The post Jobs on Okappy – v2 appeared first on Okappy.
]]>After a lot of work, we’re happy to announce the release of our new job page which is cleaner, faster and hopefully makes it more easy to see which filters you have applied.
The changes
- We’ve moved the job button to the top of the screen so it’s more readily available.
- The layout of the top navigation bar has been improved and simplified.
- The job filter is now in the middle of the page and away from the global search. This helps differentiate between the two and makes it more obvious when a filter has been selected.
- When you sort on a column, the colour of the relevant column header changes to make it stand out
- The calendar and job settings buttons are now bigger and more easy to see.
New scheduling view
- We’ve added a new scheduler view which which allows you to more easily see at a glance who is doing what and when.
- The scheduler is available by clicking on the Calendar icon and then day view.
- Each of your engineers and subcontractor are listed down the side of the page with their jobs listed horizontally.
- You can also view all jobs for the week or month in the same way as you can on other calendar software.
We hope you like the new features. We’re also interested in your comments or suggestions, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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]]>The post Top 5 Ways to Make Your Business More Efficient appeared first on Okappy.
]]>If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for ways to make your business more efficient. I speak with small and medium business owners on a daily basis, and I find it’s something even the best companies can improve on. Our 5 top tips for making your business more efficient was recently published on Fresh Business Thinking. The article generated a lot of interest as improving efficiency is an area that the best companies are always keen to improve on.
But if you’re a drainage or electrical contractor, what does efficiency mean? Efficiency is a broad term that could mean a lot of things. But what it really boils down to is one question: how can my company make the biggest profit in the smallest amount of time?
Check out the following tips from the article and learn how you could increase profit in the smallest amount of time.
- Figure out how much money you’re throwing away. Then find a way to reduce it
- Use your time more effectively
- Help your employees do their jobs better
- Ask your employees how you can improve
- Don’t give your customers a reason to go elsewhere
Find out more below.
1. Figure out how much money you’re throwing away. Then find a way to reduce it.
How often do you lose money because of simple mistakes, like missing a job or sending out an invoice with incorrect details? How often are your invoices delayed or forgotten and how often do you spend hours searching for information to answer a complaint from a customer?
Even if you accept that a certain amount of waste is inevitable, the fact is that lots of small costs can add up over the year, potentially taking a large chunk out of your profits. Take time out each month to analyse your business. Look at your accounts to see what money is being spent and what costs could be reduced. Keep a note of mistakes and review them periodically and also jot down ideas for improvements as they arise.
With Okappy’s job management software you can quickly search for information and generate reports to show you which jobs have been done for each customer, by each employee or at different site addresses. This could help you work out which jobs or customers are profitable and which are not. You can view your invoices through Okappy, or analyse your costs in your favourite accounting package.
2. Use your time more effectively
In a nutshell, time is money – or the potential to make money. The more time you waste on inefficient activities, the less free time you have to spend doing productive activities that will help your business grow.
Michael Gerber, in his world-famous book ‘The E-myth revisited – Why most small businesses fail and what to do about it’, stresses that one of the reasons businesses fail is that the owners spend too much time on day-to-day tasks. So if you are a small business owner, it’s vitally important to spend enough time steering your ship in the right direction.
One of the most common ways our clients improve their time efficiency is by using Okappy’s job management features. Because Okappy provides you with the real-time status of all your jobs, you spend less time chasing for their status. In addition, you and your employees can spend less time filling out and duplicating job sheets, as all data is managed and sent to staff electronically. Okappy even generates invoices for you, saving yet more time.
3. Help your employees do their jobs better
This one is particularly important if your employees are out in the field. If you can’t assign jobs to staff and relay information to them easily, they will miss out on opportunities to finish jobs quickly. This could result in you taking on fewer jobs overall, meaning you’ll make less profit.
This is another reason that a mobile-based job sheet system like Okappy is so useful. As soon as a job is entered into your system by you or a customer, it can then be assigned to an employee, who receives an instant notification on their mobile device. Additionally, you can simply communicate via Okappy’s messaging system. It’s a lot easier than trying to get busy workers on the phone.
Using software can empower your employees by putting key information into the palm of their hands. It can help them make decisions in the field without having to call the office.
It’s also important to ensure that your employees are kept in the loop with company developments and have time to catch up with colleagues. When engineers are often out of the office, its all to easy to feel isolated and separated from the progress of the company.
4. Ask your employees how you can improve
Have you ever been working for a company and thought “our company could save so much money if our managers only asked us for input”?
The fact is, Directors of a lot of companies just never think of asking low-level employees for help. Your employees do the same job every single day, so there’s a chance they know their corner of the business better than you do. Why not ask them if they have any ideas on how you could save money or improve your service?
5. Don’t give your customers a reason to go elsewhere
We’re all human, and sometimes mistakes are made. However, there’s no reason why you can’t provide feedback to your customers and look for ways to improve. At the very least, you should make sure that you are doing a better job than your competitors. Even if you feel you’re already doing this, it’s worth asking yourself a couple of times a year, “if a competing company opened tomorrow, would I have any reason to be worried?”
One of the best ways to retain your regular orders is by giving good customer service. If you don’t, it could cost you – a 2013 study showed that UK businesses lose £12billion a year through poor customer service.
While we don’t want to overdo the self-promotion, this is another area where Okappy can help. Your employees can update job statuses from their mobiles and when customers call for updates, you’ll always have up-to-date information ready for them. Okappy also warns you if a job hasn’t been picked up or is running late, so you can correct the problem sooner.
Find out more about how Okappy’s job management software can help your business.
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]]>The post Top 5 Reasons for Getting Rid of Paper Job Sheets appeared first on Okappy.
]]>Following is the Top 5 reasons our customers gave for wanting to automate their job management process and move away from paper job sheets or cards.
1) Missing, late or incorrect invoices
This is one of the biggest drivers for our customers. With lots of paperwork it’s too easy to forget about an invoice.
With handwritten job sheets, if information is ineligible it may lead to disputes or complaints and if you’re waiting for your job sheets to come back from your guys, then this can lead to delays in getting your invoices sent out and ultimately paid.
This is often a direct cost to the bottom line and one of the first things that can be eradicated by moving over to a paperless job sheet system.
2) Not enough time in the day
In the past, customers would often spend more time doing paperwork than running their business.
Several hours each week would be set aside just for paperwork. Whether that’s writing out job sheets and given them to your guys, whether its your guys having to fill out their job sheets at the end of the week or month or whether you’re then having to collate the information and input it into your accounting package, it all takes up valuable time.
This is time which could be better used on other things, whether that’s building the business, training for your guys or even freeing up more time to spend on the golf course!
3) Forgotten information
We were finding that a lot of guys would fill in all their job sheets in one go, typically at the end of the week or month. The problem with this is that information is not fresh and is often forgotten. If there’s a dispute later on, there is no backup available which often led to invoices being cancelled or reduced.
4) Better employee relations
Having to continually chase employees for job sheets is not only time-consuming and stressful for you but it can cause tension in the team.
By automating the process, everyone knows what is happening in real-time. There’s no more arguments and a lot less anxiety trying to find out what is going on with each job.
5) Better customer relations
If the customer has to ring you to find out what is happening with their jobs, if you don’t have the information to hand then this can also lead to poor customer service and disputes.
We often saw customers having disputes with their own customers as they thought an engineer was on site for less time than they billed for.
Find out more about Okappy Job Management Software and how it could benefit your business.
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]]>The post 10 Tips to Make Your Work Day Easier and Be Okappy appeared first on Okappy.
]]>Here are 10 Tips to Make Your Work Day Easier
1) Prioritise your tasks.
Doing things that take up a long time but provide little rewards should be avoided. Focus on your top tasks and avoid unproductive things which are not going to help you move forward.
2) Don’t over plan.
Planning is important. However, its too easy to spend all your time planning leaving no time to actually getting anything done.
3) Learn to manage Email.
Just reading all your emails can take up a large chunk of your day. But how many of the emails are actually important. If you deleted a chunk of emails would you be any worse off? Managing your emails better will free up time. Only look at emails at certain points in the day, use email filters to allow you to concentrate on the emails that matter and send quick replies with a follow up phone call rather than writing long essays.
4) Learn shortcuts.
Setting up auto-text on your mobile allows you to respond to office messages on the go. You do not need to type the entire thing every time while responding to messages.
5) Say “no” when necessary.
In addition to removing a few things from your ‘to-do’ list, saying “no” also becomes vital in the work place. Saying “no” conveys that you are capable enough to distinguish between work priorities, productive and unproductive work.
6) Question what is not clear.
Question the things that you are not sure about. Getting on the same wave length with your customer will help ensure tasks are done quickly and efficiently without having to come back to problems and disputes later.
7) Keep communication open.
The way you interact or communicate with people defines how smoothly you can manage your work. Hence, maintain professionalism, yet build personal rapport with colleagues, customers and subcontractors. Keep all your communications clear to avoid any misunderstandings.
8) Delegate work.
Have a long list of tasks? Make it easier by delegating. Also consider the longer term, it may take a a bit longer initially to train a colleague but could pay big dividends in the long run whilst also improving their morale.
9) Don’t stress.
You cannot maintain the same level of energy every day and for every task. Enjoy the flexibility of being your own boss and allow time to rest, recuperate and think about your business.
10) Get organized.
The key to make your work easier is organizing everything- from your desktop to Email inbox, and from interactions with colleagues to meetings!
How Can Okappy Job Management Help
Okappy cannot help in all aspects of your business. However, Okappy can help improve communication, help you delegate your jobs and ensure you are organised.
With Okappy Job management you can allocate jobs to your employees and subcontractors and see the status as the jobs are completed. Key information is automatically recorded meaning less potential for disputes with clients. You can also improve communication via instant messaging between your computer and your employees and subcontractors mobile telephones.
Find out more about Okappy Job Management and how it can help make your work day easier and Be Okappy!
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]]>The post 4 Essential Cloud Services to Help Grow Your Business appeared first on Okappy.
]]>Office space, size of workforce, budget or skill level no longer have to be a limiting factor, as the cloud connects you to a seemingly infinite network of resources, software and storage facilities. Whether you need to train employees, collaborate or check your cashflow, it’s no longer just useful to embrace the cloud – it’s essential.
So how can the cloud help?
1. Productivity software
Your business isn’t going to achieve much unless you have a productive workforce. Job management software can help manage a remote workforce, collaborate and communicate on important data and content from any location, simultaneously.
2. Online storage and backup
Creating a business can require reams of sensitive and important documentation and data. Storing it all on one device or piece of hardware can be problematic, if that device has finite capacity or worse, breaks down. The cloud allows for secure and almost unlimited storage of files and data at very little cost.
File hosting services such as Dropbox, Box, Google Drive and OneDrive offer online storage for little or no cost depending on your needs. Data can then be accessed from any internet enabled device, ensuring it’s always accessible and you’re never going to lose it. You are also able to control who is able to access and edit any shared files.
3. Finance and accounting software
The cloud is not only helpful for sharing and editing documents but also offers accounting software that mitigates the hassles of complicated and tedious financial admin.
Online accountancy software providers like Sage and Xero can help make accounting and payroll processing easier. The latest software is simple and easy to use, so even if accounting isn’t your strong point, you’ll be able to approach it with confidence and have more time to focus on running your business.
These programs are targeted and tailored to small businesses and start-ups and are designed with your needs in mind. You can keep track of your cashflow, the lifeblood of any fledgling business, check tax and expenses and send invoices.
4. Email and phone communications
With a myriad of communication methods now available, for many modern businesses traditional phone and communication systems are either no longer up to the task, or are simply not cost-effective.
There’s no denying the importance of email to any small business, but while in the past setting up an email system would involve the cost of a server and software licenses, the cloud can offer a low-cost alternative with no hardware or software required. Both Microsoft’s Office 365 (which offers Exchange Online) and Google’s Gmail offer far greater scalability and flexibility than server-based solutions. Employees can access email from anywhere on the go and work collaboratively. For business owners there’s the benefits of no server maintenance and lower costs as well as easier disaster recovery.
And it’s the same story when it comes to phone systems. Unlike static phone systems that are tied to your desk, VOIP services allow you to work from multiple locations with one local number and calls routed automatically. This helps you communicate with each other and with your customers.
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]]>The post Traffic and the school run appeared first on Okappy.
]]>The summer holidays are over and when you see the volume of traffic on the roads during the morning rush hour commute to work, you really know about it. In the school holiday weeks isn’t it great when commute times drop dramatically, simply due to parents not driving children to school. According to recent Trafficmaster reports, this constitutes a 10% reduction in traffic. Increased congestion in the mornings as a result of school run traffic causes average journey times on some roads to triple in length. Is this a reason to consider staggering either school or business hours to cut the peak traffic periods? Will this be the next government white paper?
The congestion only happens briefly and is worse in the morning when school, office and retail commuting join forces on our highways and byways. Yet, on short sections of main and local roads, it can create significant delays, irritation and extra vehicle fuel gulping.
Philip Hale, spokesman for Trafficmaster, comments: “School holidays cut traffic on our roads by about 10 per cent, from a combination of parents taking holidays and not driving their children to school, but the effects vary widely.”
It seems sensible then for drivers to do all they can to avoid adding to the problem, by making detours from congested areas. “Knowing when and how your route will be affected and what alternatives there are could also save you significant time, money and frustration from getting caught in jams,” Mr Hale concludes. And it would also help the environmental cost of more CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. Road rage might reduce too.
We can all partake in intelligent driving. By using advanced GPS or satellite navigation with real-time traffic data, vehicle tracking, speed alerts and congested zone reports, offering an alternative route. You can also log on and get live traffic information on the PC at home or in the office.
Denis Chick, Trafficmaster’s Director of Communications, said: “There are now two peaks, at 8am and 9am during school term time, effectively extending the rush hour period by a further hour.
I can believe it. Well, it’s unlikely any of us can deter parents from ferrying children back and forth to school; after all, rightly or wrongly, most of us do this, concerned about safety and security. I guess a vehicle tracking device with real-time traffic monitoring and the ability to send and receive alerts is one good answer. It doesn’t cost a fortune either which has to be good news for busy businesspeople stuck in those school run jams.
Be great to hear your comments…
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]]>The post Snowed under, with no work, no pay…if only appeared first on Okappy.
]]>Decorators, plumbers, electricians and others: with a long list of jobs to get through, you had your work for the day cut out. With your route planned the night before; travelling across counties and towns, A roads, B roads and minor roads, fitting all the customers in nicely, as you went, whistling a little tune. Then back home for supper.
Ah, the satisfaction of being self-employed and a good day’s work done, mortgage paid, everyone fed – and Christmas looming. So far, so good, things could be worse…
Then you opened the curtains and stood back from the glare: several inches of snow had fallen overnight…plans scuppered!
Well, with us Brits unable to cope with a smattering of ground frost without the country grinding to a halt, this ‘slight precipitation’ meant only one thing: chaos. Your car has turned into an igloo and peeking out of those curtains looks like living in Siberia (hah, the Siberians get on with a normal day in worse conditions).
Travel plans abandoned, roads impassable, no work, no pay, customers not knowing if you are turning up when, how, if at all. Everyone getting fed all right…fed up.
Sorry folks, hey ho, hey ho, it’s off to no work we go – will try again tomorrow.
If only…you had one of those handy job management systems. You’d be able to see at a glance which jobs are due today, text your customers, let them know you’re not going to make it or you’ll be delayed. Or plan a different route: instantly see road blocks, diversions, jams and oh yes, er…weather reports. Keep them all happy whilst having one less thing to worry about.
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