3 Ways to Use the Brand New Delete Dispatch Action in Zapier

3 Ways to Use the Brand New Delete Dispatch Action in Zapier

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        ZapierNew Update Increases Task Automation 

The latest update to Canvas’s integration with Zapier is small but extremely powerful. It essentially changes how other systems interact with the GoCanvas database, by allowing them to automatically push in data that will update existing tasks within the Dispatch Manager.  If you want to learn how Zapier connects GoCanvas to over 300+ different web platforms, be sure to click here.

When you setup a connection with Zapier, or as they call it a “Zap”, one web program acts as a “Trigger” and every program connected after it is setup as an “Action”. In the case of our latest update, we added a new action to Canvas’ toolbelt.

Previously your only “Action” available for GoCanvas was “Create Dispatch”. An example of this is pretty simple.

Say you wanted your “Initial Inspection” app to automatically schedule a dispatch to your “Follow-Up Inspection” app every time you completed a job. This Zapier “Action” would eliminate the need to manually create and assign a follow-up dispatch task after each job. This could potentially save dispatchers 100s of hours in scheduling every month.

If you’re interested in setting up the “Create Dispatch” Zap, you can check out the tutorial here.

The newest “Action” added to the Zapier platform for GoCanvas is the ability to delete a dispatch. This ability can be triggered by almost every one of Zapier’s 300+ web connections and gives clients the ability to further automate the way tasks are created, scheduled, and resolved within the Dispatch Manager. All you have to do is ensure that the Item Description of the Dispatch from GoCanvas is connected with the “Trigger” of the web application you’ve connected via Zapier.

Don’t worry, this will be clearly explained and defined when you creating your zap! Click here to learn how to get started setting up this Zap.

Setting up GoCanvas in Zapier

With the addition of “Delete Dispatch” to the Zapier action list, companies now have the ability to have their existing systems interface with GoCanvas a lot more smoothly. This is because their existing systems can essentially communicate back and forth with GoCanvas, letting it know whether a dispatch needs to be created or deleted.

Here are the top 3 ways to start using the new Zapier action:

Zapier and Canvas Inspections: We touched on this a little bit earlier in terms of creating NEW DISPATCHES, but we thought it was important to highlight how deleting dispatches could be extremely beneficial during the inspection process.

In some situations, your office dispatcher may assign the same Inspection ticket to multiple employees, not knowing who is first available to get to the client’s location.

With this new Zap, whoever completes and submits the inspection will automatically trigger the Canvas Dispatch Manager to automatically delete and un-assign the duplicate tickets from the other technicians. Now the dispatcher won’t have to worry about manually going through each job and un-assigning the duplicates, and the technicians won’t show up on a job site that has already been serviced.

Zapier, Google Calendar, and Canvas

 Client Cancellations: Almost every company deals with clients who reschedule on them for one reason or another. This process of creating, modifying, and deleting appointments can cause frustration for both the office and field staff. With the new “Delete Dispatch” functionality, you can connect the GoCanvas Dispatch Manager with your company’s Google Calendar to help streamline the appointment modification process.

This Zap is perfect for any situation where a client needs to reschedule their appointment to a new date. Instead of having to manually change both the Google Calendar event and the GoCanvas Dispatch Manager task, all you have to do now is change the event date on your calendar and GoCanvas will automatically delete the current task assigned to you.

Now you or the office can reach back out and re-confirm with the client before setting up the new Dispatch task.

Zapier, QuickBooks, and Canvas

 Accounts Payable: Zapier already provides you the ability to quickly connect your backend systems with your GoCanvas mobile apps and forms, but now it also gives you the ability to integrate them with your Dispatch manager as well!

The perfect use case for this zap is a situation where the office has assigned a dispatch to a technician in order to perform routine service, with a follow-up dispatch to collect payment. After the service is performed, the client informs you that they would like to pay immediately. They call the office and an invoice is created within your company’s QB system.  Now, with the new Zapier “Action”, GoCanvas will delete the scheduled dispatch that matches the customer’s name on the QB invoice that was generated.

This will help avoid any unnecessary trips by your technicians and eliminate the need for your office staff to reconcile dispatches with paid invoices. 

The best part about our integration with Zapier is that the possibilities are endless. You can use any of your GoCanvas apps or mobile forms as the “Trigger” and have your data push into over 300 web platforms including QuickBase, Salesforce, SQL, Google Business Apps, and more!

Check out a couple of our most popular Zaps below:

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.

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

Feature Focus: Create Custom Reports with the PDF Designer

Feature Focus: Create Custom Reports with the PDF Designer

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When you go paperless, that doesn’t mean that you lose the need for reports. For many businesses, it is still extremely critical that their clients are able to receive a copy of the services that were rendered.

At GoCanvas, we developed the PDF Designer with those concerns in mind. This tool gives clients the ability to customize their output reports to replicate the style and design of their original forms without the limitations and issues of paper. The PDF Designer allows companies to create specific output reports based on each of their GoCanvas mobile forms.

Customers frequently create unique PDF reports for different types of mobile forms including:

  • Invoices
  • Timesheets
  • Work Orders
  • Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
  • and more

Similar to the GoCanvas App Builder, the PDF Designer is a simple to use tool that requires no IT or design-based knowledge. It’s an easy to use drag and drop builder that allows you to map the data from your mobile form to your PDF report. The PDF Designer automatically syncs all the data fields from the app builder so that all you have to do is simply drag the data to where you want it to show up on the PDF!

PDF Designer

Aside from just simply dragging the data fields to where you want them on the PDF, you are also able to add:

  • Social Media Icons – Facebook, Home Advisor, Google Reviews, etc
  • Images, Logos, and Graphics
  • Static Text
  • Borders
  • Background Colors
  • Hyperlinks

The best part about the PDF Designer is that we have given you a number of ways to get started in designing the perfect report.

The first way to get started is by choosing one of our five most popular form templates! These templates include a Work Order, Invoice, Inspection, Waiver, and an Estimate. This is perfect for users who are just getting started creating a new mobile form and want to save time! The template will give create the app and the output for you automatically, and give you quick headstart for tweaking anything you feel that needs to be changed.

Mobile Form Templates

The second way to get started is by using our new “Auto Layout” feature. This is an amazing feature that can take any of the forms that you have already built and give them a custom designed layout in just seconds! All you have to do is access the PDF Designer for the mobile form that you wish to create an output report. Once inside the PDF Designer, click the button that says “Auto Layout”. You will instantly see the report be created based on the data fields from the mobile form. All you will need to do is add your logo and connect any of your company’s social media accounts(if you wish).

Auto Layout

The third way to get started with the PDF Designer is by going with a blank template! Just like when you are building your first mobile form with GoCanvas, you can start with a blank slate and build things from the ground up if you prefer. As you are customizing your report from scratch, you may use the “Preview” button within the PDF Designer so that you can confirm how your creation looks and tweak things in a flash.

This is the ideal way to start if you are going to be creating a report that needs to look a very specific way, and don’t want to waste time having to deconstruct a pre-built template that doesn’t fit the design you were envisioning.

Design your PDF

And keep in mind, the 20,000+ pre-built mobile form templates in our Application Store all have professionally designed PDF reports assigned to them as well!

The biggest benefit in designing your own reports is obviously the fact that you are able to control the look, feel, and layout of your company’s information and brand.

Many services similar to GoCanvas will force your information to be placed into a generic looking document that serves only to show your information one way. With GoCanvas, we give you the power to control the way your information is presented to your customers, vendors, and internal staff. You now control how your forms are filled out, shared, and formatted with GoCanvas.

Take full advantage of this core feature of GoCanvas, and start customizing your reports today!

Burning Paper

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.

OSHA Requiring Employers to Electronically Submit All Injury Records: 4 Things You Need to Know

OSHA Requiring Employers to Electronically Submit All Injury Records: 4 Things You Need to Know

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Breaking News: OSHA

Starting January 1st, 2017, OSHA began enforcing a new resolution to the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. | 404 This new resolution put into place requirements that include the electronic submission of all workplace illness and injury records for the purposes of posting on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website.

The motivation behind this new workplace regulation is to encourage workplaces across the country to “increase their efforts to prevent worker injuries and illnesses, and, compelled by their competitive spirit, to race to the top in terms of worker safety”, according to the official OSHA website. They have also enacted the new reporting requirements to better enable researchers to analyze safety data from across thousands of workplaces in order to develop new ways of addressing and preventing serious injuries.

Who Does This Affect

construction worker

This is a far-reaching regulation that is impacting companies of all sizes and industries across the United States.

Criteria for companies required to digitally report injury data using an OSHA 300, 300A, or 301 Form includes:

  • Organizations of 250 employees or more that currently file injury reports using OSHA Forms 300, 300A, or 301
  • Organizations with 20-249 employees that fall within specific “high risk” industries

If you are still not sure if your company falls under the new regulation, you can read the final rule e-document on the Federal Register website by clicking here.

What You’re Required To Do

Any organization that falls within the criteria of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act is mandated to electronically submit all their Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses reports for 2016 (Form 300A) by July 1st, 2017. The same organizations will then be responsible for submitting all their documentation (Form 300, 300A, 301) for 2017 by July 1st, 2018.

To assist with this reporting process, OSHA has created three different ways that companies can submit their form data online. The three options include:

  1. Webform: Companies can go online and input data directly on the OSHA website.
  2. CSV File: Upload single or multiple reports using an Excel based file.
  3. API Integration: Companies that have recordkeeping software can connect it directly to the OSHA database.

How GoCanvas Can Help

With this new regulation taking effect, we at GoCanvas immediately began working to see how we could help our clients. What obviously stood out to us was that the forms that OSHA required to be completed were being filled out on paper. Why hadn’t there been a mobile alternative for these forms even before this ruling to help increase efficiency?

The fact is that GoCanvas has been converting paper-based OSHA forms to mobile templates for almost a decade. In fact, Form 300, 300A, and 301 were already available as mobile templates in the GoCanvas application store before this regulation even took effect!

two mobile devices with OSHA apps

The advantage to having the ability to fill out a mobile version of these three forms is that it can essentially eliminate all back-end data re-entry you would be forced to spend if you continued to use a paper version. And since OSHA requires most records to be kept for at least 5 years, all your digital reports will be automatically stored in your secure GoCanvas cloud database for whenever you need them and won’t have to worry about lost or damaged paper records any longer.

How To Automate 95% of Your OSHA Reporting

The way GoCanvas significantly automates your back-end OSHA reporting is by quickly collecting and sharing your data via a  CSV file or API connection  – which are two of the three ways that OSHA allows for electronic reporting. GoCanvas is cutting out the “middle-man” in the data transfer process and allowing you to get the data in an OSHA compatible format. No longer does someone in the office have to wait for forms to be faxed, scanned, or driven back to the office. Everything is submitted in real-time and available in the format that you need when you need it for OSHA reporting! No data duplication required.


If you’re ready to get started,  just click on the button below or email us at Info@gocanvas.com if you have any questions!

 

 

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

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A electrician inspecting equipment.

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Connect with an Expert Today.

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

Why States Need to Improve their Bridge Inspection Processes with Mobile Forms

Why States Need to Improve their Bridge Inspection Processes with Mobile Forms

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The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) recently declared almost 56,000 bridges in the United States structurally deficient. Almost half of all states fall into the category of having 9% or more of their bridges structurally deficient. According to the ARTBA, “this means one or more of the key bridge elements, such as the deck, superstructure or substructure, is considered to be in “poor” or worse condition.”

Percentages of structurally deficient bridges by state 2017 data

More than 25% of all bridges (about 174,000) were reported as being at least 50 years old and never having major construction work. 

This is pretty scary stuff. Officials tend to agree on the need to find new sources of funding for bridge and highway repair projects, as the current funding mechanisms haven’t kept pace with the cost of construction in recent years. However, this data also highlights the potential need for improved bridge inspection processes to ensure accurate data is collected, shared and analyzed quickly. Here are 5 reasons why bridge inspectors should be using mobile forms and apps for bridge inspections. 

Easily document bridge conditions and structures with photos

 If inspections are currently being done on paper, it may not be easy to see visually the extent of damage and it may be easier for folks to put off improvements. If an inspector does happen to have a digital camera, time is probably wasted around getting the photos off the camera, printing them, attaching them to the inspection report and then storing them somewhere in a filing cabinet. 

With mobile forms and devices, inspectors can complete bridge inspection forms and add photos to the reports at the same time, eliminating the need for an additional device and time wasted compiling the photos into a report later. 

Prove an Inspection Happened

Ever wonder if an inspection really happened? Or if the form was filled out on-site instead of at another location? With mobile forms, a GPS and time stamp can be required as part of the process, so you can ensure inspectors are where they are supposed to be and doing the inspection on-site. 

Standardize Inspection Processes

Ever have the problem where one person may fill the same form out differently than another? Maybe person A starts on page 3 and works backwards while person B starts on page 1. Or skips around. Or skips various fields. Or standard langauge to describe something isn’t being used so analysis becomes difficult. 

With mobile forms, you can set them up so that various fields must be filled out, in a specific order, or the inspector cannot advance forward. This helps standardize inspection processes and ensure the right data is captured every time. 

Get Data Back in Real-Time

With paper bridge inspection forms, someone fills them out and then has to get them back to the office. Many times, they’re just physically taken in, then scanned into a computer or worse, transcribed by hand into another system. All of this takes time and resources. And if there’s a crucial issue, it might not be seen until days later! 

With mobile bridge inspections, the data is captured via mobile devices and stored in the cloud so it can be accessed instantly. No waiting around, no manual data re-entry or having to worry about expensive and annoying filing cabinets. 

Digital Data = Easier Analysis

Can you imagine combing through paper inspection forms for thousands of bridges and trying to determine what the most common issues are with the deck or substructures? And trying to look for trends based on location, temperature, time of year, inspector, building material, etc? And you’re doing this with data that may not be structured optimally, having to read messy handwriting and account for missing fields and forms? 

NIGHTMARE. 

With digital inspection data, dashboards can easily be set up so you can see data at an aggregate level for a variety of fields and conditions. It is much easier to analyze digital data, look for trends and then prioritize issues so action can be taken! 

As you can see, there are clear benefits to digitizing bridge inspections with mobile forms and apps. If you’d like to see how GoCanvas can help you improve these kinds of processes and save time while getting more accurate data, try us free today! 

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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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.

Feature Focus: Automate Approval Processes with Workflow

Feature Focus: Automate Approval Processes with Workflow

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Two Mobile Devices with Canvas

Many companies, whether they have gone paperless or not, struggle when it comes to processes that require the review and signature of multiple people within the organization. Often this, the collection of signatures, can be the most frustrating and time-consuming part of any data collection process. You are often forced to wait around until someone shows up with the forms for you to sign, or you have to become a detective and attempt to track down the last known whereabouts of the paperwork you need in order to get something processed. It can take a real toll on productivity.

Paper Forms - People

Workflow was created to eliminate the need for the manual transportation of data.

Typical examples of forms that are involved in this type of approval process include Change Orders, Time cards, Safety Inspections, Expense Reports and more.

Industries that paper-based workflow procedures are most commonly found in today include:

Essentially Workflow allows you to create a step by step procedure of how a form should be filled out, completed, and submitted using a mobile device.

The online “Workflow Manager” allows you to setup how each part of the mobile form should be filled out and who should receive each section of the form for review. This creation process ensures that when a form is being filled out on a project site that it will be reviewed and completed the proper way every single time.

Calendar and Clock - Facts

It works as simple as a technician opening a GoCanvas mobile form on their smartphone and filling it out. Once the technician reaches the pre-determined end of that section, they will be notified that the data is being transferred to their supervisors’ device for review.

In real-time, the supervisor will get a push notification (similar to a text message) alerting them that they have a GoCanvas report to review. When they open it, they will be able to review all the past data and even add comments or reject it if they deem necessary. Once finished, the supervisor can submit the final report to the main office or transfer it to the next supervisor(depending on how the Workflow was created).

You will notice the impact on your business almost immediately. Instant benefits include:

  • Ability to review, sign, and submit reports in real-time
  • Recover 100’s of hours spent tracking down employees or reports
  • Eliminate the need for annoying texts, calls, or email reminders
  • Share photos, signatures, GPS coordinates and more directly from one device to another

Workflow gives your company a structured way to communicate data from the field to the proper supervisors in real-time. No more delays due to travel or human error. Get all the data that you need, when you need it.

Phone and Tablet with Canvas

Take a look at how Certarus has processed over 15,000+ invoice and time card submission requests using Workflow!

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

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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.

4 Mobile Forms Every Field Service Company Should Have

4 Mobile Forms Every Field Service Company Should Have

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Construction Truck with people

When it comes to the Field Service industry, time means everything. Many companies charge customers a flat rate fee instead of an hourly rate, so it’s in the best interest of the service technician to complete as many jobs per day as possible.

So how do mobile forms come into play? Efficiency!

Using mobile forms instead of paper has proven to be a faster way to collect, share, and learn from your data in real-time. GoCanvas has an app store of over 20,000 mobile form templates from various industries.

So the only question is, which forms should you get started with first?

#1.   – This form is key to getting any job done, no matter what service you are performing. With this mobile report, you have the ability to capture key data points like Time on Site, Project Images, Customer Requirements, Project Costs, and more. The best part is that you can create tasks to be assigned to technicians that are already out in the field by using GoCanvas Dispatch. The technician simply has to open up the Field Service Report on their mobile device, read the assigned dispatch, and complete the rest of the report when they arrive on the job site.

#2.   – A crucial part of any business is getting paid. But most companies still struggle with collecting payment in a timely manner. That is why the mobile Invoice form is critical for those who struggle with this issue, and for those who no longer want to wait days or weeks to get jobs processed. Another feature is the ability to collect payment instantly using our integration with Square! You can have your data flow from GoCanvas directly into your existing invoice software .

Workers Dispatching information

#3. Change Order Form – The ability to make quick changes on a job site is key. With the mobile Change Order Form and our calculation functionality, you can quickly display the costs of the proposed change to the customer and get their digital signature in seconds. A copy of the form will be sent to the customer, the back office, and to the parts supplier for immediate delivery.

#4.  Daily Time Sheet –  The hardest thing for any company to accurately capture is an employee’s work hours. The problem is that this data is usually captured on a weekly basis but rarely turned in on time. If this data isn’t turned in on time, then no one gets paid. With the mobile Daily Time Sheet form, an employee can simply input their hours each day and submit it to the office. At the end of the pay period, the office accountant can simply export every employee’s work hours into an Excel spreadsheet. We can even help you create an automated dashboard or report that neatly organizes and totals up each employee’s weekly hours for you!

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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

Two people in an office looking at a tablet.

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Two people in hard hats looking off camera.

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Person in safety vest smiling.

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

3 Reasons Why Every Electrician & Plumber Should Be Paperless in 2017

3 Reasons Why Every Electrician & Plumber Should Be Paperless in 2017

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Plumbers and electricians are not just the men and women you call when you have an issue in your home, they are the same people who get contracted on commercial construction projects in cities and suburbs all across the world.

For these larger projects that involve permits, zoning, and large contracts it’s essential that data be properly collected and stored for documentation.

Over the years as technology has progressed, so has the complexity and speed of these construction projects. Yet, when we look at how companies process, share and analyze their data on these job sites we find that they are still using the same methods from almost a half-century ago. They are still stuck using paper!

It might seem obvious, and something you have heard a MILLION times, but using paper is negatively impacting your company’s overall efficiency.

What does this mean? Take a look at some of these figures and facts:

1.) The average company spends $80 per employee annually and loses 2 hours per day just on paperwork

2.) TechRadar reports that up to 70% of business would fail within 3 weeks if their paper records were destroyed in a fire or flood.

3.) A found that 49.6% of time spent in construction is “devoted to wasteful activities” like looking for tools, errors in communication, attempting to locate forms, etc.

There are a variety of ways that mobile tools will and currently are making an impact for Plumbers and Electricians. But when we focus in, we can clearly identify 3 primary ways that mobile tools affect a business’ bottom line.

# Renewable Energy

According to the 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index, approximately 47% of electricity generation in the United States came from renewable sources including wind and solar. Projections for 2017 and beyond have made it clear that the shift towards renewables is not a wading fade, but a systematic change.

When it comes to the services of a Plumber or Electrician, they are not immune. Understanding of the new “high-efficiency” parts and materials that are required by government regulations are now a key for being competitive in the industry and mobile apps can help! Mobile apps can assist technicians with looking up product manuals and documentation with just a scan of a barcode, finding the solution to common questions about pricing or equipment, and even help with the calculation of common service charges!


#2 Streamlined Operations

Mobile technology is great because it allows for the sharing of data in real-time without having to worry about driving or scanning the contents to the office later. A platform like GoCanvas gives Plumbers and Electricians the ability to send and receive job orders from wherever they find themselves.

Tools like Dispatch allow the office to schedule customer appointments and assign task directly to the technician’s device out in the field. Once the technician receives the notification on their smart device, he or she can read where they need to go and begin completing the ! To track the status’ of all their tasks throughout the day/week, the office can view the Dispatch Manager online and view what has or has not been completed in real-time. No more guessing or trying to track down employees to find out if something has been completed. All the information is sent directly to your GoCanvas database.

Another great example of streamlining communication is with  With any big job, Change Orders are normal but time-consuming. With GoCanvas you can send an order, have it processed, and get paid within minutes. No need to wait around for paper invoices to make their way to everyone, GoCanvas sends it to the right people in seconds.


#3 - Foster CollaborationIn today’s highly engaged business world, Electricians and Plumbers can’t afford to work in informational bunkers. They need to have the information that they collect be communicated to the right people and systems in real-time.

An example is an Electrician completing a Work Order or mobile Invoice form that requires supervisory approval before it can be completed. How can this be done faster without paper and having to drive all the way back to the office for a signature?

Simple! With GoCanvas and our Workflow functionality, the document that was completed on the technician’s device will be transmitted to the supervisor’s device for digital signature approval and then sent to the customer in real-time. The supervisor can even add comments and reject the work order back to the original Electrician if he/she feels it is incomplete in some way.

But this is not the only way that mobile apps like GoCanvas help foster collaboration. The simple act of a dispatcher being able to create, assign and track assignments to technicians in the field is another great example. Another way is the simple ability for a technician to go out to a job site, fill out a mobile document, and be able to send a PDF copy to a customer, supervisor, and the office staff before they even start their truck to go home.

This is the essences of going mobile and fostering collaboration with GoCanvas, and how on average we increase our customers’ productivity by 30%!

Electricians + Plumbers eBook

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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MOM Brands Saves Over $3M by Going Paperless with GoCanvas

manufacturing bottles

How MOM Brands Saved Over $3M by Going Paperless

Overview 

  • Data that once took days to analyze is now accessible in real-time
  • Platform integration removes hours of data entry
  • Stronger forecasting and competitor understanding with real-time intelligence dashboard
  • $75,000 in monthly productivity savings

Apps Used

  • Club Store Price Survey
  • Display Compliance Report
  • Grocery Price Survey
  • Retail Team Sales Summary

The Background

MOM Brands® was the largest family-owned cereal company in the United States until its acquisition by Post Holdings in 2015. Family-owned since 1919, MOM Brands built on an unwavering commitment to providing consumers with products that are of the highest quality, delivered at a better price to help consumers save money, and manufactured and distributed in a way that has a limited impact on the environment. MOM Brands and its team now operate underneath the global brand, Post. This is their story of transitioning from a paper-based operation to a streamlined mobile platform.

The Problem

Prior to their acquisition and implementation of GoCanvas, MOM Brands’ latter mission – developing innovative, environmentally sound business processes that benefit the consumer – was evident with the firm’s Bag The Box™ campaign, which emphasizes the environmental benefits of using less packaging by enclosing cereal in a bag instead of the traditional bag-and-box.

Not only is bagged cereal less expensive, but the bag-only packaging also uses 75 percent less consumer packaging than the traditional bag-and-box combination.  

In the same way, MOM Brands addressed the negative cost and environmental impact of cereal boxes, the company sought to improve the way in-store audits were conducted at the 30,000+ retail outlets in which MOM Brands products are sold.

MOM Brands has a team of sales professionals who are responsible for reporting and auditing in-store conditions. These include ensuring each item’s brand standards are being upheld, that products are placed where they are supposed to be, and that there is full compliance with distribution and retail standards.

At the same time, MOM Brands relied on these sales professionals in the field to identify new potential retail sales partners and manage relationships with existing ones.

Historically, auditing and sales management processes were done with paper forms. As a result, MOM Brands’ decision-makers did not have access to real-time data to make rapid, informed decisions. MOM Brands wanted a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to their 3-part forms.

The Solution

In 2010, MOM Brands decided to go with GoCanvas, the global leader in mobile apps for business. With their free trial, they received full support from GoCanvas as they moved from paper to mobile apps.

Each and every account gets a dedicated senior mobile app consultant. With their consultant, MOM Brands was able to explain what they wanted and to create a mobile experience for their unique needs.

MOM Brands found itself in the same position thousands of GoCanvas customers have; the GoCanvas platform—with 14,000+ customizable mobile apps, the app builder and real-time app management—strengthened their internal processes.

Their initial apps focused on enabling auditing professionals in the field to collect in-store data at retail locations for both MOM Brands’ products as well as those of competitors. Then, they could use iPads to transmit the data in real time to decision-makers via the GoCanvas cloud. 

Over the past 6 years, MOM Brands has grown to over 130 users with iPads on GoCanvas, transforming how MOM Brands’ eight sales teams collect data and report this information to others in the organization. They have experienced real, measurable benefits from implementing GoCanvas, including significant efficiency improvements, cost reductions, and environmental benefits. Key results include:

Real-time access to data

MOM Brands has leveraged GoCanvas’ cloud-based, “as-a-Service” mobile app to enjoy real-time, actionable intelligence. At the same time, the ability of sales teams to transmit in-store data from their iPads via the GoCanvas cloud has allowed MOM Brands to shift from ad hoc reporting to a systematic process for data collection that can be converted into actionable intelligence.

Making their work even easier, was integration with EnterBridge. EnterBridge was able to pull in GoCanvas submission information, format it into source data and roll it right into expanding monthly pivot table views at the click of a button.

GoCanvas frequently integrates with systems and clouds of all types and sizes.  While the list is constantly growing, the platform has the capability to integrate with more than 30 systems to date. Some of the most common include SalesForce, SAP, SQL Server Database, Oracle, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, Microsoft Office, and Quicken.

By being able to access dispatch, reference data, and submission data right from Excel the team at EnterBridge was able to seamlessly integrate raw submission data from GoCanvas into a vibrant workbook filled with slice-and-dice visuals.

excel integration for real time data. Save hundreds of hours going paperless with a mobile app

Because of Enterbridge’s integration, Post Consumer Brands receives documents filled with information and visuals in real time.

The submission data pulled by data range and form flowed into pivot table-ready structures. Core data was hidden and the resulting business intelligence dashboards could be used across the organization to understand and explore the data being collected by GoCanvas.

The full power of GoCanvas in the hands of the business team was now on display and dashboards could be refreshed with the latest information on demand. 

Rapid app deployment

GoCanvas’ intuitive mobile app platform has enabled MOM Brands to create apps in a matter of days. It was intuitive enough that apps could be created and deployed by “non-IT” professionals within the organization quickly and sustainably.

Flexibility to meet evolving business needs

As a cloud-based mobile app platform, GoCanvas provided MOM Brands with the flexibility to easily add features and functionality to each app as user and business needs evolve. With other mobile app alternatives, making even minor changes within each app proved cumbersome and diluted the effectiveness of the tool.

Today, Post Consumer Brands (MOM) products are sold in more than 30,000 retail locations, from major recognizable chains to small, mom-and-pop stores. For that reason, MOM Brands needed a tool that was flexible enough to meet the diversity in the size, needs, and locations of their retail partners.

For instance, with seasonable factors or a new product launch, MOM Brands wanted to be able to add a few retail reporting questions to an app for a month and then remove or change those questions later.

GoCanvas allows MOM Brands to do this quickly and easily. This flexibility allows them to be nimble and nuanced in understanding the needs of their retail partners, and ultimately, their customers.

The Outcomes

With more than 20 apps and over 130 users, MOM Brands uses GoCanvas for detailed data analysis that can be collected and shared in real time throughout the organization. Users have the ability to reference historical data, segregate data, and pre-populate app forms on their iPads with information related to each retail partner.

As a result, MOM & Post Consumer Brands can decide each day from which of its 30,000 retail partners it wants to view real-time data.

The origins of MOM Brands as the fastest-growing cereal company date back to 1919 when John Campbell took $900 of poker winnings and started a company. While Campbell’s bet paid off, organizations today cannot afford to gamble when it comes to having access to accurate, real-time data. In 2018, MOM Brands is part of the 1 billion dollar Post Holdings company. The GoCanvas mobile app platform allows the sales team to have complete, accurate information in real-time, helping them achieve even more success as they continue their rapid expansion!

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

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Smarte Carte Saves 200 Hours Per Month with GoCanvas Inspections

Transportation workers looking at digital work orders on tablet.

How Smarte Carte Saves 200 Hours Per Month on Inspections

Overview 

  • Industry: Transportation & Logistics
  • HQ Location: White Bear Lake, Minnesota
  • Website: Visit Here

Quick Facts

  • Created & deployed 10+ mobile forms
  • Recovered 200 hours/app per month in productivity
  • Over 26,000+ digital records captured annually

The Background

Founded in 1970, Smarte Carte has grown into a global enterprise of 1,300+ employees that service over 1,900 locations worldwide. Their inventory of self-service luggage carts, lockers, strollers, and more can be seen in almost every major airport, train station, mall, amusement park, resort, and fitness club across the world. With their ever-expanding footprint across the world, it quickly became a top priority that Smarte Carte was able to view and access field data in real time.

The Problem

Every day, hundreds of Smarte Carte service technicians are dispatched to various client locations to inspect and service equipment. When service technicians were previously using paper forms, data would routinely come back to the office late or with data errors. These mistakes made it almost impossible for team leaders like Eric Zitelman, Retail Regional Manager, to be able to efficiently track the daily production of their field employees.

The Solution

This is why Eric and several other team leaders at Smarte Carte decided to deploy GoCanvas mobile forms in order to increase the consistency and accuracy of the data collected at client locations

For Smarte Carte, the deployment of GoCanvas mobile forms started with a pilot of 450 fitness clubs across the United States. The reason? Eric Zitelman and his fellow regional team leaders needed a better way to track the daily productivity of their field service technicians.

With GoCanvas, Smarte Carte was able to create mobile forms that require service technicians to collect all the key pieces of information about the equipment they are inspecting before they are able to submit it. Once completed, the technician reports now automatically transmit directly from their mobile device to their regional supervisor. This allows for the instant analysis of each report in real-time, as well as the tracking of the productivity of each technician on a daily basis. Due to the success of the pilot program, Smarte Carte now uses GoCanvas across 1,600 fitness clubs!

The Outcomes

Since then, Smarte Carte has expanded its use cases to include everything from Field Service Reports to Driver Time Logs. These mobile forms utilize features such as:

  • GPS Capture
  • Photo Capture
  • Reference Data
  • PDF Designer

These features help Eric and the upper management at Smarte Carte to quickly verify the accuracy of all the data being collected, as well as to generate highly detailed reports. This enables them to track critical performance KPIs on the backend and to make proactive decisions within their global operations process.

Since starting with GoCanvas in 2017, Smarte Carte is still finding new ways to integrate GoCanvas mobile forms into their various departments and workflows. In their first year of using GoCanvas to replace paper reports, Smarte Carte has captured and stored over 26,000 digital records. This has resulted in a recovery of over 200 hours per month in productivity!

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Feature Focus: Import Your Database with Reference Data

Feature Focus: Import Your Database with Reference Data

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When new users ask, “what makes GoCanvas so different than paper?”, I immediately point out Reference Data. The reason is that with paper, you are always stuck in 2nd gear filling out your form. There is no faster way to manually fill out a piece of paper unless you grow a 3rd arm. With Reference Data, you are instantly putting your employees into 5th gear by giving them access to your company catalogs and database from right within your mobile forms.

Reference data is a core feature that is available for all users of the GoCanvas platform. You simply upload a .CSV(Excel) file with the information you wish to connect to your mobile form(s) and use the App Builder to connect that datasheet to the relevant data fields. After this quick update has been made, your users will be able to dynamically pick from these values when filling our their mobile form.

Getting started with Reference Data

For example, say your employee selects the value “John Doe” from a drop down field in the mobile form. By selecting “John Doe”, this will automatically populate the Address, City, State, and Zip Code fields that correspond to that specific value. Below is an example of the datasheet that would have been uploaded and connected to the mobile form.                                             

The great thing about Reference Data is that it can be applied to almost every industry and process.

  • Customer & Vendor Lists
  • Project Locations
  • Parts, Price, and Material Lists
  • County or State Tax Rates
  • Employee Names
  • Inspection Scoring

Each of the above would typically reside in an Excel sheet (like the one above), so Reference Data simply takes that data and makes it accessible through your mobile forms. No more carrying around spreadsheets or catalogs.

The first obvious benefit of using Reference Data is the time savings. Instead of having to look up and fill out multiple fields manually, you can simply just fill out a single field (usually a drop down) and have it automatically populate the rest of the form. This can easily save you 5-10 minutes per section compared to manually filling out each field.

The second benefit is data quality. When using Reference Data, you are eliminating the need for data lookup or hand typing. What this means is that since the information is being populated from a company spreadsheet, the likelihood of a misspelling or incorrect value is essentially eliminated. Therefore you no longer have to worry about things like incorrect client addresses or inaccurate service quotes since all the information is pulling directly from the corresponding spreadsheets.

The third benefit is automated scoring and reporting. Many customers use Reference Data to create inspections with simple sometimes complex) scoring based on how each user fills out the form. This is most prevalent within inspection forms where you are reviewing a number of items and need to get a final score/rating.

Reference Data allows you to assign a numerical value like “1” every time an item is marked as “Pass” and then automatically total up each item into a final score. This scoring functionality not only allows you to get instant insight as soon as one of your employees fills out an inspection, but it also saves you the time of having to manually review each form and count up their score.

With automatic scoring, reporting is made a snap. Now a manager can receive a PDF report, see if it “Passed” or “Failed”, and immediately start making corrective actions if necessary.

Overall, Reference Data is for anyone looking to cut down on mistakes, speed up data capture, and increase the quality of their data. If you are not currently using this feature, reach out to Info@gocanvas.com 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.

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