Buffalo Business First - "Mobile Technician" is a Handy Helper

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As service manager for Reimer Heating and Air Conditioning Inc., Jerry Puleo says he enjoys the ease with which his handheld device helps him do his job. But every time he uses it, the jobs of others are made even more efficient.

His is loaded with Mobile Technician, software created by Buffalo-based SWRemote.

The software makes the handheld the most powerful tool in his truck. With it, he can read what happened during the last service call and find out if any components are under warranty.

SWRemote Sales and Marketing Coordinator Gregory Dooley said about 50 customers in the United States and Canada use Mobile Technician, developed initially for Clarence-based SuccessWare21, which makes dispatch software for the residential service industry: plumbers, roofers and HVAC companies such as Reimer.

"Mobile Technician keeps you from re-keying information back at the office," Dooley said. Service techs such as Puleo, he said, build an invoice, create a list of materials needed for a job and take payments while in the field.

With the device, Puleo can see the furnace model and get serial numbers. To track inventory, he uses the handheld to scan bar codes of parts in his truck. If services such as duct cleaning are recommended, they can be entered into the profile. And when it comes to billing, he swipes credit cards on it.

"When I started here 10 years ago, I used to fill out an invoice, give a copy to the customer and bring one back to the office," Puleo said.

Today he is among six field workers who invoice jobs, helping Michele Wasson and the other customer service specialists back at the office.

The SuccessWare21 product runs on computers there, and Wasson receives invoices throughout the day as Puleo and others finish jobs.

SWRemote is one of six organizations operating under Algonquin Studios, and it's headquartered on the second floor of the Brisbane Building. Dooley said it was started after SuccessWare21 contacted Algonquin to make a mobile solution to its software.

The company charges Reimer $55 a month per device to run Mobile Technician.

SuccessWare21 founder Phil DiRe said Reimer has been a customer since 2000. His 13-person Clarence location is assisted by a seven-person Illinois staff, which offers technical support. SuccessWare21 charges monthly software license fees in addition to upfront costs, which DiRe said are usually less than $10,000.