Experienced |
Proven |
Reliable |
Inspection Systems
Return on Investment for PDA-Based Inspection Software
Over the last few years, fire sprinkler and other inspections contractors have begun to automate their business practices. In addition to back-office service management systems, many contractors have begun using PDA-based inspection tools. What benefits can they expect with PDA-based inspections?
Inspection Reports
An obvious advantage of PDA-based inspection reporting is elimination of the paper form. Current reports are preprinted and completed by hand, and data must be reentered elsewhere, often multiple times. Frequently, techs must use several versions of NFPA 25 on the same inspection. Having specific questions for the exact equipment installed at the inspected location and for the exact inspection cycle obviously saves time. It can also reduce liability exposure through more thorough documentation of the tech’s activity.
Reports are typically stored as paper files in file cabinets — lots and lots of file cabinets! Document retrieval is by hand, with communication to customers and AHJ’s by photocopies, mail, and faxes. By automating, contractors can report electronically, even before they leave the inspection site.
Automating inspections reduces errors in invoicing by eliminating redundant data entry. Additionally, multi-scoped work orders that used to require separate billing records for each work item can be handled much more efficiently. Best of all, the gap between inspecting and invoicing can be shortened dramatically with electronic data collection.
Repairs
Repair work-order cost collection is greatly enhanced with electronic data capture. Forms that would look up for customer site, scope, and materials, as well as input fields for waiver and travel can dramatically reduce administrative time compiling billing information prior to invoicing. This means lower overhead and higher revenue per work-order.
If your techs generate repair quotes in the field, you can expect higher inspection revenue. Cost of repair estimates can be built into your inspection pricing, and your quotes will be offered immediately to customers from deficiencies as identified. Best of all, 100% of your repair opportunities will be quoted, and the activity will be part of your inspection revenue, not your back-office expense. Again, this reduces overhead while increasing revenue potential.
Scheduling
Scheduling for many contractors is still done by white-board or Excel spreadsheet. It’s a labor-intensive process and there is often no logic in the way some techs order their service calls. Some contractors reported a tech will frequently drive across town four or more times in a single day. Setting schedules electronically via PDA helped contractors optimally match jobs with available resources.
Many contractors find their most dramatic savings combining PDA-based inspections with sophisticated scheduling tools. Combining customer inspection schedules and renewal management records in a single application allows creation of the optimal route for each pack based on skills, availability, and least-distance-traveled considerations. This information can be passed to each tech, along with the appropriate forms for the inspection, as part of the synchronization process. Most service businesses can save a minimum of 25% of their current dispatch overhead with this solution.
Some contractors are also deploying PDAs with cell phones so that information is passed down to their techs while they drive from one service call to the next, while completed reports are pulled back into the database at the home office as part of the same synchronization session. If the customer needs an emergency service call, this system can optimally reroute an entire field force (and instantly pass them any new site-specific forms required for the new stops on their schedules).
Conclusion
Like any business person, inspections contractors are interested in reduced costs and higher revenues. The availability of reliable PDAs, inspection software, and schedule optimization tools makes automating inspections a good business decision for many.
About the Author
Frank Hightower is CEO of Asurio Inspection Systems, which features the AspectMobile™ mobile data collection product suite.
Find out more by contacting ASURiO Inspection Systems:
| ASURiO Inspection Systems 5480 Valmont Road, Suite 100 Boulder, CO USA 877 444-1488 info@asurio.com |
For a quick, free ROI analysis, |
