Searched by tag

home/ tags

The Tips to Reduce Operating Costs in Construction Industry

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Construction business makes good money. However it also spends quite big amount of money and deals with operating costs. Operating costs are expenses associated with the maintenance and organization of a business on a day-to-day basis. They may include rent, administration expenses, labor costs, utilities, maintenance and repairs, etc. An obvious aspiration of all construction businesses is to reduce these operating costs. Here are some tips to help with this.

Life cycle costing and comparing the alternatives

Life cycle costing (LCC) is a long-term projection that comprehensively quantifies present and future costs associated with constructing and operating a building. This is also the most accurate way to increase project savings by comparing different alternatives. This approach can be applied to operating costs. By comparing the alternatives, owners and managers can get a holistic view of various variables and their impact on the value of the project. This way, they can foresee possible savings.

Mobile solutions

Modern construction companies implement technological innovations at every stage of a project. Mobile solutions make it possible to have real-time information and constant flow of data that accelerates the decision-making process, ensures keeping abreast of the workflow, eliminates rework and delays, and boosts the overall productivity of a team. All of these contribute to a smooth, efficient workflow and savings of operating costs.

Maintenance strategy

Construction equipment should be constantly maintained. An effective maintenance plan helps avoid unplanned downtime, disruption, and risks, and therefore additional operating costs. A mix of different maintenance strategies allows owners and managers to think in long-term and allocate the budget wisely.

Improve construction processes with Snappii

Snappii has been working with construction industry for about 10 years and continues to help companies stay competitive, organized and profitable. The new digital ways of doing business are actively adopted. Operating cost reduction can be resolved with a set of tools and solutions and special construction apps are one of them. Snappii offers a plenty of multifunctional ready-made construction apps. Visit the gallery to learn more about them and download to try. Most of Snappii apps are customizable and can be modified to meet any specific needs. Also we are able to create your personal app from scratch. Send us your requirements to discuss and start the process.

Vehicle Inspections and Best Practices

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Drivers count on their vehicles to safely and reliably get them where they’re going. Based on this, they make regular inspections and use vehicle inspection reports to ensure a vehicle is in good working order and safe to take out on the road. Also there are legal obligations to ensure work vehicles are regularly inspected to confirm they are in sound operating condition.

Vehicle inspection as a part of daily routine

Every time we get into a vehicle, we automatically make quite a few checks. However, drivers and people involved in transportation on a professional basis should also make more specific and detailed regular inspections. There is a list of basic points, which must be checked every day. A more thorough inspection can be carried out at regular intervals, for example weekly or monthly. The checks could include:

– fluid levels,

– brakes,

– battery,

– lights, brake lights and indicators,

– tires

– and more.

The most efficient way of vehicle inspection

Federal law does not require drivers to use any specific form of inspection and reporting. Therefore modern drivers and other professionals prefer mobile inspection forms and apps, which are much more convenient, reliable and agile than paper forms. Today vehicle inspection apps are an essential tool. Read about their benefits and the reasons to use here.

Snappii is a long-standing and strong player in the business app market. We cover a plenty of industries and fields of activity. Vehicle inspection is one of the areas we focus on. Snappii offers Inspect & Maintain Vehicles app to perform detailed inspections of various types of vehicles, including heavy and not heavy ones. With this vehicle inspection app, drivers can be sure in the vehicles and their safety before taking to the road. Moreover, Inspect & Maintain Vehicles app allows users to instantly generate PDF and Excel reports and email them. The app is available for iOS and Android devices. Snappii team can customize it to meet any specific needs. Contact us here if you need any modification of this vehicle inspection app.

Never overlook the importance of vehicle inspection as it could save your life and the lives of others. And Snappii will always assist you with it.

Daily Reporting During COVID-19: Increased Importance and the Way to Optimize

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

It’s hard to foresee the extent of the COVID-19 crisis and its influence on business. However, we can say with confidence that the business landscape should adapt to the current situation in order to survive.

Welcome to the new reality

Countries and cities begin to recover from the COVID-19 shutdown. All businesses have been forced to change the way in which they operate to ensure safety and compliance with new realities. Safety is, and always will be, a top priority in construction industry. Construction staff always operates in conditions of increased responsibility. However, now more than ever, documentation and reporting are critical for safe and efficient workflow.

The importance of daily reporting

Daily reports are the most powerful tool for showing how new requirements are met and their impact on the workflow. They prevent failures and delays, and help keep increased safety at the jobsites.

New safety protocols are added for construction jobsites. They may include taking people’s temperatures before every shift, social distancing, supplying personal protective equipment, etc. All of them should be documented and reported in time.

The best time for mobile solutions

Mobile solutions help create more efficient, accurate and safe reporting process. Mobile apps minimize physical contact and keep everyone safe and able to work. Workers are able to regular submit forms and daily reports remotely right with their mobile devices. Also this provides optimization and efficiency, which are so necessary now. Constant flow of timely data and its synchronization contribute to smooth workflow.

Snappii converts paper based processes to their mobile analogue. We use your existing forms and make your usual business process more agile, optimized and convenient. And this innovation may remain and benefit even beyond COVID-19. Stay in the loop even from a distance with smart mobile forms and apps. Let’s transform your daily reporting process to the digital format. Send us your forms and requirements. Get an advanced product for regular and accurate reporting. Keep on going forward!

The Upsides of Using Roof Inspection Apps

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

As is the case in most industries, mobile solutions help commercial and residential roofing companies run and grow their businesses at optimal levels. There is a wide variety of software developed for the roofing industry. This variety includes mobile apps for design, repair, sales support, preventive maintenance and more. Let’s consider roof inspection apps and their benefits for this process.

Save time

Traditional pen-and-paper method of data collection requires a lot of time. And creation of a comprehensive report takes up even more time. Roof inspection apps let you fill in pre-made mobile forms in a few clicks and generate comprehensive professional reports immediately after completing your inspection. It eliminates paperwork and allows you to use time for more productive operations.

Convenient data storage and constant access

Roof inspections must be done regularly, which means inspection data and reports easily pile up, can be missed and lost. Unreliable data can lead to failure of the entire work. Roof inspection apps save all of your inspection data and safely store it in the cloud storage. All workers can easily access them through their mobile devices anytime and anywhere.

Accountability, accuracy and timeliness

Roof inspection apps contribute to accountability improvement. They allow users to assign and track inspections and other related operations, instantly send and receive notifications, and ensure that tasks are being done in time and on budget.

The best app for roof inspections

You can get all mentioned advantages using Roof Inspection app from Snappii. This app is designed for roofing industry professionals and any layman, and covers the following types of roof inspections:

– Asphalt shingles

– Clay tiles

– Slate

– Metal

– Wood shingles and shakes

– Built-up/Membrane/Green Roof

Collect roof inspection details in minutes, edit captured data anytime from anywhere, take and upload pictures, make notes, add digital signature, etc. Create instant PDF and Excel reports with all the data and signatures. There is an opportunity to preview the report prior to sending it. Share the reports via email or other ways and print them. Professionals are able to easily and quickly communicate with their clients. They can select clients from the address book and share any report with them. Upload completed inspection details to cloud drives and have a constant access to all data.

Here is how the report looks like

Learn more about Roof Inspection app from this short video. Download the app for iOS and Android devices. Contact us if you need any customization of the app. For example, we can add your own forms. Send them to us.

Set Up Work Hours Tracking System with Mobile Solutions

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Paper time cards and log books are still the most common way businesses are tracking workers at their workplace. Unfortunately, it is also the most time-wasting and unreliable way, and the flaws continue to reveal themselves. There are some reasons why modern businesses may want to reconsider their approach to the employee work time tracking and try a more efficient method.

WHY USING PAPER TIME CARDS AND LOG BOOKS IS A BAD IDEA

Handwriting is typically hard to decipher. Moreover, paper is unreliable and can be easily damaged or lost. Paper time cards and log books require costs for maintaining, supplying and storage. These are human resource costs, as well as the costs of materials and storage facilities. This paper system is deprived of synchronization. Employees have to constantly transfer information to electronic database on the office PC. It’s time-consuming and inefficient. Paper log books and time cards provide an old-fashioned feel to the business. Potential sponsors and investors are unlikely to appreciate such system.

THE NEW WAY OF TRACKING WORK HOURS

Modern mobile solutions such as mobile apps for time management and tracking are the best alternative to paper time cards and log books. They allow businesses to go paperless, boost the workflow efficiency, save time and money. Special mobile apps can streamline and automate the check-in process and replace paper time cards. Workers use just their smartphones. It also contributes to instant synchronization of all data. Mobile apps provide the ability to view and verify how much any worker has spent on site. All information is safely stored and is available at any time.

PUNCH IN/OUT TIMESHEET APP

If you’re ready to implement the digital system, try Punch In/Out Timesheet app from Snappii. This app enables anybody to track work time for any project or job code and generate a professional time card. Employees can punch in and out on their mobile devices anywhere, add breaks and details, generate powerful time card reports, send them to the management or accounting, store and print them, analyze their progress with the Dashboard and more. Punch In/Out Timesheet app is already used by 10,000+ employees and managers to improve time management. You can try the app free for Android and iOS devices. Please contact Snappii support team if you need any app customization. We will discuss your requirements.

How to Improve Quality Control Process with Mobile Solutions

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Why quality control is important

Catching and identifying critical defects before production can help avoid rework. Certainly, prevention of product defects requires expenses, but the cost of addressing defects later in production is almost always much greater. Moreover it takes time and delays shipments. Incoming quality control is the process used to validate the quality of materials and parts and to determine their compliance for production. This process can take different forms depending on a product type and quality standards.

The advantage of mobile quality inspection forms

Modern mobile solutions can significantly assist in quality inspections. Mobile quality inspection forms provide agility and optimize the process. Inspectors can collect all necessary data right in the field and quickly fill in pre-made forms right on their smartphones or tablets. The completed mobile quality inspection forms can be instantly shared via email or other way. This contributes to better and timely decision making. Speed and attention are key components of incoming quality control, and mobile quality inspection forms are the best tool to achieve them.

The best provider of mobile forms

Snappii provides professional mobile forms for a plenty of industries. Snappii Mobile Forms app contains about 100+ ready-to-use form templates, including various inspection forms. The app is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play. Replacing of paper-based process allows workers to accelerate business and save money. Snappii team is able to convert any existing form to its mobile analogue. For example, we can easily do it with any quality inspection form. Hundreds of companies have already moved to mobile forms. You just send us your forms and get a ready solution in days. Fast and affordable. Let us help you optimize your usual operations and get more profit. Contact us with any questions and ideas.

Warehouse Safety: Key Points to Keep in Mind

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

OSHA General Guidelines and Citations

Warehousing is a huge industry in the U.S., with about 7,000 warehouses employing more than 140,000 workers. Safety is an essential point in this field, and is regulated by a series of standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The main focus is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths. The most common causes of accidents are improper use of forklifts, materials handling, inappropriate equipment, occupational safety neglect and other. OSHA issues many publications about warehouse safety and provides the solutions that can be adopted to reduce accidents and protect workers. There are 10 areas for which they issue citations.

– Forklifts

– Hazard communication

– Electrical, wiring methods

– Electrical, system design

– Guarding floor & wall openings and holes

– Exits

– Mechanical power transmission

– Respiratory protection

– Lockout/Tagout

– Portable fire extinguishers

Also OSHA has published a brochure to warehousing. Find it here. It covers the most common hazards and offers the tips to reduce them.

The major practices of warehouse safety management

Warehouse safety management is a complex of actions, which includes trainings with employees, development of plan and strategy for safety, various safety inspections and more. Well-trained workers are safe workers. That’s why safety and operational trainings are the first component of warehouse safety programs. There are trainings that apply to all workers, as well as those that will help more specific warehouse specialists. Everyone should learn proper procedures. The second important part of warehouse safety management is regular safety inspections. Basic high-level inspections should be done daily or weekly. Keeping all the safety requirements straight is a daunting task. The best way to conduct safety inspections is to use checklists. However using of paper checklists can be quite time-consuming and inconvenient. They require further processing and also are bulky and unreliable while storage. Nowadays mobile safety inspection forms can be a great alternative.

Mobile safety inspection forms

Snappii is an expert of mobile forms. We offer hundreds of pre-made mobile inspection forms for a plenty of industries and fields of activity. Filling out mobile forms can save 60 minutes every day. Safety inspections with mobile inspection forms can be done anywhere. It requires just a smartphone or a tablet. An additional advantage is an opportunity to generate the complete reports on a base of the filled in forms. These reports can be emailed as a PDF file. Moreover Snappii provides a unique solution to convert any existing forms into their mobile analogue. Try it with Snappii Form Converter, or our team can do it for you.

Please always keep in mind that warehouse safety culture should be a core for all employees at all levels, especially executives and owners. It is a key of efficient and profitable operation.

How to Avoid Construction Litigation and Keep Successful Practice

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Construction industry often deals with claims and disputes. It’s a normal practice, which is usually resolved in a timely way. However there are more complicated, unresolved situations, and their consequences could lead to litigation. It provides a disastrous impact to the project and to the entire business. We offer some tips to avoid construction litigation and keep successful practice.

Pay attention to the contract

Frequently construction dispute starts with the construction contract. Make sure that contract is drawn up in a proper way, both sides agree to all points and the project team fully understanding it. The failure to understand the contract is the main source of arguments and litigation in the construction field.

Keep constant communication

Communication is key for successful construction project. Poor communication can result in mistakes, inconsistencies and botched project results. Moreover poor communication can lead to the injuries and incidents, which then turn into lawsuits from the team members (unfortunately, such cases are common in the construction litigation practice). Constant line of communication makes less opportunity for errors and helps keep all the workflow under strong control.

Optimize document management

All construction companies should think about their current document management system. Documentation is an important part of the project. When it’s crunch time, any necessary data should be easily accessible. If you can’t confirm something in time with the appropriate document, your claim is a lost cause. Organized data and document management system is a way to nip the litigation at the initial stage.

Put the tips into practice

The tips above can help with project efficiency and save you in a dispute scenario. And the best solution to put these tips into practice is mobile construction apps. Snappii has been working with construction industry for about 10 years and has studied the needs of modern construction companies quite well. Snappii’s construction apps are a combination of quality and availability. We cover such tasks as daily reporting, estimation, work assigning, tracking, inspections, data collection and storage, document management, etc. This way, we are able to be your helper in successful construction projects without litigations. Find the ready-made construction apps here and try them. Most of Snappii apps are customizable. Also we can create an app from scratch in accordance with your personal needs. Contact us and provide your requirements.

The Importance of Troubleshooting Process and the Way to Improve It

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

What is troubleshooting?

Troubleshooting in maintenance and various services is a process of identifying what is wrong with the faulty systems, which helps overcome backlog, lost production, and compliance issues. There is a systematic approach with some steps including the identifying of the problem, planning the resolution, its testing, and resolving the problem. Analysis and experience gained should also be considered. Moreover troubleshooting is inextricably linked to inspection process, and sometimes they come together.

The role of data

Troubleshooting process is based on collecting as much information as possible from as many sources as possible to identify the most likely cause of the breakdown and avoid it in the future. The information should be highly accessible and timely. This will elevate the troubleshooting abilities and get the workflow back faster when unplanned downtime occurs. Also a special attention should be paid to the constant and clear flow of data between different departments and specialists.

The time to refer to maintenance apps

To collect, organize, analyze and circulate all the information needed to be successful at troubleshooting means a lot of work to gather. Without the proper tools, this process can be a real obstacle for maintenance and repair teams. Special maintenance apps can be the best solution. They take care of fast and easy collecting and organizing data and making it available wherever and whenever, so specialists can focus on instant using that information to make great decisions and troubleshoot more effectively. Moreover, maintenance apps can become a filing cabinet and contribute to effective organization and accessibility of the workflow.

Why Snappii

Snappii is a leading mobile solution provider, which is able to meet any business requirement. We take into account all important points of effective troubleshooting in maintenance and strive to assist you in this process.

Today we offer some powerful solutions to operate with various data in any conditions and streamline the whole workflow. Snappii Form Converter can transform any paper forms into mobile analogue. Now all processes with data are simple and convenient actions right on your smartphone. Fill in pre-made forms, process them, generate the reports and send them to anyone.

If you need a more complex solution, Snappii offers custom app development. We offer a set of unique useful features, and our team is ready to discuss your requirements. Snappii provides finished products in weeks and stays in touch with you throughout the whole development process. Learn some case studies from our successful customers. Contact us with any questions.

The Right Priorities and Focus While Looking for the Field Mobile Solutions

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Jobsites are the places, where a project’s most important data is generated and the main activity takes place. The field provides the most critical assets a company can have. For a long time there was a gap in the flow of communication between the field and the office due to the office-focused technology solutions. Fortunately, nowadays field-oriented mobile apps actively appear. However, it is extremely important to choose the right mobile solution for the field workflow. Here are some tips for it.

Simple and to the point

The traditional paperwork has long been proven to be inefficient in the field, but mobile apps can waste just as much time if they are not built in a proper way and with the end user in mind. If the app is not intuitive for the field, or overloaded, no one out there on the jobsite will have any opportunity or interest in using it, so the investment will turn out to be a waste. It is quite important to find the balance between the power and simplicity of the app. The functionality should be developed due to the actual requirements of the field specialists and clear to use. Clear and helpful app is a right way to a rise of productivity.

Keeping all parts of the workflow on the “same page”

Synchronization is critical to choose a field solution. The app should tie together data from all field professionals of all jobsites. When every worker uses a different system for work with data and reporting, it is difficult for managers to keep track of data and the whole workflow. The best field apps offer a synced system, so that all information is submitted in one place, and data is accessible at any time.

Specific features

Mobile apps for a field workflow should contain specific features. For example, frequently, field workers don’t have opportunity to type. This way, voice-to-text feature becomes an inalienable component of the field app. Find more other required features for field work here.

Snappii puts needs of field workers at the first place and offers the intuitive, easy-to-use field operation apps. We try to focus on the needs of the end users and provide exactly what they need for efficient and smooth work. You can find and try Snappii’s ready-made apps here. Also we are able to create a custom app in accordance with your specific needs. Just send us your requirements. Don’t settle for less and increase your efficiency, as well as the efficiency of your business.

Digital Transformation in Utility Sector: The Top Benefits of Special Apps

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Modern technology is reshaping the utility sector

Unfortunately, the utility industry traditionally was rather slow in technology adoption. This may be due to the fact that this sphere includes mostly field work. However in accordance with competition raise, new customer demands and the new agile solutions of modern technology, nowadays the utility industry actively embraces digital transformation. Digital solutions advancements are transforming usual field operations and contribute to more efficient and timely work. The advantages of special mobile apps for the utility area are numerous, and here are some of them.

Constant communication

Utility apps offer a perfect channel to constantly communicate and engage, whether it is a communication within a work team or an interaction with clients. Constant flow and exchange of timely information, such as work order changes, encountered difficulties, urgent matters, etc., optimize the workflow and improve the service.

Better service quality

Thanks to utility apps, service quality increases. Operative information allows professionals to quickly address service outages, prevent them, as well as to make better, fast decisions, which lead to the service improvements.

Fast and convenient work with data

Even utility sector deals with various data. Paperwork completely doesn’t combine with this kind of service. This way, utility apps is a real win. They provide convenient and quick data capturing and processing right in the field. Filling out mobile forms requires minimum effort and time. Accurate and timely data is always at the fingertips and can be instantly used for the more productive work.

Regular reporting

Utility apps are the best tool for regular reporting. Keeping the progress under control contributes to the smooth and timely operations. The apps allow users to create professional reports right on the mobile devices and instantly send them without a need to visit the office.

Snappii offers multifunctional apps for various industries. The utility industry is among them. Find them in the app gallery or send us your requirements and we will create the app you need in weeks.

Snappii Apps for Precast Bridge Construction Projects

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Start from the quality, efficiency and safety

Construction of large bridges and related infrastructure requires the specialized engineering systems, experience and a huge team of specialists. A key of a successful project is to develop project specific construction methods that promote highly efficient rates of construction, while keeping the safety and quality control measures to meet ever-changing job requirements. This approach is main for all categories of bridge construction techniques, whether for cast-in-situ applications or precast construction. Special construction apps are an essential assistant in this field. They can help keep everything under control, smoothly manage the workflow and optimize the operations without spending a huge amount of time and effort.

The best apps to keep the project

Project managers need to work closely with the entire team while the project oversight, and stay informed at all times, with accurate and timely data at their fingertips. Snappii’s Precast Erectors Reporting app and Precast Erectors Planner app can help achieve this. A lack of constant flow of timely data and delays are the main enemies of a clear workflow and a successful project progress. Precast Erectors Reporting app and Precast Erectors Planner app are able to synchronizing the entire field team and keep all the team members, contractors and producers on the “same page”. These apps provide a real time view of all the field activity and project reporting, which enables management to schedule labor, equipment and materials just in time. This also allow project managers to save time and money, and win more future deals.

The main features of Precast Erectors Planner app:

– Load erection sequence from Excel

– Automatically fills out a 4 day look ahead with delivery dates and delivery times

– Automatically calculates the number of pieces that are erected on any given day

– Team members are instantly notified about schedule changes

– Easy to create daily and anytime status reports

– Unlimited photos

Find more information about the app and schedule a demo here. Watch the video about the app.

Precast Erectors Reporting app consists of these forms:

– Erection Foreman Daily Report

– Project Coordinator Checklist

– Erection Site Visit Checklist

– Project Stability Assurance Checklist

Download the app from the Apple App Store. Watch the video how it works.

Contact us if you need any customization of the apps. Snappii team is ready to discuss your requirements and make all possible to meet them.

First name
Last name
Job title
Company
Company size
Phone
Email
Password
	I read and agree with the Terms of Service

Email
Password
	Forgot password