Locqus Launches Free Field Service Management App

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DETROIT, Mich. –  Locqus has released a field service management (FSM) app called Field Manage that allows smaller service companies to track and manage time clocks, scheduling, service times, inventory, quotes, payroll and invoices. It synchronizes most aspects of running a business between devices and employees without the need of separate software packages-and it’s free.
 
The idea got started when Paul Proctor had a few of his landscape company trucks stolen from his driveway. He couldn’t afford tracking devices, which cost as much as $25 per month per vehicle at the time. He mentioned his dilemma to his friend, Sandy Kronenberg who delivered enterprise communications and datacenter technology in his former company, Netarx (now Logicalis).

As they talked about what else an app like this could do, they enlisted the help of nine computer and information science (CIS) students at the University of Michigan-Dearborn to find a way to bundle things like geolocation, photos and scheduling into one package that would be industry-specific, easy to use, and affordable for small- to medium-sized businesses. The students took on the task as their senior project.
 
Locqus allows companies to immediately know where their employees and vehicles are located and job statuses. Companies have instant access to inventory, quotes, invoices and photos of job sites without texting or downloading. There’s no need to wait for documents at the end of the day and there’s no need for separate accounting software.
 
There’s also a benefit to customers who can sign and pay for services on a credit card reader that’s free to the company and attached to the employee’s smartphone. Locqus offers competitive merchant fees for credit card processing. The free basic service is available for up to 10 users per group. For a per user fee, Locqus also provides unlimited photo storage and user groups, 24-hour customer support and SMS.