A contractor’s job is unpredictable. So when running a contracting business, it’s important to ensure that your contractors make it to the right jobs on time. That’s where contractor dispatching software comes in.
Contractor software empowers you to take control of your dispatching, scheduling, and other aspects of your daily operations. Dispatching is one of the trickiest aspects of a contracting business but with the right dispatch management tool, jobs literally dispatch themselves.
Keep reading to:
- Learn more about contractor dispatching software.
- Discover the best solutions to simplify your dispatching.
What is contractor dispatching software?
Contractor dispatching software simplifies the scheduling and assignment of incoming jobs.
The best dispatching solution integrates with the tools you already use to create a system that unites your everyday processes. This results in several benefits for your business, including:
- Time savings for you and your team.
- Increased efficiency.
- Better customer service.
- Enhanced customer service.
When looking at contractor dispatch software, the main feature to look out for is the solution’s scheduling capabilities.
What is a contractor scheduling app?
A contractor scheduling app is a way for you and your office team to stay connected to your contractors while they’re on the job. Use contractor scheduling apps to schedule your crew and assign them to incoming jobs anywhere.
When a significant part of your team spends most of their time out in the field, it’s difficult to ensure that all aspects of your business operate smoothly. This is why the best contractor dispatching software solutions include a mobile app.
Connect your team with a mobile dispatch app
A mobile app opens your line of communication. As a result, you can quickly send your field technicians updates on the job to minimize roadblocks and delays.
What’s more is that a mobile app allows your crew to:
- Provide real-time updates on job progress.
- Upload photos and other documents.
- Capture customer e-signatures upon job completion.
Not yet convinced that contractor dispatching software is right for your business? Let’s take a look at the benefits of upgrading your dispatching system.
Benefits of contractor scheduling programs
There are several ways that using contractor dispatching software empowers your team to do more. To give you an idea, here are a few of them.
Improved collaboration
For your business to succeed, your team has to work together. And to best serve customers, everyone needs access to the same information.
However, members of your dispatch team probably don’t regularly check in with each other about job dispatching and field technician assignment. As a result, efficiency suffers, and new jobs get overlooked or assigned twice by mistake.
Contractor scheduling software encourages cooperation and improves communication by:
- Immediately notifying your team of upcoming jobs.
- Offering weekly and monthly calendar views.
- Enabling sync with other tools to eliminate double data entry.
The result is that everyone has the most up-to-date information to do their job and keep your business moving.
Increased efficiency
It isn’t enough to get the job done. To maximize your team’s time, every task they do must be efficient. When it takes several steps to dispatch one job, it means less time for other revenue-generating activities.
Contractor dispatch software cuts down on the steps necessary to assign a job to your field technicians. As a result, you assign more jobs sooner, and your team becomes more productive.
More time to grow your business
Every plus of contractor dispatching software leads to the ultimate benefit: more time to grow your business.
Without the worry of admin work, you can contact your field team with a touch of a button and concentrate on more meaningful tasks, such as:
- New marketing strategies.
- Following up with leads.
- Building relationships with your customers.
Now that you know how dispatch software benefits your success, let’s discuss the features to look for when comparing contractor dispatch software options.
What to look for in a contractor dispatching software
Before choosing the best contractor dispatching software solution for your business, you need to know what to look for.
Here are some points to consider during your quest for the best contractor software solution.
Contractor dispatch that caters to your needs
The right contractor dispatching software for your business depends on your needs. So the first place to start is by considering your pain points.
Here are some examples of common issues small contracting businesses have:
- Slow dispatch of new jobs.
- Lack of communication.
- Difficulty organizing schedules.
In general, dispatch software solves these problems, but each solution has unique features that tackle these challenges differently. So it’s important to make sure that your solution of choice is compatible with your business.
Integrations with your everyday tools
The best contractor dispatch software connects your current tools to create a system that unifies your data and simplifies your workflows.
Think about the tools you most commonly use in your day-to-day operations. This may include:
- Scheduling tools.
- Navigation.
- Payment gateways (Paypal, Stripe, etc.).
The right contractor dispatching software offers native integrations with your tech stack to avoid disrupting your workflow and data accuracy.
Reasonable pricing
When it comes to tools that improve your bottom line, it’s about your return on investment vs. a perfect price.
There are solutions that cost thousands of dollars but support a large number of users, as well as free solutions that are a great starting point for new businesses.
Many companies offer a free trial, so you can test out the solution before committing. Your priority is to find a solution that enhances your business operations and brings you more revenue.
Now that you know what to look for in contractor dispatching software, it’s time to choose the best solution for your business.
8 best contractor scheduling apps
It’s time to apply everything you’ve learned about contractor dispatching software to choose the best solution for your business.
To guide you, here are the top 8 contractor dispatch solutions to simplify your dispatching process and save you time.
1. Method:Field Services
For QuickBooks users, the best contractor dispatching software is Method:Field Services.
QuickBooks presents some challenges to contractors. For one, there is no way to create work orders within QuickBooks, which is inconvenient when your dispatching relies on work orders to keep moving.
You can overcome field service challenges in QuickBooks thanks to Method:Field Services’ two-way sync. Create work orders in Method:Field Services, and immediately sync them to QuickBooks for a smooth workflow.
But work orders are just the beginning. Method:Field Services has several other features to improve contractor dispatching. Key features include:
- Optimized routing for quicker commutes.
- Automated scheduling with different view options.
- A mobile app for real-time updates.
- The ability to convert work orders into invoices.
Start off with a free trial of Method:Field Services. Once your free trial ends, Method has three pricing options:
- Contact Management: $25 per user per month.
- CRM Pro: $44 per user per month.
- CRM Enterprise: $64 per user per month.
2. Buildxact
Next on our list is Buildxact.
Buildxact is estimating and construction scheduling software, making it perfect for contracting businesses.
Save time by building your schedule directly from your estimates, or use their templates to make custom schedules. You can also send automated reminders to your customers and crew to keep everyone up-to-date.
Buildxact’s other features include:
- A workforce management app.
- Color-coded statuses.
- QuickBooks and Xero integrations.
Buildxact offers a 14-day free trial and has three pricing options:
- Entry: $199 per user per month.
- Pro: $299 per month for 2 users.
- Teams: $399 per month for 4 users
3. CoConstruct
CoConstruct is a contractor dispatching software solution made with the construction industry in mind.
This solution has strong job tracking capabilities and a mobile app in which your team can log their job progress. Your team members can easily “clock in/clock out” through the app, eliminating the need for spreadsheets.
For dispatching, CoConstruct’s iCal integration allows you to schedule your crew and set up alerts, so your contractors get to the right site on time.
Other CoConstruct key features include:
- File and photo-sharing capabilities.
- Schedule templates.
- Real-time reporting
CoConstruct’s plans start at $99 per 5 users per month, and they offer custom plans with unlimited users.
4. Procore
Procore is an all-in-one construction management solution with dispatching features perfect for contractors.
Procore’s solution is made for:
- Business owners.
- General contractors.
- Specialty contractors.
Their scheduling capabilities include a unified view of job progress and the ability for field teams to log job details directly onto the schedule.
What’s more is that Procore integrates with over 300 apps, so it’s easy to make it work with the tools you already use.
Procore has a project and financial management plan for $699 per month, and a project management only plan for $499 per month. You can also contact them to build a custom bundle.
5. Contractor Foreman
Next on this list of the best contractor dispatching software options is Contractor Foreman.
Made specifically for contract management, Contractor Foreman has several dispatching features accessible from their dashboard.
You can either build or import your schedules into the system and export them in your file format of choice. When the schedule is ready, you can share it with your contractors with the click of a button.
What’s more is that Contractor Foreman has several calendar views, including list and Gantt chart options.
Contractor Foreman has four pricing options which range from $49-$148 per month.
6. Jobber
Jobber is a field service management solution made for several industries, including contractors.
This solution offers flexible, real-time scheduling for home service dispatch that only requires you to drag and drop entries to reschedule or reassign jobs.
For dispatching, you have five different views to choose from to get a clear view of your crew’s availability. You can also compare the schedules of two of your contractors side-by-side and schedule jobs through the app.
Jobber has three pricing plans to choose from:
- Core: $35 per user per month.
- Connect: $98 per month for up to 7 users.
- Grow: $196 per month for up to 30 users.
7. BuildTools
BuildTools is construction management software offered by ECI solutions. Although primarily used by custom builders and remodelers, this solution works for anyone who manages projects.
You can copy schedules into the system or use BuildTools’s templates to create a custom schedule. Once done, there’s a “notify all” option to update your entire team at the same time.
What’s more is that there is a baseline feature that tracks any changes in your schedule over time to help you keep a clear record of job progress.
BuildTools does custom pricing, so you have to request a quote to begin the process.
8. FieldEdge
Last on our list of the top contractor dispatching software solutions is FieldEdge.
FieldEdge is one of the best contractor scheduling tools for field service dispatch. This solution lets you view your active work orders on a single screen, categorizing them as unassigned, assigned, and completed.
FieldEdge lets you categorize your field techs, allowing you to assign them to jobs based on availability and experience.
Additional features include:
- The ability to schedule jobs using drag and drop.
- Real-time information with a mobile app.
- Map-based scheduling for optimized routing.
For FieldEdge pricing, you must first request a demo.
The value of a full contractor dispatch software and management solution
You rely on dispatching to drive your business to success, and using contractor dispatching software gets you there.
The best dispatch software improves how you schedule and assign jobs to keep your team organized. The result is increased productivity and time saved to do other meaningful tasks.
Remember to start your search by determining your business’ unique needs, then choose a solution that unites your current tools to create an efficient system.
Get your dispatching on track today with your free trial of Method:Field Services!
Image credit: Drazen via Adobe Stock