Charlie’s 7 Best Software Tools for Electricians

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but paper timesheets are not your friend. Your team knows it, your HR manager knows it, and even your apprentice knows it – even if they “forget” to clock in but somehow remember their lunch order.

Jibble tracks work hours using facial recognition and GPS. Yep, we’ve gone full Big Brother – but in a good way. You can set geofencing per job site, so the app only lets staff clock in once they’re on location. No more clocking in from the coffee stop down the road.

It’s free, dead simple to use, and the mobile app means there’s no excuse for on-site teams showing up late at the wrong location.

Sure, it’s not built just for electricians – but it works just the same. Set up an account, team members create an account from their mobile phone, tablet, or computer, and away you go.

Bonus tip – Jibble integrates with various payroll software such as Quickbooks and Xero. Your payroll processor can thank me later.

SimPRO is the serious operator’s toolbox. If you’re dealing with big jobs – multiphase builds, commercial installs, or ad-hoc call-outs – this one’s for you.

It’s project management for the trades on overdrive. Think quotes, materials ordering, service dispatch, asset maintenance, invoicing, and even job costing – all integrated into one dashboard. It even handles recurring maintenance gigs like smoke alarm testing or emergency light servicing.

It’s not cheap. And it takes some effort to set up. But once you’re in, it’s a well-oiled machine. Whether it’s a team of five or fifty, it can run smoother than an apprentice disappearing during cleanup. But in all seriousness, it can help keep you profitable by showing and documenting where your effort and materials really go.

If you’re the kind of sparkie who’s always in the van more than the office, ServiceM8 might just be your new best bud. This app is built with mobile-first, which means (in theory) you can run your whole business from your phone – even while you’re queuing for the morning coffee run.

From quoting to dispatching jobs to invoicing, it handles it all in a tidy, no-fuss package. What’s more, it syncs directly with Xero and Quickbooks, so your accountant won’t hate you at the end of the month.

Where it really shines though is job logs. You can attach photos, notes, and checklists to every project task. So the next time a client says, “You never said it would cost that much,” you’ve got digital proof in your back pocket.

And if that hasn’t gotten you interested – it has a free version, so you’ve got nothing to lose in just giving it a go.

It’s fast, functional, and dead easy to train new team members on. Just don’t let them get too attached – they might start managing you!

Ever had that gut-wrenching moment where you realize someone forgot to tag out a panel, or didn’t complete the risk assessment? Yeah… not ideal. That’s where AroFlo can help.

It’s designed for trades where compliance isn’t optional (looking at you, switchboard installers). You can assign safety checklists, store certificates, and log compliance reports directly against jobs. It’s like having a safety officer in your pocket, minus the passive-aggressive clipboard.

But it’s not just for the paper trail. AroFlo handles asset management, timesheets, inventory, and purchase orders too. It’s full-on, but incredibly useful if you’re juggling a larger crew and need to stay sharp with regulations (which is all of us).

Once you get past the initial learning curve, it could genuinely transform how you run your electrical business’s approach to job management and compliance.

Jobber is a field service management tool designed to help small to mid-sized businesses stay organized and responsive. It offers features like automated appointment reminders, digital quote approvals, and modern-looking email templates – all aimed at improving day-to-day client communication.

With Jobber, tasks such as job scheduling, assigning crew members, and invoicing can be managed from a mobile device. The platform also sends real-time notifications when jobs are completed, helping users stay on top of progress without needing constant check-ins.

Its client-facing features – like branded communications and a clean customer portal – can help present a more professional image, especially when compared to older, manual methods. While Jobber may not have the depth of enterprise-level tools, it offers practical functionality that suits tradespeople looking to elevate operations without the steep learning curve.

Let’s be honest: takeoffs are the part of the job that no one wants to do (or at least you don’t admit it). But you’ve got to get them right, or you’re either working for free or redoing the job at your own cost.

Groundplan turns the pain of takeoffs into a few clicks. Upload your plans, mark out your fittings, switchboards, and GPOs, and it calculates quantities instantly. It even integrates with other contractor-based platforms such as simPRO, ServiceM8, and others, so you can go from plan to quote to job in one consistent workflow.

It’s cloud-based, meaning your team can collaborate in real time. So even if you’re on-site and your estimator is working remotely, you’re both on the same page – literally.

It might take a few practice runs, but once you’ve used Groundplan, it’s fairly easy to work into your daily processes. Paper plans and highlighters? Get with the times mate.

Ever tried quoting a job while knee-deep in running cable and a client breathing down your neck? Fergus understands that pain. It’s job management built by a tradie for tradies.

You can quote, invoice, and schedule jobs all from your phone – even while balancing on a ladder (don’t tell the health & safety officer). It’s not just about admin either – Fergus breaks down your jobs by profitability, so you actually know if that “easy fuse board replacement” made you any money or just aged you five years.

One area where Fergus is particularly useful is job scheduling. The platform gives you a clear, real-time overview of all your current bookings, unassigned jobs, and team availability – so you’re not left guessing or accidentally double-booking.

You can assign team members to jobs in just a few clicks, reschedule tasks when plans change, and even block out time for meetings, holidays, or training. Whether you prefer to view the workload by day, week, or fortnight, the visual scheduler helps you stay organized and keep everyone on track.

Its clean, modern, and honest-to-goodness makes admin feel almost enjoyable.