Why people look for an alternative
ServiceM8 is built around the job card, and for a sole trader or a crew of three it is close to ideal. The reasons people outgrow it are about everything that is not the job:
- Rosters and timesheets. Once there are eight people, who is working when and how many hours they did are separate questions from which jobs are on. ServiceM8 answers the second, not the first.
- Payroll from job time. Hours on job cards are not a timesheet. Someone turns them into one.
- People records. Licences, inductions, leave balances and signed documents end up in a drive or an HR app.
- Office work that is not a job. Quoting pipelines, supplier spend and planning do not fit a job card.
What to compare
List the systems you run alongside ServiceM8 today. For most growing trades businesses it is a roster app, a payroll tool, a shared drive and a spreadsheet for the pipeline. The comparison is ServiceM8 plus those four, against one system. Score each option on the number of places a person's details or a worked hour has to be typed.
ServiceM8 and RovrDS, side by side
| Need | ServiceM8 | RovrDS |
|---|---|---|
| Job cards, scheduling, dispatch | Yes, a core strength | Yes, Work in the base plan, nested as deep as the work goes |
| Quotes and invoices | Yes | Sales and Finance add-ons, with signing built in |
| Rosters, availability, time cards | Limited | Yes, Scheduling in the base plan |
| Timesheets to payroll | Via export | Approved time cards feed the pay run through Finance and Xero |
| Leave, onboarding, compliance | No | HR add-on |
| Documents, inductions, signing | Forms yes; documents limited | Documentation add-on; signed items in each person's Personal area |
| Reports | Job reports | Workforce, people and financial reports, plus a custom builder |
| Pricing model | Tiered by jobs per month check current plans | A$20 a seat, first 3 free, add-ons only for the people who run them |
| Data hosted in Australia | Check with vendor | Yes, Microsoft Azure in Sydney |
ServiceM8 details are from their public product information at the time of writing. Verify current features and Australian pricing on their site before deciding.
Who should stay on ServiceM8
A sole trader or a crew of two or three with no roster to speak of and payroll done by an accountant should stay. ServiceM8's job card is excellent and changing systems is work. The switch earns its keep when you have enough people that managing them is a job of its own.
Moving your jobs across
- People first. Load the team into RovrDS, set roles, and get everyone clocking in through Personal. This is the part ServiceM8 was not doing anyway.
- New jobs in RovrDS from a chosen date. Let open ServiceM8 jobs finish where they are.
- Connect Xero so invoices from RovrDS land in the same ledger.
- Export ServiceM8 history for your records once the last open job closes.
Questions people ask
Is RovrDS a ServiceM8 replacement?
For jobs, quotes, scheduling and invoicing, yes, through Work in the base plan plus the Sales and Finance add-ons. The difference is that RovrDS also runs the people side: rosters, time cards, leave, onboarding and documents, in the same system.
Does RovrDS work on site?
Yes. Staff use the Personal area on their phone to clock in, see their shifts, log time against a job and sign what has been sent to them. Admins use the full web app.
What does it cost compared with ServiceM8?
RovrDS is A$20 a seat a month with the first three seats free, including GST. Add-ons like Sales and Finance are bought only for the people who run them. Check ServiceM8's current Australian pricing on their site, since their plans are tiered by job volume.
Can I keep Xero?
Yes. RovrDS Finance connects to Xero for invoicing and the ledger, so your accountant sees nothing unfamiliar.
Try RovrDS
Jobs, quotes and invoices with the people and rosters that deliver them, in one system. First three seats free.