End of the Year Reporting?

End of the Year Reports are looming ahead... 

Are you starting to organize your spreadsheets and paper reports?  
Perhaps you have a database that has all of your 2011 jobs and activities conveniently stored.
How many hours will it take to prepare basic reports such as: Total Jobs for the Year?, or Jobs by Customer or Region?  Estimated Revenue by Job?

Spreadsheets vs Database?

Some of you are gurus with Excel and have created clever formulas and macros to slice and dice your
field service operation. Using spreadsheets is definitely a step above tally sheets, but spreadsheets have their limitations.  The data in spreadsheets often lack the "relational concept", so your reports may reflect general areas like overall revenue, or sales for your division, etc..., but the ability to relate revenue to a specific piece of equipment, or to a certain type of job by region, can present some time consuming tricks for the average Excel user.

A better way to Report on your Field Service Business

Most service companies can benefit from a database driven system that is designed with reporting in mind. A well designed database developed in house or by a vendor will save you many hours during the reporting season. You can slice and dice all the fields from your job orders and tickets to create meaningful and insightful reports about your operation.

Improving Performance via Metrics, KPIs, and Compliance?

Once you have a well organized database system, then tracking performance and performing "what if" scenarios become possible. Which key performance indicators are important to your business? Which metrics are you tracking?  How well are you complying to customer requirements and regulatory demands?

No Database in 2011 then prioritize for 2012!

Do yourself and your company a favor, after you slog through your reporting requirements investigate the many options available for a Field Service database system.

Cheers & Happy Holidays!

The FieldPro.