Sub-contractor checking availability for next week. IBIOS will give a real answer.
The IBIOS Receptionist is coming soon and is not live yet — this scenario shows how it will work. A sub-contractor calling at the right moment is a resource you can either use or lose. IBIOS will check the open installation schedule, read back the jobs marked fitter TBC, and pencil him in during the call, before he takes a job with another business.
What happens when a sub-contractor rings to check availability?
Sub-contractor rings on a Thursday afternoon to ask if there’s any fitting work next week. Staff member needs to check the job schedule, work out which jobs need a sub-contractor, and cross-reference against the employed fitters’ availability. It takes a while to piece together. Staff member says “I’ll call you back.”
The callback doesn’t happen. The installation manager was supposed to make it but got pulled into something else. The sub-contractor rings a business he has worked with before and takes the work with them. You are short a fitter next week with jobs sitting in the schedule marked fitter TBC.
The cost is a scramble on Monday morning. Potentially a delayed installation. Potentially a customer who was told their bathroom starts this week now being told it doesn’t. All of it avoidable with a short conversation that didn’t need a staff member to be free at the right moment.
How will the AI receptionist check sub-contractor availability (coming soon)?
A step-by-step walkthrough from Dave’s call to the jobs being covered before the end of the day.
Sub-contractor calls to check availability
Dave calls to ask if there’s fitting work next week. IBIOS will identify him as a known sub-contractor from his number and pull up the current installation schedule.
AI checks the open schedule
IBIOS scans next week’s jobs. Some installations are marked as fitter TBC. The AI will read back the job details: location, date, and type of work. Dave confirms he can take them.
Provisional assignment logged
The AI will log Dave as provisional fitter on those jobs and create a callback request for the installation manager to confirm officially, all within the same short call.
Manager confirms from the dashboard
Installation manager sees the alert, reviews the assignments, and confirms with a single action. Dave is notified. Jobs are covered before he rings another business.
What will change for the business
A sub-contractor calling at the right moment is a narrow window. IBIOS will keep it open. The installation manager isn’t bypassed — they still confirm the booking — but the provisional assignment will be in place before the call ends. Dave’s week is spoken for before he dials anyone else.
Questions about sub-contractor management in IBIOS
Does IBIOS maintain a sub-contractor roster separate from employed fitters?
Yes. IBIOS holds a separate record for sub-contractors, including their contact details, trade specialisms, and the jobs they have completed for your business. They can be assigned to jobs independently of your employed installation team, and their history and availability are tracked in the same system.
Can IBIOS assign a sub-contractor to a job from a phone call?
Coming soon. Once the AI Receptionist launches, the AI will be able to log a provisional assignment during the call and flag it for the installation manager to confirm. This means the sub-contractor is effectively pencilled in during the call, and the installation manager confirms it officially from the IBIOS dashboard rather than needing to be present for the initial call.
How does the installation manager confirm sub-contractor bookings?
Once the AI Receptionist launches (coming soon), when the AI logs a provisional assignment, IBIOS will send the installation manager an alert: sub-contractor name, jobs offered, and confirmation pending. The manager opens the dashboard, reviews the proposed assignments, and confirms with a single action. Both the sub-contractor and the customer are notified once the assignment is confirmed.
Can sub-contractors see their job schedule through IBIOS?
Sub-contractors can be given a limited-access view that shows only their assigned jobs: dates, site addresses, contact details, and any pre-job instructions. They cannot see other jobs, cost information, or business-sensitive data. Access is controlled by the installation manager and can be revoked at any time.
Is there a way to track sub-contractor costs against each job?
Yes. When a sub-contractor is assigned to a job, their agreed day rate or fixed fee can be logged against the job record. IBIOS includes this in the job cost summary alongside materials and supplier order costs, giving you a complete cost picture for margin analysis.
Stop losing sub-contractors to a callback that never happens.
Coming soon: IBIOS will check the schedule and pencil in the booking on the spot. Early access by waiting list.