What are Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)?

What are Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)?

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The term SDS refers to a Safety Data Sheet that is used by chemical companies to stay in compliance with the regulations set by OSHA in the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Companies that manufacture, distribute, or import chemicals are required to provide Safety Data Sheets to inform workers of the hazardous materials they are handling.

The main purpose of a SDS is to provide companies with a standard template they can use for communicating critical information about their hazardous materials for the safety interests of their workers. 

In 2012, OSHA updated the HCS to be aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). It’s important to point out that Safety Data Sheets are part of the legislative process at OSHA, meaning that they can change over time and new amendments can be enacted by the administration. 

The changes that occurred in 2012 were enacted in part to reduce trade barriers globally for American companies and to provide consistent standards for communicating and classifying hazardous chemicals. As part of these changes, the long-used material data sheets (MSDS) also became obsolete, and companies were forced to move to the new 16-section SDS format to stay in compliance and avoid any applicable fines. 

OSHA structures the Safety Data Sheets into 16 sections so that all companies have a standard template to keep things consistent. Each of the sections has a distinct purpose for classifying hazards and below we have included a high-level summary provided by OSHA’s website of what’s included in each section of the Safety Data Sheets.

OSHA states that “Sections 1 through 8 contain general information about the chemical, identification, hazards, composition, safe handling practices, and emergency control measures (e.g., fire fighting). This information should be helpful to those that need to get the information quickly.” 

  • Section 1: Identification
  • Section 2: Hazard(s) Identification
  • Section 3: Composition/Information on Ingredients
  • Section 4: First-Aid Measures
  • Section 5: Fire-Fighting Measures
  • Section 6: Accidental Release Measures
  • Section 7: Handling and Storage
  • Section 8: Exposure Controls/Personal Protection

OSHA states that “Sections 9 through 11 and 16 contain other technical and scientific information, such as physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity information, toxicological information, exposure control information, and other information including the date of preparation or last revision. The SDS must also state that no applicable information was found when the preparer does not find relevant information for any required element.”

  • Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties
  • Section 10: Stability and Reactivity
  • Section 11: Toxicological Information
  • Section 12: Ecological Information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 13: Disposal Considerations (non-mandatory)
  • Section 14: Transport Information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 15: Regulatory Information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 16: Other Information

As we mentioned earlier in this article, the 2012 changes to the SDS format were designed to bring more consistency between the SDS format and the globally recognized GHS standards. That’s why sections 12 through 15 are now included in the template and marked as non-mandatory.

It’s important to note that OSHA “will not enforce the content of these sections because they concern matters handled by other agencies.” While these sections are not mandatory to be in compliance with OSHA standards, it makes sense to use these sections if your company works internationally and also needs to comply with the GHS.

As more companies invest in digital transformation initiatives, it means that companies are moving towards housing much of their critical information in secure, cloud-based platforms. When it comes to SDSs, OSHA indicates that safety data sheets can absolutely be stored as digital documents. OSHA just requires that these SDSs are easily accessible for all employees who need to understand the hazardous chemicals that are being used for their job site. 

Another best practice can be to assign a person or team to manage the SDSs and make sure that they are always accessible and up to date. Having these documents stored digitally and made available through a mobile application will help your team manage the documents and ensure that your workers know where to find the latest version of the SDS. 

In the rare case of a power outage or emergency situation, it makes sense to have a hard copy of your SDS available for workers. But otherwise in today’s digitally connected world, it’s going to make sense to have digital copies available for your SDSs that can be readily accessible in a secure mobile device on-site.

Toolbox talks are a great way to educate your workers on best practices in the workplace by sharing everything they need to know on staying compliant with regulations for jobs and projects. You can use these daily safety meetings as an opportunity to review the SDSs, covering how to find them and how to interpret the information that is provided, making sure to highlight the potential risks involved with chemicals on site. 

Your leadership team may also want to consider implementing a safety management solution to help manage compliance with OSHA and to ensure your employees have access to the latest data sheets.

By moving these processes online, it will also allow you to analyze which employees and job sites have actually completed the training programs, so you can identify and address any potential issues before they result in an accident or fines.  

If you are looking for free SDSs sheets, you may be interested in the GoCanvas app store where we have built out safety data sheet examples and templates that you can use as a starting point.

Companies that deal with potentially hazardous materials are starting to implement chemical management programs and mobile applications have proven to be effective for tracking and managing these programs. 

Our safety data sheet templates can be used to contain a range of information about chemicals and materials being handled. They are meant to communicate to the reader any protective equipment needed when handling the chemicals or materials, hazard communications such as signage or pictograms, information about hazardous substances that may make up component materials or ingredients of the subject of the SDS, and how to handle spills or exposure to hazardous material.

Construction companies that move to GoCanvas have found that it helps them track and report on their safety programs in real-time, giving them a better place to manage their SDSs and helping to improve the health and safety initiatives at their workplaces.

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.

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Why Go Paperless and the Benefits of Doing So

Why Go Paperless and the Benefits of Doing So

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More and more, businesses are moving from filing cabinets and arcane paper files to going paperless. What are the benefits of going paperless, and what does it mean for an office to become a paperless office? How can businesses become paperless effectively?

  1. Improvements to Document Management Practices: When someone needs a document in a paper-based office, the process of tracking down that document can be a nightmare! Does an employee need to find it in a filing cabinet or archives? What happens if the filing of a document occurs incorrectly? Some businesses even maintain Document Management Specialists or Records Custodians teams to handle the retrieval and filing of documents. The workflow process for simply finding or requesting a document can create a lengthy and exhaustive process. Paperless offices can avoid these issues by having streamlined document management practices. The use of specialized document management software can free up personnel resources and incorporate version controls, digital editing, flexible search options, easy sharing of files, and more.
  2. More Efficient Use of Office Space: Commercial real estate can be expensive, and storing paper is an incredibly inefficient and wasteful use of that space. Some estimates indicate that storing paper takes up between 50% and 70% of office space. Rows of filing cabinets, office archive space, and bankers boxes full of documents take up an incredible amount of space and representing a constantly growing cost. With paperless offices, file cabinets worth of data can be easily stored either in an onsite server with a fairly minor footprint or, as is more common, in the cloud where there is absolutely no loss of localized office floor space. The limitation of storage space is also a worry of the past as both physical servers and cloud storage are easily scalable. 
  3. Availability of Digital Documents for Remote Workers: Remote working has become a given for many businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic, which quickly forced many businesses to change operations and implement work from home opportunities for employees, highlighted the potential pitfalls with reliance on paper documents. While the COVID-19 pandemic may subside soon, work from home is here to stay for many businesses, which means that paper files may not cut it when it comes to productivity. Having a paperless office can ensure that employees working remotely can operate effectively and efficiently.
  4. Availability on Mobile Devices: For many businesses, having accessible documents on the go is critically important. For example, construction companies may require to access work or change orders remotely, or field service technicians may need service reports while at a facility – the potential needs for documents on the go are endless. Paperless offices ensure that important documents, digital forms, and other key files are available on-the-go and in real-time. 
  5. Automation of Business Processes: A critical component of going paperless is capitalizing on process automation. The use of document management software or process workflow solutions allows companies to manage, route automatically, and act on information through built-in rules. 
  6. Accessible Data through Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Optical character recognition has changed how businesses can handle paper effectively. Before using OCR, paper documents that businesses digitized were not of much use other than being stored digitally – the information on them was inaccessible in a meaningful way. OCR, a technology that has been steadily improving over the past several years, has made scanned or archived files accessible through indexing and searching. Modern OCR technology even can turn handwriting into accessible and recognized characters with a reasonable degree of reliability.
  7. Cost Savings: There are multiple ways that going paperless creates cost savings – printing and copying documents is resource-intensive, requiring paper, toner, ink, staples, and more. Printers, fax machines, and copiers can be major expenses for an office requiring ongoing maintenance, repair, and replacement. Additionally, as already has been covered, the storage space for files is wasted floor space that generates no revenue for a business. Many companies can improve their bottom line by going paperless while improving business operations in a true win-win situation.
  8. Digital Files and Digital Signatures: When requiring physical signatures on documents, it may take days for copies to be mailed or sent by courier, extensive follow-up may be necessary for obtaining a signature, or signing these documents may require multiple people in a room together. This antiquated process can be time-consuming, expensive, and an inefficient use of time. With digital files, signing documents can occur through a computer or mobile device with verification processes to ensure that the signing of documents occurs securely and with identity verification practices in place. These electronic signatures, or esignatures, are easier and more secure than traditional pen-to-paper signatures. 
  9. Safety and Security of Important Documents: The safety of documents comes in different stripes, but the most notable include safety against damage or destruction, as well as securing them from unauthorized access and viewing. Paper documents are susceptible to damage from water, fire, mold, and even from pests such as rodents or insects. Furthermore, prying eyes can easily access paper documents whether or not they are authorized to; however, businesses can encrypt digital documents accessible to the appropriate individuals only.
  10. Going Green: It is becoming more and more important to businesses’ identities to be environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly. Going paperless is a great way to reduce a company’s carbon footprint while promoting sustainability. Manufacturing paper takes a toll on the environment by harvesting and treating lumber – even recycled paper negatively impacts the environment. Similarly, toner and ink used in printers and copiers can damage people and the environment. Paperless offices can significantly reduce, or even eliminate, environmental and personnel exposure to these harmful chemicals.

So it is clear that a paperless office has benefits to business owners, employees, the environment, and the bottom line, but going paperless can seem like a challenging undertaking. The effort required to become a paperless office can vary between businesses depending on many circumstances, including the volume of existing physical paper documents, record-keeping requirements, existing filing systems, and business processes, among other factors.

Suppose a business has extensive records and archives that need to be digitized. In that case, there are plenty of third-party service providers available that can quickly and cost-effectively digitize records. Modern digitization firms can scan up to tens of thousands of pages per scanner, per day. These records can run through OCR software to make them indexable and searchable through a capable document management system.

Companies that currently rely on paper forms may want to explore shifting to digital forms as a part of going paperless. GoCanvas has pre-developed form templates available in its application store for deployment quickly and dynamically to fill this need for nearly any business. If the form your company needs is not available, it is not difficult to easily and quickly design that form have it ready to use. Companies can integrate these forms within their existing systems, such as financial backends, CRMs, and more. 

The key to having an effective paperless office is a modern document management system. These software platforms enable businesses to organize, secure, capture, digitize, and tag files. Additionally, these systems incorporate process automation features to improve business workflows. Document management systems can track who has access to files, when files are accessed, changes made to files (version tracking), and more. 

It is not typically realistic to decide to become paperless and then immediately become paperless. Businesses that accomplish becoming paperless offices do so gradually, involving personnel in the digitization process to understand how the process works and are not overwhelmed. Small businesses may benefit from using storage solutions such as Dropbox or Google Drive at first, while eventually transitioning to more dedicated document management systems.

A paperless office is not necessarily an office without any paper – it just means a business has worked to minimize paper use, focusing instead on digital documents. Offices will still have file cabinets, and employees will need to print things from time to time – it is a reality that is unlikely to change any time soon. But by being flexible in defining paperless offices, businesses can begin to benefit from digital files and paperless practices. 

Some businesses may have sensitive information on paper that requires specific handling during digitization. These documents can often be shredded after scanning of them has taken place. In cases with high-security requirements (such as medical records, bank statements, or tax forms), a shredder company may offer certification and verification of the secure destruction of the documents.

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.

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How Timesheet Apps Benefit Your Business

How Timesheet Apps Benefit Your Business

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Timesheet apps represent the newest iteration in how businesses and contractors track their time. So what do these apps do? What makes a good timesheet app? How do these work with financial systems? What ways are different industries using these apps? Continue reading this article for answers to these questions and a high-level overview of how timesheet apps can benefit your business.

Hourly employees, contractors, or other workers who are paid on an hourly basis typically use timesheets to track time worked for payroll calculations or for invoicing billable hours to a client.

Businesses and contractors can also use timesheets to gather data to ensure accurate pricing for services or products. This allows them to optimize their processes by understanding how long it takes to perform specific tasks. Other examples include freelancers or consultants that are required to submit time entries to their clients for billing purposes.

Timesheets can vary in how they look or function. Here are some common examples:

  • Punch cards or time cards use either a time clock that may physically punch a card or a digital clock-in/clock-out system that creates the timesheet.
  • Point-of-service (POS) systems are used by businesses for employees to log in and log out for timesheet purposes.
  • A physical piece of paper is a basic way for employees to write down the hours worked
  • Excel spreadsheet or .csv files are basic time tracking tools that can either be processed manually or imported into time management or payroll systems.
  • Mobile apps are a way to use smartphones or other devices for employees to complete their timesheets digitally.

As smartphones have grown in popularity, more companies are moving away from traditional forms of time cards, and they are moving toward mobile apps that are more convenient for collecting timesheet data from employees.

Using the native functionality in Android and iPhone mobile devices, employers can engage in real-time tracking of team members’ time. This can also enable their organization to automate additional functions like payroll or paying contract consultants/employees. Mobile apps also open up an opportunity to use new technologies, like the ability to use GPS locations or geofencing that can monitor and track the employee hours spent at a physical job site.

Technology is empowering businesses to become more efficient and many companies are starting to realize productivity gains by moving toward mobile apps for their time tracking.

There are several timesheet apps and time tracking software platforms on the market, but not all of them are created equal. When evaluating your options, here are some of the top features you will want to have in your timesheet app:

  1. Having multiple employee types is an important feature that lets you differentiate between employee time tracking and contractor time tracking to ensure detailed and accurate billing.
  2. GPS integration and geofencing capabilities allow your business to automate the time tracking of workers at job sites.
  3. Security features that are native to iOS and Android, like facial recognition, can be used in timesheet apps to ensure the correct individual is logging time.
  4. Integrations with your core systems (like payroll or accounting platforms) can help to minimize the effort of processing payroll and paying invoices.
  5. Flexibility to track time both in real-time and through manual entry (and differentiating between those tracking methods).
  6. Accessibility on different devices is incredibly important for employees to be able to use both Apple/iOS and Android phones/tablets, as well as web browsers or desktop applications.

When selecting a timesheet app, your business should carefully determine what requirements need to be met for tracking people’s time and select a timesheet solution that is easy and secure for collecting and managing your data.

Timesheet software and time tracker apps are most effective when integrated directly with payroll and accounting systems such as ADP, Quickbook, Xero, and others.

By leveraging these integrations, companies ranging from small businesses to enterprise-level clients can automate time tracking processes.

Consider an integration with your payroll and accounting system if your business needs to improve business operations and cut out manual processes. Integrations can significantly help your business save time, effort, and money, while also increasing payroll accuracy.

Moving to a digital strategy for tracking time provides many benefits to a business. Here are three of the top benefits of timesheet apps for business:

1. Streamline project management

From a project management perspective, understanding the allocation of resources is critical to managing businesses’ workflows. If a worker takes more time on a task than expected, it can cause missed deadlines, cost overruns, and other problems. Understanding task timing is critical for keeping projects on time and it gives you the ability to forecast budgets and project estimates more accurately in the future. Timesheet apps will streamline your business processes and improve project management.

2. Avoid losing track of time

Employees and contractors are not always perfect and missed time happens. Timesheet apps can help your business avoid losing track of time. This can be done by automating time tracking with systems that help to ensure that all the billable hours are captured. Advanced capabilities like geofencing or the ability to retroactively validate time can help employees capture all their time worked.

3. Simplify the process for staff

Timesheet apps and digital time tracking platforms make managing multiple employee timesheets or project timesheets a breeze. The insights from having multiple employees or projects aggregated in one location can help to ensure that everyone is billing accurately. For example, if one employee in a group does not have time logged while the others do, there may be missed time. Tracking timesheets for multiple employees and projects at once also streamlines the effort required to process timesheets.

Now that we’ve covered how you can save time and money with digital time cards, you can start to check out some of the time tracking app examples available today. GoCanvas timesheet apps are accessible right from your mobile device and help businesses to:

  • Eliminate data entry and re-entry errors, missing timesheets, and fraud with mobile time-tracking
  • Provide visibility into who’s working, who was late, and how many hours have been clocked
  • Access time cards anywhere with instant access to digital time tracking apps

With the option to get started for free, you can see how GoCanvas fits your business and consider how it can help you streamline your processes for time tracking and business operations.

Timesheets are used by many different industries. Below are some common examples of how different industries use timesheet apps:

Companies providing construction services use a combination of employees, contractors, and subcontractors on job sites. These individuals are often generating billable events by merely being at a specific job site. By using time tracking apps with geofencing capabilities, construction services can accurately track workers’ timing and hours in an automated fashion.

Construction Timesheet App Template

The Construction Timesheet mobile app helps contractors, sub contractors, trade specialists and others fill out construction timesheets to track when they start work each day, which project they are working on, their lunch break and the ending time. This employee timesheet app is designed for companies that focus on a certain type of work and don’t need to break it down by job phase or category. Additionally, this app calculates the employee’s time automatically (i.e. an in-app time clock), and has the ability to enter and track multiple employees as well.

Like construction companies, field service companies often use a combination of employees and contractors to provide services. Time tracking apps can help these workers bill for services more accurately as different types of installation, repairs, maintenance services, or even specific clients can have special pricing or service rates.

Field Service Timesheet App Template

This Field Services Timesheet App makes it easy for workers to access an employees time clock from anywhere in the field. Instead of using complicated time clock software or standard time tracking machines, this easy to use app is accessible using a smartphone or tablet. Perfect for small business owners and others who manage employee time and attendance, this easy to use time tracking app will simplify your payroll processes each month.

For businesses that provide transportation services, coupling time tracking with travel distance can help provide accurate billing. Using these apps also helps ensure that drivers who may be subject to transportation regulations and restrictions are not driving more hours per day than is legally allowed.

Transportation and Logistics Timesheet App Template

This Transportation Timesheet App is the easiest way for truck drivers, trucking services and vehicle transportation companies to track all the most important details of short haul long haul trucking jobs. With the truck driver time card app, you don’t have to worry about losing any of the important daily log details. This app covers a record of the work completed, including dates and times, load details, and road conditions. The truck driver daily log also includes a safety list to ensure that all trucking industry professionals have the right gear on board before hitting the road. 

transportation timesheet app example

Providers of professional services, such as lawyers, accountants, and consultants, live by the billable hour. Making time tracking as easy as possible to reference different projects or clients can significantly improve billing accuracy and maximize revenue.

Professional Services Timesheet App Example

This professional services timesheet app allows you to track every detail necessary, including company details, consultant information, hourly rate, hours worked, and authorized signatures. This consultant timesheet template documents billable hours through tracking time each day. This time tracker app is an ideal component of effective project management, where this info can be pulled for invoices and weekly timesheets.

professional services timesheet app example

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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Inspection Checklist Examples & Templates

Inspection Checklist Examples & Templates

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Inspection checklists are designed to improve the inspection process by providing staff with an easy-to-use template on the best practices to follow for that inspection. You will see that many different industries use inspection checklists when performing their evaluations and assessments required for the job.

This blog article covers some of the top use cases for inspection checklists and we have included links to the corresponding template you can use to get started for free. Here are some common examples covered in this post:

  • Home inspections
  • Commercial vehicle inspections
  • Building inspections
  • Safety inspections
  • Equipment inspections
  • Operational inspections

Certified home inspectors use checklists in their inspections that guide home buyers and real estate agents when making real estate decisions.

The home inspection is a critical part of the home buying process. It helps ensure that all parties in a real estate transaction are confident that a home is in good condition. It also provides existing homeowners with an opportunity to make home improvements to avoid any deal breakers.

An inspection that reveals serious problems such as termites or asbestos can trigger an inspection contingency that provides potential home buyers with the opportunity to back-out of the purchase of a home.

The inspection will typically check many areas and elements of a home, including water heaters, downspouts, crawl spaces, HVAC systems, electrical systems, radon levels, water damage, and much more.

In this example, the purpose of a checklist is to help the home inspector by providing a process to follow when performing the inspection. This helps to ensure that the inspector can identify all potential problems and doesn’t overlook something important.

Home inspection checklists sometimes also have subtypes that are designed to help with more specialized and niche evaluations.

For example, a general home inspection checklist may briefly cover roofing, HVAC systems, or electrical systems. But a roofing contractor may have a more specific inspection checklist that helps evaluate the state of the shingles on the roof. An HVAC contractor may check for items such as airflow. An electrician performing an inspection may check wire splices, light switches, and other more specific items.

There are many different types of home inspection checklists depending on the use case, and you can find all of these examples and templates available in the GoCanvas app store.

Another important category of inspection checklist is for the commercial vehicle business. These checklists help companies that operate semi-trucks, motorcoaches, shuttle buses, limousines, fleet vehicles, work vans, and other commercial vehicles.

Commercial vehicles come in many different forms and have specific requirements related to what inspections need to be evaluated or the frequency in which inspections need to occur.

Checklists help these vehicle operators to ensure that:

  • Maintenance occurs regularly
  • Early warning of problems occurs
  • Vehicles can operate on the road safely

These types of inspections look very different, depending on the type of vehicle. For example, a fire truck inspection checklist will include very different elements than a motorcoach checklist or limousine checklist. GoCanvas has many free examples of vehicle inspection checklists in our app store that can be used for your business as a template to get started.

Inspectors of non-residential buildings or multi-family residential buildings use checklists for various purposes and at different stages of the building’s life.

Some building checklists are most effective during the construction process or immediately following the construction of the building. These ensure that vital elements of a building are working correctly, and everything has been built properly. Here are some common examples of building checklists:

  • Electrical inspections use checklists to ensure the proper installation of electrical panels or sprinkler systems’ operational ability.
  • Regular maintenance use inspections on air conditioning systems or septic systems for functional buildings.
  • Exterior inspections are performed for items such as rotted wood to ensure facades are visually appealing to visitors.
  • Safety and equipment inspections occur for things like fire safety inspections to check exit doors, exit signs, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, sprinkler heads, and other important safety elements.

You can find more examples and templates of building inspection checklists here.

Inspection checklists are used by different kinds of businesses that operate equipment. This applies to businesses that are using heavy equipment or expensive, mission-critical equipment.

Inspection checklists promote the equipment’s long-term viability and operation, while also ensuring the safety of workers and equipment operators.

Technicians or workers use equipment inspection checklists at regular intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or annually) to stay ahead of equipment malfunctions and failures. They help experienced maintenance personnel perform inspections and they also help less experienced technicians that don’t have specialized training and need to be prompted to check various items.

Equipment inspections can also help businesses identify when equipment may need to be replaced. Since specialized equipment can often take days or weeks to replace, it’s very helpful for businesses to know in advance so they can plan for any downtime that will occur.

For businesses that deal with expensive or sensitive equipment, these inspection checklists are critical for ensuring the longevity and reliability of equipment.

Safety inspection checklists are designed to check key elements that improve public safety and worker safety. These may sometimes overlap with commercial vehicle, building, and equipment inspection checklists.

In general, safety inspection checklists are meant to provide users with an opportunity to evaluate tools, personal protective equipment, fire extinguishers, forklifts, work areas, and other elements for potential hazards or mitigators for hazards.

There are many different types of safety inspection checklists that exist, but here are a few familiar examples:

  • Hotel pools
  • Overhead cranes
  • Facilities inspection
  • Food preparation and production

Safety inspections are powerful tools not only for promoting the safety of workers and the public, but they are also important tools for businesses to mitigate legal exposure and reduce risk. These checklists can highlight warning signs for businesses, prompting the installation of safety features such as guardrails or handrails, generating a need for evacuation plans, or helping to identify other corrective actions.

For some businesses, there are operational considerations that warrant regular inspections and checklists. Here are some common examples of operational checklists:

  • Hotels and housekeepers use inspections to ensure rooms are properly cleaned and set up for guests.
  • Supervisors for building janitorial workers use inspection checklists to ensure that cleaning items have all been conducted.
  • Swimming pools and spas use inspection checklists to ensure that various maintenance procedures occur regularly.

There are countless examples of how businesses might use an inspection checklist to serve their needs. GoCanvas is a great option for creating your checklists. The platform is highly customizable for all types of businesses and the ability to create mobile forms will eliminate paperwork and streamline your operations.

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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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.

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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.

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How Work Order Apps Streamline Operations

How Work Order Apps Streamline Operations

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Work order management is the process of ensuring that a work order process is in place for organizations. This entire process begins with work requests and ends with either a denial or approval and the subsequent work that happens.

The workflows surrounding work orders leave many opportunities for errors and inefficiencies. But with the use of fire work order apps, organizations can easily streamline the work order process to improve maintenance teams’ performance and improve overall workflows for their business.

This article will highlight some of the top challenges with work orders using paper-based forms and we will explain some of the top reasons why companies are switching to mobile apps instead.

The standard work order has typically been a paper-based form, but there are several pitfalls and problems that can arise with paper-based work. Here are some of the problems that exist when using paper-based work orders:

  • Lost work orders: Losing work orders can become a real problem when you are dealing with paperwork orders. It’s common for papers to get lost, they can also be misfiled by accident, or they can sometimes even be thrown away inadvertently. These potential problems can lead to the need for multiple copies or submissions of work orders, ultimately delaying maintenance tasks and impacting metrics that matter to organizations focused on responsiveness and efficiency.
  • Illegible handwriting: Illegible handwriting can be a significant problem with all sorts of paper forms. This can happen if workers are at a job site and they happen to be holding a tool bag while trying to write up a work order or if the worker is in a hurry to get to their next appointment. No matter the excuse for the messy handwriting, this seemingly minor issue can lead to real problems. For example, if a field technician is filling a work order, messy handwriting could lead to misunderstanding the intent, overlooking important details, or struggling to find the correct location.
  • Calculation errors: For work orders with integrated pricing and parts costs, field service technicians or maintenance workers may need to calculate costs for supplies quickly. Not everyone will have the time to check their math and paper work orders that require manual calculations can create cost overruns for companies or cause the ordering of the wrong quantity of supplies.
  • Misinterpretation of information: Intent can sometimes be difficult to convey clearly. If a work order requires information in a narrative or long-text form, then misinterpretations can easily occur. Likewise, paper-based work orders do not allow users to attach annotated photos without physically printing images, which hinders the real-time fulfillment of a work order. 
  • Increase in downtime: Paper forms require users to either scan them in and email them or physically deliver them. In the work order management process, this can be a significant hindrance to efficiency. 
  • Inability to automate: Businesses cannot integrate paper forms into software applications without additional steps, which makes incorporating automation into the work order process difficult. Without automation, the submission of work orders cannot kick off specific steps such as scheduling maintenance follow-ups, invoicing parties that may be required to pay for work performed, or changing maintenance schedules as a result of escalated maintenance work.

For mobile apps used to generate work orders, there are many benefits that maintenance teams and workers can realize. Here are some of the top benefits of using work order apps:

  • Expanded functionality: A mobile app that works on iOS or Android platforms can create robust and detailed mobile work orders, by utilizing the native functionality of the phone, such as its camera, GPS, accelerometer, and touch screen. This functionality also allows users to include photos of areas that require maintenance or work and users can even annotate specific regions on an image to show exactly where work is needed. GPS also allows for location-based service requests to be issued and provides evidence that a service request has been fulfilled. Additionally, software on mobile devices that allow for push notifications means that service personnel can immediately see work orders in real-time.
  • Improved workflows: Efficiencies in work order management or field service management can create significant cost savings for organizations. Through the use of work order apps, users can submit work orders through the mobile device, which then triggers a series of automated events, resulting in the dispatching of a maintenance team without any human intervention. 
  • Standardized work orders: Apps used to submit work orders can utilize standardized templates so that work orders are consistent. This consistency reduces the likelihood of errors such as missing a critical field.
  • Ease of use: Mobile devices are relatively ubiquitous, and most people are comfortable with using them. Facility managers or maintenance departments can customize a mobile work order app to be incredibly user-friendly and intuitive. Ultimately, this ease of use improves the completion rate of work, while also making the entire workflow surrounding a service request much more efficient.
  • Improved asset management: Organizations with assets requiring regular maintenance can use work order apps in conjunction with work order management software. This combination allows users to schedule preventive maintenance automatically, maintain upkeep of equipment, and generate warnings if maintenance requests to mission-critical equipment or assets are submitted.

Many industries can benefit from improving work order management by using apps for submitting maintenance work orders. Some examples include:

  • HVAC companies can use work order apps to escalate problems or broken systems so that technicians can more rapidly complete work on HVAC systems, which can be a matter of public safety in very hot or cold climates.
  • Small businesses can benefit from efficiencies usually reserved for larger companies through a robust and scalable work order management system coupled with work order apps.
  • Property management companies can ensure that the proper scheduling of preventative maintenance occurs and that tenants receive status updates related to the work performed.

Ultimately, the benefits of using a work order app and management software can be significant and highly beneficial for organizations that need to streamline their operations and reduce their reliance on paper-based forms for collecting data.

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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Safely Returning to Work After COVID-19 Vaccinations

Safely Returning to Work After COVID-19 Vaccinations

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Now that the rollout and administration of various COVID-19 vaccines are underway throughout the country, employees are slowly becoming able to return to work as governments lift the stricter lockdowns and people, communities, and businesses try to get back to some semblance of normal. As companies can secure employee vaccinations, different policies and procedures are vital for keeping employees safe. Regardless of the type of COVID-19 vaccination received by an employee (Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, etc.), having employees who are unlikely to suffer severe illness or symptoms if exposed to the coronavirus makes conducting business during the pandemic much easier. 

As more and more employees return to work following vaccination, employers may wonder how they can keep their staff safe? 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently approving various vaccines through an emergency use authorization. While vaccination policy is determined at the state and local level by public health officials, vaccination priorities typically include health care workers, frontline workers, long-term care facility workers, and others with a job-related direct threat to the virus given priority to vaccinate over the general public. Many workers have received the first dose of the vaccine, while some are starting to receive their second dose.

Authorities and vaccine manufacturers currently do not know if the vaccine will prevent the spread of the virus from those who are vaccinated or if vaccination provides immunization to the vaccine recipient. Accordingly, businesses and their employees must follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines related to social distancing, hand hygiene and handwashing, the use of face coverings, and other safety measures. Only until a significant percentage of the population receives their vaccination against the coronavirus and achieves herd immunity can we return to pre-pandemic activities and behaviors. 

To keep employees safe, Human Resources departments should work with their state governments to include employees in vaccination programs. At the same time, businesses should establish policies such as requesting proof of vaccination for entering a workplace or worksite, offering reasonable accommodations for working from home, and requiring mandatory vaccinations subject to certain conditions. For example, a valid exemption from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines such as a high-risk medical condition, religious belief, or other undue hardship vaccination should all be valid reasons for an employee to have an exemption from immunization. EEOC guidance related to vaccination during the pandemic is available on their website

A business should not consider employees to be fully vaccinated until they receive their second dose of any two-dose mRNA vaccines (e.g., the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines) and have waited the appropriate time for maximum immunity to take effect (clinical trials indicate this to be about two weeks following the second dose).

The administration of the COVID-19 vaccine should eventually provide herd immunity to the coronavirus as we end up with enough vaccinated people to disrupt viral transmission. While debate exists about whether or not COVID-19 is here to stay (a situation where people would receive a COVID shot annually, similar to a flu shot), we know there are many ways to maintain employees’ safety after the widespread administration of the vaccine. While face masks and face coverings may eventually become less ubiquitous, businesses should determine how employees interact with each other and with visitors, clients, or customers in the future. If it is not a business necessity to have physical contact with visitors or other employees, companies should consider minimizing such contact. Occupational safety measures such as availability of hand hygiene products and hand washing stations, plexiglass, glass, or plastic barriers, more tolerant sick leave programs, and more flexible work from home infrastructure can help to minimize the future spread of the coronavirus, as well as other airborne viruses and infectious diseases such as the flu.

Despite the positive news about the vaccine, there are ongoing threats related to COVID-19, the most notable being emerging variants. Several vaccines appear to protect against viral variants; however, the degree of that protection fluctuates depending on the variant. While vaccination is underway, there is an ongoing and asymmetric level of protection against the virus. It is essential to slow the spread of the virus to suppress the opportunity for new variants, any one of which may not be susceptible to existing vaccines or treatments.

GoCanvas has multiple tools that businesses and human resource departments can implement to help companies more effectively combat the coronavirus. By using a combination of apps such as Daily Employee Screening Logs, Office Cleaning Checklists, and other apps in the COVID-19 toolkit, businesses can operate in the pandemic with customers and employees feeling safe and healthy. 

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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​​​Construction Companies Need Disruption More Than Ever

​​​Construction Companies Need Disruption More Than Ever

Industry disruption entered the global lexicon in 1995 and shaped the way we think about innovation in various industries. Startups, new technologies, digitization, and other digital disruption are incredible agents of change for many business models. In the construction industry, disruption comes in many forms, some of the most impactful may not be a reinvention of the wheel but rather a reimagining of how to use the wheel. But there is still room for significant industry disruption, whether it be at the project management level, incorporating automation into the construction process, changing the management of construction sites, and in other ways construction technology meets digital transformation and emerging technologies. 

It is essential to take a step back and understand what disruption is to understand why companies in the construction sector need disruption. Only then can we know how it changes the landscape for various businesses and industries. Disruption typically takes the form of a new way of doing something that was often esoteric, complicated, or expensive that was not accessible to smaller players. For disruptive technologies to work, they must be effective from the bottom-up – companies or businesses without vast resources must be able to capitalize effectively on high-market solutions that are made accessible. The characteristics of genuinely disruptive technologies include: 

  • They are accessible with few barriers to adoption; 
  • They serve an expanding market set; 
  • They may not be evident in how they are immediately impacting an industry, but slowly and stealthily, they gain traction and then change an industry’s landscape.  

Without being industry-specific, disruptive technologies include changes such as video streaming, online reference guides and encyclopedic knowledge (such as Wikipedia and other wikis), digital photography, LED bulbs, services such as Skype, and many more. These have in common that the technology was already there – it was just improved and used in a new and different way. So why do construction companies need disruption, and what new technologies or processes are on the horizon that can provide that disruption?

The global construction industry is vast – it is a multi-trillion dollar industry accounting for significant global GDP share. It is also an impactful industry in multiple ways – construction creates and improves infrastructure and buildings that drive the economies of the world, while upstream markets generate significant global emissions. The industry also has many challenges it faces. For example, the pandemic is continually changing the way construction sites and businesses operate, the increasing cost of materials puts more pressure on companies, safety regulations and a prominent focus on safety require increased internal controls, and labor regulations require additional HR requirements and compliance measures. Unfortunately, disruption in the industry is limited.

Generally speaking, the construction industry relies heavily on existing technologies as there is little internal investment in developing new technologies. The industry is also highly fragmented, with industry operators filling specific niches that they are contracted or subcontracted to execute. Given these industry characteristics, a fundamental change in how the industry operates is not always a priority.  

While the construction industry seems to do fine without significant disruptive changes to its business model, the unrecognized improvements are substantial. There are risks associated with not innovating, including losing market share to competitors, becoming less competitive in compensation and offerings, and more.

There are many technologies and services currently available and in use by construction companies that are poised to fundamentally change construction processes and the construction industry as a whole. Startups such as Katerra, Fastbrick, Fetch Robotics, ClearPath Robotics, FBR, Sarcos, SuitX, and others aim to introduce either new equipment, new ways to access equipment, and entirely new processes to the industry, including robotics and exoskeletons, on-demand and niche-specific integrated construction services, modular construction, automated systems, and more. Service providers also are poised to change how the construction industry works. For example, Autodesk’s early disruption changed how Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) companies designed buildings – the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) by Autodesk and other providers is further changing the industry. There are also some innovative construction companies currently changing the construction methods for buildings or homes – some of these companies include: Apis Cor, which 3D prints buildings with on-site technology; Holobuilder, which offers 360-degree reality capture for construction collaboration; Kespry, which uses drones for progress tracking and job site mapping; and many others.

There are also new opportunities where disruptive technologies can transform the construction industry. New work processes, the adoption of technology, and supply chain diversification represent a few areas where digital disruption can create opportunities. 

GoCanvas is an excellent use-case highlighting the use of existing technologies to transform and disrupt industries, with the construction industry being no exception. GoCanvas takes relatively simple concepts present throughout the construction industry and changes their utilization in novel and impactful ways accessible to many customers.

Construction companies are leveraging GoCanvas to gain real-time insight into the entire construction process while increasing profitability on construction projects and maintaining high stakeholder satisfaction using highly accessible digital technologies. The various apps currently deployed in the GoCanvas store and custom apps that can be built in-house by clients or with help from GoCanvas reshape how companies evaluate job site performance, address safety issues, and meet project management requirements, and much more. The disruptive factor with GoCanvas is evident in the range of ways companies can use it – companies with limited resources can use daily reporting features, checklists, work orders, and more to streamline their processes and create efficiencies, while companies with more resources can integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop novel insights based on data collected through GoCanvas on construction sites ranging from the anticipation of delays to identifying cost savings through supply chain modification and resource allocation. Regardless of how the end customers use it, GoCanvas is ready to revolutionize construction companies’ business models in impactful and meaningful ways.

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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Calamar Ensures Safety of Employees with GoCanvas

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How Calamar Ensured the Safety of Employees, Residents, and Visitors with GoCanvas

The Background

Calamar is one of the largest active senior housing real estate developers in the United States, consisting of several vertically integrated companies.  Within this core space exists property management services, in-house and third-party construction services, and capital fundraising services.  While Calamar’s corporate office is located in the State of New York, its footprint is distributed across multiple states and time zones.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Calamar’s services were deemed  “essential” business. They were required to manage operations through a complex and ever-changing environment consisting of federal, state, and local mandates that affect operations, employees, and the communities that they manage across the U.S.

Challenges with COVID-19

In response to COVID-19, maintaining employee and resident health was one of Calamar’s paramount concerns. It was important to keep their senior residents safe and active, while sharing vital information to staff and community members so they could make real-time decisions to maintain best practices for personal and group/building safety measures.

To aid these efforts, Calamar temporarily shut down and modified a significant part of their community programming and activities and purchased and distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) for their teams throughout the U.S. in the fastest and most economical manner possible. Calamar also made significant changes to the volume and locations of employees in office workspaces, while establishing novel policies at their construction sites to comply with various local, state, and federal regulations.

With distancing precautions and PPE in place, Calamar also needed to find a way to perform a daily health assessment that was readily available and reliable for all employees. The varied offices, construction site locations, and active senior communities made this a difficult challenge to manage. Calamar sought out a survey with a self-assessment option to serve their needs that would meet the stringent regulatory requirements while also allowing for a seamless company-wide policy. 

Managing the company policy and following mandated and ever-changing regulations without a digital solution for their numerous locations across the U.S. would been extremely time-consuming and inefficient for Calamar.  They found that the GoCanvas solution, which they customized to meet the regulatory needs across its national platform, met its needs and saved time and manpower that would have otherwise been excessive and costly.

The Results

Using GoCanvas for its COVID-19 health screening, Calamar ensures that its corporate policy is being managed in accordance with best practices throughout its multi-state platform.  The automatic notifications from GoCanvas have helped Calamar address potential risks and noncompliance issues quickly, helping their staff take comfort in knowing that they are uniformly following all of the same measures to maintain the health and safety of each other and our residents.

‘GoCanvas has been an instrumental and invaluable tool in assisting Calamar to manage and monitor our employee health across the country while simultaneously ensuring the safety of our residents and others in the community,’ says Kim Stahura, Executive Assistant to the Chairman & CEO. ‘It allows us to comply with mandates and includes tracking needs should a COVID-19 case develop. The ease of use by our employees has been most beneficial and is a significant reduction in time and labor that we would otherwise have had to incur. In many locations, we would not have someone available to administer and to screen employees.’

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.

Three Key Benefits of Near Miss Reporting

Three Key Benefits of Near Miss Reporting

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Near miss reporting is often described as a free lesson because it enables companies to proactively resolve hazards before a tragic or costly incident occurs. When a worker discovers a potentially dangerous situation, completing a near miss report means the risk can be resolved before it causes harm to their teammates.

Additionally, safety managers can use data from near miss reporting to improve training programs, develop safer work processes, and fix any faulty equipment that could lead to an accident. Proactive safety programs can be developed from compiling near miss data, giving employers the opportunity to resolve systemic risks and provide their crew with the latest safety measures on a daily basis.

When your crew knows that their safety is a priority within your business, morale inevitably goes up. Providing your workers with the resources and training to identify and report near misses helps them know that their well-being is an important aspect of daily operations.

It is important to train your crew on what defines a near miss, why it is important to report such hazards and to lay out a clear reporting process. Many organizations streamline the reporting process with safety management software that includes established checklists and forms for near miss reports. Using a digital solution also gives workers the opportunity for anonymous reporting and saves time that would be spent filling out and delivering paperwork.

As you establish safety programs, remember that the goal of near miss reports is to keep your workers safe and get them looking out for possible risks. This could even include making the narrative around reporting to focus on learning lessons and good catches, rather than a blame game and punitive measures. So many workers may feel uncomfortable reporting near misses for a variety of reasons. You’ll want to change the outlook to recognize their efforts and celebrate the fact that you’re growing safer at your company every day.

Reporting a near miss can ensure that future incidents and injuries are avoided. It keeps your workers safe and helps companies reduce the costs associated with workplace incidents, such as medical expenses, time lost due to injury, accident investigation, and equipment replacement.

Preventing accidents before they happen also means that your worksites can naturally keep up with the latest OSHA regulations. Potential hazards and risks will be removed as they are reported, which means a safer worksite that meets compliance requirements. 


Looking for a safety solution that will provide the benefits of near miss reporting to your team? GoCanvas Safety includes pre-built digital forms so you can streamline your reporting and resolve hazards before incidents occur. Customizable reports and turn-key dashboards mean you can regularly audit and update your safety program, so you can focus on the human factors to keep your team safe. Learn more here.

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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Saluda Hill Landscapes Increases Communication with GoCanvas

How Saluda Hill Landscapes Increased Communication and Visibility with GoCanvas

The Case for GoCanvas 

Saluda Hill Landscapes provides multi-level landscaping to Lexington, SC, and the surrounding areas. With multiple divisions covering both commercial and residential work, they stay busy all year round.  

When Bryanna Wooley came onto the team as the Marketing Coordinator, she was given the task to find a replacement to their stacks of paperwork. More than 45 work orders were being completed on paper weekly. With multiple departments, an abundance of forms, and managers in different locations, Saluda Hill needed a way to streamline the delivery of information to the right people.

When Bryanna was first tasked with finding a mobile solution, she felt completely overwhelmed until she came across GoCanvas, where she said she was amazed by how comprehensive everything was. Before GoCanvas, communication and organization was a challenge for Saluda Hill. Production managers were keeping track of information on notebooks they carried with them. To find pricing, production managers referenced a typed list kept in their trucks, used their memory, or made calls to the office. Their scheduling coordinator made a lot of phone calls to production managers and superintendents to get pre-site information and determine which lots were in fact ready to be on their schedule. Sometimes it was a hassle to track down forms due to them being misplaced or because they remained in the possession of a team member out in the field.

Benefits of Improved Communication

By working with a dedicated account manager and onboarding representative at GoCanvas, Bryanna was able to create the perfect solution that fits the business needs across all departments. Today with GoCanvas, production managers can complete forms on-site with the customers, send the information back to the office in real time, and immediately have the job go on the schedule. From there, pre-site variances, purchase orders, and post-sites were all completed in the same application for a smoother process.  

Saluda Hill Landscapes implemented GoCanvas this past Spring and is on track to see around $30,000 in savings. These savings have allowed them to avoid hiring another person whose main responsibility would be to perform the actions that can now be done with their current staff and GoCanvas. Production managers have also noticed several hours being saved each week with GoCanvas. On the admin side of the business, the scheduling coordinator has a clearer insight into the jobs to be scheduled and can easily access all information pertinent to doing her job.

Bryanna also mentioned that “we felt our managers were being spread too thin. But in reality, what they needed was a software like GoCanvas that increased communication and productivity, and allowed them to capture and send detailed reports right on their device.” Saluda Hill has plans to streamline their processes even further in the future through integrations and dispatch.

Saluda Hill Landscapes Case Study from GoCanvas

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.

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