The field app

The whole job, in the tech's pocket

This is the field app in CrewBarn, followed through one visit, from opening the job to getting paid.

At Harlow and Finch, Sam and Jo are the techs, Kim books the work, and Dana runs the office.

Before you go: Everything before he leaves

Thursday morning. Sam opens the CrewBarn app. Mrs. Rivera's water heater is on his list for ten fifteen.

The job opens on Before you go: the scope of work, the site contact, the service location, and Check truck stock and required tools with CBI.

A bar under the header shows five steps, Go, Work, Sign, Close, Paid, and one big button always says what's next.

Before you go: The gate code, and the unit

Secure files holds the side gate code, so it isn't written on a sticky note in the truck.

And Assets ties Mrs. Rivera's water heater to the job, so whatever Sam does to it lands on its own record.

On the way: On the way, and she knows

At nine fifty-eight Sam taps Start travel. The job turns On the way.

Mrs. Rivera gets a text: Sam from Harlow and Finch is on the way, about fourteen minutes out. In the office, Kim sees the job move.

On Sam's screen: Open turn-by-turn navigation, and CBI is monitoring your arrival.

On the way: Late? He hears it first

Another way it goes: his first job ran long. If he may be late, his phone shows the red Running late pop-up, with the customer, the drive time and a Call customer button.

He taps it and tells her himself, so the office has nothing to chase.

On site: Checked in, on the clock

Ten twelve. Sam pulls up and taps I'm here, check in. That starts the on-site timer, and the job is On site.

The check-in carries the time and where he was, so Kim sees it in the job's status history without picking up the phone.

On site: No signal, still checked in

Another way it goes: the Riveras' garage has no signal. The check-in works anyway.

It's saved on the phone, the bar shows Offline, and it sends itself when he's back in range. The Sync center lists anything still waiting.

On site: The work, written down as he goes

The tank has rusted through. Sam takes the Before photo with BarnCam, stamped with the time and place.

Under Services and parts he adds the new tank from his truck. Then the Service log: zero of one logged.

For the water heater he answers What did you do, How is it now, Working, and Replaced anything. Save and move on. One of one logged.

On site: Bought at the counter, paid back

Another way it goes: he needs a fitting the truck doesn't carry, and picks one up at the supply house.

He adds it as a write-in and photographs the receipt right there. That files it against the job and raises the expense, so he's paid back without a form.

On site: Bigger job? Ask first

And on a Bayside job with a not-to-exceed amount, the work can grow past it. Jo taps Request NTE, types the additional amount and the reason, and sends it.

Her button turns to Waiting on approval: check-out is blocked until dispatch approves.

In the office, Dana sees the NTE extension request on the job and presses Approve plus three fifty, or Deny.

Sign and close: Signed on his screen

Back at the Riveras'. The new tank is in and running. Sam takes the After photo, and the button says Get the signature.

Mrs. Rivera signs on his phone. Customer signature: Captured.

Sign and close: Checked out, and Complete

The button now says Finish job: it checks out and marks it complete. The close-out sheet asks how it went: Completed, or Return needed.

Sam picks Completed and taps Close out job. The job is Complete, and Kim sees it finish on the board.

Sign and close: Coming back? Say why

Another way it goes: the new tank is the wrong size, and Sam can't finish today.

He picks Return needed and writes what still needs doing. That goes to dispatch, and Kim books the return visit.

Getting paid: Paid before he leaves

Now the button reads Collect, with the amount. With no invoice yet, Create invoice from this job makes it from the job's lines.

Sam taps Take a card, then Tap to Pay on this phone. Mrs. Rivera taps her card on the back of his phone.

Payment collected. The bar reads Paid, and the button says All done.

Getting paid: Paid later, or paid in paper

Another way it goes: she'd rather pay later. Text a pay link sends the invoice with an online pay link.

Or she pays by check. Sam picks Cash, check or other, types the check number and taps Record. It goes to the office as a turnover for a manager to confirm.

Getting paid: The books match the bag

Back at the office, the check waits on the Money desk under Money in hand.

Dana counts it and presses Check in, so what's in the books matches what came back in the truck.

Getting paid: Start travel to paid, from one phone

From Start travel to paid took less than two hours, all from Sam's phone, and nobody in the office had to call him once.

The whole visit: Opened to paid

That's one visit, start to finish: before you go, on the way, on site, the work, the signature, finish job, and collect.

And every branch had an answer: running late, no signal, a write-in, a not-to-exceed, a return visit, a pay link or a check.

The field app: The whole job, in their pocket

That's the field app in CrewBarn.

CrewBarn is in beta, and free for life for trades that help test it.