For your service & installation technicians: How to use Intuit Field Service Management mobile app on Apple iphone/ipad or Android phone/tablets to access appointments, update work order status, access service history, capture photos, capture customer signatures, create invoices, and take payments in the field that integrate with QuickBooks back in your office.
Updated research from Corrigo Incorporated shows service technicians using the Intuit Field Service Management app on their mobile device prefer Apple devices. That said, Android is gaining market share with our customers, mostly at the expense of Blackberry devices. Click here to view a listing of mobile platforms and available features.
The following data compares the period Oct 16-Oct 23, 2013, to late December 2012.
| Device Platform | 2013 data |
2012 data |
| Apple OS | 54% | 58% |
| Android OS | 43% | 30% |
| Blackberry OS | 3% | 11% |
| Windows Mobile OS | 0% | 1% |
Since the holidays are coming and you might want to buy some new devices for your field service techs, let’s look at the details for the Apple and Android platforms.
For the Android platform (combined smart phones and tablets), we see over 250 different device models! Only 5 models were used my more than 50 users during the date range. Samsung is the most popular manufacturer for our users, with a variety of smart phones and tablets. However, the “ruggedized” Casio G’zOne Commando C771 is the most popular Android device overall, with 120 users during the date range, followed by the Samsung Galaxy SIII and Motorola Droid RAZR with 100+ devices each.
Disclaimer: these are based on users who logged into the system during the date range. Those who did not log in via their mobile app were not counted.
Learn more about Intuit Field Service Management for QuickBooks by calling 877-408-3356 or visit www.Apps.com
When you dispatch a work order with Intuit Field Service Management, your field technicians access the work order out in the field via either our app on their mobile smart devices (Apple or Android) or on a laptop via browser. While at the customer location your techs can create invoices, capture signatures, and take payment via our app running on the mobile device. Invoices that are “Approved” within Field Service Management itself will sync into QuickBooks.
Follow this process in the field when customers want to “see an estimate” before they can make a decision to move forward with the repair or installation work. In the office, the Manager role creates a custom Invoice Status inside the Field Service Management, such as “Estimate”. This status is not seen by QuickBooks at all, and becomes an ideal way for field techs to prepare estimates or quotes in the field that don’t belong in QuickBooks. In the Field, your Techs can use the Invoice screen on the mobile app and on the laptop with browser to prepare the Invoice in Field Service Management, and then save the Invoice into the desired custom status (such as “Estimate”).
Once the Estimate/Quote is created the customer can see it on-screen, or you can email Estimate to the customer for review. You can leave the work order itself in a Pause or Hold status (such as “waiting for customer approval”) for tracking purposes, or you can mark the work order complete.
Click to view larger Estimate
Once the customer agrees to proceed the Manager/Dispatcher can re-open the work order and re-assign if necessary. The Estimate remains part of the original work order. Once the work is completed the field tech may edit the Field Service Management Invoice to reflect any changes/additions, and then change the status from Estimate to Prepared inside the Field Service Management.
The tech can now process payment in the field, which will cause the Invoice status to change to “Approved”, or you can have someone in the office review and approve the Invoice inside Field Service Management so it may then sync into QuickBooks.
In order to follow-up with your customers with Estimates, you can create and run reports inside the Field Service Management to see which work orders are on hold “pending customer approval”, or to see which work orders are complete but have an Invoice in “Estimate” status.
Click to view larger email Estimate
More videos for your field techs on our Best Practices page.
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