Pest Management Professional, March 2018

By Diane Sofranec Managing Editor ServSuite modules save time and money users say T his years ServSuite University featured a panel discussion that examined how office and field based automation makes for efficient daily operations On day two of the event three of ServicePros customers shared how they save time by automating the tasks that keep their companies running smoothly To get the conversation started moderator and Pest Management Professional Managing Editor Diane Sofranec asked panelists how they leverage ServSuite modules to increase efficiencies at their companies Del Lawson vice president of operations for Modern Pest Control in Houston Texas said ServSuites web portal has become an important tool as his company moves toward credit cards and auto billing In addition he finds the mobile app indispensable We simply couldnt run our business without the real time data we get from the mobile app Lawson said Within minutes we can tell whether a customers service wasnt done and we can use the tech comments section to get pertinent info about each account Jamie Stocker CPA president of Apex Pest Control Service in Oakwood Village Ohio also favors the mobile app because it helped his company improve and customize its client logbook and grow business in the food manufacturing distributing healthcare and logistics markets It allowed us to compete directly with the big names in our industry and to win accounts that smaller firms usually wouldnt be able to finalize Stocker said Taking part in the ServSuite University 2018 panel discussion were from left Travis Aggson of American Pest management Diane Sofranec of Pest Management Professional Del Lawson of modern Pest Control and Jamie Stocker of Apex Pest Control Service The mobile app also helps improve office efficiency as staff can process work in a few clicks and customers can immediately receive invoices he said Stocker said the company provides residential and commercial customers with access to the web portal to view service and payment history see scheduled services pay via credit card and correspond with the company RepoRts aRe vital Travis Aggson ACE executive vice president of American Pest Management in Manhattan Kan uses ServSuites automated reporting functionality to plan ahead by seeing his schedule the evening before In addition he said the company is implementing automated production and sales reports for managers on a weekly basis Every Monday they will be able to report to their team their status on personal goals Aggson said The company also uses the inventory module to keep track of materials in its storage room We can set minimum storage levels so if inventory is accurate our office manager can print a report to show which materials we are low on without leaving their desk he said For Lawson the reporting module and the mobile capabilities have made a difference He said his company uses the reporting capabilities every day to gauge success or failure in the business They are used for planning purposes customer retention efforts as well as customer service Because the mobile app lets him see in real time what is happening in the field he considers it one of the most valuable tools by far The mobile app is a tool we cannot live without Lawson said Our business changes so quickly on a day to day basis that we must have consistent communication between the office and the techs to adapt to changes in their schedules Stocker said the routing module lets his scheduler see the entire service schedule one month in advance and tell at a glance whether changes are needed and then make them immediately She can tighten routes and reduce driving time and labor cost while improving efficiency and return per hour Way back in the day you would need to look up the customers address find it on the map and place a pushpin Stocker said This would take forever Thank goodness for technology PmP Sofranec can be reached at dsofranec@ northcoastmedia net Roadtrip Roundup Photo Michael Joyce mypmp net Pest management Professional March 2018 27