Why should technicians record time and parts on the work order?

Registration feels like paperwork and is actually the basis for most other things.

Invoice basis

Hours and parts on the order become invoice line items. If they are entered from memory on Friday, too little gets invoiced — and it is almost always too little, not too much.

Inventory

Parts used without being registered are not removed from the inventory in the system. As a result, the inventory count is inaccurate, and the next technician heads out without the part they thought they had.

Profitability per job

Without actual time spent, you don't know which jobs are profitable. Estimated time tells you what you expected, not what actually happened.

Make it easy in the field

Time should be logged on a mobile device while the technician is on site. If it requires filling in ten fields, it won't get done. If it requires three, it will.