Many elevator service companies still run part of their field work on paper: printed maintenance tickets, handwritten trouble call notes and time sheets that come back to the office at the end of the week. Paper looks cheap because the forms cost almost nothing. The real cost sits in the time, errors and delays that come with it. This guide compares what paper and digital work orders actually cost an elevator service company and how to move from one to the other.
What paper work orders really cost
Office time
Every paper ticket has to be printed, handed out, collected, read and typed into another system before anyone can bill it or report on it. That work rarely shows up as a line item, but it takes dispatcher and billing hours every week.
Errors and lost information
Handwriting gets misread, tickets get lost in trucks, and details like parts used or time on site get left off. Each gap means a phone call to the mechanic, a correction on the invoice or a charge that never gets billed.
Slower billing
When completed work reaches the office days later, the invoice goes out days later too. On repair work and billable callbacks, that delay ties up cash you have already earned.
Less information in the field
A mechanic holding a paper ticket sees only what was written on it. They cannot check what was done on the last visit, which parts were replaced or whether the same problem has come up before. That makes return trips more likely.
Weak records
Paper files are hard to search. When a building owner asks what maintenance was performed on a unit, or an inspector asks for records, someone has to dig through boxes or binders.
What digital work orders change
With digital work orders, the ticket is created once and stays in one system from dispatch to billing.
- Mechanics receive assignments on a phone or tablet as soon as they are dispatched.
- Time, notes, parts and work performed are recorded in the field, while the details are fresh.
- The office sees job status as it changes and can adjust the rest of the day.
- Completed work flows to billing without being retyped.
- Every visit adds to the unit’s history, which the next mechanic can see before arriving.
The cost of a digital system is the software subscription, phones or tablets for the field, and the time it takes to set up and train. Those costs are visible and predictable. The costs of paper are spread across the week and easy to miss.
How to estimate your own numbers
You do not need an industry benchmark to see what paper costs your company. A few weeks of your own data will tell you more.
- Count office hours. Track how many hours dispatchers and billing staff spend each week on printing, collecting, reading and entering paper tickets.
- Measure billing lag. Note the days between job completion and invoice for a sample of repair and billable service calls.
- Count corrections. Track how often a ticket needs a follow-up call or an invoice needs to be fixed because information was missing or wrong.
- Look for missed charges. Compare parts and time recorded on paper with what was actually billed.
- Check repeat trips. Note how often a mechanic returns to a unit because they did not have the history or parts information they needed.
Multiply those hours by your loaded labor rates and add the billing delays and missed charges. Then compare that figure with the cost of a digital system.
What to look for in digital work order software
- Built for elevator work. Maintenance contracts, trouble calls, repairs, modernization and inspections should all fit the system without workarounds.
- A mobile app mechanics will use. If the app is slow or confusing, mechanics go back to paper.
- Unit-level history. Every ticket should attach to a unit so service history builds over time.
- Connected billing. Completed work should turn into an invoice without rekeying.
- Reporting. You should be able to see callbacks, open tickets and completed maintenance by route and mechanic.
How to move from paper to digital
- Map your current process. Write down how each type of work reaches a mechanic today and how it gets back to the office, including the workarounds.
- Clean up your unit and contract data. Digital tickets are only as good as the buildings, units and contracts they attach to.
- Start with one route or one ticket type. Prove the process, fix what breaks, then expand.
- Train dispatchers and mechanics together. Both sides need to trust the same information.
- Retire paper on a set date. Running both systems side by side for too long doubles the work.
- Listen to the field. Mechanics will spot problems first. Make it easy for them to report them.
Frequently asked questions
Are paper work orders cheaper than digital work orders?
Paper forms cost less up front, but paper adds office time, errors, billing delays and missed charges. Those costs are spread across the week, so they are easy to miss until you measure them.
How do I calculate the cost of paper work orders?
Track the office hours spent handling paper tickets, the days between job completion and invoice, how often tickets need corrections and how often charges are missed. Multiply the hours by your labor rates and compare the total with the cost of a digital system.
What should elevator work order software include?
Look for support for maintenance, trouble calls, repairs and modernization, a mobile app mechanics will use, service history by unit, connected billing and reporting by route and mechanic.
How long does it take to switch from paper to digital?
It depends on the size of your operation and the state of your data. Starting with one route or one ticket type, then expanding, keeps the change manageable.
Talk with Site Service
Site Service Cloud (SSC) is the elevator service platform from Site Service Software. Mechanics get ticket assignments in the mobile app as soon as they are dispatched, maintenance tickets carry mandatory and discretionary items, and completed work flows into billing. SSC also adds AI-powered ticket assignment, GPS technician locations and route optimization. See Site Service Cloud or contact our team.