By Jenny Benbrook Home service contractors put serious money into field service management (FSM) software and other digital tools, expecting them to streamline operations, boost profits, and create a better experience for both technicians and customers. But too often, they fall into the “perceived efficiency” trap, assuming that just having the software in place will Read more
ServiceTitan
By Jenny Benbrook
Home service contractors put serious money into field service management (FSM) software and other digital tools, expecting them to streamline operations, boost profits, and create a better experience for both technicians and customers. But too often, they fall into the “perceived efficiency” trap, assuming that just having the software in place will deliver results.
The reality? Without a strategic approach to budgeting, implementation, training, and ongoing management, that investment can become an expensive headache instead of a game-changer. Technology should serve the business, not the other way around. The right tools, aligned with business goals and managed effectively, can maximize efficiency, improve workflows, and drive real revenue growth.
Why Implementation is Just the Beginning
FSM platforms like ServiceTitan and FieldEdge are powerful tools that can transform a business—when properly set up, used, and maintained. These platforms provide insights into operations, from tracking inventory and equipment maintenance to optimizing technician scheduling and following up on unsold estimates.
Take unsold estimates as an example. Contractors spend a fortune on marketing, lead generation, and technician dispatch just to get an estimate in front of a potential customer. But if that estimate isn’t followed up on, it’s money wasted. Leveraging FSM software to track, automate follow-ups, and increase close rates can unlock millions in revenue, turning lost opportunities into booked jobs.
But software success doesn’t stop at implementation. Without a proper training plan, standardized workflows, and dedicated oversight, even a well-implemented system can fall apart. Poor training leads to inconsistent usage, undocumented workflows create confusion, and a lack of tech stack management causes inefficiencies that negate the software’s benefits. A tool is only as good as the process it supports. If you don’t have a plan, technology just becomes another expense.
Common Roadblocks to Long-Term Software Success
Many contractors struggle with software adoption and optimization due to several key challenges:
Time Commitment: Learning a new platform takes time, and so does training a team to use it correctly. Without dedicated effort, even the best software won’t deliver its full potential.
Change Resistance: Asking a seasoned team to adopt new workflows can be tough. People get comfortable with how they work, and changing that, even for the better, can be met with pushback.
Lack of a Clear Plan: Many businesses invest in software without defining what success looks like. Without clear goals, implementation lacks direction, and the software’s value isn’t fully realized.
No Dedicated Tech Stack Management: Software is not a one-and-done purchase, it requires an ongoing financial commitment for optimization, training, and troubleshooting. Without a dedicated resource to manage the tech stack, inefficiencies and outdated workflows can creep in, reducing ROI.
Overwhelm from Too Many Tools: Contractors are drowning in technology options, with too many tools and no strategy. The greatest risk isn’t adopting technology too quickly, it’s adopting it without intention.
Getting the Most Out of Your Investment
To avoid these pitfalls, contractors should approach software implementation and long-term success with a structured plan. Here’s how to start:
Set Specific Goals – Identify what you want to achieve with your software. Are you trying to increase technician efficiency? Reduce inventory waste? Close more estimates? Improve customer communication? Define success in measurable terms.
Dedicate Financial Resources – Contractors should allocate 2-5% of projected annual revenue toward technology. This budget should not only cover software licensing but also implementation, training, ongoing support, and a dedicated internal or external resource to manage the tech stack. A clear roadmap prevents wasted time and money. Technology adoption should be intentional, seamless, and impactful.
Develop a Standardized Training Plan – A good implementation won’t matter if your team doesn’t know how to use the software correctly. Learning technology is not a one-and-done activity. Establish a structured training process, provide documentation, and offer continuous learning opportunities to keep employees up to speed.
Document and Maintain Workflows – Standardized processes ensure that every team member is using the software consistently. Powerhouse Consulting Group provides a structured, step-by-step approach to technology adoption with a technology playbook to ensure proper implementation, set expectations, process documentation, training, and more.
Invest in Ongoing Optimization – Success requires ongoing optimization, not just a one-time setup. Technology changes daily, and businesses need structured validation, tracking performance, optimizing workflows, and driving measurable results over time.
Why Professional Guidance Pays Off
Contractors don’t expect customers to install HVAC systems or electrical panels without professional expertise, so why should software be any different? FSM consultants spend thousands of hours mastering these platforms, learning the best configurations, workflows, and integrations to maximize their value.
Trying to implement a major system without expert help is like wiring your house without an electrician. You might get some lights to work, but it won’t be safe, efficient, or built to last. Powerhouse Consulting Group is the trusted guide for technology adoption, ensuring that tools are used efficiently and effectively. We don’t just vet and implement tools; we teach contractors how to maximize their value.
Final Thoughts
The future of the trades isn’t just about fixing what’s broken, it’s about anticipating what’s next. The industry is shifting toward data-driven decision-making, and contractors who strategically implement technology now will lead in the next 5-10 years. Investing in technology isn’t just about tools, it’s about building a scalable business.
Powerhouse isn’t just a consultant; we are a strategic partner helping contractors scale and thrive. Our hands-on, business-first approach ensures that contractors get real value from their technology investments. There is no easy button, but contractors who put in the work and follow the right process will build sustainable, profitable businesses.
Jenny Benbrook is the founder and CEO of Powerhouse Consulting Group. Drawing from more than 20 years of experience in the skilled trades, Jenny provides strategic coaching and consultation for home service businesses seeking to make the most of their software investments. Powerhouse Consulting Group is the first and only ServiceTitan Titanium Partner, and also provides in-depth expertise regarding FieldEdge. More information is available at mypowerhouse.group.
New AI-powered solution adjusts advertising spend in real-time based on actual job availability for Scorpion & ServiceTitan clients Scorpion, the leading provider of digital marketing and technology solutions for local businesses, and ServiceTitan, a software platform that powers the trades, announced the launch of Capacity Marketing Engine, a new AI-powered product designed to help home Read more
New AI-powered solution adjusts advertising spend in real-time based on actual job availability for Scorpion & ServiceTitan clients
Scorpion, the leading provider of digital marketing and technology solutions for local businesses, and ServiceTitan, a software platform that powers the trades, announced the launch of Capacity Marketing Engine, a new AI-powered product designed to help home services providers maximize digital advertising spend, maintain a full schedule, and reduce unnecessary advertising costs. Capacity Marketing Engine is exclusively available to select Scorpion clients now and available for all clients who have purchased Scorpion’s RevenueMAX and ServiceTitan’s Marketing Pro with Ads Optimizer beginning in May.
Home services businesses—such as HVAC companies, plumbers, and electricians—rely on consistent lead generation to fuel growth. However, fluctuating demand, seasonal slowdowns, and the unpredictability of consumer needs can lead to inefficiencies in advertising spending and scheduling. As a result, home services businesses face wasted marketing dollars, missed revenue targets, idle technicians, and unsatisfied customers.
Scorpion’s Capacity Marketing Engine uses AI-powered automation to adjust advertising spend based on real-time business capacity information from ServiceTitan. When demand is low, the system automatically boosts advertising to fill the schedule; when capacity is high, spend is scaled back to avoid overallocation.
With Capacity Marketing Engine, the connection between scheduling and demand fluctuations is now aligned and intuitively directs the advertising strategy for a true ‘smart scheduler.’ Now, home services businesses can redirect their focus to what matters: delivering exceptional service, helping to maximize ROI, and hitting revenue goals.
This launch deepens the strategic partnership between Scorpion and ServiceTitan, combining advanced advertising automation with business data from the industry’s most trusted field service platform. Together, they’re setting a new standard for how home services businesses grow: smarter, faster, and with greater efficiency than ever before.
“For business owners, Capacity Marketing Engine enables investment decisions that directly support profitability and long-term growth,” said Rustin Kretz, Founder and CEO of Scorpion. “We’re proud to launch this with our partners at ServiceTitan—it’s another step toward helping our clients grow more efficiently, stay fully booked, and maximize their revenue.”
Key Benefits of Capacity Marketing Engine:
- Automated Advertising Spend Adjustment: AI-powered technology that increases spend during slower periods and scales back when schedules are full.
- Real-Time Visibility and Control: Built-in transparency through Scorpion’s Revenue App provides a clear, historical log of budget changes and the triggers behind them—so clients always know what’s happening and why.
- Time and Cost Savings: Reduced need for manual ad management, freeing business owners to focus on service delivery.
- Enhanced Marketing Efficiency: Optimized marketing budgets to help generate maximum return on investment and drive consistent growth.
To learn more about Capacity Marketing Engine and how Scorpion and ServiceTitan are transforming growth for home services businesses, visit scorpion.co/capacity-marketing.
Top Business Risks to Meeting Goals Include Rising Labor and Overhead Costs (63%), Increasing Material Prices (51%), and the Shortage of Skilled Labor or Workforce Availability (40%) ServiceTitan (Nasdaq: TTAN), a software platform built to power the trades, today released its Commercial Specialty Contractor Industry Report, a study of over 1,000 specialty contractors primarily in plumbing, HVAC Read more
Top Business Risks to Meeting Goals Include Rising Labor and Overhead Costs (63%), Increasing Material Prices (51%), and the Shortage of Skilled Labor or Workforce Availability (40%)
ServiceTitan (Nasdaq: TTAN), a software platform built to power the trades, today released its Commercial Specialty Contractor Industry Report, a study of over 1,000 specialty contractors primarily in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, that focus a significant part of their business on construction. The report reveals that amid significant hurdles, contractors are pushing for growth, with 93% focused on winning new projects. Of the factors threatening growth, nearly two-thirds (64%) anticipate material prices to increase, making it harder to forecast job costs and protect margins. The report also found that to stay agile, contractors are focused on diversifying service offerings (43%), improving project execution (59%), and internal processes (51%), which is spurring software adoption.
“The commercial sector is in the midst of a perfect storm with a fluctuating economy, regulatory changes, and rising costs,” said Alex Kablanian, Vice President and General Manager, Commercial & Construction Markets. “In this challenging landscape, adopting innovative technology, including artificial intelligence, is essential for streamlining operations and driving profitable growth even in uncertain times. Historically, we’ve seen the best operators use periods like this as a catalyst to harden their business and build long-term durability and it’s our job to help our customers make that happen.”
Increasing profitability with better cash flow management
Specialty contractors are optimizing operations to grow revenue, but in parallel with rising material prices, rising labor, and overhead costs are top challenges that could impact revenue growth this year. Only 50% of contractors factor volatile material costs into their planning, and as a result, 36% are regularly adjusting budgets mid-project to deal with unexpected material costs. Approximately 83% of contractors cite budget overruns as a top issue, as well as unplanned risks not covered by contingency funds or change orders (70%). To keep projects on track and financially stable, 57% of contractors are prioritizing cash flow management. In addition, to stay profitable contractors are aiming to secure better material pricing, including using general contractors’ preferred suppliers for discounts (65%) and building stronger supplier relationships for better pricing (40%). To drive profits, contractors must be strategic about the projects they take on with the report revealing a strong focus on optimizing bidding strategy (51%) and three-quarters (75%) of contractors are increasing their client base. A majority of respondents (70%) are converting less than 20% of their bids, with the average bid conversion rate at 17.9%. Bid conversion rates have remained the same year-over-year for 79% of respondents.
Impacts of the labor shortage on business volume and retention strategies
The ongoing labor shortage continues to impact the commercial construction sector, forcing specialty contractors to re-strategize areas for business growth. Forty percent of respondents indicate labor shortages as a primary risk to meeting goals and over three-quarters (76%) report they are actively hiring. Among the contractors who are decreasing bid volume, 46% say it’s because of workforce and capacity limitations.
While 63% of contractors cite labor costs as a top risk to meeting goals, as businesses are met with slim talent pools, over half (55%) still plan to raise wages. To recruit and retain top talent, contractors must offer competitive pay and factor employee wage increases into their budget.
Optimizing workflows to drive larger profits
Amidst a competitive talent war and heightened cost pressures, contractors must readily adopt technology to remain agile to alleviate cash flow. Approximately 63% of respondents indicate enhancing budget forecasting and accuracy as a top priority for improving cost management, followed by managing change orders and variances (62%) and streamlining cost tracking and reporting (54%). Only 46% of contractors think they have the necessary tools to effectively manage costs. Timely payments are also critical to driving revenue growth. Nearly 80% of respondents indicated timely billing as a top strategy for being profitable, with the majority of contractors noting 38 days as the average length of time for payment.
Technology investments for more efficient operations
To optimize workflows and drive efficiency, 80% of contractors use communication tools, 51% use project management software, and 40% use specialized workforce management software. Almost half (49%) continue to use spreadsheets, highlighting the potential for wider technology adoption. Thirty percent of contractors are looking to invest in technology to achieve their goals, with 59% hoping to improve project execution and 51% their internal procedures. AI adoption is growing with 17% already seeing it impact their business. Contractors believe document management (57%), reporting (41%), project planning and scheduling (20%), bid management (19%), and equipment and fleet management (17%) will be the most significant way AI transforms their businesses.
“ServiceTitan’s end-to-end platform fuels the growth of billion-dollar businesses, empowering commercial construction companies with enterprise-level capabilities to scale to their full potential,” said Kris Blankenship, Industry Advisor at ServiceTitan for Commercial and Construction. “AI adoption will be critical as these businesses look to increase efficiency and raise their bottom line.”
To review the full findings and key takeaways, download the Commercial Specialty Contractor Industry Report here.
Contractors and Technicians Embrace AI to Advance Skill Sets and Grow Businesses with Solutions Announced at ServiceTitan’s Annual User Conference ServiceTitan, a leading software platform built to power the trades, today announced additions to its AI-powered technology for residential and commercial contractors. The latest solutions unveiled at Pantheon 2024 include a transformative AI assistant that will work Read more
Contractors and Technicians Embrace AI to Advance Skill Sets and Grow Businesses with Solutions Announced at ServiceTitan’s Annual User Conference
ServiceTitan, a leading software platform built to power the trades, today announced additions to its AI-powered technology for residential and commercial contractors. The latest solutions unveiled at Pantheon 2024 include a transformative AI assistant that will work across ServiceTitan’s suite of products, along with new applications for sales and call centers. Powered by Titan Intelligence, the company’s own purpose-built AI solution for the trades, these innovations empower contractors to automate, predict, and optimize their entire business.
“At ServiceTitan, we’re empowering our customers to do more than just unlock efficiency – we’re giving them the comprehensive tools they need to thrive in a rapidly-changing world, where AI is transforming nearly every industry,” said Vahe Kuzoyan, president and co-founder at ServiceTitan. “I’m thrilled to be expanding our suite of technology to equip our customers with the tools they need to work smarter, communicate efficiently, sell more effectively, and grow faster.”
The new features and solutions introduced at Pantheon 2024, ServiceTitan’s annual user conference, include:
-
Contact Center Pro is an always-on, AI-driven contact center for the trades that simplifies multiple communications channels to increase revenue, lower costs, and improve customer service. Powered by Titan Intelligence virtual agents, it’s a multi-channel solution that brings phone, email, web, and social into a Universal Inbox, with guidance from a virtual assistant.
-
SalesPro is an AI-powered solution to help technicians excel at sales. As AI-powered sales tools become more common, SalesPro is the first to focus on the trades. Most technicians are not sales experts but do much of a firm’s selling by necessity due to their regular customer interactions. Powered by Siro, SalesPro helps technicians gain confidence by analyzing their interactions through AI and suggestions, utilizing expert training content. It also connects technicians with peer-to-peer coaching to unlock their inner sales pro.
-
TI Assist revolutionizes customer decision-making across ServiceTitan by bringing AI, predictive insights, risk analysis, personalized recommendations, and deep automation to ServiceTitan with intuitive, easy-to-use TI personal assistants. Across roles and responsibilities, all users can use TI Assist to do their jobs more efficiently.
“At ServiceTitan, we are obsessed with making our customers as successful as possible,” said Ara Mahdessian, co-founder and CEO of ServiceTitan. “To do this, we continually strive to build innovative software, powered by AI, to help them run and grow their businesses. By delivering actionable insights and automated technology, we help contractors stay focused on what they do best—serving their customers and providing top-tier service, all while unlocking new opportunities for revenue growth and sustained profitability.”
To learn more about all of the new features and announcements at Pantheon 2024 visit the Pantheon Live Blog.
Franchise Owners Can Now Leverage the Power of ServiceTitan to Enhance Performance, Optimize Customer Experiences, and Enable Profitable Growth ServiceTitan, a leading software platform built to power the trades, today announced a strategic partnership with Authority Brands, a home services franchise leader. This new partnership will deploy ServiceTitan’s platform across several of Authority Brands’ industry leading Read more
Franchise Owners Can Now Leverage the Power of ServiceTitan to Enhance Performance, Optimize Customer Experiences, and Enable Profitable Growth
ServiceTitan, a leading software platform built to power the trades, today announced a strategic partnership with Authority Brands, a home services franchise leader. This new partnership will deploy ServiceTitan’s platform across several of Authority Brands’ industry leading home service businesses including Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky Electric, and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. The new integration will empower franchise owners to maximize business performance, grow profitably, and deliver a superior customer experience.
“ServiceTitan is purpose-built to solve the complex and always evolving challenges for trades businesses of all shapes and sizes,” said Ara Mahdessian, CEO of ServiceTitan. “Since 2018, we have partnered with Authority Brands’ franchise owners to increase close rates, ticket sizes, and efficiency across their operations. We’re excited to grow our relationship with their portfolio of businesses by integrating ServiceTitan across these franchisees, while empowering them to maximize performance, offer superior customer experiences, and become more profitable.”
As one of the largest franchise systems in the trades, Authority Brands provides home services through over 2,000 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. The company enables its brands with robust marketing capabilities, dependable technology, and operational support to ensure their growth and success.
“We are dedicated to enabling our loyal franchise partners with cutting-edge solutions that accelerate their businesses. The comprehensive functionality, intuitive design, and ability to consolidate operations into a single platform set ServiceTitan apart as a preferred partner,” said Craig Donaldson, CEO of Authority Brands. “We’re thrilled to establish ServiceTitan as the primary platform across all locations and further enable our franchise partners to run efficient and profitable businesses.
Through its partnership with ServiceTitan, all Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky Electric, and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning locations will operate across one unified CRM, enabling system-wide visibility and ensuring accuracy all on one centralized platform. Authority Brands franchisees will also have access to ServiceTitan’s all-in-one platform and comprehensive capabilities to manage their businesses.
“As a franchise owner, nothing is more important to me than growing my business every day. This partnership between our brands and ServiceTitan is the best way to help our entire network grow. Both ServiceTitan and our brands are the best at what we do. I am excited to see ServiceTitan’s stellar operations and marketing services matched with our multi-million dollar business for continued success,” said Aaron Hagan, franchise owner of Mister Sparky Mid-America.
For more information about ServiceTitan, visit https://www.servicetitan.com.