Fergus helps you to keep track of jobs and costs.

With the right job management software on deck, running a trades or service business becomes easier for all involved. As virtual assistants to a range of different tradespeople across New Zealand, the Released team has had experience with many of the different tech tools that those on the tools can use to make everything smoother and more efficient. In this blog series, we’re highlighting a few of our favourites.

Fergus features and capabilities

There are several primary tasks or functions that Fergus serves. Here’s the breakdown:

End-to-end job tracking

Using digital job cards displayed on a clear and easy-to-read dashboard, Fergus’ job tracking feature makes it simple for small businesses and tradespeople to keep track of their to-do list.

Consider this a digital filing system, but better. At a glance you can see what needs doing and when, supplier documents, costings, quotes, purchase orders, and any other information that’s relevant to a particular job. Job cards can be integrated with your accounting system and also send out automated SMS reminders.

Team management on the go

For small trades business owners and their team members, Fergus makes life easier with its team management capabilities. You can monitor productivity, manage schedules, and communicate clearly. There’s a notice board for the whole team where you can promote a positive company culture, and job cards make it easy to leave specific messages about specific jobs.

Access to real-time information is such an advantage, and it allows for effective, efficient, and clear management of your most important assets: your people.

Business insights

Having all of this crucial information recorded and organised allows SMEs to do more than just schedule, track, and manage their jobs and teams. It allows them to:

• Figure out which types of jobs are most profitable.

• Automate SMS payment reminders and other administrative tasks.

• Make informed decisions about where to allocate resources and people.

• Monitor trends and growth.

• Get a clear view of team members’ performance.

Thoughts on Fergus from an expert VA

Wendy, a virtual assistant on the Released team, uses Fergus job management software regularly as part of her work with tradespeople and trades businesses. Platforms like this make the integration of a VA into a business smooth and simple—particularly if the assistant in question is already familiar with the software!

One of Wendy’s favourite aspects of Fergus is the ability to see anything she needs at a click of a button. The intuitive UI design makes it simple to navigate back to the job card with all of the information in one place, whether she’s currently viewing an invoice or making entries in the calendar.

In fact, the simple user interface makes Wendy’s life a lot easier in many ways. She says it reminds her of using Xero, another software platform for business owners created by clever Kiwis. And speaking of Xero, Wendy points out that Fergus integrates well with other popular apps and businesses to create a top-notch experience for tradies and their VAs. Effective app stacks are gold for a streamlined workflow.