FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY: Latest & Greatest

Most pest control operators are looking for ways to update their offices with the newest products available. At the National Pest Management Association’s Pest Management Convention in October, PCT editors scoured the show floor to find out what was new in the world of technology.

The following product review includes some of the newest opportunities that PCT’s editorial staff spotted at the NPMA Convention & Trade Show.
Manufacturers, if you have developed new technology for the structural pest control market that you’d like to have profiled in an upcoming issue of PCT, send the product information and a photo to Jodi Dorsch, PCT Magazine, 4012 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113. In addition, you can e-mail your company’s information to jdorsch@pctonline.com.

A&K COMPUTERS
www.akcomp.com
A&K Computers offers pest management professionals several software options to help them run their businesses. The Visual Termite Report Writer (VTRW) allows an inspector to write, print, store and bill their customers for their termite inspections. Using standard personal computer hardware and VTRW, A&K can help PCOs create a new inspection report, bill, produce invoices and statements, manage accounts receivables and generate management reports.

Another program from A&K is IPM-BarCode. According to the company, this program will simplify performance monitoring, save time, improve service, eliminate inaccurate paperwork and automate and speed up monitoring.

ADVANCED COMPUTER
RESOURCES CORP.
www.acrcorp.com
The Vector Control Management System (VCMS) from Advanced Computer Resources Corp. provides those organizations involved in mosquito/vector control and pest management with a comprehensive database tracking and reporting system.

Detailed information on breeding site locations, maintenance and treatment work performed at those sites, along with data on collection and trapping activities, comprises the core of the system. The Vector Control Management System has features for complaint/service request logging, tracking and reporting.

VCMS includes connectivity with hand-held computers and field data collection devices including GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) receivers. VCMS contains an embedded GIS/mapping interface for display and manipulation of spatial data or imagery from within the database environment.

Together, maps and the database provide a complete mission planning and management system for mosquito/vector control agencies, public health offices and private pest control firms.

ASSURED PERFORMANCE
MONITORING
www.apm-services.com
PestAssur from Assured Performance Monitoring is a service and quality control tool for the pest control industry. PestAssur is a computer system that is used on hand-held computers and has many bar-coding capabilities. In each computer, clients are listed with a description of the tasks to be performed, maps showing a site location for each scheduled task, customer contacts, rules about what to use and what not to use, plus a method of proving service that enables the system to close one task and open the next. PestAssur allows PCOs to print the report on site. In addition, if more complex reports are required (i.e., HAACP or AIB) they can be prepared at the PCO’s office and sent electronically to the client within hours.

EYE ON SOLUTIONS
www.eyeonsolutions.com
Electronic Pest Management (ePM) from Eye On Solutions allows pest management professionals to record data regarding the services they provide and give access to this data to their customers. The Web-based subscription service will give customers “around the clock” interactive communication with their pest management professionals.

According the company, by providing their customers with information regarding potential service issues via ePM, customers can be better informed and can better prevent future problems. Pest management professionals can decide the level of information that they want to provide their customers. Eye On Solutions says the system can improve relationships, increase revenues and retain more customers for the long term. The company says that ePM helps increase customer retention rates by involving customers in the pest management process.

FLEETBOSS
www.fleetboss.com
The Boss Fleet Management Information System from FleetBoss offers PCOs reliable facts to manage their fleet efficiently and more productively; complete driver accountability; evaluate timely cost efficient data without creating information overload; and record all stops, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether the ignition is on or off. According to the company, the Boss System works for any size fleet because it identifies each vehicle and records dates and exact times that vehicles start, drive, idle and stop; standard installation requires only a three-wire hookup; a built-in receiver calculates and adds vehicle’s location to your records; has re-usable modules; and the information is stored on molded, encapsulated memory chips that are unaffected by wear or moisture.

FMC CORPORATION
www.fmc-apgspec.com
The SMARTRAK Series from FMC Corporation helps address many of the business issues that pest management professionals face today. SmartBait, a software program designed for PCOs who use the FirstLine Termite Defense System, is designed to help diagram and track termite baiting jobs. Used for termite baiting and general pest control, Smart-Route includes all of the features of SmartBait, but offers more advanced functionality. SmartBiz is an advanced software product that has been designed for companies that are looking to improve overall business performance. It combines all of the features of SmartRoute as well as financial management and general office management capabilities. SmartBiz also handles sales tracking, employee commissions, daily operations, invoice generation and monthly statements and accounts receivable reporting.

FLEET SOLUTIONS
www.gpsfleetsolutions.com/drt.htm
GPS Fleet Solutions’ real-time GPS system is a good choice for many small- to mid-sized companies, according to the company. The standard five-minute scheduled update rate helps increase the efficiency of their operations. One characteristic of the Discrete Real-time system is its orientation toward operations management. This system provides more than basic location and speed information — it helps you manage your business, the company says. The system incorporates zones and free unlimited e-mail alerts to provide managers information while in the field, on weekends or after hours. Since the information is stored on the site for 90 days, managers can complete trend analysis, address performance issues and identify overall inefficiencies.

INTERGIS
www.intergis.com
Intergis offers the Visual Control Room for pest management firms. Visual Control Room allows pest management professionals to increase productivity, control costs and enhance customer service with scheduling, dispatching and routing automation technology, the company says. Visual Control Room is a graphically driven, real-time solution that solves a variety of management problems, the company says. By consolidating operational tasks, Visual Control Room can reduce manual dispatch and scheduling time by 75 percent. Plus, it can improve customer relations by providing accurate arrival time projections. Visual Control Room is multi-user and can be used in conjunction with existing computer applications. It can be used by companies that function as a complete stand-alone business system, use a client server or work via the Internet.

IN-QUIZ-IT-SOFTWARE
www.inquizitsoftware.com
From In-Quiz-It-Software comes three programs for pest management professionals. U-Trap-It tracks pest activity within pest control devices by means of a bar-code system that is attached to plant locations and to individual pest control devices. U-Trap-It analyzes and compiles this data into numerous real-time reports, floor plans and comparison graphs. U-Term-It is designed for termite professionals and includes portable bar-code technology for remedial or preventive device monitoring, and pest and bait tracking. U-Trac-It is bar-code technology that can be used for pre-HACCP data collection.

MARATHON DATA SYSTEMS
www.pestpac.net
Marathon Data Systems’ Web-based software package is designed to handle single and multi-branch companies at the click of a mouse, according to the company. Pest-Pac.net features GPS vehicle tracking system, hand-held data access, mapping and routing, multiple service setups and contract renewals for each account, flexible graphic appointment scheduler and integrated self-maintainable Web site software. The company also offers on-line help, bar coding on forms, address verification and completion, and gain and loss reporting. The software can be used in a multi-company, multi-branch office.

MOBILE DATA SOLUTIONS INC.
www.eservice.com
PCOs who are looking for ways to reduce their operating costs and increase their revenue may be interested in Web-based software (software that many people can access by visiting a Web site). Mobile Data Solutions Inc. recently rolled out its Web-based scheduling and business optimization software called eService Mobile. As a Web-based software program, eService Mobile has several features that will help PCOs. First, eService Mobile allows both customers and office staff to schedule service appointments in real-time. Company employees can log into eService to manage appointments, enter phone and fax orders and view utilization reports. eService Mobile can be configured for various appointment types, length of time, pricing and other business rules. A PC and an Internet connection are needed to use the eService Mobile software.

RDF SOFTWARE
www.rdfsoftware.com
RDF Software offers Structural Pest Control System for Windows (SPCS), which automates many tasks for PCOs. In addition, PCOs can schedule, invoice, manage routes and maintain customer information with the software. Most SPCS reports can be viewed on the screen, allowing you to page back and forth through the report and review the information without having to print it.

Some available reports include an aged
A/R report showing current, 30, 60 and 90 days or more past due; billing statements; sales tax reports; a service item report that lists all customers who received a specific service during a specified time period; chemical usage reports listing all chemicals used for any time period, showing the chemical name, manufacturer, EPA registration number, amount used and the number of chemical applications; and many more.

REAL GREEN SYSTEMS
www.realgreen.com
Lawn & Pest Assistant III, a software system from Real Green Systems, incorporates the latest technology (Windows OS, hand-held computing, Internet, computer mapping, global positioning, laser printers, etc.). The Lawn & Pest Assistant III gives you the flexibility of printing invoices, estimates and letters from a customer file as well as printing from the invoice, estimate and letters windows. The software is a true Windows program that allows PCOs to have multiple windows, such as the customer window and the payment window, open at the same time. The program has user-defined price charts, built-in address standardization based on the U.S Postal Service, a diagram tab that can store a drawing or digital image of the customer’s property or a bait station diagram, as well as many more features.

SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS
SOFTWARE
www.pickscs.com
The Service Pro suite of products from Service Communications Software offers pest management professionals an integrated software package. Service Pro includes many different ways to sell and bill services and services can be sold several different ways. They can be set to be “prepaid,” “placed on a payment plan” or set to another one of the many payment types. The Service Pro also includes many features to make managing and acquiring new accounts simple.

Detailed reports, a marketing wizard and the ability to filter for and export specific data to excel or access makes the Service Pro a good choice for customer management. The Service Pro comes bundled with the Visual Scheduler, which allows pest management professionals the same control over servicing and account information they are accustomed to in the Service Pro.
Paired with the drag and drop interface, PCOs will experience a new level of productivity and route efficiency, the company says. Pest management professionals can view single or multiple route schedules across one day, one week or one month.

VANGUARD COMPUTERS
www.camelotsoftware.com
Camelot software from Vanguard Computer Systems Inc. can help pest management professionals perform daily tasks faster, more accurately and more consistently than they could before, the company says. Camelot’s seven selling points include: a customer database with full, fast history access; an estimator that does repeat orders, automatic phone upsells and more; a contact manager that keeps phone calls, faxes, etc., on time; an automatic marketer that monitors conditions to tell you when to call, mail, fax or e-mail people in your system; a scheduler that includes automatic scheduling of recurring jobs; and an invoice and accounts manager, including one-click invoicing, billing, account statements, using finance charges, and linking to Quickbooks with no double entry.