Why Mobile Apps Are a Must-Have for Electricians and Plumbers

Introduction: Today’s Construction World Moves Faster Than Ever Before

Buildings are more complex, regulations are seemingly unending, and everyone wants everything yesterday. In fact, fast-track projects account for a whopping 40 percent of all building projects, according to data compiled by Architectural Record.

The accelerated timeline doesn’t affect just architects and general contractors. It trickles down to everyone, especially electricians and plumbers, whose work is increasingly complex. New energy efficiency standards and regulations mean that contractors are dealing with green roofs, storm-water retention, gray-water reuse systems, and “smart home” tools like internet-enabled meters, thermostats, and smoke detectors. Many of these systems need to communicate with one another and all require additional effort, planning, and time.

What’s the answer? There’s no magic bullet for dealing with these additional complexities while staying on schedule. Rushing through a project is not the answer and can lead to mistakes, systems that don’t hold up over time, and a lack of quality — all of which can harm your reputation.

The answer lies in improving business processes and embracing mobile technology. Consider, for instance, that the biggest cost of any project is your crew, which accounts for more than 40 percent of project costs, according to Constructor Magazine. Using mobile can reduce trips to the trailer, remove unnecessary phone calls and meetings, and keep your project on schedule. Most importantly, it can keep costs from eating into your profit margin.

Maybe you already use a few apps here and there. Or maybe you’re still a skeptic about them. But the use of mobile in the construction industry, which has historically lagged behind other industries when it comes to mobile apps and cloud-based technologies, is growing.

A recent study by JBKnowledge found that more contractors are recognizing the potential of apps and beginning to use them. According to the study:

• More than 85% of contractors surveyed said mobile capabilities are important or very important. Only 15% said they are not important — down from nearly 21% in 2016.
• 25-55% use apps for daily reporting, time management, plan management, safety management, and BIM file viewing.

The percentage of contractors using mobile is growing. And if your competitors are moving to mobile before you do, they’re seeing significant savings.

You might not realize it, but paper-based systems can make a real dent in your bottom line. The average business spends $80 per worker on paper every year, and as many as 70 percent of businesses would fail within three weeks if their paper records were wiped out in a fire or flood, according to TechRadar. One construction company saved almost $50,000 per year just by eliminating traditional paper payroll processing and moving to mobile apps.

It may sound intimidating to introduce new technology to your business, but even if your official work systems are paper-based, the majority of your workers likely already use mobile devices at work. A recent study by Engineering News Record found that 93 percent of general contractors and 87 percent of subcontractors use some sort of mobile device at construction sites. So it’s likely your employees are already familiar with mobile systems — it’s now just a matter of creating mobile systems that will work for your specific business.

This Ebook Shows You Three Ways Mobile Tools Can Improve Your Business’ Bottom Line.

You can use mobile to:

• Access documentation and manuals on the go to keep up with the latest renewable energy technologies
• Communicate from anywhere and streamline operations at the job site
• Foster collaboration across trade specialists In these ways and others, mobile apps can help you cut costs, work more efficiently, and ultimately get ahead in the increasingly complex, fast-paced construction world of the 21st century.

Chapter 1: Stay On Top Of Renewable Energy Technologies

Renewable energy technologies are far more than a passing trend. Consider, for instance, that in 2017, utility-scale wind and solar power accounted for 61 percent of new electricity generation in the United States, according to the 2017 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index. Seventeen U.S. states now receive 10 percent of their electricity from wind, solar, and/or geothermal renewable energy — more than a five-fold increase since 2010.

For electricians and plumbers, understanding these new technologies is no longer optional — it’s a necessity for staying afloat in a changing field. California aims to reach 50 percent generation from renewables by 2030, and a smattering of states and cities — Hawaii, Burlington, VT, Greensburg, TX, to name a few — are striving for 100 percent. But the shift toward renewables isn’t only in select areas. It’s everywhere, and being fueled not only by consumer demand but also by government regulations.

For example, the U.S. Department of Energy recently released new regulations requiring the use of new, higher-efficiency water heating products on virtually all residential projects. There are a number of products on the market that already meet the DOE standards, and if you’re already familiar with them, you’re ahead of the curve. If not, you might find some relief in knowing that you can use mobile apps to easily look up product documentation or manuals. Some mobile apps can scan a barcode of a product so the information is always at your fingertips, while others allow you to quickly determine whether your customer’s water heaters qualify for government incentives — and if not, what they need to get there.

Energy-efficient water heaters aren’t the only change. Building automation systems are growing in popularity, partly because they can help clients achieve a LEED rating, but they also add complexity. Smart HVAC systems diagnose themselves and more, but they can be more complicated to install. Consequently, your technicians can no longer rely on their initial training — they have to continually expand their knowledge and skills to keep up with the market.

How can mobile apps help your technicians find information in the field?

 With mobile devices and apps, your team can: 

• Look up product manuals and documentation
• Find answers to common questions about equipment and pricing
• Calculate proper refrigerant charge for site equipment, or calculate other commonly used formulas (because the formula is baked into the app, there’s less chance of making a mathematical error)
• And more.

Paper forms can be prone to errors, and when a field tech gets back to the office, the paper information has to be entered into a computer. Entering the information into a mobile form app, to begin with, can save your team a great deal of time — one California-based provider of commercial and residential drywall services went mobile and reduced its paperwork time from days to 30 minutes.

What kind of forms could you replace with a mobile app?

Consider what you’d gain by going mobile with:

• Inspection checklists
• Daily field reports
• Punch list checklists
• Timesheets
• Equipment check-outs
• Estimates and proposals
• Site survey information
• Safety checklists

Using a mobile app to replace a paper-based checklist saves time because you no longer have to deal with finding paper among other physical files. It also can save your business from making errors, because online forms can alert you to any discrepancies or missed fields. Likewise, you won’t have to haul paper to and from the job site, which is a seemingly minor inconvenience — but one that you won’t miss.

How else can you stay on top of renewable energy technologies?

Given the fast rate at which alternate energy sources are growing, ongoing training and learning are essential for every member of your team. Electricians can take part in hands-on training workshops where they learn about technologies like wind turbines, fuel cells, energy-efficient light fixtures and alarm systems, and more. Plumbers, meanwhile, can learn about solar thermal installations, unvented hot water tanks, and other plumbing innovations.

Check with your governing body to see what tools and resources it offers, and whether it issues special licenses or certificates in renewable energy. In Rhode Island, for example, electricians and plumbers can become licensed as renewable energy professionals (REP) by earning a series of certificates in such areas as photovoltaic systems, solar heating installation, and PV installation. Many other states offer similar programs, as do organizations like the Association of Energy Engineers and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

Of course, in addition to formal training programs and certifications, you can learn a lot simply by reading and keeping up with the latest advances.

What sources are a good place to start? 

• The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, United States Department of Energy — This government website features a wide range of information about renewable electricity generation (solar, geothermal, wind, and water) and how to save energy in homes, buildings
• Electrical Contractor Magazine – Known as ECMag, this is a go-to source for electricians that includes comprehensive coverage of green buildings. Articles and videos tell you what you need to know, so you don’t have to wade through complex policies and science. Plus, ECMag is the official publication of a top-of-the-line source — the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) in the U.S.
• Master Electrician – This is one of the leading trade magazines for electricians in Australia, with in-depth coverage of renewable energy solutions and emerging technicians. You’ll find updates on government regulations, practical tips, and real-life stories about implementing green solutions.
• Plumbing & Mechanical – Full of practical tips and information, this digital magazine publishes regular stories about green plumbing products and technologies that are short, to the point, and easy to digest. You can also access industry reports and projections — and share success stories of your own. 

Chapter 2: Streamline Operations, Improve Communication at the Job Site

Plumbers and electricians have to manage a lot at the job site — not only repairs and installations but also work orders, change orders, materials and labor, time tracking, estimates, invoices, and safety inspections. They also have to ensure that everything they do meets safety regulations.

And despite that many field service companies still use manual, paper-based systems. That’s a lot of back-and-forth to the trailer or the office to double-check some crucial piece of information. Plus, it leads to the possibility of error. With so many stakeholders and with multiple jobs occurring at once — it’s easy for communications to get confused or misplaced.

But it’s costing plumbing and electrical contractors. One study found that poor communication adds about five percent to the cost of an average construction project. That could be a conservative estimate. Another study from Pennsylvania State University found that an average of 49.6 percent of the time in construction is “devoted to wasteful activity,” whether that’s waiting around for the forklift that was ordered but didn’t show up (because someone’s email got lost in the shuffle?), waiting for replies from the engineer on unclear plans or from the client on product selections, or looking for tools.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Mobile apps let you handle work orders quickly and accurately, saving time for everyone. Apps also allow you to deal with change orders — which are practically inevitable on any big job — in a matter of seconds. In addition, you can use them to get paid on the spot, so you don’t have to send a paper invoice and wait weeks for compensation.

Business owners or managers can better track projects, identify problems before they blow up, and step in when necessary — all without any paper forms. This improved communication saves a lot of time: One family-owned business saved 400 hours a year by replacing paper forms with mobile apps. 

You can also use apps to communicate more quickly (and professionally) with your customers, such as when sending estimates and invoices. Mobile reduces your processing time for turning a work order into an invoice, which can improve cash flow. Also, mobile invoicing is more accurate than using paper.

If you’re planning to use mobile to streamline your communications, your app should be as simplified as possible. At GoCanvas, we offer the ability for anyone — not just IT professionals — to create mobile forms and checklists. This means you can include exactly what you want — without paying hefty fees to a mobile app developer.

Chapter 3: Foster Collaboration Across Specialists

Electricians and plumbers can’t work in silos. Today’s systems integrate with whole buildings, so electricians and plumbers need to understand how their systems work in tandem with everything — and everyone — else.

Building systems now are interlinked; they communicate with each other and share data. This sophisticated network requires professionals to have a broad range of expertise and to communicate not just with other people who work on the same systems but also across specialties.

Let’s say you have a complicated job that needs to be signed off on by multiple people. Mobile apps let you collaborate on a single document with multiple users.

Doing the work on mobile means that there’s only one definitive version of a document out there, rather than paper copies that might have potentially conflicting information.

But on an even simpler level, collaboration between techs and dispatchers can mean the difference between success and failure. A mobile app lets techs and dispatchers communicate in real-time to ensure the right worker gets to the right job at just the right time. Some apps can even track vehicles so dispatchers and customers know just where a technician is and when he or she will arrive. Since even four-hour windows are becoming less acceptable, an app that narrows the window down by providing useful information is a must.

Make Mobile a Priority

No matter how big or small your plumbing or electrical business is, you’re looking to reduce costs, improve communication, work more efficiently, and have all your information at your fingertips in a safe, secure setting. Technologies like mobile apps will help you achieve your goals.

Mobile apps can help you access documentation from wherever you are and cut down on the number of pieces of paper you need to carry with you, whether they be product manuals or forms and checklists. Technology that helps you communicate more efficiently and cut down on the back-and-forth saves you time and, ultimately, money. Likewise, apps that foster collaboration among workers across the job site and across disciplines cut down on mistakes and unnecessary paperwork — and can save you the headache of having to figure out renewable energy technologies and evolving regulations on your own.

Learn more about how mobile can help your electrical or plumbing business grow:

• Pick up tips in our eBook, “The Guide to OSHA’s Construction Safety Regulations: Save Lives, Save Time.” 
• Find out how to small business use technology.
• Dispatch jobs more effectively.
• And get better at estimates.

If You’re Ready To Dip Your Toes In The Mobile Waters, Here’s How:

• First, start small by converting just one or two forms that you use most frequently. Pick a couple of paper forms (we have a good guide on what to choose first), and ask the people who fill them out what works and what doesn’t.
• Once you select the forms you want to turn into apps, consider what additional features might be useful to have — the ability to add photos or GPS coordinates. What about drawings, automatically generated timestamps, signatures, mobile payment, or mobile job dispatching?

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.