ServiceM8 has just received its 9.0 update, which adds & refines many features on its platform. ServiceM8 is a job management platform, mainly designed for on site trade & service companies. It assists throughout the whole job process, creating quotes, documenting the job’s progress, & generating/following up on invoices.
Each year, ServiceM8 receives a large update, normally after the release of Apple’s new iOS & iPadOS systems. This update adds support for many of the new features in the operating systems. Here’s a rundown of some of the features that were released with 9.0
ServiceM8 Phone
This is a very large new feature coming to ServiceM8. It allows you to connect your phone line to ServiceM8, which all staff can then use on their computers or phones. Instead of employees getting in touch with customers on their work or personal mobiles, everything comes from the business number. This means that jobs don't get lost when a customer tries to call a previous employee's phone number (that may have been disconnected)
When a customer calls, their details & job history show on the screen. Recent calls/voicemails can be converted to jobs, & call transfers can be easily performed. (For instance to send a call to sales or technical support) After hours on call diversions can be simplified & automated, & call transcriptions can be automatically added to the job diary.
This is a paid feature & ranges from $9 - $49 per month.
Automatic Payment for Recurring Jobs
Many businesses have maintenance or service contracts with various different companies. Examples include a yearly license fee for certain software, or a quarterly preventative maintenance contract. This feature allows customers to set up an automatic payment agreement for these unchanging costs. This saves time for the contractor, as they do not need to follow up payment, as well as for the customer, who does not need to tie up their accounting department paying these invoices.
Camera Improvements
The camera inside the app has received a few improvements. For iPhones with an Ultrawide or Telephoto lens, quick access to those lenses is now available from the ServiceM8 camera.
Photos can now be tagged & marked up after being saved. Previously, once an image was saved, other tags could not be added to it, & images had to be reuploaded in order to add annotations.
When recording videos from the ServiceM8 app, they are now able to be up to 30 seconds long. (up from 15 seconds) Picture in Picture is also supported on the iPhone.
From my testing, it seems the viewport of the camera now matches the resulting photo. (Previously, the final photo would capture more on the left/right than was visible when taking the photo)
Live Invoice Statements
Contractors often have certain companies that they do a lot of work for. This new feature allows you to send the customer a link which shows all outstanding invoices. It updates as invoices are paid, & new jobs are completed.
Time Tracking & Trips
Automated Time Tracking can now track travel to & from suppliers. You will then have the option to add this time to your current job when checking out of the job.
Sometimes, ServiceM8 will be unable to automatically check you into a job, but will still track your location. When you check in, the app will ask if you want to roll back the time to when you arrived. These two features allow ServiceM8 to more accurately track checked in times, & allows for more accurate invoicing.
Job Diary Features
The "Job Diary" now shows a badge for the number of unread items. This is specific to each employee, & lets them know if they have missed any customer replies or new photos/information.
When a location is added to a job, the diary will automatically po
Next Job & Job List Widgets
Widgets are a new feature in iOS 14. On your iPhone, they can be placed anywhere on your home screen or in the "Today View". On the iPad, they are only able to be put on the "Today View"
ServiceM8's widgets include a Small & Medium "Next Job" widget, & Small, Medium, & Large "Job Lists" widgets. The Next Job widget shows what is coming up next, & in how long. The Job List widgets can be set to show any job list or queue. (In Progress jobs, Quotes, Follow Up etc.)
Simple Activation of New Features
These features are easy to start using right away. There is an “Activate” button, along with a short explanation on the “Settings” page of the ServiceM8 web app. Pressing that button will activate the new features for everyone using the web app. Employees need only update the ServiceM8 app on their phones to get access to all the improvements.
For more information on all the features introduced in ServiceM8 9.0, you can watch the livestream or read their blog post using the button to the right.
