BigChange

Overview

BigChange is a field-service platform for businesses managing jobs across office teams and mobile staff. It is best suited to operators that need scheduling, fleet visibility, job records and customer updates tied together; smaller teams with simpler workflows may find its breadth unnecessary.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Leeds, BigChange is part of the Simpro Group. Its focus is trades and field-service work, from plumbing and HVAC to utilities, equipment hire, fire and security, and electrical contracting.

Key features

Office teams can work with a dispatch board, scheduling, CRM, sales pipeline, quotes, invoices, reporting and alerts. Equipment histories and service agreements support recurring maintenance as well as individual jobs. Keeping these records alongside dispatch and invoicing can reduce hand-offs between office tools, although buyers should establish which extras their workflows require before agreeing a quote.

Field staff use a mobile app to complete assigned jobs, digital worksheets and risk assessments, record timesheets and proof of service, and support driver-behaviour monitoring. Live tracking connects field activity with scheduling. This is a substantial set of controls for businesses that need a job record from assignment through completion; teams that only need basic booking and billing may be paying for more operational scope than they use.

The customer portal lets customers request jobs, follow progress and download job cards. Integrated payments and ETA alerts extend the workflow to customer communication and payment, potentially reducing routine status updates for service businesses.

BigChange Lightning adds AI tools for business intelligence, engineer training, job preparation and documentation, customer summaries, messaging and GPS time tracking. The range may help teams bring analysis and job administration into the same operation, but the AI offering is an addition to assess against the business's actual needs.

BigChange describes integrations with Sage and Xero. Its Developer API supports software connections, task automation and real-time data syncing, including through low-code tools such as Power Automate; APIs and web services can also support optional ERP and industry-platform integrations. That flexibility is useful for businesses with connected systems, though those integrations may require configuration.

BigChange says its platform is hosted on AWS with multi-region, multi-datacentre architecture. It states that it holds ISO 27001, ISO 9001, Cyber Essentials and SOC 2 Type 1 certifications, encrypts app-to-system communications, uses mobile device management on its tablets and conducts independent penetration testing. Customers also get 24/7 access to its UK-based RoadCrew support team, a customer success manager and training resources.

Pricing

BigChange uses custom pricing, with plans and extras quoted on request rather than displayed as fixed amounts. The BigChange plans include support, CRM, job scheduling, a mobile app, live tracking, quotes and invoices, business intelligence and a collaboration network. Extras are available, so buyers should map required features to the quote and weigh the total cost against their team size and workflows.

There is no published lower-cost tier to compare against a fuller package, and no displayed per-seat price to make budgeting straightforward. BigChange is therefore a more natural fit for buyers willing to scope and request a tailored quote than for those who need to compare transparent plan prices upfront.

Platforms

BigChange supports web, iOS and Android, with an API for integrations and automation. The mobile app is available through the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, allowing field staff to work on assigned jobs while on the road.

Who it's for

BigChange is aimed at trades and field-service businesses coordinating office and mobile work, including plumbing and heating, HVAC, facilities management, drainage, utilities, fire and security, equipment rental and electrical contracting. Its strongest case is for operators that need dispatch, fleet tracking, field documentation, customer access and invoicing to work as connected parts of a service process.

It is less compelling for a small operation whose needs stop at basic job booking, or for a buyer that must know the software cost before engaging in a quote process. Those businesses may not need the broader operational toolkit.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Office scheduling, dispatch, CRM, quotes and invoices sit alongside mobile job records and live tracking, giving service teams a broad shared workflow.
• Pros: The customer portal, ETA alerts and integrated payments bring customer updates and payment into the service process.
• Pros: Sage and Xero integrations, plus an API and web services for wider connections, support businesses that need to link field operations with other systems.
• Pros: 24/7 UK-based support, a customer success manager and training resources provide several routes for customer assistance.
• Cons: Custom pricing requires a quote, so buyers cannot compare plan amounts or readily calculate a per-seat budget from published prices.
• Cons: The breadth of features may be unnecessary for teams with only basic scheduling and invoicing needs; extras also mean buyers should confirm the scope of their quote.

Alternatives

For a tighter fit or a different pricing approach, consider ServiceM8, WEX FSM, FieldAware, Fieldpoint, ServiceWorks, Commusoft, FieldPulse and Zuper.

ServiceM8 is worth comparing if a free entry point matters: its Free plan costs nothing, billed monthly, and is capped at one user and 30 jobs per month, with 10 AI uses per day. WEX FSM also has a free plan; its listed capabilities include card processing, mobile card readers and online payments, multi-lender financing and instant loan applications, making it a different starting point for payment-focused needs.

FieldAware offers a free trial, while Fieldpoint uses paid pricing and invites buyers to request a demo. ServiceWorks publishes a Bronze plan at $150 a month, with a program fee and 500,000 API credits included. Commusoft's Go Paperless plan focuses on job tracking, custom forms and operational control; its Customer Journey plan includes commercial contracts, optimized scheduling and online booking. FieldPulse offers a custom quote tailored to team needs, and Zuper is another paid option.

For category browsing, see HVAC Software, Plumbing Software, Dispatch Management Software and Field Service Management Software.

Verdict

BigChange is a strong candidate for field-service operators that need office dispatch, mobile job execution, customer updates and invoicing connected in one system. Its wide feature set, integration options and support are the main reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if your operation needs only basic job management or if you need transparent plan prices before requesting a quote.