Task Management Tools for Service Companies: How to Choose
Service companies can choose between four types of task management tools: shared lists and spreadsheets, general task tools, project management software, and a field service management platform with task management. For companies with field employees, the last type typically fits best, because tasks also need to be connected to planning, documentation, time, materials, and the invoicing basis.
Four types of task management tools for service companies
Shared lists and spreadsheets
Many start with a shared list or a spreadsheet. It's cheap and easy to get started with, and it can easily be enough when there are few employees and few tasks. On the other hand, it gives no real-time status, and documentation and time have to be collected somewhere else.
General task tools
General task tools give a good overview of who has which tasks and how far along they are. They're built for office work and can work well for internal tasks. For field employees, they typically lack mobile registration on the task itself and a link to invoicing.
Project management software
Project management is built to plan processes with subtasks, dependencies, and deadlines. It suits longer-running projects well. With many short tasks a day at different customers, functions specific to field service are often missing. Read more about when project management software is enough for field service.
Field service management platform with task management
In a field service management platform, case and task management is part of the same solution as planning, time registration, quality assurance, and invoicing. In Microbizz, tasks are created with a description, customer data, and photos, and assigned to individual employees or teams. Status is updated from the app and can be followed in real time at the office.
What should service companies assess in a task management tool?
Can the task be created with all the details from the start?
A task should be created with a description, customer data, and any photos, so the employee doesn't have to call for information when they arrive on site.
Can employees update status from their phone?
Status only becomes reliable if it's updated where the work is done. In the mobile app for iOS and Android, employees can update the task and register data, and the office can follow along as it happens.
Can recurring tasks and checklists be automated?
Service companies often have tasks that repeat, for example monthly service inspections. Look for recurring tasks that can be created automatically from a frequency and a template, and for checklists that can be attached directly to the task.
Can documentation follow the task?
Photos, notes, documents, and the customer's signature should sit on the task itself, so they can be found again if the customer asks. The same goes for forms used for quality assurance.
Is the task connected to time, materials, and invoicing?
This is where many tools fall short. When time and materials are registered directly on the task, they can be collected into the invoicing basis without being typed in again.
Can customers follow along?
Many customers want to see status without calling. In Microbizz, customers can follow status and reports through the extranet, and tasks can be shared with external partners.
Frequently asked questions about task management tools
What is the difference between a task management tool and a field service management platform?
A task management tool keeps track of tasks and status. A field service management platform does the same, but also connects the tasks to planning, mobile registration, documentation, time, materials, and the invoicing basis for field employees. See how task management software works if you want the walkthrough step by step.
Are project management and task management the same thing?
No. Task management is about creating, distributing, and following up on individual tasks. Project management brings several tasks together in a larger process, with an overview of time and finances across them. Many service companies need both.
Can we start with a few functions and expand later?
Yes. Many start with the functions that create the most manual work, for example creation, assignment, and time registration, and add more modules as the need grows. A platform with modules makes it possible to build on the same data.
When is a spreadsheet still enough?
When the company has few employees, few tasks per week, and no need for documentation or an invoicing basis directly from the task. When more time goes into updating the list than into solving the tasks, it's typically time to move on.
