With the constant development of the simPRO software to improve functionality for our users we will be sharing tips & tricks with you regularly so that you can get more out of simPRO. This month we are going to look at how to assign jobs to field staff using maps instead of calendars.

With the increasing need for efficiency within service organisations and appropriately targeted marketing dollars to your clients, simPRO has responded with the ability to plot multiple addresses from within the main system.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of this feature.

Mapping Jobs

There are many benefits to being able to map jobs.  Perhaps you would like to know where your guys currently are in relation to an emergency job that has just come up (can be done with an interface to Navman Wireless or just based on current schedules) or you would like an easy way to assign dozens of maintenance jobs to guys geographically to minimise travel time.

There are a couple of options to do this within simPRO.  The first is to go to the pending or progress jobs tabs on the projects page.  Tick off the jobs you would like to see, then in the options table at the bottom of these lists click “map jobs”.  This will then plot the jobs on a map (and vehicles if you interface your system with Navman Wireless) and allows you to assign the jobs to technicians to carry out by clicking on the technicians name (or vehicle) and then click on the pins representing the jobs you would like to assign to the technician.

Another option is to go to the schedule page then in the filtering panel there is a drop list that allows you to map all jobs on for today, all jobs currently being performed (or where your vehicles currently are) and again allows you to allocate those jobs out.  If you have a job you are in the process of scheduling the system will also plot where the job is so you can see where it is in relation to your field technicians giving you more visibility on who to send.

Screen Shots for Job Mapping:

Mapping Employee’s

A great way to be more efficient in your scheduling is knowing where your guys are coming from and being able to plan where to start and finish the day.  If you can plot where your employee’s are in relation to where the jobs are, staff will have the knowledge to be able to minimise travel time and maximise billable time on site.

To do this in simPRO, simply go to Admin > Employees, then tick off all the employee’s you would like to plot on the map, then at the bottom of the page you can select in the drop down list of options to map the employee’s.

Mapping Suppliers

Let’s say you have a guy on a job that needs some parts that need to be picked up from a supplier and the only branch he knows of is on the other side of town.  simPRO now allows you to map where multiple suppliers are, so you can see easily where they are in relation to where you and your field staff are.

To do this in simPRO simply go to Admin > Suppliers (or Materials > Suppliers depending on your privilege structure), then search for and tick off all the suppliers you would like to plot on the map, then at the bottom of the page you can select in the drop down list of options to map the suppliers.

Mapping Clients

Have you ever wanted to see where the concentration of your customers are so you can forward plan where the business is going, where you should concentrate your resources, where you should be spending your marketing dollars or perhaps your just curious? simPRO now allows you to plot where those clients are.

To do this in simPRO simply go to Admin > Clients (or Admin > Locations), then search for and tick off all the clients you would like to plot on the map, then at the bottom of the page you can select in the drop down list of options to map the clients.

Mapping Quotes/Prospects

Need to decide who is the best person to get out and see your sales and quoting opportunities, manage which sales person is assigned to quotes and prospects geographically or perhaps would like to track where the quotes are coming from so you can see the concentrations of your sales activities?  In simPRO there is an easy way to do this, simple go to the projects page on either the quote or prospects pages, tick off the relevant records, scroll to the tabs options and click map.  This will then display a map with pins on where those opportunities are.  From this page you also have the option of selecting a sales person, then clicking on the pins related to which quote or prospect you would like to assign the sales person to, then click update and your salesperson will be assigned straight from the map.

For more information on these or any other benefits simPRO can deliver for you, please feel free to contact us anytime.