FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Real Time Manager?
A: Real Time Manager was developed to solve common business management problems that everyone in the service industry faces. One problem is that you can only be in one place at a time. Another problem is the overwhelming amount of paperwork that must be managed. When you are trying to run a service management business these problems constantly slow you down and limit your productivity. Online service management is the most efficient way to control your business and Real Time Manager is the best online service management system.
Real Time Manager’s service management system gives you to control all of your appointments, services, employees, customer information, finances, inventory and more. You will be able to view all of your job sites and their activity in real time with this service management tool. Real Time Manager also keeps track of your paperwork and makes it easy to review detailed reports that can be generated for you automatically. This online service management system will allow you great flexibility and control, producing a custom fit for your business. When it comes to managing multiple services at once, Real Time Manager is the best system for the industry.
Q: What is the idea behind Real Time Manager?
A: Companies everywhere are constantly trying to improve their efficiency without sacrificing the quality of their services. The problem is that most business management tools are too generic to fit all of their specific needs. Imagine if you could easily control all aspects of your business with an organized system tailored to meet the demands of your daily operations. With Real Time Manager’s flexible business management tools you will communicate more effectively with employees and clients while spending less time managing reports.
Real Time Manager improves the overall efficiency of your business by integrating everything into one comprehensive management system. As a more efficient business you can take on more work without sacrificing quality of service, thus achieving greater revenue
Q: What can Real Time Manager do for my business?
A: Real Time Manager offers the best solution for all of your business management needs. It provides a flexible business management tool that can be individually customized to increase your company’s overall efficiency. Business owners using Real Time Manager have realized huge gains in record time. Real Time Manager’s business management software is the industry standard for quality and affordability.
Real Time Manager's features include:
- Customer Relationship Management
- Service Scheduling & Dispatching
- Estimates & Costs
- Labor & Product Pricing
- Vehicle Routing & Job Site Maps
- Service Report Management
- Detailed Financial Reports
- Payroll and Commission Management
- Inventory Control
- And much more… Real Time Manager does it all!
Q: What kind of results can I get with Real Time Manager?
A: In today’s market it is essential to stay up-to-date because the speed of information is rapidly increasing. Real Time Manager offers you an integrated system that allows you to simultaneously communicate directly with service field technicians, review service reports and monitor schedules with ease. With customizable control of all aspects of your business you will be able to achieve greater results than ever before. There is simply no other software for the industry - at any price - that can match Real Time Manager’s ease of use, power and flexibility.
Q: What can you view in real time?
A: You can view all of your customer information, service scheduling, vehicle routing, job site maps, labor costs, product pricing, service reports, detailed financial reports as well as payroll and commission management - all in real time. Real Time Manager allows you to monitor multiple job sites from anywhere. You can access all of your information in a snap with this innovative business management tool.
Q: What can you control with Real Time Manager?
A: Real Time Manager provides you with ultimate control over every aspect of your businesses in one user-friendly application. Online service management is the only way to get real-time information on all of your business operations. Real Time Manager can give you the power to control everything, right as it happens. Real Time Manager also incorporates a high level encryption system and comprehensive security precautions to ensure that no uninvited guests will enter your system or access your information.
You also have control over the information that users on your system can view. You can assign each user a status level to dictate what information they will have access to and each user’s status can be changed at any time. Keeping your information safe is one of Real Time Manager’s highest priorities.
Q: What can I manage with Real Time Manager?
A: It’s easy to manage your business with Real Time Manager. For example, you can track your current appointments, view estimates and access key cut codes through the “Services” tab. The financial report feature allows you to create profit and loss reports including a summary of services provided, a record of all payments received and the amount paid in commissions. Additionally, the “Admin” tab includes the ability to review employee schedules, parts inventory and monitor user activity. These are just a few of the many features Real Time Manager offers your business.
Q: What does Google Maps have to do with Real Time Manager?
A: Real Time Manager has Google Maps built-in to allow you to locate your job sites in an instant. Instead of wasting time looking up individual locations, you will see every service being performed clearly marked on one map. Place your mouse over any service on the map to display detailed information about the appointment. You can also send SMS messages or emails from this feature. You will know where your employees are at all times and can coordinate their movements.
Q: Can I track my high security key customers?
A: Real Time Manager lets you keep track of your Multi Key customers and all of their information. Easily recall their information including their previously requested services, contact information, key cut and multi lock information. Manage your customers and their multi key services easily using Real Time Manager.
Q: Can I email my customers with Real Time Manager?
A: You can consolidate all of your customer, employee and other important contact information with Real Time Manager. All of the contact information will appear in an extremely detailed format and you can instantly display any records associated with your contacts. Time spent searching for contact information is time that could have been spent growing your business. Real Time Manager integrates direct communication with your service providers and employees via email or SMS messages to make it easier to stay in contact.
Q: What kind of records does Real Time Manager keep?
A: Real Time Manager keeps detailed records of every service your company performs. You can view a wide variety of reports that will allow you to carefully examine each and every aspect of your business. Some of the reports you can review include; services performed by sub-employees, overall profit & loss, parts & inventory and the activity of your employees while using Real Time Manager. All reports are easily accessible and can be searched for by date, name of sub-employee, address where the service was performed, invoice number, product and other information.
Q: What kind of software do I need to install?
A: Real Time Manager uses the .Net framework. This means you can access it from any computer with internet access. This convenience allows for live information feeds and ultimate control of your business. With Real Time Manager you can see and control everything that happens on your job sites, without being there.
Q: Where can I use Real Time Manager?
A: What county are you serving? The first step in defining your area of work is to select the counties in which you operate. A job can only be completed and closed if the service is performed in a zone your company is setup for. To input a service from outside your normal service zone, you will first need to set up a sub-employee for that zone.
Q: How are employees displayed in Real Time Manager?
A: All employees are defined by the zone in which they work. Employees will be displayed only in the zone they are set up for. If there is only one employee assigned to a zone where a service is requested then they will be the only employee displayed.
Q: What about sub-employees?
A: Sub-employees, also called service technicians or just technicians, can be added or modified from the main menu under Admin -- Employees.
Payment Fees: All of the charges you have made are recorded in an organized report. In this window you can view all monetary information related to services you have provided. Your fees are also broken down by percentage into cash, check and credit. Day Service: Input the amount of commission your sub-employee will receive when performing a service during the day. Night Service: Input only the extra commission your sub-employee will receive when performing a night time service on top of their day time commission.
Q: Is their a rating system for employees?
A: Your sub-employees can be rated using an easily-understood star system. Those with the highest star ratings will be preferred over lower-rated individuals.
Q: Can I print a report for just a company source or sub-employee?
A: Source reports include every service completed by that company. These reports are divided into closed and open reports. All of the important information regarding services rendered is available including: the customer name, the service provided, the appointment time, the sub-employee who completed the job, the parts used, the total amount charged, the amount paid (broken down by payment type), the commission and the unique invoice number for that service.
Sub-employee reports include every service completed by that worker. These are divided into open and closed reports. These reports include every detail about the individual services provided and the payments received. Open sub reports also include a summary of all open services that a sub-employee has been assigned and the profits from those services. Closed reports can be edited if necessary. Once you re-open a closed report and make changes the report will be saved as a separate report.
Q: What about the receptionist report?
A: Each time a receptionist handles a service their actions are recorded. To find services handled by a specific receptionist, select the user name and the dates you would like to display.
Q: How does the High Security Key System work?
A: You can view information related to your high security key system customers in this report. Their contact information, lock, key cut and part numbers are stored here. You can search for specific reports by defining the customer name, phone number, invoice number or by the employee who performed the service.
Q: What is the profit and loss report?
A: The profit and loss report is a comprehensive financial overview that includes every service you perform. Every service is listed along with a great deal of information. This report includes customer names, addresses, the date of the service, the type of service, the time each service was performed, the cost of parts, the cost of labor, the amount broken down by payment type, the outstanding balance, the sub-employee who performed the service, the overall price, the commission paid and your profit from the service.
Q: What is on the homepage?
A: The homepage displays all known services in one place. This includes services in process, live services, unassigned services, services that are past due (up to 30 minutes late) and services where the ETA has expired (more than 30 minutes late). This screen automatically updates and is the best way to monitor the operation of your business. If you prefer to keep all of the tabs on screen, you can click the “tabs” icon at the top of your screen. This will open an alternative overview of your business, you will always see the number of services in each category. Each tab can be opened to see a full list of services that fall under that category.
Q: How much do I pay per user?
A: Real Time Manager is designed to allow you to add new users at any time. As your business grows there is no need to contact us. We will provide additional licenses to you automatically as you create new users. Please review the following information regarding monthly service costs, adding SMS and cancellation fees. When you purchase Real Time Manager our specialists will create your account in one business day. Typically your account will be active within two hours of your purchase.
We will create an administrator user account when you first purchase Real Time Manager. We recommend that you create a secure password to replace the one we provide. This user cannot be downgraded from admin status for security reasons, so it is very important that you do not share your login information with anyone. If you want to request a custom name for this account you must notify us before we setup your account or it will simply be named “admin.” Up to 4 users the monthly fee is $99. If you need more than 4 users, please contact us for pricing. Real Time Manager is accessible from anywhere on our secure servers.
Q: How is billing handled for Real Time Manager?
A: To prevent service interruptions, when you purchase Real Time Manager we will bill you for the current month and the next 30 days on the first billing. If you are signing up in the middle of the month, we will prorate your bill for the remainder of the month. The billing cycle is on the 25th, regardless of the sign up date.
Q: What does a license entitle me to with Real Time Manager?
A: Transfer of Licenses The Real Time Manager license applies to your company only. You may not add additional companies or transfer any purchased licenses to other companies. If you have a situation that requires you to modify your company’s information, please contact us. Attempting to change your company information yourself may result in the loss of data.
Proprietary Software License The Real Time Manager End User License Agreement (EULA) includes: restrictions on use, modification, copying and the republishing of Real Time Manager. Please be aware that this is only a limited, non-exclusive license. The licensor is and remains the owner of all titles, rights and interests in the software.
Q: How fast will my email or text message reach my employee?
A: As soon as you press the email or SMS button, your message will be sent to your employee. The time it takes to reach your employee is determined by the speed of the cellular network.
Q: Where does the service go after it’s cancelled?
A: After you cancel your service, it will appear in the cancelled services link. If you cancelled the service by mistake or need to recall it, simply navigate to the cancelled services page and click the edit button.
Q: How do I delete a service provider or tech from the system?
A: Delete a service provider or tech from the system, navigate to the administrator page. To delete a service simply click on the “Delete Service” button and select the service. You cannot delete techs from the system because they need to be on record. If you would like to remove a specific tech from view, simply deactivate it.
Q: Where and how do I edit a service?
A: To edit an active service click the edit tool on the homepage located in the farthest left column.
Q: How do I re-assign a service after it has been cancelled?
A: To reassign a cancelled service navigate to the cancelled services page and select the tech employee. Find the service that you want to recall and click the edit link to reassign it.
Q: How do I find a service?
A: If you know either the zip, phone, customer name or invoice number, enter any one of those into the search box located on the “Search For Services” page.
Q: How do I reopen a closed report?
A: To reopen a closed report, navigate to the “Closed Report” page and enter the date and tech information for the job. This can only be done by a manager or administrator.
Q: Where does my backup go when I save it?
A: The backup is stored on an outsourced server and will be available for download to local storage. We keep only the latest version of your data. If more versions are needed, download your saved backups to your hard drive.
Q: How do I restore my saved backup?
A: To restore your saved backup navigate to the “Backup” page and click the restore from backup button. The system will be restored according to the server maintenance schedule. To use your locally saved backup to restore your system contact dataservice@realtimemanger.net
Q: How do I change the commission?
A: Navigate to the “Admin” page and click on the “Tech List” button. Then click the edit button next to the employee to change the commission rates.
Q: If I forget my password, where can I retrieve or change it?
A: Real Time Manager makes it easy to retrieve a lost password. Simply click the “restore password” button on the login screen and enter a valid username. The corresponding password will be emailed to the user. Changing a user’s password requires that user to login and open the account page at the top-right of the screen. From here, you must click on the “change” button next to the current password.
Q: How do I manage my inventory or change the price of a part?
A: Inventory management is handled on the “Admin” page under the “Parts And Group Lists.” Individual parts can be sorted into groups and the price of any part can be updated at any time.
Q: How do I change my company information?
A: Company information can be updated on the “Admin” page. Please note that changing the name of company in Real Time Manager can result in the loss of stored data. Please consult us if the name of your company changes or if you start a new company, as additional licenses may be necessary.
Q: What kind of reports can Real Time Manager generate?
A: Real Time Manager can generate reports on your technicians, sources, receptionists and clients. Real Time Manager also generates detailed financial reports including: profit & loss summaries, breakdowns of payment types used, commissions paid out, material costs and outstanding balances owed.
Q: Can Real Time Manager keep track of overtime and late-night services?
A: Real Time Manager can handle adjustments in pay for overtime and late-night work. These rates depend on the rates charged by individual service providers. Service provider information can be viewed and updated from the “Admin” page if there is any inaccuracy.
Q: How can I see where services are being provided?
A: Simply click the “Locate Services On Map” button on the “Services” menu.
Q: Can Real Time Manager help me manage high security keys?
A: Yes! Real Time Manager Locksmith Edition stores your multi-lock IDs, multi-lock numbers and key-cuts in one convenient location. You can search by the key cut number, the employee who provided the service or the phone number of the client.
Q: How can I find out who logged in to Real Time Manager?
A: Login reports are created for the admin to review. This is done so that you can keep track of the users logging in, the IP address they logged in from, the time of day and their activity. You can use this tool to monitor your users and adjust their security level if needed. Your login report will also include fraudulent attempts to login to the system. Any failed login attempts will be recorded for your review. You will know if an unwanted guest is attempting to gain access to your system. After five failed login attempts, a computer will be blocked from logging in for 45 minutes. An admin can unblock any users that have been blocked
Real Time Manager allows you to separate your users into four categories: admin, restricted, user and manager. You can also customize Real Time Manager to suit your individual needs. When you add more users you can incorporate more of your business in one comprehensive system and boost your efficiency!
Q: What are user groups?
A: Restricted User: Restricted users can only add new services. Users: Users can add and edit services, send emails or SMS to employees, find an estimate, view unpaid or closed reports, find services by date and backup the system. Managers: Managers are allowed all the same rights as users and can edit services that have been closed. Admin: Admins are allowed full access and are the only users allowed to view financial records.
Q: Do you offer Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology with Real Time Manager?
A: Yes. SSL technology offers more advanced encryption of your sensitive information. The cost is an Annual Fee of $50 + One-Time $80 Setup Fee.
