Currently, construction is very competitive. But with the right productivity tools, your company can stay ahead. A mobile forms app could be the digital boost your business needs, given the current trend in digital construction.
Mobile forms can be paired with a content platform to collect project data. Field teams can instantly route completed documents and information to their entire team, regardless of their location. The completed forms can be instantly accessed back in the office to be reviewed. This speeds up data processing and reduces administrative requirements (such as scanning, filing, etc.)
Here are some more reasons why every construction company should use mobile forms:
Site Inspections
Site inspections can be complex with paper forms. Paper forms can allow workers to report on a site they have never visited. Paper forms can also have the problem of workers writing the same information repeatedly using costly carbon copies. These carbon copies can be difficult to read and misplaced easily. They are limited to text-only data.
A mobile app form can be used to inspect sites. This will make inspections more efficient. An app can gather the same information as paper in a fraction of the time. An app allows you to use drop-down lists and pre-populate information such as location or equipment types from your existing database. Many mobile devices offer voice-to-text capabilities that allow workers to speak into their devices and record notes.
Mobile apps are not only more efficient but also less likely to make errors. Apps provide clear text, whereas handwriting on paper forms is easily misread or unclear. Apps also have checkboxes, many types of value fields, and many other options to help users find the answer they are looking for. Employees are also forced to give better descriptions of these features.
Increase Communication Between Field Techs & Home Office
You can eliminate the communication gap between the office staff and field workers by eliminating this app. You can send important information, such as work/service/repair requests, and other documents, to your field technician’s mobile phone using a mobile form app. This communication can make your team more efficient and increase your company’s productivity. This also means that your techs will spend less time driving to the office.
Capture Field Data in A Streamlined Way
Mobile forms can be used in the field to speed up and simplify data collection. Mobile forms can even be submitted offline, so users don’t have to carry around paper forms. Field teams don’t have to use paper forms, clipboards, or locate a signal to complete documents.
Mobile forms can be submitted instantly from any mobile device, regardless of where they are located. All form submissions and changes made offline are automatically uploaded once you have reached a signal. Once submitted, data and forms are immediately available to the back office for processing and review.
Quick and Accurate Results
It can be tedious and time-consuming to fill out paper forms. Paper forms can lead to irreversible errors, such as clerical or handwriting mistakes. Mobile forms offer more powerful and precise options than paper forms. Mobile forms often use skip logic which doesn’t require that all fields be filled out. Furthermore, because all of the text on mobile forms is digital, it is possible to enter data legibly and precisely without correcting mistakes with a pen.
Improve Data Quality
Conditional logic and workflow rules can be added to digital forms. These rules improve the quality of data collected and enforce document sharing and rules. A form may require signatures before it can be submitted. This helps to enforce proper procedures and eliminate incomplete submissions. Mobile forms can host database fields such as drop-down menus or barcode scanning. These fields pull in business data from your company to populate the relevant fields with precise information instantly.
Automated calculations can further improve data accuracy, eliminating the need to do complicated manual math. Automatic calculations can instantly add up line items, labour costs, and other information.
Improve Document Organization
Converting mobile forms can be a great way to keep track of all the paperwork and files that your construction company creates. It will be impossible to lose or damage any necessary paperwork during a fast-paced construction job. Digital conversion can also help you avoid confusion caused by messy handwriting. Mobile forms allow you to easily keep track of customers and manage your business.
Construction checklists can be used to organize your internal processes. Use team-wide calendars to organize your tasks and team workload. This will help you to streamline your workflow and make sure nothing is forgotten.
Fast Implementation and Deployment
A mobile form app for construction businesses can streamline the management tasks required to run a successful business. This simple streamlining of digital business processes does not require IT help. Instead, a mobile app allows you and your team to complete these tasks independently.
Pictures
Construction inspectors, foremen, and other workers can use the photo capture feature to take photos of worksite conditions and instantly integrate them into a mobile application. This allows for important visual information to be included in form reports. If a safety hazard is found, the fieldworker can fill in a mobile form and attach a key photo to send to the relevant problem-solvers or decision-makers.
Signings Captured
Mobile forms are a better alternative to recording signatures on paper forms. They also offer greater protection against ink smudges and lost or damaged forms. If signature authorization is required to give approval for a process, it can be captured to transfer this information in real-time.