ServiceTrade is designed to help your service organization be fast, agile, and efficient so that you can deliver amazing customer service. An important aspect of great customer service is quick, accurate billing. Without it, customers will be dissatisfied and leakage (unbilled costs that should have been on an invoice) will occur.
Depending on the capabilities of your accounting system, ServiceTrade may be able to integrate with it to eliminate double data entry. Integrations are generally designed to follow one of the processes below. If an integration is not possible, the following processes are still recommended in order to minimize manual data entry necessary to keep the systems in sync.
Job costing with accounting work order
In this option, a work order is created in the accounting system after a job is created in ServiceTrade. COGS related to a purchase order and payroll are managed in the accounting system. COGS used from truck stock and warehouse inventory will be recorded by the technician in ServiceTrade and later transferred to the accounting system when the job is closed. Invoicing will be completed in the accounting system. Optionally, the invoice total and number can be transferred to ServiceTrade
Pros
- Minimal change to current accounting processes.
- More accurate, electronic recording of truck stock and warehouse inventory COGS used by technicians.
Cons
- COGS associated with POs and payroll will not be visible in ServiceTrade.
Job costing without an accounting work order
In this option, all COGS are logged in ServiceTrade. POs will not be issued in the accounting system for purchased items. Instead, the ServiceTrade job number will be used to reference and control purchases. Technicians will enter any purchased items as job items and upload images of receipts to ServiceTrade in the tablet and mobile app. Payroll, truck stock, and warehouse inventory COGS will be logged in ServiceTrade. When the work is complete, invoices will be generated in ServiceTrade, then transferred to the accounting system.
Pros
- Technicians won’t have to call the office to issue a PO for purchased items.
- If job costing is not possible in your accounting system, this process will enable it.
- If integration between ServiceTrade and your accounting system isn’t possible, this process requires the least amount of double data entry.
Cons
- If a technician uses a ServiceTrade job number to make improper purchases, it will be caught once the vendor’s bill is received or the job is closed and reconciled.