Knowing the technical steps of making a transition from one software provider to FieldRoutes is important. But you might have other questions. And FieldRoutes and Strategic Account Executive Mark Stewart have answers.
Q: How difficult is it to switch from an old software?
A: "It is difficult. Anybody who says it's easy has never done it before. You have an old vehicle, and you're transitioning to a new vehicle. The start button is in a different place. It does take time to transition, so I would highly recommend being prepared. But it's definitely going to be worth it."
Q: What timeline should a company expect to go through the process?
A: "It depends on the size of the company, of course; it varies. You’ll need a couple of weeks to really learn the software, to feel comfortable understanding how to use the system. And then it probably takes two or three months, depending on your company's size, cleaning up your data.
“We customize this approach; it's not just one-size-fits-all. Our Implementation Specialists will go through exactly how long it should take you to go through it. Some people are tech-savvy; some people know change will be tough for their company. Usually coming from an older software, you have a lot of data that's not accurate anymore, a lot of duplicates. There's cleanup that our team helps with. Make sure you take your time. It's not something you want to rush, but we'll go through it as quickly as possible for you."
Q: What is your experience helping customers transition from ServSuite to FieldRoutes?
A: "ServSuite is our sister company, so we're excited about the partnership. We have a really good system for transitioning these customers. Talk to our team. Make sure you're prepared. Coming from ServSuite, we're definitely going to take good care of you."
Q: What resources are available for small companies transitioning to FieldRoutes?
A: "You're not small: You're very busy! One of our customers says, 'We never feel small with FieldRoutes.' You're going to have an Implementation Specialist to teach you how to use the system online. Instead of you having a core team, it's typically all of your employees going through the training online. Once you make the transition, you go to our Support Team. There are trainings that you do within the large group, and there are one-on-one sessions to make sure you have all of your questions answered. We're definitely here to take care of you, regardless of your company's size."
Q: What features set FieldRoutes apart from other software companies?
A: "When you're looking at it from an employee or CSR (customer service representative) point of view, it looks extremely simple. There aren’t a lot of buttons and knobs. You hit one button, and our automation kicks in. With very large companies, the No. 1 thing they hear is their employees have an easier time using the system. Less stress. Less time it takes to do everything. There's more automation, so it makes their life easier. How easy it is for the technician to use the mobile app, reliability, the office team. It's no surprise that when you make your team's life easier, they make more sales, they do better customer service."
Q: We're looking to switch to FieldRoutes. We still do paper work orders but want to go digital. Do you assist in both of these processes? Should we do it all at once or in segments?
A: "A lot of our companies are still using paper when they transition. That is a normal thing. You're not alone. You should definitely do both changes at the same time. You can still, of course, use paper within our platform, but you're losing a lot of the reason why you're transitioning. Do both at the same time. You'll see the efficiencies right away if you go mobile quickly.
"You'll have a technician that wants to use paper, says they'll never use a mobile app, but have them try it out. Most of our customers are really surprised about the techs who start using it and brag about it. 'Look what I'm doing.'"
Q: Does FieldRoutes offer free service calls for help?
A: "We do offer free customer service calls. We aren't able to train new employees. If you have a question, concern, or an issue, those are free; we'll take those all day. We offer free support because we want to take care of you."
Q: We use QuickBooks for billing. Will QuickBooks work with FieldRoutes?
A: "QuickBooks handles all of your P&Ls (profits and losses), and FieldRoutes handles all of your receivables. There's a direct integration with QuickBooks Online. FieldRoutes will do all of your billing, your scheduling, your mobile apps to service customers. It'll help you with your routes. Dashboards let you know what's going on with the company.”
Q: What advice do you have regarding employees who might be overwhelmed about learning a new software?
A: "Do the one-on-one with them and find their win. What can you do for them? How is it going to make their life easier? Listen to what they're saying. Listen to their concerns. So many people are dealing with stress and anxiety, and one of the best things about FieldRoutes is it takes away stress and anxiety from your team.”
Q: When is the best time to start a software change?
A: "Ideally, you want to switch when it's not busy for you. If you wait too long, all of a sudden you're in the middle of another busy season, the old software is not working, and now you have to make a change and you have to rush it.”
COMING TO FIELDROUTES
The steps in the transition from one software provider to FieldRoutes:
1. Create a small team of project managers invested with a sole focus on the transition.
2. Get your team excited about the transition.
3. Call your current software provider and ask about the process for leaving. Request a backup of your database in a usual format, such as Excel, for a transfer.
4. When FieldRoutes training begins, your power users will become experts and a liaison with the Implementation Team.
5. Your project management team, working with the FieldRoutes team, will make sure the imported data arrives smoothly.
6. Go live! The FieldRoutes Support Team and Knowledge Base will assist you from there.
