A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
Running a business from the road is a challenge faced by many business owners and managers, but with the increasing availability of business management apps, running your business on the go is becoming ever easier, enabling you to spend more time on site rather than in the office. Tasks such as invoicing, job dispatch and checking up on job statuses can now all be easily managed remotely.
The reality is that time consuming tasks have now been simplified by the many apps that are available to business leaders, but given the sheer volume of business specific applications out there, it's hard to know which ones are the correct solutions for your organisation. So we decided to conduct some research to discover the applications which can bring the most value to electrical contractors, and outline how they can assist you in running your business whilst you're out on the road.
Dropbox
Regardless of what industry you work in, Dropbox is one of the best cloud storage tools around. When you're on the move and need to access important documents, it's paramount that files are stored in accessible but safe locations. With Dropbox you can ensure you'll always have a copy of the documents you need no matter where you are. One of the best elements of Dropbox is how easy it is to share files between your employees. As long as everyone has access to an account, adding and sharing documents is stress-free.
QuickBooks
The QuickBooks application allows you to work on key tasks for your business remotely and gives you the ability to create and send professional invoices via a mobile device. If you run a small to medium business, you'll understand the importance of cash flow. Keeping up to date with outstanding payments and recording sales is simple with Quickbooks, as well as being able to produce and view balance sheets whilst on the move.
My Measures & Dimensions
The My Measures & Dimensions app is available for just $2.79 and is a powerful application for storing and sharing object dimensions. All you have to do is take a photo of the object you wish to store dimensions of and then you'll have the ability to add dimensions, arrows, angels and even text. Your measurements are automatically saved and you can instantly share them with your team.
Prontoforms
Paper documents are easily misplaced, harder to store and not as environmentally friendly as digital forms. ProntoForms is a fast and simple way to scale down paper usage which enables data collection in the field via a smartphone or tablet. The application is aimed at businesses of all sizes and data integrates with both Salesforce and Dropbox.
RatedPeople.com
Reputation is one of the most important aspects of any modern business. With information so widely available, it's vital that your company is shouting about the great things that you do. The positive customer service you provide needs to be placed in an area that potential customers can access. Not only does the RatePeople.com application provide high quality job leads every day but it can also help you grow your online reputation and ensure you're in the best position to build your customer base.
Elec Ref
Based on NEC 2008 code this app is a must have reference tool for electricians and electrical engineers. Elec Ref is simply one of the most complete mobile applications for professionals looking for reliable numbers provided by a simple interface. At $2.48 it's a worthy investment, providing a Wire Guage Calculator, Conduit Size Calculator, Transformer Size Calculator, Resistor Colour Code Utility, Motor Horse Power Calculator and RJ45 Ethernet Plug Wiring Reference.
Teletrac Navman
Our interactive tablet and mobile vehicle tracking app enables you to remain in control of your fleet whilst out of the office. It has been designed specifically for a touch interface and gives you the flexibility to remain responsive to your fleet, with the power to instantly view vehicle activity, communicate with your drivers and act fast to identify the nearest vehicle to urgent jobs.
Click here to read about how our customers utilise our fleet management solutions.