How Mobile Workflow Benefits the Construction Sector
Construction firms still record time sheets, surveys and inspections on paper. How a mobile workflow solution combines forms and photos in one process.
In the construction industry, time sheets, site inspections and acceptance reports are still frequently recorded on paper. A mobile workflow solution brings forms, photos and company data together in a single process.
Problems with paper documentation
Under time pressure, forms are filled in inaccurately or later with incorrect details. Handwritten entries are hard to read, and errors creep in when they are typed up on a PC. Photos are taken separately with a smartphone or camera and then have to be imported to the server and assigned.
In-house instead of cloud
Various mobile form solutions are available on the market. Most are cloud-based systems in which company data is held outside the corporate network. For organisations with higher security requirements, an in-house solution such as eMODAT is an option, where data never leaves the corporate network.
The workflow with eMODAT
The forms are connected directly to the company database. During a site inspection, the employee calls up the information about the property, enters data and attaches photos. Thanks to the database connection, they reliably select the right project or customer, and the data is correctly linked as it is entered.
The completed form is sent from the app to the server. The sender immediately receives a PDF file with all information and images by email, which can be forwarded to everyone involved. Data from the form can be imported into the company database and processed further. Creating a form takes a fraction of the time needed for a paper form, and transmission takes seconds.
Key points
- Paper forms on site lead to inaccurate details, reading errors and photos stored separately.
- As an in-house solution, eMODAT keeps data within the corporate network.
- Forms with database connection, photos and PDF dispatch replace several steps with one.
How DEVACON supports construction companies with mobile documentation is described on the page Construction and industry.
This article comes from the DEVACON blog and was editorially revised for the new website.
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