In the realm of commercial contracting, invoicing can be a source of frustration. Many contractors still rely on pen and paper to build and send invoices, leading to delays and inaccuracies that can impact cash flow and customer relationships.
We recently exhibited at AHR, where we met several commercial contractors who expressed frustration with their current invoicing practices. Many were still using pen and paper, which led to significant delays and errors. In some cases, customers were receiving bills weeks or even months after a job was completed.
However, there is hope. Field operations software offers a range of significant benefits designed to streamline the invoicing process. With automated invoicing, customizable templates, and real-time information sharing, commercial contracting teams can send professional-looking invoices quickly and accurately. This not only improves cash flow but also enhances the customer experience, ensuring that bills are delivered promptly and with all the necessary details included.
Fortunately, there are several field operations platforms that can help solve this problem. In this article, we’ll outline three ways in which field operations software can improve the invoicing process for commercial contractors.
1. Eliminate Human-Related Errors
When commercial contractors rely on pen and paper to invoice, they’re opening themselves up to a host of potential errors. It’s all too easy for work orders to get misplaced or misread, and human error can easily creep in when it comes to calculations and data entry.
With the benefit of streamlined data entry, a field operations platform can reduce errors. Better yet, it can eliminate errors.
Platforms pull data from various sources, such as timesheets, work orders, and purchase orders, ensuring accuracy and reducing the risk of errors that can delay payment. And as a bonus, you’ll no longer need to decipher handwritten notes or worry about misplaced work orders that have been left in the truck.
2. Send Invoices Faster Than Before
Time is money. And when it comes to invoicing, every minute counts. That’s why relying on manual data entry is simply not efficient. As an experiment, ask your office team how often they re-key information from the technician into your system…the results may surprise you.
The truth is, far too often, valuable time is wasted on redundant data entry tasks. But with a field operations platform, you can eliminate the need for manual data entry altogether. By connecting your field team and office team more efficiently, data collected in the field can be transferred immediately to the office team for faster invoice processing.
With this streamlined workflow, you can get invoices out the door at blazing speeds. And the best part? As we mentioned earlier, the risk of errors and delays associated with manual data entry is greatly reduced.
3. Integrate into your accounting platform for better insights
Connecting a field operations platform to an accounting system is like adding GPS to a car. Without GPS, you might take longer routes, miss turns, and get lost along the way. With GPS, you have a clear roadmap, real-time updates, and information about traffic, enabling you to make better decisions about your route. Similarly, connecting a field operations platform to an accounting system provides valuable insights, real-time updates, and a better way to invoice, enabling teams to improve their invoicing process and arrive at their destination of efficient and profitable operations faster.
Lastly, by connecting the two systems, you can easily access data such as technician performance, profitability, customer revenue, invoice and payment status, and billing cycle times. Armed with this information, you can make more informed decisions about your invoicing process, such as identifying areas of improvement and preventing billing errors or payment disputes.
So, are you ready to make the upgrade?
The use of field operations software can be a game-changer for commercial contractors looking to improve their invoicing process. By eliminating human errors, sending invoices faster, and integrating into accounting platforms for better insights, commercial contractors can collect cash faster and take more money off the table. The days of relying on pen and paper are long gone, and with the help of field operations software, commercial contractors can now improve cash flow and boost customer relationships.
It’s time to embrace the power of technology and take your commercial contracting business to new heights.
