How Apps for Contractors Strengthen the Customer Experience

How Apps for Contractors Strengthen the Customer Experience

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The construction industry and contractors benefit when they deliver excellent customer service and make it easy for customers to do business. That’s why more companies are investing in technology, relying on mobile apps that can streamline customer interactions and improve productivity for workers.

Research from Gartner explains that “customer loyalty depends on how easy you make it for your customers to do business with you.” The key takeaway from the study is that companies who make business interactions effortless for their customers will have a competitive advantage.

Using apps for contractors, companies can work toward strengthening the customer experience. The short and long term benefits to a business include:

  • Repeat Business –  More likely to work with you again.
  • Referrals – More likely to recommend you to their network.
  • Reviews –  More likely to leave positive assessments of your business online.
  • Competitive edge – Stand out from the competition.
  • Increased revenue – More business for you and your company.

When used as part of an overall strategy to build the customer experience, apps for contractors can improve your business’s internal efficiency and help create a more seamless customer experience.

Apps for contractors are designed to transform how you do business with customers.

Traditional paper forms create manual work for your employees, and it gives your business and the customer very limited visibility into the work being performed. Savvy contractors are instead relying on digital forms and communications instead of paper, so they can provide greater transparency for the customer. With apps for contractors, the entire process is handled digitally.

Our contractor apps enable you to streamline your process by digitizing the paper forms you use. Digital records reduce the time your team spends completing standard forms and allow them to be more productive. Mobile checklists can be completed in the field on a smartphone or tablet and shared immediately. Our apps for contractors eliminate the duplication of effort and the possibility of clerical errors that often occur when generating routine daily, weekly, or monthly reports. Routine reports are generated from digital data, enabling you to collect, process, analyze, and share information in minutes.

Apps for contractors help to increase transparency and communication with customers, suppliers, and the home office. Real-time data reporting will help you streamline and integrate every step of your business process, from the initial contact with your customer to invoice and payment processing. Additionally, by digitizing your data with apps, the information you need is at your fingertips, whether in the office or the field.

With GoCanvas’ apps for contractors, you can streamline the quote or estimate, invoice digitally, process payment, and easily share digital reports detailing all of the transactions. Digital data ensures that calculations are accurate and error-free by removing the need for duplication of entries. In addition, GoCanvas apps ensure that your sales team and field service representatives always have the latest pricing information when data is pulled from the cloud to their mobile device on-site.

Digital Quotes and Estimates

Using apps like our digital estimate template, you can turn your paper estimates into dynamic digital forms that simplify the bidding process. Our mobile digital estimates app is an intuitive, easy-to-use, and comprehensive app that eliminates inefficient duplication of paperwork, reducing costly errors, and increasing your profitability.

With our digital estimates app, data such as prices and parts is auto-populated into the form, reducing time and errors. As a result, your field representatives can quickly and accurately calculate material and labor costs and provide estimates immediately. In addition, because data is stored in the cloud, estimates can be shared, reviewed, and updated instantly anytime or anywhere.

Digital Invoicing 

Digital Invoices with GoCanvas help to simplify the invoice process for your field technicians and enable them to generate professional, branded invoices directly from their mobile devices. Field representatives can collect and enter pertinent data on the site, automatically calculate costs, and create invoices immediately before leaving the location. 

In addition, data can be integrated with your accounting and inventory software (QuickBooks or similar systems) to eliminate the need to duplicate data entries manually.

Payment Processing

Finally, when the job is over, GoCanvas provides digital payment processing in our app that integrates directly with Square to enable you to collect payments quickly and immediately.

Invoices along with detailed digital reports are produced rapidly on-site, and payment processing is at your fingertips. Our apps for contractors can improve your cash flow, eliminating the need to create and send paper invoices and wait for the client’s payment. Customers will prefer this experience, giving them the ability to review documents digitally and pay securely through a credit card.

GoCanvas apps for contractors are powerful tools that can help you strengthen the customer experience and provide the digital interactions that customers have come to expect in today’s digital era. Using GoCanvas templates and digitizing your paper forms, your field representatives and technicians can improve the accuracy and efficiency of customer interactions. 

Through powerful integrations, you can enable your teams on-site and in the field with the latest information and give them the ability to quickly and easily perform work digitally. This saves time for your workers, creates efficiencies for your business, and creates an effortless experience for the customer. Contact us any time to learn more about the GoCanvas suite of tools for contractors.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three inspection workers on job site.

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

A man using GoCanvas for the digital transformation of his workflow.

Constructions Digital Transformation

Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

A electrician inspecting equipment.

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance business that services over 10,000 retail locations all over Australia and New Zealand. Before GoCanvas, VIP Lighting had two separate systems that were impossible to integrate, leading to inefficiencies. GoCanvas made it easy to integrate their systems into single, centralized platform…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

The Ultimate Guide to Construction Inspections

The Ultimate Guide to Construction Inspections

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When you’re in the process of building a commercial property or a home, you’ll discover that it’s a requisite to conduct regular construction inspections to ascertain that the construction process meets all the quality and safety procedures and standards. However straightforward it may sound, this process can be tasking, given the multiple tasks involved in construction projects. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that the contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. 

This article covers an in-depth look at all aspects of construction inspections to help you have a better grasp of the process and to share how technology can be leveraged to streamline the process. 

Construction inspection is a contractual duty held by the contractor to assess the progress of a construction project. It entails ensuring that procedures and materials comply with the plan and specifications – monitoring a contractor’s schedule, conducting field testing, and going over the drawings to pick out any errors.

Upon completing the inspection, the building inspector issues the contractor with a construction inspection report. This document acts as evidence that proper tests were conducted to uphold the structural integrity of the building. 

Below are some of the benefits you’ll accrue from construction site inspections: 

The inspection process ensures that the installation materials and equipment comply with the design plans, contract documents, specifications, and the approved drawings. As such, it offers assurance that the contractor gets materials and quality of work specified, and the building owner gets their money’s worth. 

Safety should always be the number one priority of a project manager. Construction inspections can help you ensure that the contractors and people who reside around the locality of the construction site are safe from any harm.

The inspections prioritize safety by identifying safe gear for workers to wear, safe roads to transport various materials and equipment, and potential risks and hazards that might occur on the construction site. After all, the construction profession is a dangerous one. The inspections ensure that the necessary precautions are put in place for workers and site safety, so your project flows seamlessly without any instances of work-related injury litigations.

Smooth communication between all the parties involved in the project is essential for its efficient completion. An inspection can address a construction team’s communication if the operations aren’t in line with the proper codes and regulations.

In most construction projects, careful coordination of various work processes is essential to limit any possible risks. Inspectors are tasked with communicating with the contractor, anticipating risks, and documenting progress and potential design and construction issues with the owner. 

Most, if not all, companies strive to offer quality when working on a given project. It not only helps build your reputation but your team members pride in their artistry.

That said, to produce quality work, you need to set high standards, and what better way to do that than through inspections. They will help you identify any code errors or non-adherence to construction regulations.

Producing top-notch work and abiding by the construction regulations will ensure that you present your client with a well-constructed structure. 

While inspection may be a thorn to construction workers at times, it helps them be alert when working on the project.

Inspections ensure that agents and construction workers focus on the task at hand so that they don’t violate any construction regulations. To add to that, construction workers and agents work more efficiently since they know the pre-established standards they should attain. 

There are environmental regulations that are geared towards ensuring that the construction industry promotes a greener construction environment.

Routine inspections contribute to ensuring that construction companies heed to them. Failure to follow these regulations may lead to construction companies or building owners incurring heavy penalties. 

Construction is a precarious and hazardous industry encompassing a wide range of activities such as remodeling, repair, and commercial construction.

While performing their tasks, construction workers are subjected to various kinds of harm, including unguarded machinery, electrocution, getting hit by heavy equipment, and falling off rooftops.

Developing a construction inspection checklist addressing the above risks and outlining the various construction regulations your project needs to heed will ensure that you pass your inspection with flying colors when the inspectors come to review your site.

That said, which types of inspection should you perform? Here is an outline of the different types of construction inspections: 

Just like the name suggests, these inspections are carried out daily.

These inspections assess several activities, including the number of workers on-site in a given day, the types of equipment used, whether the day’s work met quality standards, any unusual happenings on the site, whether there was damage to government property, whether the project is on schedule, among other issues. 

One of the areas that the construction inspection covers is the health and safety of workers. Contractors have to ensure that the site meets the health and safety standards set out by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The health and safety inspections can be conducted externally by a regulating body, internally by the contractor, or through third-party audits. Among the health and safety standards that are checked during this inspection include: 

  • Asbestos risks
  • The soundness of electrical systems
  • Provision of welfare services such as handwashing facilities and toilets
  • The management of various respiratory risks
  • The prevention of unauthorized people from accessing the site
  • The structural stability of the construction
  • Provision of personal protection equipment (PPE) such as helmets, goggles, or other garments. 
  • Provision of personal fall protection systems among other fall prevention equipment
  • The condition of the vehicles, plant, and other equipment, among other things.

The timing of health and safety inspections should be as frequent as possible and be accompanied by accurate reports and actionable measures. 

Quality control inspections are those that are geared towards ensuring that construction workers comply with the construction requirements and regulations.

These controls encompass the products and materials, the execution of the project, and the completion of the construction works. Quality control inspections are a way of ensuring that the finished works meet the set standards. It helps refine the work before it’s presented to the client so that if there is anything that doesn’t comply with the standards it’s fixed. 

The international standard that governs the construction industry is the ISO 9000 set of standards. It includes reports, technical guides, and specifications on the efficiency of a construction company’s quality management system.

Typically, the principles that dictate quality management in the construction industry are the budget of the project, the scope of the construction project, and the scheduled completion time.

Some of the construction inspections related to quality include checks for equipment and materials, work processes, units, and services planned and designed by the construction company to comply with the quality requirements of the contract. Quality control inspections lead to a monthly quality report that identifies various issues and monitors the project’s progress. 

Building inspections are usually conducted by an approved third party or a building control local authority. Depending on details such as the scope of the project, these inspections vary in frequency and number. Generally, the building inspections are required in the following stages of the project: 

  • Commencement
  • Excavation stage (prior to the filling of excavations)
  • Foundation stage (before the foundation is covered up)
  • When laying the damp proof courses
  • Installation of new drains (before covering up)
  • When constructing the primary structure
  • When installing insulation
  • Construction of the roof
  • Completion of the project

OSHA conducts periodic inspections and consultations to ensure contractor compliance and protect workers. The OSHA inspector will look at procedural problems or physical hazards like equipment lockout procedures, inadequate machine guards, respiratory issues, noise, availability of PPE for construction workers, among other issues. 

Among the reasons OSHA may come to inspect your site include workplace fatalities and hospitalizations, imminent danger situations, referrals and complaints concerning potentially hazardous conditions, scheduled inspections, and follow-up inspections.

Depending on the inspection findings, a contractor may receive a report detailing the violations found, what has to be corrected, the duration within which to make the corrections, and the monetary fines for the violations. 

Some other inspections that contractors should expect include: 

  • Insurance inspections
  • Environmental inspections on pollution (water, smoke, and noise) 
  • Fire inspections—availability of fire protection systems, fire escapes, and storage of certain materials
  • Planning inspections to ascertain whether you complied with planning permissions, obligations, and conditions
  • Inspection of the release of finances (by relevant agencies)
  • Archaeological inspections (in case of excavations)
  • Inspection of street works conducted by highway authorities in the case of road and sewer constructions

Here is an outline on some of the best practices to heed for construction inspections:

  • Ensure that you have a checklist: Your construction inspection checklist will help you identify any violations of the construction regulations and have them rectified before the inspection. 
  • Budget: Ensure that all your construction inspection checklists that have monetary dealings reference the project budget. Make sure that you complete the project with the allotted budget. Also, use your inspection to ascertain that every spending meets the budgetary allocations as you move from one phase to the next until the completion of the project. 
  • Schedule: Remember, your project should not affect your client’s budget. As such, not completing the project in time will make them dissatisfied. Use the inspection to monitor the schedule of your project daily, weekly, and monthly. Also, ensure that you inform the relevant parties of any delays. 
  • Scope of the project: The inspection process should be led by the defined scope of the project. Ensure that you notify your client of any adjustment to the scope of the project. Also, make sure that you use the construction inspection to confirm that everything is running according to the project’s scope. 
  • Plan ahead: You can do this by undertaking a pre-task session that allows workers to identify and avoid mishaps. 

As you probably know, the construction industry has cutthroat competition. As such, you need proper productivity tools to gain a competitive edge.

Given the fast rate at which the construction industry is adopting digital solutions, you cannot afford to lag behind.

Construction project management software will give your construction business a leg up that you need to stay ahead of your competition. Here are some of the key benefits of mobile forms and apps:

  • The improvement of communication between various parties in the construction project: Mobile apps and forms eliminate communication gaps by enabling you to dispatch information to various parties of the project directly via a mobile phone.
  • Incorporating photos into documents: Enabling the photo capture feature on your mobile forms app will allow you to add pictures directly into your documents. You can, therefore, better describe construction progress issues and achievements.
  • Capturing digital signatures: Mobile app forms allow you and your client to sign and save various documents directly via the program.
  • Improved document organization: This app enables you to keep track of paperwork and files so that you always know where to retrieve them from.
  • Mobilization of document construction: With this app, you can go with your documents wherever you want without the fear of losing them or being damaged. 

Are you looking for an easy-to-use mobile forms app that can help improve the operations of your construction company? GoCanvas is your go-to tool for construction inspection reports, checklists, and more. Try out GoCanvas and all its features with a free trial or contact our team to learn more.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three inspection workers on job site.

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

A man using GoCanvas for the digital transformation of his workflow.

Constructions Digital Transformation

Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

A electrician inspecting equipment.

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance business that services over 10,000 retail locations all over Australia and New Zealand. Before GoCanvas, VIP Lighting had two separate systems that were impossible to integrate, leading to inefficiencies. GoCanvas made it easy to integrate their systems into single, centralized platform…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

3 Key Integrations for Construction Time Card Apps

3 Key Integrations for Construction Time Card Apps

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Time cards are widely used in the construction industry to keep an accurate record of hours worked, for project management and payroll purposes. 

The basic function of a time card is to collect employee data. While many businesses have traditionally relied on paper forms or spreadsheets as a way to track hours worked, more companies are now starting to embrace technology solutions for construction project management and reporting.

Paper forms and spreadsheets are now being replaced with mobile forms — allowing workers to complete their time cards simply by using their mobile phones on the job site.

As a standalone application, a construction time card app is fairly basic in its functionality. It will track standard fields like hours worked, type of hours (regular time, over time, or double time), and things like a signature for approval. It goes without saying that the exact fields on a mobile time card app can be customized based on business needs, and no-code solutions make it easy to design the app to your exact requirements.

Although time cards are relatively simple applications, they can become a powerful asset when digitized through mobile apps and integrated into other core business processes.

This article covers how time card apps can be integrated into the larger business technology and data ecosystem. The ideal state is to make it easy for employees to fill out and automate manual processes for operational staff in the office. Here are three ways to leverage time card apps into your business operations:

Depending on the nature of the work being performed, employees may need to input data on their timesheets that are specific to the project, customer, or type of work. While this can certainly be done manually each time, it winds up costing employees additional time to fill out all of the form fields by hand or referencing other sources of information.

GoCanvas time sheet apps are built with a feature called Reference Data, which allows you to integrate apps with other databases that you own. Instead of looking up the data on your own, GoCanvas will automatically fill out form fields using data that exists in another database. Pull in specific project codes, customer information, accounting fields, and anything else that you need to include on that time card sheet.

Anywhere your company stores data can be pulled into GoCanvas automatically, allowing employees in the field to leverage pre-filled form fields or drop-down lists to capture information faster. 

Not only does the reference data feature help employees spend less time filling out forms, but it also enables your company to standardize how data is submitted. Required fields and drop-down lists can ensure that no mistakes are made or critical information is missing. All of this allows your employees to spend less time on busy work and gives you better, more accurate data in real-time.

We covered how you can bring data into GoCanvas to simplify form fills, but you can also connect this data from the field to then sync with other applications your business uses in the office. 

For construction time card apps, the most common example of this would be an integration with your accounting system like or Xero. Not only can data be brought into GoCanvas, but submissions from GoCanvas apps can be automatically synced into those core accounting systems that your business uses.  

Paper forms and spreadsheets create additional manual work for teams. A manual workflow usually requires:

  • Data entry in the field 
  • Ensuring there are no mistakes
  • Communicating back and forth between teams via email
  • Manually entering or uploading information back into the accounting system

All of this creates additional steps in the workflow that are not necessary. With GoCanvas apps, all of this manual work is eliminated and once a timesheet is submitted, it’s automatically recorded in the accounting system. This can help to process payroll and any other accounting tasks faster when data is available instantly from job sites. 

This type of automation and data integration is essential for growing businesses. Paper forms and manual work can not scale efficiently. Anywhere you can leverage technology like GoCanvas to automate workflows will save you time and money that impacts overall profitability.

Another key benefit for organizations that digitize their time cards is the ability to integrate that data for reporting purposes. 

With construction time cards, you can have them sync with your construction daily reports, giving project managers and stakeholders a real-time view of work performed. GoCanvas helps construction site managers instantly share their daily reports via email as a designed PDF document with images and relevant updates. 

Digitizing time cards and daily reports can have a significant impact on productivity and cost savings. For example, one general contracting company was able to realize a $120,000 cost savings on an annual basis by switching to GoCanvas for mobile daily reports.

Beyond reports, mobile form data can also be used for data analytics performance. This could be in the form of a dashboard that is monitored by owners or project managers to understand how things are tracking toward the plan. For construction projects, these types of analytics insights can help to avoid cost overruns or delays, and having the insights in real-time can allow you to communicate the issues quickly and take any proactive measures.

A study found that 96% of construction data goes unused. Your data that is collected in the field can be a powerful asset when rolled up for analytics. Mobile data platforms like GoCanvas allow you to collect data through forms, and create custom dashboards right in GoCanvas for analytics purposes. GoCanvas also allows you to take the submission data and integrate it with other BI applications your business uses, opening up the possibilities for you to integrate GoCanvas into your broader data ecosystem.

Want to learn more about how mobile data platforms can impact your construction business? Check out our playbook on the power of data analytics for commercial construction.

Playbook: 3 Keys to Unleashing the Power of Data Analytics in Commercial Construction

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three inspection workers on job site.

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

A man using GoCanvas for the digital transformation of his workflow.

Constructions Digital Transformation

Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

A electrician inspecting equipment.

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance business that services over 10,000 retail locations all over Australia and New Zealand. Before GoCanvas, VIP Lighting had two separate systems that were impossible to integrate, leading to inefficiencies. GoCanvas made it easy to integrate their systems into single, centralized platform…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

How Timesheet Forms Work for Management [+Templates]

How Timesheet Forms Work for Management [+Templates]

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Timesheet forms are an excellent way for businesses to manage time for their employees. Companies can use different timesheet forms, such as a weekly timesheet, a monthly timesheet, a biweekly timesheet, or even a daily timesheet. All of these tools are useful for time tracking of work hours. 

There are many simple resources available for printable timesheet templates using Microsoft Word or Excel timesheet templates. These different forms can range from straightforward timesheet templates to more advanced templates that factor in billable hours, lunch breaks, sick leave, vacation leave, time-in/time-out, hourly rates, and other valuable information. 

Another solution for businesses is to use simple timesheet form apps that track employee hours and the number of hours worked by contractors in real-time. These apps also provide workers with the opportunity to enter time manually. This option brings a number of benefits to an organization, rather than using spreadsheets or paper.

For example, timesheet apps integrate directly with payroll and billing systems. They also can include much more advanced features, like the ability to track employee mileage and other reimbursable expenses. Continue reading this article to understand more about timesheet forms and how mobile applications work for businesses.

Companies process payroll in various ways, including weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or semi-monthly payroll. Each of these payroll frequencies has a specific timesheet template to meet a company’s specific needs. 

A best practice with timesheets is to have employees or contractors complete them on a daily basis so that it is easier to keep track of hours worked. Even for timesheets submitted on a monthly basis, it can be difficult to recall any breaks taken several weeks ago or if an employee had to leave work early one day. 

Although companies may pay employees at different intervals, it is essential that a business has a defined and consistent process in place for tracking time. 

Most timesheet forms have a space for the employee name, an employee ID, the position of the employee, the week ending date, a start and end time field for each day, and any hours deducted for lunch breaks or sick leave. 

Non-exempt employees who work over 40 hours a week can quickly document overtime pay on their timesheet. Similarly, workers who work holidays may track time paid at a higher rate during a pay period. 

For companies that want to utilize timesheets for exempt employees, the information collected may be more granular or project-related. This tracking time practice helps to understand how much services cost to deliver, how much effort is going into various jobs or projects, and how effectively employees use their time.

Paper forms present many problems to workers and companies. Although paper may seem like an easy and inexpensive option for documenting time, here are some of the hidden costs of paper forms and spreadsheets: 

  • Error-prone: Regardless of intent, workers filling out these forms can make errors in entering start-times or end-times. These errors can lead to over and under calculating hours worked and will require additional resources to fix the errors. This costs both the workers and the companies who lose income or revenue due to errors. 
  • Misplaced paper: Paper-based timesheets are also subject to being lost or misplaced, which can slow down payroll for workers. It can also have an impact on the availability of historical data related to employee time tracking. 
  • Data-loss: Spreadsheets may become corrupted, users may overwrite data, or anyone on a workplace network can inadvertently delete time tracking files. 
  • Lack of accessibility: Both paper and spreadsheet timesheet forms are not that accessible for workers either on the road or working offsite. 
  • Lack of insights: It’s difficult for companies to gain insightful information from paper-based timesheets since the data on paper is not accessible without being manually entered.

More companies than ever are using online forms and apps to track employee hours. These online forms and apps can be easier to use, more accessible, and have enhanced or automated workflows. Collecting timesheet information through an app or digital form can enable HR notifications. For example, a notification can be sent when: 

  • An employee is approaching unapproved overtime hours.
  • An employee’s hours fall outside of the regular hours of a business
  • The total hours noted by an employee do not reflect the time they spent in an office or their billable hours

Timesheet apps make it simple to fill out timesheets in the field. Employees can use their smartphones to submit their hours worked. This level of accessibility helps workers in jobs where they are required to be in the field or they do not have a dedicated job site from which they work.

Timesheet apps also enable companies to track employee hours based on factors such as arrival and departure time with GPS and time stamps. With modern applications, businesses of all sizes can take advantage of mobile applications that allow them to streamline their operations and work more efficiently.

GoCanvas has a wide range of timesheet form apps available on our website. 

These apps are effective for both contractors and employees. GoCanvas has pre-built templates for a monthly, biweekly, or daily timesheet template, and many other types of employee timesheet templates. These simple solutions can help to improve and streamline processes for your business, especially when it comes to paying workers. 

Apps are able to leverage the native functions in iOS and Android devices, such as GPS and built-in time tracking. This can be used to automate the clock-in/clock-out process and verify a worker’s location. 

The use of these tools helps process payroll efficiently. Companies can bill clients or customers where a worker has to visit a job site or track hours spent working on a specific project.

For contractors, timesheet apps can be implemented directly by companies for contractors to track hours or can be a tool that contractors use to document hours and bill customers directly. 

GoCanvas can accept Credit Card payments in its apps through Square, an industry-leading payment processor. One helpful feature is the ability to do calculations. You can simply enter the number of hours worked and have the app use pre-built formulas with hourly rates that can generate invoices in real-time. 

GoCanvas apps can integrate directly with payroll processing companies such as QuickBooks and Xero and countless other apps through our Zapier integration. These integrations make the processing of timesheets occur much more quickly, ensuring that pay for employees occurs in a timely fashion. 

This helps human resources departments and payroll specialists to avoid spending hours each week inputting timesheets and payroll information. Effective timesheet apps are designed to work with the tools you have in place today and to transform the way workers track time in the field.

GoCanvas has customizable templates for all of your businesses’ time tracking needs. Here is a list of some of our most commonly used timesheet form templates that are available for you to access on the GoCanvas app store.

simple timesheet form template

In need of a simple timesheet form for your business? This GoCanvas app allows you to track employees’ hours worked, collecting details about the work or tasks performed on the job. Our basic timesheet form is designed to be customized for any business or job type, giving you more flexibility to manage timesheets for your unique business purpose.

Access the simple timesheet form template to get started for free.

basic daily timesheet form

Daily timesheet forms are commonly used when businesses have hourly workers and their hours can vary depending on the day of the week. Using this daily timesheet form template on GoCanvas, you can keep a record of time and attendance details from across locations and employees. Track hours, assess overtime, sign off on approvals, and manage the entire daily timesheet process from this simple app.

Access the daily timesheet form template to get started for free.

weekly timesheet form template

Many businesses also prefer to have a weekly timesheet that documents the summary of all work performed in a given week. Using the weekly timesheet form template, businesses can easily keep track of hours, days, and weeks for a payroll pay period. Access reports, export the information as a PDF, or use the data to automate other business processes using an integration with other cloud applications.

Access the weekly timesheet form template to get started for free. You can also find our bi-weekly timesheet template form that is similarly designed for companies that prefer bi-weekly payroll sheets.

quickbooks timesheet form template

QuickBooks is widely used by companies for processing payroll. To easily integrate timesheets with your payroll processes, use this timesheet form that is designed to connect with QuickBooks. Integrating data and cloud applications is one main benefit of using GoCanvas for timesheet forms and other types of digital forms. Instead of Excel forms and Google Sheet forms for timesheets, using GoCanvas brings you the ability to automate workflows and eliminate manual work or data entry. 

Contact our team to learn more about our integrations and access the QuickBooks timesheet form on the GoCanvas app store.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

business people discussing project

Gown Your Business with GoCanvas Partner Program

Join our Partner Program and gain instant access to our global network of thought leaders and industry experts enjoying shared collaboration and collective success.

Forte Supply Chain Solutions Partner Video

Partner Snapshot: Forte Supply Chain Solutions

Explore how Forte Supply Chain Solutions partnered with GoCanvas, combining in-house industry expertise with our white-label mobile forms to revolutionize their processes.

Closeup of a handshake.

GoCanvas Integrations: Streamline your Workflow

Integrate with over 1,000 software applications. Enhance your GoCanvas experience by syncing real-time data to one or all of your business tools.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

FECC Saves $100K+ per Year with Mobile Forms

FECC team photo

How a Leading Hazardous Waste Haulage and Disposal Provider, FECC, Saves Over $100,000 Annually with Mobile Forms

FECC Background

  • Industry: Environmental Services
  • HQ Location: Orlando, FL
  • Website: Visit Here

Highlights

  • $116,000+ Total Net Annual Savings
  • $114,000+ Productivity Savings
  • $2,600 + Savings in Paper Savings

Form Types

The Case for GoCanvas

Since 1989, FECC, has created dynamic solutions for the remediation, transportation and disposal of hazardous and industrial materials. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, FECC offers services throughout the United States. As the company expanded its services, information became increasingly difficult to track. FECC needed a way to get information to and from their managers, drivers and technicians in real time. GoCanvas was the perfect solution.

Prior to GoCanvas, FECC collected information from their employees via paper. Alex Naster, the System Administrator at FECC, described their manual process stating, “We had a major paper problem.” Paperwork was difficult to keep track of and became very costly. Lost paperwork, inconsistent reporting, and long turnaround times were not uncommon. Since the information was collected by pen and paper, items such as daily tickets and inspections would take a week or more to return and process. They needed a solution so that drivers did not need to pick up and drop off paperwork from the office each week. Alex goes on to say, “Since we were only getting 10% of drivers’ paperwork each day it was creating a major billing issue and was becoming incredibly time-consuming.” In addition to this time-intensive process, they uncovered other issues, such as people not even doing the paperwork or important information not captured for accurate billing. With a workforce that primarily is out on the road, drivers and office staff needed GoCanvas to help make their reporting consistent and immediate.

FECC decided they needed to eliminate their paper processes. When they came across GoCanvas it was a clear solution to their dilemma.

“No longer having to move paper from the site to the office, then reading, scanning, and filing it away has had a huge impact on our team’s productivity.”

– Alex Naster, System Administrator FECC, Inc.

Benefits of Automation and Efficiency

FECC revolutionized its data collection in less than 6 months with the help of GoCanvas. Now, a driver or technician can pull up all relevant documentation needed from their mobile device. When the mobile document is submitted it is received in real-time by the support staff. This process allows for consistent reporting across locations and personnel. With features such as required fields and conditional data, all management teams can ensure reports are accurate and complete at the time of submission. Alex explains their improved process by stating, “Now, there is no confusion or extra work. The driver can just hop in the truck and go.” GoCanvas’s workflow features have made it so each submission is automatically sent to the intended supervisor for an approval signature before it is sent to their accounting team.

“I love how customizable and easy GoCanvas makes it to create, edit, and dispatch forms for my team!”

– Alex Naster, System Administrator FECC, Inc.

To automate FECC’s process further, they have integrated GoCanvas with their accounting system. Once a submission has been approved by the supervisor, the data is read by the integration and pre-fills all the billing information for the accounting team. This not only saves their internal workforce hours of data re-entry, but it also allows the company to start billing immediately and in turn has improved their customer experience. Additionally, this integration updates equipment and vehicle information every few minutes so auto-populated information is always accurate.

“GoCanvas worked side by side with us on this integration, as if they were part of our team. Our real-time cashflow, P&L, and other KPI goals have been reached.”

– Kellan Lawing, Chief Information Officer at FECC Inc.

FECC has continued to improve their flow of information by using a custom GoCanvas and Zapier integration. Using Zapier, their drivers and other field techs are able to request funds for a pre-paid debit card and send receipts to payroll. This is done through their integration between WEX and GoCanvas and makes sure employee billing is timely and accurate.

Since their implementation of GoCanvas, FECC has worked hard to modernize not only how they capture data but how the information is used. Using GoCanvas Analytics, FECC has transformed the way they manage information. After a submission is made the data is pulled into custom dashboards on the GoCanvas platform. FECC is using GoCanvas Analytics to get real-time insight into their profitability. The ability to provide accurate and relevant cost analysis has been a game changer for their company. GoCanvas makes their dashboards easily understandable for all employees and can alert management to areas that need attention.

Waste companies, big and small, that operate in almost every industry can search from over 20,000 pre-built mobile form templates in the GoCanvas Application store or drill down further and look specifically at mobile form templates for Transportation and Disposal. These can be completely customized with the online, drag-and-drop App Builder tool to fit an organizations’ specific processes.  Using that same tool many businesses, like FECC, elect to build their own mobile forms from scratch. FECC, ultimately chose GoCanvas because of the platform’s design flexibility and quick deployment.

Since fully implementing GoCanvas, FECC has been able to be a leader in the Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste, Remediation, Disposal, and Transportation industry. Their forward thinking and innovative nature has set them ahead of their competitors and has helped grow their success.

Overall, FECC has seen an amazing return on their investment in GoCanvas. Their returns have not only shown up on the balance sheet, but also in their daily productivity as a business.

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

15 Free Work Order Form Templates

15 Free Work Order Form Templates

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Work orders are widely used in many industries to request the performance of a task or job. The work order is most commonly generated to fulfill a customer request, but it can also be used internally within a company as part of a larger project.

The work order includes the details of the job to be performed and often will have a worker assigned or dispatched to complete the job in the field, on a job site, or in an office.

Work orders are used by many different types of industries and business types. Using the GoCanvas form builder, your business can create entirely digital work order forms that are custom to your business. All of this can be done with no-coding required, making GoCanvas an easy-to-use solution for all of your work order needs.

How GoCanvas works:

  • Create mobile work orders, forms and work process apps with no coding needed
  • Get information back in real-time, eliminate redundant data entry and automate your processes
  • Never miss another work order form, inspection or other crucial information due to problems with paperwork and outdated processes

Core features include:

  • App Builder. Easily create and edit your own GoCanvas Apps (mobile forms) with our online drag-and-drop App Builder tool.
  • PDF Designer. Once your team fills out a GoCanvas App a PDF can be generated and emailed. Customize this PDF to engage your customers and colleagues.
  • Image Capture. Whether you need photos for inspecting equipment, or tracking rhinos, do it with a click.
  • Signature Capture. Need to confirm a package or a sales order? Easily grab someone’s signature on your mobile device.
  • GPS Tracking. Know where your equipment or team members are at any moment with GPS capture.
  • Barcode Scanning. With one click, look up equipment or inventory.
  •  

This article summarizes our most widely used work order form templates that you can get started with for free. If you don’t see an app listed here, simply search the GoCanvas website where we also have thousands of additional form templates available.

Man and woman working on tablet on construction site for estimates

The construction work order form is designed for construction companies and contractors to manage all of the work orders throughout a project. The form has fields to capture important contract details, including the scope of work, change orders, extra work authorization, materials and services requested, subcontractor fees, and hours worked.

The template can be customized to suit your business needs and can also be used as a subcontractor work order form. Construction companies use this digital work order form to sync up with the construction contract, helping to organize and store pertinent information for completing the requirements of those contracts. Collect signatures, share PDF reports, and more with this digital form for construction work orders.

shaking hands after signing construction contract

The construction change order form is used when projects require a change to account for any additional work that is needed. Whether you have small changes to the construction project’s estimated costs or need to scope out the overhead costs for more substantial work, this template can quickly generate the form for you. Use this form in the field or at the client office’s so that you don’t fall behind on the construction contract.

construction worker filling out near miss reports on phone

The stop work order form is used in the construction industry to document when it is required to stop work due to a violation or incident. This form can be used to document items such as project name, project number, individual’s name of the letter, contractor, and subcontractors. It also captures relevant signatures and can be emailed as a PDF in real-time.

HVAC worker on a mobile device

The HVAC service work order form is designed as a template to use for HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) technicians to help cut down time spent on paperwork. Dispatch workers to the correct location, so contractors in the field can fill out the forms on a mobile device. Invoice reports can be automatically generated as a PDF sent via email to the customer to automate manual processes for your business.

electrical worker fixing wires

The electrical work order form is designed for electrical contractors, electrical installation companies, and master electricians for work on all types of electrical systems. Instead of relying on paper invoices or electrical contracting software, the digital form provides a completely mobile way to manage all types of electrical services work. The mobile form automatically calculates charges for electrical equipment, electrical wiring and labor, and jobs can be assigned to different electrical contractors in the field using the Dispatch feature.

maintenance worker holding a ladder

The job work order form is a generic template that can be used for all types of maintenance and service requests. This digital job invoice template works for many types of jobs, including plumbing, HVAC services, and other types of maintenance work. Simply customize the app to fit your maintenance business requirements.

This mechanic work order form is ideal for repair shops and repair facilities of all sizes. Customers will appreciate the professionalism and simplicity of the digital work order app that is designed to streamline the work order and invoice process. The app allows you to quickly document vehicle information, detail the service request, list all parts, labor, shop supplies, and capture the customer authorization. All parts and labor (including sale tax) can be automatically calculated for you within the app.

cleaning cart with supplies

The residential cleaning work order form offers a simple way for professional housekeepers, independent cleaning services, and housekeeping agencies to manage daily or weekly cleaning jobs. The app can be used to track all the details of a housekeeping services visit, including the customer contact information and details about the services provided. The housekeeper invoice form app also tracks labor and materials hours and the hourly rate, calculating the total cost at the end of the visit.

handyman tools including hammer and measuring tape

The handyman work order form provides a simple way to manage your handyman business. Use the app to track a variety of handyman services, including plumbing work, appliance repairs, yard maintenance, and more. Any contractor or handyman business owner can customize the app to suit their needs.

The app lets you generate a handyman invoice template based on the work order, with fields for hourly rate, work performed and other important details. Once the service call has been completed, the contractor can email the handyman invoice directly to customers for payment.

woman working on an ipad

The graphic design work order form offers a simple way for print shops and graphic design teams to generate work orders electronically. The graphics work order form covers all the important details of the work order request, including facility service details about the job, customer contact details, turnaround time, order approval information, and more. Once completed, the form is automatically saved for your records.

fleet managers on ipad inspecting vehicles

The fleet services work order form is perfect for fleet management professionals and helps make the day-to-day operations of a fleet easier. The app can improve preventive maintenance in a variety of ways, such as better equipment and item management, notifications when vehicle maintenance needs to be performed, field service task lists, and more.

manufacturing line on a job site

The manufacturing work order form offers a simple way to track manufacturing production orders using a smartphone or tablet. The work order form can help track materials used, add details about the finished goods, and add notes about raw materials consumed during the process. Once the manufacturing process has been completed, you can enter notes about additional materials or equipment used and other work instructions and operations notes as needed. 

The landscaping work order form is perfect for landscape architects, landscape designers, professional landscapers, and others who provide professional landscaping services. Available on any smartphone, mobile device, or PC, this app will help you complete work order forms for your next landscaping project, especially those related to irrigation and landscape planning.

painting contractor on a job site

The painting work order form is an easy-to-use tool for painting contractors and professional painting services. Track all customer details, capture basic painting services details, terms of service, and calculate the final costs. All types of painting businesses can benefit from this handy work order form app, which lets you quickly and easily generate new work orders for your painting services. The app automatically calculates tax, materials, and labor charges for painting invoice forms, eliminating the need for manual calculations. Additionally, the application also features Dispatch functionality, making it possible for scheduling managers to assign different jobs in the painting business to the right employee while in the field.

worker looking at a laptop device

The IT work order form provides a basic work order template that computer maintenance and IT support desks can use to stay organized. This computer work order management app includes fields for customer name and location, details about the service request, equipment details, actions completed, and recommended maintenance. The service desk technician can add his or her own comments about the work request to the work order template and save the form for their records.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

business people discussing project

Gown Your Business with GoCanvas Partner Program

Join our Partner Program and gain instant access to our global network of thought leaders and industry experts enjoying shared collaboration and collective success.

Forte Supply Chain Solutions Partner Video

Partner Snapshot: Forte Supply Chain Solutions

Explore how Forte Supply Chain Solutions partnered with GoCanvas, combining in-house industry expertise with our white-label mobile forms to revolutionize their processes.

Closeup of a handshake.

GoCanvas Integrations: Streamline your Workflow

Integrate with over 1,000 software applications. Enhance your GoCanvas experience by syncing real-time data to one or all of your business tools.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

10 Free Checklist Apps for Business

10 Free Checklist Apps for Business

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Construction checklist apps are widely used by businesses to simplify the collection of data in the field or on a job site. The simple checklist that was once completed on a paper form, is now available to businesses as a digital app with forms that can be checked off using a mobile device.

GoCanvas is a leader in construction jobsite management software and forms, with thousands of pre-built templates that can be used for checklist apps. Using our no-code form builder, you can customize checklists to meet your business requirements, all without needing advanced technical knowledge.

This article compiles the 10 most popular use cases for checklist apps. If you don’t see a checklist app listed below, simply search our website for more free examples and templates your business can use for checklists apps. All of the apps listed can be customized and branded specifically for your business. Contact our team any time to access a free trial and learn more.

Real Estate House Appraisal And Inspection graphic

Every home inspection business uses checklists as part of their field work. Instead of relying on paper forms and manual data entry, companies are moving to digital checklist apps that simplify the process for home inspectors. 

The checklist can be dynamic based on the property type, saving your employees time when filling out the forms. All of the data is recorded on a mobile device or tablet, and a home inspection report is generated automatically for the home buyer. Leverage the dispatch feature to streamline how you assign work in the field, save your employees time by automating the reporting process, and turn around inspections faster for your customers with fully digital home inspection checklists.

Cleaning businesses commonly use checklists to ensure that all areas of the property are cleaned. Instead of using paper forms, employees can use their mobile devices to run through the cleaning checklist on an app, submitting any photos and signing off on their work. 

Any time you are removing paperwork from your operational workflows, it will help to reduce any manual work that is required to enter data into a computer.  The housekeeping checklist app is designed to track items related to house cleaning tasks, deep cleaning work, standard hotel cleaning tasks, cleaning staff assignments, and more. Simply customize the digital checklist to meet your specific business needs.

3. Driver Pre-trip/Post-Trip Inspection Checklist App

two truck drivers with tablet performing a pre-trip inspection

There are regulations that require vehicle operators to perform pre-trip and post-trip inspections to ensure that commercial vehicles are able to operate safely. Instead of having workers fill out paper forms on the road, switching to digital forms brings all of this essential information online.

This commercial motor vehicle safety inspection form makes it easy to identify when vehicle maintenance is needed and protects trucking companies, commercial vehicle operators and truck drivers from unnecessary accidents.

builder contractor at jobsite on tablet

Building inspections are common in the construction industry and this app is perfect for contractors and workers in the field. The app includes a building inspection checklist and tracks all aspects of a building including exterior, heating systems, electrical systems, housekeeping, fire safety, evacuation plans, and other miscellaneous areas ensuring compliance with building codes. 

Once completed, an inspector can sign off digitally on the work and have an inspection report automatically generated and sent as PDF via email to anyone that needs documentation. This saves time and ensures that important records can always be accessed in case of a dispute.

Health temperature check on construction site

Coronavirus has created workplace challenges to health and safety for businesses of all types. Using the  COVID-19 workplace safety checklist app, businesses can take steps to ensure that proper procedures are followed to minimize the risk of spreading coronavirus.

This comprehensive checklist app will help your business take steps to plan and protect the health and safety of your staff and colleagues. Topics include Administration and Logistics, Work Protections in the Workplace, and Travel. 

Man holding tablet on construction site

Job site safety inspections are important in construction to promote the safety of workers. Going digital with inspections helps to ensure compliance across job sites and give businesses greater insight into their safety operations.

The safety inspection checklist for construction sites covers personal protective equipment, sanitation, fall hazards, worker safety plan details and other workplace safety standards and considerations. Once the construction site safety checklist is complete, an email with the results can be sent directly to the project managers, contractors and others who work on the project and need to save the results for their records.

safety manager on construction site working on laptop computer

If your business handles hazardous materials, you know that safety data sheets are required for your workplace. The SDS Sheet Compliance checklist is designed to help ensure compliance and that your business is following the required local regulations for chemical inventory management.

Use the SDS Compliance checklist app with your smartphone or tablet to ensure that employers and workers use the material safety data as sources of information about chemical hazards and to obtain advice on occupational safety for any work area that contains a chemical inventory.

thermometer checking for food safety temperature on chicken

Restaurant inspections are critical, and this app allows you to develop a customized checklist to meet the requirements at your food service establishment. Include checks for ensuring hazardous foods are identified and removed, food is kept at the proper temperature, and food safety is top-of-mind for all employees at your food facility.

roofing contractor building a roof

The roof inspection checklist is designed for roofing contractors to use as a template form to create invoices, sales orders for roof repairs and roof replacement. The mobile app can be used to inspect and detail the condition of a roof, helping to detect any roof problem or damage.

Roofing contractors can leverage the mobile app from a customer’s location, allowing them to perform the inspection checklist and create an instant report with photos for reference. The digital experience is preferred by customers and simplifies the job for inspectors.

plumber checking systems in building

Plumbing contractors can use the checklist app when performing the inspections for buildings. This checklist app makes it easy to identify when plumbing work is needed to keep plumbing systems running as efficiently as possible. The results of the inspection make it easy for plumbing companies to recognize when problems exist, so they can quickly be fixed before issues get worse.

 Instead of relying on paper forms that can get lost or damaged, simplify the process for everyone involved by going completely digital with your checklist forms for plumbing.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

business people discussing project

Gown Your Business with GoCanvas Partner Program

Join our Partner Program and gain instant access to our global network of thought leaders and industry experts enjoying shared collaboration and collective success.

Forte Supply Chain Solutions Partner Video

Partner Snapshot: Forte Supply Chain Solutions

Explore how Forte Supply Chain Solutions partnered with GoCanvas, combining in-house industry expertise with our white-label mobile forms to revolutionize their processes.

Closeup of a handshake.

GoCanvas Integrations: Streamline your Workflow

Integrate with over 1,000 software applications. Enhance your GoCanvas experience by syncing real-time data to one or all of your business tools.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

5 Free Templates for Builder Checklists

5 Free Templates for Builder Checklists

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A construction checklist is a simple project management tool used to help contractors keep track of a list of items that need to be completed or inspected as part of a job or work order. Building construction includes many different types of jobs to be completed throughout the project lifecycle, so companies will typically have many types of standard checklists to use for a given job. 

The most basic construction checklist can be created using a paper form. Excel checklists are also commonly used to create templates for building construction. Excel checklist templates are technically free to download, however, this form of recording data is not always in the best interest of a construction company.

For example, if you are a medium or large business with a distributed workforce, keeping track of Excel spreadsheets or dealing with manual data entry from paper forms can be a drain on company resources. The hidden costs of Excel templates and paper forms include:

  • Redundant and time-consuming work
  • Lost data and rework
  • Lost revenue and productivity
  • Decrease in employee satisfaction

A better way to create construction checklists is to use mobile apps and forms designed to increase productivity and streamline business operations.

Construction work requires a great deal of paperwork to start and finish projects. Instead of relying on paper forms, construction companies have started to use digital building construction forms that eliminate manual work.

These building and construction apps can be accessed by desktop and mobile devices, making them ideal for workers who want to use them at work sites without an internet connection. Form fields are completed using an app and PDF reports are automatically generated to be stored in the cloud and shared with anyone that needs to access the information.

Builders can create checklists and other types of forms to digitize all of the critical information that is created and stored as part of a project. Builders and contractors need digital tools for construction to create a competitive advantage, increase their productivity, and lower their costs by embracing simple technology designed for the jobsite.

GoCanvas is a trusted provider of mobile apps and forms for the construction industry. Using our no-code platform for mobile apps, contractors and builders can quickly digitize their paper forms without help from IT. The GoCanvas App Store has over 20,000 templates that can easily be customized to fit your business needs. Simply search the app store for building construction templates or follow the links below to some of our top checklist forms used by builders.

The project startup checklist is a project management app to make sure that all pre-construction services are checked before work begins. The construction project plan app covers everything from defining the scope of work at the job site, to developing the construction project plan and timeline. 

You can also customize the construction requirements checklist for your business needs to ensure that every step of your process is included. Once completed, the general contractor, management, and other stakeholders can sign off on the project requirements electronically to ensure that all quality standards are met.

project startup checklist template

The project closeout checklist app is designed to help with quality assurance, project closeout forms, and the entire contract closeout process. The app helps with inspecting completed work and getting the appropriate signoff from the contracting officer, design, and construction teams. 

Use this app to ensure that all details are covered when handing off project work for quality assurance purposes and that requirements from the general contractor and project managers have been met.

project closeout checklist template

Routine occupational safety inspections are required at all job sites. The work site inspection app ensures that your work areas are meeting necessary safety requirements and safety training is completed prior to work.

This safety report app reviews personal protective gear, employee fall protection, and other safety standards for the job site. Use this app to help ensure that your company is meeting employee safety standards and that all construction work is performed in a safe work environment.

worksite inspection checklist template

The new home construction checklist is designed to ensure that homes are move-in ready. The app also generates an electronic version of the report that can be accessed and shared online. 

Designed for use throughout the building process, the app covers both indoor and outdoor items in a new home, including inspecting the hot water heater, garage door, air conditioning unit, and plumbing fixtures. The customizable app for house building also helps ensure that building codes are followed and that the building project is completed according to the original house plans.

new home construction checklist

The construction task list app helps managers and construction contractors keep their tasks organized each day. Add notes about the construction process, manage schedule milestones, and more using the digital task list. This app helps ensure that construction contractors are all on the same page when it comes to timeline management and the work schedule, giving management transparency into the status of the project. Reports are saved electronically and can be easily shared with the general contractor, construction manager, and others on the construction team.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three inspection workers on job site.

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

A man using GoCanvas for the digital transformation of his workflow.

Constructions Digital Transformation

Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

A electrician inspecting equipment.

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance business that services over 10,000 retail locations all over Australia and New Zealand. Before GoCanvas, VIP Lighting had two separate systems that were impossible to integrate, leading to inefficiencies. GoCanvas made it easy to integrate their systems into single, centralized platform…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

A Complete Guide to Construction Daily Reports [+Templates]

A Complete Guide to Construction Daily Reports [+Templates]

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A construction daily report or daily log is a document that includes all of the details and events of a single day working on a construction project. Site managers or contractors fill out and file these reports to keep an up-to-date record of the relevant project information. The reports typically include things like a list of crew members, material and equipment usage, incidents, job progress, and more. 

The purpose of construction daily reports and logs is to provide a detailed description of an ongoing construction project. The daily report includes anything that the stakeholders, investors, project owners, and contractors need to know about that project.

These reports are useful for keeping everyone on the same page. They help to make sure that everyone is aware of any potential delays and that they are getting updates on the progress that is being made toward project completion.

Given how essential these documents are to the project’s success, it’s important that your construction daily reports and logs are accurate and thorough. That’s why we’ve created a complete guide to writing construction daily reports. Continue reading this article for everything you need to know about creating and filing your documents.

Here are four basic steps to follow when writing your construction daily reports:

The very first step in creating a construction daily report is drafting the cover page. A cover page provides basic information about the project, including the project name, the date, the location of the job site, and your name. The report’s cover page lets you and your client know at first glance what’s inside.

The majority of a construction daily log will include essential information and even minute details about the project. Recording these details of your project will be the most involved step in creating your daily report. 

Make sure to complete the report in a timely manner and don’t wait until the end of the workday to try and complete the entire daily report. You should add information to your report every hour or so throughout the day, or any time a significant event occurs.

Timely recording can also reduce the chance that you’ll forget important details about the project that day. Consider leveraging technology like construction project management software that can streamline the process and simplify your workflow for creating reports.

Don’t forget to sign and date your construction daily reports, as this makes them official. Once work at the job site is finished, you should set aside some dedicated time to review your completed report to look for any mistakes and review the progress your team made. 

When you’re satisfied with your report, sign, and date it. Making this part of your routine helps you ensure that the daily report is accurate and completed at the end of every day.

Once you’ve reviewed and signed your construction daily report, be sure to promptly send it to your client. Construction software apps for daily reports can streamline the process for sending these documents to your clients. Apps can enable you to create your reports digitally and send them instantly to your client or other team members in real-time.

Construction daily reports provide the most accurate picture of what goes on at the job site. That’s why it’s important to include as many details as possible when creating your report. Here are ten must-have sections to include in your construction daily reports and logs:

The first section should include specific details about the job or project, including things like the job name, the job type, and the job number.

You should also include a brief description of the phase the job is in. For example, you should note if the workday included demolition, groundbreaking, framing, and so on.

It’s best to record all crew members present at the job site. This information helps you cover your bases in case questions arise concerning attendance or payroll. 

A crew list also helps promote safety in your work environment. Knowing who is on the site will help you ensure you’ve got enough workers to complete daily tasks and that no one is being stretched beyond their limits to work safely.

Your documentation should include the weather report for that day, including things like temperature, wind speeds, and any precipitation. 

Bad weather can bring your workday (and sometimes your work week) to a grinding halt, so it’s important to note the conditions of each day so you can record delays that are caused by the weather.

In this section, detail project completions and progress that occurred. Make sure to record individual tasks and what took place to move them forward, as well as include the job’s progress as a whole. 

Some days, you might have to note that no progress was made or that you’re experiencing delays because of material or staff issues. Even if the project doesn’t see forward progress, document what’s been done and the overall status of the job.

Sometimes you might have visitors to the construction site. These visitors could include investors, reporters, company leadership, and even family. 

Any time someone other than your crew enters the work site, you should record it in your daily report. This helps you stay compliant and provide accurate paperwork should an accident occur on-site.

All heavy machinery on a worksite must be accounted for. You’ll need to include the equipment present and how many hours each machine was used. 

Even if a piece of machinery wasn’t used that day, note that it was parked at the site. This documentation provides information that can be used to maintain the equipment and ensure that every piece is where it should be.

A daily construction report also helps you keep track of the amount of materials available each day, as well as the quantity of those materials used. 

This data gives you a clear picture of how much progress a crew makes each day. It also helps you to plan new orders by knowing what you begin and end each day with for materials.

Material deliveries go hand-in-hand with material quantities. Knowing how many and which building materials arrived on-site ensures that your company receives the shipments they’re paying for. 

You should make a note if a shipment doesn’t arrive as scheduled. If your crew is delayed in completing tasks due to a lack of materials, you will then have a record of the missed delivery and show that you’re not at fault.

A late material delivery can cause severe delays at your work site. But that’s not the only reason for slowed or even halted progress

Your daily construction report needs to include any event that caused a delay or could potentially cause a delay. These events could be things like a significant crew absence, weather, or malfunctioning equipment, for example.

Safety is the number one goal for all contractors. But when incidents occur, you are required to report them.

Your daily reports should note both significant incidents, as well as any near misses that occur. In addition to your daily report, you are also required to formally file a separate incident report.

Consider using incident report apps that can help with the process and provide templates to use when incidents happen for creating the reports and sharing them with all the appropriate parties.

Construction daily reports offer more than just a record of what occurred on a work site. When utilized correctly, they can also serve as tools to help you improve your services. Here are three ways your daily logs can improve your team’s productivity and quality:

Construction daily reports are more than just progress notes for the client. You can also gauge the efficiency of your entire operation by reviewing and analyzing the data on your reports.

Mobile apps can help to create your reports and then the data is available so you can see the full picture of your team’s progress and if they are completing tasks to your standards.

Every company wants to save money, without cutting any corners. Your daily reports provide valuable data about money spent on materials, employees, and more.

Data from your reports can help you to discover patterns and trends. It can help to understand when and why a job is being delayed. By analyzing this information, you can discover patterns in spending, and where budgets can be restructured to save both time and money.

Digitizing your daily reports through mobile apps can help to ensure that you’re collecting the right information and the data is easily accessible in the form of analytics that provides useful insights for your operations team.

Daily logs detail everything that happens on a job site and they can help you see what you’re doing well and what can be improved. 

Digitizing this information and making it more accessible will enable your team to find better, faster, and even safer ways to complete your projects. 

When you complete your reports on an app, the reports can instantly be sent to the office, clients, and other team members who need access in real-time. This helps to streamline workflows, save time for your employees, and improve the processes that are in place for sharing and communicating documentation for your business.

Construction daily reports contain essential information for documenting the progress and status of your projects. Consider implementing simple mobile apps for contractors that can help you to easily capture the details of a day on your site with digital documentation.

Your peers in the construction industry have found that these tools give them a competitive advantage, increase productivity, and eliminate much of the time spent on paperwork and other manual tasks.

All of this can lead to greater profitability for your business, projects completed on schedule, and increased satisfaction and retention of your workers with modern processes in place to help them succeed.

Many contractors and construction firms are moving their daily logs to the digital format using mobile apps to record daily logs and create PDF reports. This technology works well for the construction industry because it provides mobility and ease of use for many people to enter the required information into mobile forms. 

Once the information is collected, it’s instantly shared as a formatted report and the data can be used for reporting and analytics purposes. The end result is a more efficient way to collect information in the field and greater visibility into operations. 

This saves valuable time by reducing manual paperwork and outdated processes and it gives the business insights needed to make decisions that help the business operate in smarter ways.

The construction daily log makes it simple to keep track of a daily report of work performed and noteworthy updates that occur daily on a job site. The mobile app can be completed using a tablet or a phone to ensure that all of the important data from the field is captured and shared back with the office.

The mobile app can also be used as a time-tracking tool, helping to eliminate paperwork for managers on-site. The daily log is designed for documenting all employee’s activities so that management can monitor productivity in real-time to avoid potential delays. 

How it works:

  • Capture images of work completed
  • Add details about potential safety hazards and other daily work details
  • A digital report is automatically generated and sent to the construction manager, general contractor, and safety managers.
  • Customize the app to add specific inspections or other required documentation that is required for your job site.
example of a construction daily report template

Looking for a specific template to use based on the type of subcontractor work? Follow the links below to find additional examples and templates by use case.

  • Carpenter Daily Log
  • Cleaning Crew Daily Log
  • Drywall Daily Log
  • Electrical Daily Log
  • Fire Sprinkler Installer Daily Log
  • Heavy Equipment Operator Daily Log
  • HVAC Daily Log
  • Mold Remediation Daily Log
  • Painting Daily Log
  • Plumbing Daily Log
  • Roofing Daily Log

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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9 Examples of Construction Forms for Contractors [+ Templates]

9 Examples of Construction Forms for Contractors [+ Templates]

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The construction industry uses forms to collect and share information at every stage of a project. Traditionally on paper, these forms are now being converted into digital forms that enable workers to share information via mobile devices and tablets on the job. There are many benefits of moving to a digital form rather than paper:

  • Reduction in manual work and costs
  • Greater business insights
  • Data loss prevention
  • Lowered risk and liability
  • Better client and employee experience

Bringing construction forms online is one step in digitization for construction firms and contractors, bringing information online into a secure cloud location for real-time and accessible data to use in reporting.

As a leading provider of mobile forms for the construction industry, GoCanvas has seen many different types of forms created using our no-code platform to launch apps and forms in the field. All of this can be done without advanced technical knowledge and our platform is highly customizable to meet all of the construction industry’s needs for mobile forms. 

This blog article compiles the 9 common types of forms that are used by contractors to streamline their workflows and create business efficiencies. Continue reading for a summary of how these forms are used and follow the links in this article to dive into our free templates and examples.

Construction companies are required to perform routine inspections for many different purposes. The construction inspection form is a template with all of the fields that need to be filled out by an inspector. Common inspection forms include:

  • Safety inspections
  • Building inspections
  • Machinery or equipment inspections
  • Vehicle inspections
  • OSHA inspections

The common workflow for companies is to dispatch jobs to workers to perform the inspection, collect required signatures on the job, and automatically generate a report that is sent after the inspection is completed. 

Find Inspection forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

inspection form template

Often included with inspection forms, construction checklists are very widely used in the construction industry. A simple construction checklist provides employees with a common template that is used to ensure the proper items are all being covered. Digital forms provide the added benefit that required fields can be used to make sure that information is completed, cutting down on the need for re-work and mistakes. The digital construction checklist can also have dynamic fields, meaning that certain form fields can be added or removed depending on the responses. This helps save time for workers by reducing the number of form fields to be only what is required for that specific job. 

Find Checklist forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

checklist form template

Work order forms are widely used in the construction industry to help automatically dispatch workers to perform a job or task. Using digital forms for work orders, contractors can streamline the process and eliminate manual work. Using work order templates and forms, contractors can complete work orders offline and have them sync back to the cloud once internet service is available. Using digital forms allows workers in the field to take advantage of automatic calculations for things like labor and material costs and it enables digital signatures and automatic reports to be generated. If change orders are required, all of this can be done from the same platform and brings greater efficiency and visibility into job operations in the field and on job sites.

Find Work Order forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

Contractors are using construction project management apps to track employee hours worked. Having this information online allows for more efficient operations, with the ability to integrate with payroll and HR applications that your business already uses. Construction timesheet apps make it easy for workers to fill out their timesheets from anywhere using a mobile device to complete the form. Construction timesheet apps have other advanced features like GPS monitoring to automatically track arrival and departure times from a jobsite or to create a record that the work was performed at the correct location.

Find Construction timesheet forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

Safety is a top priority in the construction industry and there are many types of safety forms that are used to help track and manage these safety programs. Some common examples include:

  • Digital toolbox talks to ensure workers engage with safety programs and management can track compliance across job sites.
  • Forms to complete job safety analysis 
  • Digital copies of safety data sheets
  • Incident and accident reports and other forms to ensure compliance with OSHA

Safety forms allow companies to track and report in real-time on the progress of their safety programs, giving safety managers the opportunity to understand trends and take the appropriate next steps. This helps to reduce a company’s risk and liability, leading to greater workplace safety and productivity.

Find Safety forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

safety forms templates

Construction daily reports are essential for capturing the progress and details of a project. Digital forms are used by construction companies to digitize their logs and give managers the ability to capture all of the required information through a mobile device for the construction daily report. Mobile logs help with project management, helping to eliminate paperwork and other manual tasks for workers. For complex projects, digital logs can help to keep projects on schedule and provide greater transparency into your operations for all stakeholders that need this information. Simply log all of the details from a job site and mobile apps help to digitize this information for reporting purposes.

Find Log forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

log form templates

Digital forms are useful for contractors that need to provide estimates on the job. Using a mobile phone or tablet contractors can generate estimates in the field and have the information digitized for records. Most commonly, contractors use estimate forms to help them calculate the exact pricing for materials, parts, and labor costs using data that is stored in the mobile application. All of this information is updated in real-time with the latest pricing information, helping to ensure that estimates are accurate for clients. With digital signatures, clients can sign off and reports can be generated to document the entire process for your business.

Find Estimate forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

estimate forms templates

Similar to the use case for creating an estimate and work orders, digital forms can also be used when your business needs to generate an invoice for a customer. Once the work has been completed, an invoice can be generated using mobile forms and apps for contractors. This digital experience allows you to manage the entire process from a mobile device. Integrated with payment processing via services like Square or Stripe, mobile forms provide an easy way to generate invoices and collect payment from the field.

Find Log forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

invoice forms templates

Contracts are widely used in the construction industry as legal forms to document an agreement between the contractor and client. Instead of managing this process using paper forms that can be easily lost or damaged, companies are switching to digital forms for contracts and proposals.

Contract forms can be customized to include all of the relevant information, including client project needs, budget information, solution details, and project timeline. Make changes in real-time as the project progresses and collect signatures to track updated agreements.

Find Contract forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

contract forms templates

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Three inspection workers on job site.

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

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Constructions Digital Transformation

Your competition is finding faster ways to capture data and get critical insights from the field into their existing systems. In short, they’re not going bigger, they’re getting smarter. In this 15-minute broadcast on the construction industry’s digital transformation, find out why the trend is to modernize workflows – and how you can stay ahead of the curve…

A electrician inspecting equipment.

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VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance business that services over 10,000 retail locations all over Australia and New Zealand. Before GoCanvas, VIP Lighting had two separate systems that were impossible to integrate, leading to inefficiencies. GoCanvas made it easy to integrate their systems into single, centralized platform…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

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