Poor communication wastes more heating engineers' and plumbers' time than being stuck in traffic, according to a new study by business software developer Clik.

Poor communication wastes more heating engineers’ and plumbers’ time than being stuck in traffic, according to a new study by business software developer Clik.

The research, conducted among heating engineers, plumbers, electrical contractors and facilities managers, shows how poorly managed communications are quickly piling up to waste valuable time.

Seventy-six percent of respondents said their time was wasted due to poor communication. This included misunderstandings, arranging and re-arranging appointments, and sending or receiving unnecessary emails.

Paper-based administration took 85% of those questionned over an hour every day, while nearly half of respondents had between two to five jobs cancelled or rescheduled a month, often due to a previous job over-running or essential supplies not being delivered.

Those surveyed also said getting lost and being unable to find a site impacted 47% of those surveyed, and 63% said being stuck in traffic wasted time.

Geoff Adams, managing director of Clik, said its business management software could have a very positive impact on the frustrations experienced by those surveyed. "Managing a range of customers and multiple jobs is time-consuming in itself and it is interesting to see that poor communication has such an impact.

"Everyone has their own way so we've set out to make a practical difference by providing software that covers all aspects of engineers' diaries, scheduling, invoicing, planning, call backs and service calls. Getting lost is a frustrating waste of time and we’re determined to help make it a thing of the past by incorporating Google Maps and street maps into our software."