JobManager provides benefits to the electrical installation business

Schrøder, an electrical installation company with over 50 employees and locations in Holsted, Vamdrup, and Vejrup, knows the importance of having a good system for registration of the time and materials the employees use. This makes it easier to manage finances, analyze profitability per customer case, issue invoices, and pay their employees the correct wages.

Schrøder previously used a different digital time registration system. However, the system had its limitations and the supplier wanted to sunset the system after July 1, 2019.

Challenges

Electricians previously couldn't log hours and materials directly on their tablets while in the field, leading to delayed and sometimes inaccurate data entry back at a desktop computer. This functionality was simply not available.

In the office, staff were frustrated by the need to frequently correct entries. The old system made it difficult to accurately record material usage, such as specifying the exact amount of cable used from a reel, which is crucial for charging customers only for what they use.

Additionally, payroll processing was bulky. Although some data could be extracted from the old system, payroll accountants had to manually input this information into the salary systems.

Another issue was the system’s once-a-day synchronization with employees' devices. Any data not yet synchronized was lost if a device was lost. Synchronization errors were common.

A critical aspect of the installation business is ensuring the quality of work meets legal standards. However, the old system did not support digital quality assurance documentation, forcing the company to rely on cumbersome paper records. This made accessing documents for annual external quality control checks inconvenient.

A modern solution

Henrik Vejstrup Nielsen, CFO of Schrøder, envisioned a new system to enhance their operations and started exploring the market.

"Many systems offered more than needed, but JobManager stood out for its integration with Business Central, making it more cost-effective," says CFO Henrik Vejstrup Nielsen.

But price was not the only argument. In addition to having obtained a solution that is fully integrated with Business Central the important quality assurance documents (KS forms) can now be filled out digitally in JobManager and are easy to retrieve later.

It is now also possible to save image documentation in JobManager and attach it to a case.

Like before, employees can register their working hours on the phone. But now they can also register on a PC or tablet, and the user interface is the same regardless of which device is being used. GPS tracking can be activated in JobManager to see if a person is at the right location.

"With JobManager, information is immediately synchronized with Business Central as soon as it is entered. Therefore, we can also continuously monitor whether all employees have remembered to register hours. If someone forgot the day before, they get a notification to do it. This helps to ensure high data quality, a good overview of resource consumption on ongoing cases, and good documentation both internally and for customers." says Henrik Vejstrup Nielsen.

Electrician Thomas Bay, with 15 years at Schrøder, speaks highly of JobManager for its daily use: "The new system is significantly more intelligent and user-friendly compared to the old one. Transferring goods between projects is now a breeze. Additionally, time logging has been greatly simplified - what used to take 15 clicks now takes just three taps on a mobile device. This efficiency means it gets done quickly and effortlessly," explains Thomas Bay.

Fits everyone

Electrician Michael Johansen appreciates being able to review his timesheet before confirming his hours. This lets him see his registered hours and what's remaining. JobManager has simplified tasks for supervisors by reducing daily interruptions, as installers and apprentices now have fewer reasons to call with questions. "JobManager complements our work style perfectly, catering to everyone in the company, whether visiting various customers daily or working at a single site," Michael Johansen shares.

A happy payroll accountant

JobManager tailors to each employee's specific contract and wage agreement Once hours are logged, the payroll accountant can prepare salaries with just a click—transforming what used to be a days-long process into a matter of hours. JobManager enables employees and supervisors to track overtime, leave, vacations, and sick days, and supervisors can access all important customer case data. Employees also record any materials from their vehicle or warehouse for a job.

Implementing JobManager

Initially, five installers tested JobManager for a week. After final tweaks over ten days, the system went live. Henrik Vejstrup Nielsen reflects, "The collaboration has been incredibly smooth. Knowing exactly what we wanted from the start was a huge advantage."