Fieldworker and Subworker Management
OctopusPro is a comprehensive solution for managing all of your fieldworkers, including employees, contractors, subcontractors, and their subworkers, from one centralized platform. This user guide will outline the features and functionalities of the Fieldworker and Subworker Management System within OctopusPro, ensuring you can effectively manage, communicate, and oversee your workforce.
Fieldworkers and Subworkers
The Fieldworkers section allows you to view and manage all users with the Fieldworker role, as well as their subworkers. Here you can perform the following actions:
- Invite fieldworkers and subworkers by email or SMS
- Import or export fieldworker and subworker data
- Add new fieldworkers and subworkers
- Filter fieldworkers and subworkers by keywords, service, state, status, and labels
- View fieldworkers and subworkers on a map
Role and Definition of Subworkers
Subworkers are supplementary team members who work under the guidance and supervision of your primary fieldworkers. They play a crucial role in various industries, such as manufacturing, delivery, and maintenance, where fieldworkers might manage a team of employees performing similar tasks under their direction.
Subworkers can be added to a fieldworker’s profile, allowing them to collaborate and manage multiple tasks effectively. These team members are hired directly by the fieldworker and perform services under their supervision. Subworkers do not have live access to bookings, invoices, or complaints and cannot communicate directly with other employees or customers.
Distinguishing Subworkers from Fieldworkers
Fieldworkers are your employees or contractors who provide services to your customers and are hired and paid by your company. In contrast, subworkers are secondary workers added to the fieldworker’s profile and are managed and paid by the fieldworker. Unlike fieldworkers, subworkers work indirectly for your company.
Fieldworker and Subworker App
The Fieldworker and Subworker App is an integral part of the OctopusPro system. It is designed to help fieldworkers and subworkers manage their assigned bookings, receive notifications about new jobs, and update their work status. The app guides them through the entire booking process, from job acceptance to completion.
Communication
OctopusPro enables seamless communication with one or multiple fieldworkers and subworkers instantly via email, SMS, or through the app. This feature ensures that you can keep your workforce informed and efficiently manage their work.
Job Life Cycle
The job life cycle in the Fieldworker and Subworker App consists of the following steps:
- Job Alarms: Fieldworkers and subworkers receive alarms about assigned jobs. Click here to see the alarms page or watch the OctopusPro alarm video.
- Job Acceptance: After accepting a booking, fieldworkers and subworkers arrive at the booking location and can either start the job or report an issue that prevents them from starting.
- Start Job: Fieldworkers and subworkers press the ‘START JOB’ button, enter an estimated completion time, and complete any required forms or checklists. If you have forms or checklists set up for your fieldworkers and subworkers to complete before starting a job, or require them to take photos of the job upon check-in, they will be prompted to do so after the booking has been started. You can set up and customize your own form from Settings > General Settings > Forms & Checklists.
4. Once the job has been started, the time tracking for the booking will start.
5. Unable to Start: If a fieldworker or subworker cannot start the job, they press the ‘UNABLE TO START’ button. After that, the fieldworker has to enter the reason they are unable to start. This will convert the visit status of the booking to Failed. A notification will be sent to your admin users so they can get involved if required.
6.Finish Job: Once a fieldworker is finished with a scheduled job, they are required to check out by pressing the FINISH JOB button, which will display on the booking page after it has been started. If you have forms or checklists set up for your fieldworkers to complete upon checking out, or require them to take photos related to the work completed, they will be prompted to do so after pressing the FINISH JOB button. The change status dialog will then appear to your fieldworker to update the booking status to the current status. Your fieldworker can then add notes to the booking and edit the services and pricing if given permission. You can set up and customize your own form from Settings > General Settings > Forms & Checklists.
Forms & Checklists
- You can create and customize forms and checklists for your fieldworkers and subworkers to complete before starting a job or upon completion. To set up and customize forms, navigate to Settings > General Settings > Forms & Checklists.
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For example, the following form is customized to be upon checking out from a job, it is for documenting the state of the work after finishing the booking.
- Once the checkout process has been completed, the visit status will be converted to Attended if the fieldworker changed the status to in progress and scheduled the next visit (this is the case when the fieldworker started his job and didn’t finish it). For more information, visit the Status help page.
If the fieldworker completed the job, they can change the status to completed if you assign them the credentials to do so. Check the Status setting help page for more information.
After finishing the job, the time tracking for the booking will stop, and the actual finish time will appear in your fieldworker timesheet reports.
Managing Fieldworker and Subworker Payments and Invoices
OctopusPro provides an efficient system for managing fieldworker and subworker payments and invoices. This system enables you to:
- View and manage invoices for completed bookings
- Calculate and record payments for fieldworkers and subworkers based on job completion or hourly rates
- Generate reports for payments made to fieldworkers and subworkers
- Manage disputes and adjustments in payments
To access these features, navigate to the Reports section of OctopusPro.
Timesheets & Reports
OctopusPro automatically tracks the time fieldworkers and subworkers spend on each booking, providing accurate start and finish times in their timesheet reports. This allows you to monitor the efficiency and productivity of your workforce.
Conclusion
This user guide has provided a comprehensive overview of the Fieldworker and Subworker Management System within OctopusPro. By utilizing these features, you can efficiently manage, communicate, and oversee your workforce, including employees, contractors, subcontractors, and their subworkers. This system ensures smooth communication, optimal organization, and effective management of your team’s work, ultimately enhancing your business’s productivity and success. Embrace the power of OctopusPro to take your fieldworker and subworker management to the next level.
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