Six Steps to Save (and Earn) Money with Mobile Workforce Management Software

Translating non-competing industry tips into actionable strategies for essential service providers.

I recently read a post on LinkedIn from a global CEO, describing how a company was making 100 million per year selling car washes.

The information that followed was a six-step guide towards how that company was achieving success in-market. And, it got me thinking.

The principles of the post really aren’t much different than those of essential service industries, like commercial cleaning, security and facilities management. And, the tips presented in the guide can be leveraged just as much to save money as make money – knowing that in many cases, one can lead to the other.

Here’s a breakdown of that same six-step guide, and how implementing mobile workforce management software can help you reach the same scalable success.

To see the original post I’m referencing throughout this blog, check it out on LinkedIn.

Step 1: Consolidate.

In the original post, the author spoke about growing market share by purchasing a popular brand and using it to purchase smaller competitors until they are all unified under the same platform.

In your world, this type of strategy can actually have a lot of success when you apply it internally with the software solutions you deploy to manage your business functions. When you use separate software (and software providers) to run your back-office functions (like HR and financial management) and field based operations (like scheduling, time and attendance, proof of service and reporting), you’re diluting your strengths by over-investing in processes that will only lead to misaligned data and management information. Consolidating into integrated software solutions offered through a single technology partner helps unify your strategy, support data-driven decision making, and ultimately save you money and time.

Step 2: Focus on customer retention.

In the original post, the author spoke about the importance of subscription models for recurring revenue.

Hoover’s estimates improving customer retention by just 5% can have a ripple effect towards improved profitability to the tune of 75%.

In your industries, this can be achieved through customer retention, which helps solidify recurring revenue you can rely on year over year. Increase customer retention by providing consistent and provable service delivery. Mobile workforce management software offers an edge in this area, as it provides certifiable proof of delivery (and its quality) through location awareness and tracking of on site guards or cleaners, media capture for service quality and daily activity reports configurable to your specific clients’ needs.

Read more on this topic in our recent customer retention guide post here. 

Step 3: Lean into automation.

In the original post, the author describes how automation helps save money in the field, and the same is true for how mobile workforce management software applies automation to your field-based activities.

With near-field communication tags (think beacons, QR codes, GPS, etc.) configured to the size of your locations and the SLAs per contract, you can automatically register guards and cleaners onsite, without actually requiring them to manually do anything. You can also automate workflows triggered by an incident or issue raised in the field.

For example, an alarm going off can trigger a need for service from a guard officer, who then reports all incidents via the app on their phone or tablet as they respond to them. Then, they can add supporting information (notes, photos, etc.) based on what they find.

Historically, this type of work would be collected via pen-and-paper methods, resulting in a longer and slower workflow response and resolution.

Step 4: Mobile implementation gains.

In the original post, the author proposes acquisition as a method of realizing the benefits from expedited capital gains. I like to think of this concept in terms of implementation gains.

When considering a software implementation, many companies are only looking at the advantages from the point of view of the back office. Will this streamline reporting? How will it improve contract management? Equally important is the point of view of the end-user in the field.

Your clients have huge demands regarding the physical space your contracts cover. You can ensure the safety and services delivered within those spaces by providing your end-users with tools they can access in-field to help them do their jobs better. During implementation, consider both the needs of the back office and the field to optimize implementation gains.

Step 5: Keep people and train them up.

Here, my point of view lines up with the original poster’s point of view 1:1. Employee retention is massively important to the financial success of your company. Emphasize training, promote from within where possible, streamline talent acquisition and use mobile workforce management software to keep employees engaged.

Step 6: Optimize back office functions.

In the original post, the author discusses centralizing tasks for better efficiency. For your industry, this advice can be applied by centralizing how your workforce completes their work – offering streamlined, integrated solutions that reduce manual work, paper processes and data inefficiencies.

To see how mobile workforce management software can help you save (and earn) money, request a personalized discovery call today.