, then this episode of The Tradie Show is for you.

Ange
Yes, so welcome to another practical episode where you’ll learn about some helpful software options that’s going to improve productivity in your workplace. And get your team members on side who are feeling exhausted in their own lives and unlikely to share your enthusiasm for productivity. 

Andy
So Ange, what is productivity exactly?

Ange
So, workplace productivity is getting work done in the least amount of time without compromising the quality of work, the quality of a person’s physical well being, or the quality of a person’s mental well being. 

Andy
So Ange, did you know the average Australian worker produces about as much in one hour today as it took a full day of work back in the old days of the Federation 1901?

Ange
1901? 

Andy
Yeah, it’s a long way back, isn’t it?

Ange
That’s a long way back. But You know what? It is interesting. It’s probably not so specific to the trade industry, but it does speak to the fact that output produced per unit of input or productivity actually matters. We’re basically getting more done in less time. In fact, I actually read a report on the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission website recently. 

Andy
What were you doing there? 

Ange
I know,  I end up in a rabbit hole sometimes. So it actually stated. “This improvement in productivity has allowed incomes to rise even while working hours have fallen and Aussie households have been able to enjoy more leisure”.

Andy
Well, there’s no doubt about it. Increased productivity actually helps the common good. 

Ange
Yes, exactly. And you know what? That’s the point. So instead of demanding that our employees produce more, it’s up to us as leaders to implement better systems to improve productivity. 

Andy

Times change, they really do, and even when I look back into the early days of Dr. Drip, I can see how systems have made everyone’s life easier and more productive. 

Ange
So what do you remember most about the unproductive ways back then? 

Andy
Yeah, where do I start, right? We’ve spoken about this before on the podcast, but we used to use these yellow job cards and it’s the way we’d run our whole day. There was no technology. It was sort of the next step up of running a diary when you had a heap of trucks. And I felt like I was dead set at a casino dealer shuffling these cards around all the time. And the boys out in the field were getting them lost and they were getting misplaced. It was a tough gig.

Ange
Yeah, that’s right. But what about invoicing? I remember that this was done in the office and payment was chased up after the team had left the site, even though we probably could have been collecting money on site. And because of the boy’s poor handwriting, we were often sending invoices weeks after the job was completed.

Andy
Yeah, that’s really good for cashflow, right? You know, thankfully, the majority of trade business owners have changed this.  But you know what? There’s still so many of you out there that just don’t do an invoice, don’t collect the money, and you actually can. It does depend on the niche you work in. I get it. Depends on what you’re doing. But if you can get the money then and there, then do it because cash flow is king. 

Ange
Yeah, so are any of these ringing bells for you listeners out there? You know what I have to say, I am still amazed that there are still trade business owners and contractors who continue to rely on manual systems. No one knows who’s doing what or when and that’s the problem. 

Andy
In making the changes we’re about to discuss with you, we reduced the time spent on admin alone by over 20 hours a week minimum. 

Ange
Yeah. Wow. That’s a lot, hey? 

Andy
It was. 

Ange
So just the changes with invoicing alone saw us remove a complete human in the office. That’s like 70 grand savings right there. It’s incredible, really. And you can do it too, guys. There are three productivity software systems that are absolute non-negotiables for us. Andy, do you want to share the first one? 

Andy
Yeah, I mean, the number one life changing and productivity changing software you should have, hands down, is a good, I say a good, job management software.

Ange
If you’re listening to this podcast with a paper diary for work purposes, please, please make the leap to a job management software. 

Andy
Yeah, run! Don’t walk, because when I ask any trade business owner who does have a job management system and what they would say if I was to take it away from them, their response would be, no way, I will never go back, I’d be shutting the doors. And why didn’t I move sooner? 

Ange
Yeah, that’s right. They are an absolute godsend. So, job management software provides an online platform designed to be a digital replacement for the paperwork and the manual processes you once did for every single job. 

Andy
And all of your information in relation to each single job is captured in one central location. That’s accessible by the entire team in real time, whether they’re out in the field or they’re in the office. 

Ange
Yeah, it has the capability to be updated simultaneously from multiple locations, ensuring that no information is lost in the process.

Andy
It helps you business manage and allocate resources better because the dispatcher can see what is happening on one dashboard. All of the jobs across all of the trades people in one place. 

Ange
Powerful. And if the job takes months to complete, or maybe multiple trades people attend the same job, they can actually leave comments about what they’ve done or photos or videos of where they’re up to and notes about the owner attached to this one job. This is about no lost or forgotten messages floating around or post-it notes in the office. Everything’s captured in one place. 

Andy
Yep. I love that it makes communication between your trades people and office people more streamlined and transparent across every step of every single job. 

Ange
Yeah. So for those of you listeners not using a job management software right now, I understand that it can feel a bit scary moving from a paper system to a digital one, but it’s a step you need to take.

Andy
And it can also feel a bit hard on your head to learn something new, but let’s be honest, if you’re an older person like me, it can be a bit of an effort, but you can’t tell me that your young employees aren’t definitely asking for it. Like literally they are thinking you’re an absolute dinosaur if you don’t have one of these in place now.

Ange
You know what? I’d actually go so far to say that it could be one of the reasons why your employees perhaps are not staying with you. They’ve moved on simply because you haven’t moved with the times. 

Andy
To me, it’s absolutely no-brainer to adopt a job management system and once you see how much it improves your workflow, transparency, productivity, and efficiency, there’s seriously no turning back.

Ange
And perhaps the issue isn’t about adopting one and more about choosing the right one, which I could imagine lots of the tradies are saying out there listening to us right now. So how do you know which one is the right one to implement in your trade business? Do you select one for now or maybe where you want to be in 10 years time?

Andy
Well, the bottom line is every business is different. It works with different market segments from stratas, builders, real estate, residential, commercial, and perhaps you have a few variations in relation to how you follow the flow or process of every single job and that’s why there’s no one size fits all approach.

Ange
Yeah, it’s true of all software. What’s right for you may not be right for the next business. 

Andy
In saying that, there are a few options that definitely stand out in the crowd. 

Ange
Yeah, in Dr. Drip, we used AroFlo. We literally ran everything through there. WHS, when the boys arrived on site, we had plumbing inspections, quotes, invoices, all the payment, plus dispatch and customer details. Everything was in one job management system. 

Andy
Yeah, but there’s many members that use other systems as well that we work with like Fergus, SimPro, Tradify or ServiceM8. 

Ange
So what I would say about job management software is there’s always something new and shiny that hits the market like any other technology. And one major advantage when you invest in a job management tool that’s been around for a while is that the platform will get updated in response to what you, the customer, wants and needs.

Andy
And more importantly, you have the support when you need it. 

Ange
Yeah, look, that’s a massive one, hey. It’s an ongoing process of improvement.

Andy
Which I guess makes me ask the question, what if you’re already using a job management system? I want to ask this, are you actually getting the most out of its capabilities? 

Ange
Yeah, that’s a great question. 

Andy
I mean, most people aren’t, most people aren’t. 

Ange
We see this all the time. Trade business owners almost brag that I have a job management system and all they’ve really got is using the dispatch board and they’re proud to have these devices out in the field with their tradespeople. But still, all their invoicing is coming back to the office and the flow is so clunky. 

Andy
You know what? That sounds absolutely sh*t to me. That’s not using a job management system, you may as well not have one, really. Go back to your old paper diaries. 

Ange
Fair, and I guess the point is when you do adopt your chosen job management system, which we can help you decide what’s right for you, by the way, then you must implement the flow of a job correctly and stay on top of updates to ensure that you’re using it a 10 out of 10 and not a 2 out of 10.

Andy
Okay, so a job management system is the number one productivity software for every trade business, replacing those old yellow job cards, paper diaries, and that silo cloud based calendars. 

Ange
Bingo! So the next productivity software you’ll need in your trade business, I’m not actually going to spend too much time on simply because it’s a big must.

Andy
We must be talking about… Cloud accounting software. Is that right, Ange? 

Ange
Yes. With cloud accounting software, you’re connecting with your bank, your accountant, and your bookkeeper. 

Andy
For me, this is all around real time financial information, anytime, from anywhere. 

Ange
Yes. The old desktop systems won’t give you access to numbers 24/7, nor provide the capability of having, say, a bookkeeper or accountant being based anywhere with really easy access to your files.

Andy
And absolutely, most importantly, your cloud accounting platform must, must, must be compatible with your job management system. 

Ange
Correct. It’s all about having information move seamlessly from your job management system directly to the financial platform with no human intervention. 

Andy
Yeah, that is simply setting you up for human error.

Ange
That’s why we use Xero and we find it works super well for us. But you know what? Ask your community what works well for them. 

Andy
Ultimately, cloud accounting software will give you the confidence to make decisions in your business. And the beauty of having your latest updated report at your fingertips. 

Ange
So you do need to set this up right. Even your chart of accounts needs to be built correctly before you can pull out the right data. But you know what? That’s a conversation for another time. And most importantly, if bookkeeping is not your background or your partners for that matter, then we would highly, highly suggest outsourcing this task of setting up your new finance platform and even doing your bookkeeping.

Andy
Okay, moving on to the third productivity software, number three is project management software. 

Ange
Oh, yes. Project management software is the perfect tool for the office team. This is all about allocating responsibility and making it really transparent. It makes it easier to plan any projects, to allocate tasks, and keep your team organized so that deadlines and goals are met.

Andy
They’re about tracking the progress of every single person. 

Ange
And you know what? For me, it’s actually about getting rid of those thousands of floating post-it notes around the office.

Andy
Or writing a reminder on the back of a receipt when you’re in the car.

Ange
Exactly. So in business, there’s always lots of moving parts. You know yourself that things can totally get disorganized and chaotic quickly, right?

Andy
And if you’re not using our project management software, chances are, you and your team are wasting a lot of time trying to remember all the little details and then doing more work unnecessarily because the left isn’t talking to the right.

Ange
Yeah, it could be a bit of double handling like crossover of work or worse, things are either dropped or actually even forgotten because I thought you were doing that thing and you thought I was doing that thing. 

Andy
Doesn’t sound like fun. 

Ange
No, and it’s super stressful and tense to say the least. So in terms of productivity, when you’ve got project management software in place. All of the important details can be found in one single spot. And that way, everyone is aware of what needs to get done and by when, regardless of if the task is like daily or weekly, monthly, or even annually. 

Andy
And even it could be like those annual car registrations that once used to have the sticker on the car window to remind us, but not anymore. You only realize when you’ve got a fight in the mail. 

Ange
But that won’t happen anymore. When you have a task to do this two weeks before it’s due, it’s like taking your complete brain and dumping it all in one place. 

Andy
Yeah, and there are quite a few options and not to throw a blanket over all of the different systems, but they definitely share some key features and functionality.

Ange
Yeah, that’s fair. There’s usually a dashboard where you can visually see your work and keep track of progress. 

Andy
Yeah, there’s task management where you can write up all the details of a task and also set deadlines. 

Ange
Plus, they also have a reporting feature where you can instantly get the status of each project.

Andy
Yeah, I know when we had Dr. Drip our office team used to love this software and for me, I loved it also because it allowed accountability and I could see everything. 

Ange
Yeah. There are so many on the market though. So project management software like Asana, which is the one we use, but there are others like monday.com, there’s Basecamp, Trello, just to name a few. 

Andy
Typically you pay a monthly or annual subscription, but there’s usually basic versions you can use for free, which offer great capacity and functionality just to get you started. 

Ange
Yeah, that’s true. So we mainly use it to allocate and track tasks Against deadlines for the team here in Australia and our team who are based in the Philippines.

Andy
Well, to wrap up today’s topic, plain and simple, we are all better off as business people thanks to technology, even though maybe not. What I would have said 20 years ago, but you know what, guys? It’s all about harnessing change and definitely not resisting it. 

Ange
Correct. So before we go to Ask ANA Anything for this week, here are the three productivity software tools that will make the biggest difference to the way that you work. Number one, job management software. Number two, cloud accounting software. 

Andy
And number three, project management software. 

Ange
Yeah, there are plenty of other tools that will help improve your productivity, but these ones are your overarching most valuable ones. 

Andy
And this will give you something to think about at the end of our conversation about productivity software. There is a quote. Productivity is about being able to do things you would never be able to do before. 

Ange
Very profound. So speaking of systems and productivity and doing things you were never able to do before, this listener question is an easy one for us to answer. 

Andy
Okay, let’s ask A&A Anything segment. Let’s do it. One of our listeners wants to know where the heck the stall All of his trade businesses systems, policies, and procedures. 

Ange
Oh, can I just say this is not a sponsored segment, but we’re about to share with you what we use and why. 

Andy
Yeah, and we’re big advocates for systemizing your trade business and our loyal listeners, definitely know that. 

Ange
Yeah. So here’s the solution that we suggest. It’s a cloud based platform built for systems management called SystemHub. 

Andy
It’s a central hub where you can house all of your systems for easy access by your team. You don’t need to host your policies, procedures, and systems all over the place anymore.

Ange
Yes. So for example, we keep our freedom flow charts on SystemHub. So if one of your team needs to know how to complete any task within the business, they know exactly where to find it. We had over 200 systems designed for Dr. Drip for our team loaded there simply to make life easier. Actually, it’s what got Andy off the tools once and for all, which was having systems.

Andy
Yep. Ain’t that the truth. 

Ange
So to our lovely listener, we highly recommend you check out SystemHub. 

Andy
And, you know, I love software, but I reckon it’s time we wrap it up for the week. 

Ange
You know what? I could actually talk about software forever. 

Andy
Well, we definitely know that, but for now, we’re giving your ears a break.

Ange
Fair enough. See you next week, crew. 

Andy
Catch you then. Subscribe to The Tradie Show, wherever you get your favorite podcasts, rate and write us a review or for more information about Lifestyle Tradie, head to lifestyletradie.com.au.