Episode Overview
Elliot Palmer came to Pantheon 2024 in Orlando to network with as many ServiceTitan members as possible – and of course he found himself in a conversation about managing data.
Palmer is the chief technology officer at Columbus (OH)-based The Eco Plumbers. He believes data-driven decision-making is transforming the trades industry, whether its crisis management or creating reports geared to fostering a transparent culture.
Crisis management is all about preparation, he says.
“I think as with so many emergencies, preparation is the first step,” Palmer says. “Making sure that you have a process in place and backups in place.”
For one thing, a company should have manual backups, he says. For immediate needs after a system stops working, dispatch should have information on current jobs. And there should also be backups if the internet goes down.
Outside crisis mode, great data management doesn’t have to be sexy, Palmer says.
“It’s not about the quote-unquote sexy reports and pretty dashboards,” he says. “It’s more about day-to-day tactical reporting. My number-one report is just understanding your P&L.”
Palmer says with reporting in the trades, there are really only two types of problems.
“It’s either a people problem or a process problem,” he says.
And that can easily be determined by a KPI report that can point to a department or an individual who may be lagging and need some coaching.
Elliot Palmer recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Palmer’s thoughts on:
[2:33] Bringing skills from outside the service industry to the trades
[4:30] Dealing with IT emergencies
[6:09] Tactical reporting that isn’t “sexy”
[9:47] Taking action on data trends and the importance of transparency
[14:23] Why the service industry is ripe for IT job opportunities
To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or anywhere you get podcasts.
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