Service Business Software

I had a friend whose books were (and still are) read worldwide. His books were translated into dozens of languages.  Back in the early days of computers (1980s), I tried to persuade him to use a PC to write his new works.  I told him how editing would be much easier, the benefits of email, etc.  He wouldn’t have it.  He liked the feel of pen on paper.  That’s how he’d always done it!  And he just had his secretarial assistant type it up when it was ready!

That was fine for him.  He had an assistant to type up his papers.  I was already using WordPerfect on a PC to write.

Nowadays, it would be hard to find anyone over 30 who doesn’t consistently use a computer.  If my friend had started out today, then I’m sure he would’ve used a computer.

As for any service business: Creating an invoice is just part of the process:

Talk to prospect –> sign them up as customer –> schedule job –> assign job to worker/s –> complete job –> record timekeeping details –> create invoice.  The invoice must then be given to the customer.  A copy must be made for the business’ files.  Then someone must enter it into the accounting program  (and if that uses pen and paper, there are several steps involved there!  I know.  I used to work as a bookkeeper in the days before computers.)

When the invoice is paid, again a notation must be made, and the accounting books updated.

At the end of the quarter, or financial year, more work must be done to create the sales reports, P & L report, etc. Clearly, using a software program such as Scheduling Manager Gemini, professional service business software (Scheduling Manager ) saves you many of the repetitive steps in the above example.  Our software does all that you need to automate the job scheduling –> invoicing –> reporting –> business intelligence process.  It interfaces with QuickBooks accounting, Sage accounting and several others.

There are also many other advantages to be had in using a software program specifically created for your particular industry.  You have accounting information at your fingertips, can instantly access each client’s data, and send out promotional mailings and e-mailings at the touch of a mouse button.  You can also take advantage of the route optimization features in Scheduling Manager Gemini, streamline job scheduling functions, run payroll reports, create work orders, automatically process credit card payments and much more.

Our service business software pays for itself in terms of time saved, and also better customer service.  The advantages of having your data in digital form are numerous: all sorts of business intelligence can be minded by analyzing your data on an ongoing basis.  That includes predictive intelligence – using past data, gained from experience, to predict future business patterns.

I didn’t press my friend to change his ways, and I wouldn’t press anyone else, but as someone who’s familiar with both methodologies, I would strongly recommend using the computer plus software method rather than the pen and paper method!

Take a look at our software, The Scheduling Manager Gemini.  We have specialized versions available for dozens of industries – see Industries.  We have a desktop (client-server) version and an online version.  We also have a mobile version which runs on Android and Apple devices.  This can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.  Just search for “SM-Mobile” (note the double quotes).  Read about Scheduling Manager Mobile. We also offer a Web Portal, which can be used by your clients and employees to see their data on the web, and for customers to pay invoices, and for employees to record their times.