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Top Technological Trends in Field Service Industry

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Field services are open to implementing technological innovations

The constant implementation of new developments and technologies has contributed substantially to the fact that a lot of businesses offering field services have increased their specific weight on the market and the revenue. Bearing all of this state of affairs in mind, nowadays the experts predict the following trends in the field service:

– Mobile apps. Using mobile apps contributes to improving technicians’ efficiency, accelerating and improving work with field data, reducing the response times of the company in dealing with requests from their customers, improving the quality of reporting and its optimization, reducing the cost of document management and more. It is a great opportunity to increase the productivity of the entire company. Learn more about the benefits mobile apps can provide to the field service businesses in this blog post.

– Artificial Intelligence. Artificial intelligence is able to cover some processes that the technicians themselves cannot complete. Also, this is a great opportunity to increase the pace and efficiency of work. For example, voice-activated intelligent assistants, as well as controllers of service processes and data processors allow specialists to work smarter, better quality and with significant savings in time, money and resources.

– Drones and robots. Drones are usually used to review and monitor areas that are difficult to access. They allow specialists to get a great amount of detailed, accurate and timely data and thereby improve the service. Robot assistants are quite popular for mechanical tasks or risk environments for humans. They bring additional, extremely useful features, which have already been evaluated by some field service companies.

– 3D printing. 3D printing technology cuts the necessity to order parts for repair from suppliers. This way, it contributes to streamlining repairs and agile service. Moreover, it is an opportunity to save costs.

Want to be on top? Contact Snappii

It is not by chance that we put the mobile apps in the first place on the list above. According to the stats, 48% of organizations are already on board with some form of field service management software. A smartphone is what almost every person has in his pocket today. So field service apps are a rapidly growing trend now. Snappii has been working in this direction for several years. Today we offer some multifunctional ready-made field service apps, which will be helpful for daily operations. Find them here and feel free to try. Most of these apps can be customized to meet your specific requirements. You can send them to us and get a free quote. Moreover, Snappii’s team of high-quality professionals is able to create any field service app from scratch. We will discuss your needs and you will control the entire development process. Snappii is proud to be one of the leading business app development companies. Learn more about custom app development and start working with us here.

How to Achieve Construction Cost Savings

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Any construction company is looking for a key to long-term construction cost savings. The final goal of the construction process is to produce a high-quality and performing project. This way, cutting costs is a complicated balancing act. A reasonable economy on a project is less about the counting of each dollar and more about spending time and resources smarter.

The way to work smarter and to stay within budget

One of the major reasons construction projects go over budget is ineffective communication and management. This causes delays, downtime, inaccurate and untimely data, unprofitable decisions and more. Since a construction project is a dynamic environment, it requires flexible and reliable tools for management and communication with the worksite. Modern mobile apps can provide this opportunity.

The leader on the market of construction apps

Snappii supports and provides plenty of useful features to construction businesses for about 10 years. Our construction apps help make projects on time and within budget. Among the top ready-made products are:

Construction Daily Log app. It is the #1 reporting app for any construction project. The app includes the one-page collapsed form with various details and the voice-to-text opportunity. After filling out, the form can be instantly generated into the PDF report. Learn more about the Construction Daily Log app here.

Construction Estimator app. This app allows users to quickly create on-site estimates for construction and repair projects. It provides the opportunity to quantify material, labor and other costs and fill in the pre-made form. Find more information about the Construction Estimator app here.

Punch In/Out Timesheet app. The app contains all of the necessary aspects needed to accurately record time for any project or job code for every worker in every crew and to generate a professional time card which can be emailed. Learn more and try it here.

Construction Change Order app. The app allows users to avoid time-consuming paperwork and create quick construction change order requests right on a mobile device and provide them to selected supervisors for reviews. Learn more about the Construction Change Order app here.

Construction Manager app. The app ensures a regular flow of information between offices and construction sites. It contains the leading pre-made mobile forms to successfully manage any construction project. Learn more about its features here.

Visit the Snappii’s app gallery and find even more advanced construction apps. Most of them can be customized to meet any specific needs. You can send your requirements here.

How to Work with Data and Share It on Condition of Limited Office Visits and Face to Face Interaction

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Coronavirus forced many businesses to go to remote work, as well as a work without face to face interaction and office visits. And now, more than ever, businesses are challenged to stay connected with their employees outside of the office setting. They actively resort to the help of mobile technologies to keep productivity.

The tasks that are set before us nowadays

Today mobile devices provide businesses with a solution to keep constant communication. This way, this task is easily solved when working remotely or with limited office visits. And what about work with documentation? How to collect documents and reports from remote employees? Fortunately, there is an effective solution for this too.

Mobile solutions for smart and agile work with data

By using mobile apps and digitizing documentation, employees can easily and quickly collect necessary data and add it to pre-made mobile forms, instantly generate complete reports on the base of this data and submit them right through a mobile device. All of these are made without ever stepping foot inside the office. More and more businesses across all industries recognize this colossal benefit and equip their employees with mobile solutions.

Besides the opportunity to work with various data remotely, mobile apps and mobile forms allow users to increase the accuracy of data and reduce errors. Learn more about other advantages in this blog post. Also, there is a blog post with the top types of mobile forms, that every modern business should use.

Snappii Mobile Forms app

If the question of work with data and its sharing while working remotely is extremely relevant to you, Snappii is your best solution. We offer a Snappii Mobile Forms app with 100+ ready-to-use form templates for plenty of industries and fields of activity. The app provides inspection forms, estimates, work orders, invoices, daily logs reports, etc. Moreover, there is a unique opportunity to convert your own forms right in the Snappii Mobile Forms app and use them. Learn how to do it here. Download and try the Snappii Mobile Forms app right now.

Mobile App for Reliable Precast Concrete Erection Process without Delays

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

The precast concrete erection process can be messy and complicated. Delays of elements and flawed products can stop all work on the construction site. This contributes to a waste of time, money and resources. All project managers and contractors want to find a way to avoid any delays and make the erection process smooth and reliable. A mobile software-based workflow can help ensure timely and uninterrupted delivery of correct elements and a more productive workflow.

Why Precast Erectors Planner app

Snappii has developed an app, which provides managers a real-time view of all the field activity, helps in project planning and following up on the progress, and keeps all parties of the workflow well informed at all the stages of the project. Precast Erectors Planner app is the best pocket tool to coordinate the project and ensure its progress according to the schedule.

Key features of the 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

– Use unlimited photos

– Works on all Apple devices

– Deploys in under 1 hour

No more wasting labor hours, expensive equipment, sitting idle, waiting for pieces from manufacturing. Precast Erectors Planner synchronizes the entire field team for maximum efficiency. You can find more information about the app in this brochure, as well as in this short video.

Coreslab Structures successfully uses the app and here is what Mark McGee, Field Operations Manager at Coreslab notes: “An app like this can save $4,000 per hour!” Contact Snappii support team to schedule a demo of the Precast Erectors Planner app.

4 Key Reasons to Use Fleet Maintenance Apps

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

The fleet is mobile by its very nature, so it needs the same mobile solution for inspections and maintenance. Today there are special mobile apps that help boost productivity and efficiency. Here are the key reasons the organizations using any vehicles should go mobile as part of their fleet maintenance strategy.

Rapidity and agility of work

Fleet maintenance apps provide inspectors, drivers and other specialists the ability to highlight any defects and problems in real-time. Thanks to synchronization and the cloud, any data becomes instantly available to all users on the system. This eliminates the delays associated with paperwork and data transfer. Maintenance specialists, technicians and repairmen get instant visibility of issues and can act immediately. This way, fleet maintenance apps contribute to more fast and optimized work.

Data accuracy

With a paper-based solution, the issues are recorded manually and are transferred to the office. Unfortunately, often handling paper associates with human errors. Moreover, the received data is added to the fleet maintenance system in the office. This process also often admits losses, errors and inaccuracies. Fleet maintenance apps eliminate these difficulties. They allow workers to operate with timely and as a consequence more accurate data. Also, pre-made mobile forms in such apps help avoid issues associated with handwriting.

Constant access to all data

In a paper-based fleet maintenance system, drivers and specialists have no instant access to previously reported issues. They have to do tremendous work with archives to identify any recurring problems and regularities. Fleet maintenance apps provide instant access to all available data and allow specialists to use it for analyzing and improvements.

Increased productivity

Fleet maintenance apps simplify many operations and provide specialists the opportunity to work smarter and more productive. They eliminate the routine, static character and extra effort. All of these contribute to better maintenance of the fleet while minimizing costs.

Snappii’s mobile solution for fleet maintenance

Snappii is one of the most powerful providers of business apps for various industries. Fleet maintenance is one of the fields we cover. Inspect & Maintain Vehicles app is the ready-made app we can offer for this area. The app is created to perform detailed inspections of various types of vehicles including heavy and not heavy ones. Its users are able to easily identify possible issues and breakings, report them to mechanics and ask for a quick repair. It is the most convenient and efficient way to keep the entire fleet in proper condition.

Inspect & Maintain Vehicles app allows users to:

– perform pre and post trips inspections,

– inspect both exterior and interior of vehicles,

– collect inspector’s information and dates,

– calculate mileage covered,

– check all functional parts and ensure that they are in good condition,

– report breakings to mechanics,

– work offline and online,

– take or upload pictures to report and prove issues,

– import existing fillable PDF forms to collect specific information,

– create PDF and Excel reports and email them,

– upload created reports to cloud drives or print them out.

Here is a short video of how the app works.

Download and try Inspect & Maintain Vehicles app in Apple App Store and Google Play.

Need any app customization? Contact Snappii team to discuss it.

Why Fire Prevention Plan is Essential for Enterprises

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Enterprises are vulnerable to a number of threats, and the fire is the most common of them. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, on average, a fire department responded to a fire somewhere in the US every 24 seconds in 2019. Reducing the risk of a potential fire at the enterprise is one of the most important things managers can and must do to protect employees, customers, and property.

What is a fire prevention plan?

The first step enterprises can take to ensure fire protection is to create a fire prevention plan. The main goal of such a plan is to identify and control fire hazards before they occur and maintenance of fire prevention measures. This document should list where all the fire extinguishers, alarms, and other fire-fighting equipment are in the enterprise location, describe potentially hazardous materials, equipment, and tools, which are used in work, as well as note measures in the event of a threat and sequential steps of evacuation.

How to keep fire-fighting equipment in good condition

However, it is not enough just to list fire-fighting equipment in a fire prevention plan. It must be regularly inspected to ensure its good condition and readiness for usage. The most simple, fast, and efficient way to do this is to turn to special mobile apps. Fire inspection apps allow users to instantly collect all necessary data, generate complete reports, share them with governing bodies and any organizations, as well as safely store them right on a mobile device for constant access. This is not just the easiest way of work with inspection data, but also the most reliable.

Snappii offers its ready-to-use Fire Inspection app. It is an excellent tool to perform inspections and capture required data easily and quickly. Fire Inspection app covers such important fire safety components as extinguishers, fire hydrants, fire prevention, daycare fire inspection, etc. Fill in pre-made mobile form, take and add photos, report locations, capture handwritten signatures, email and store completed forms, and more. Learn how the app works from this video. Download and try Fire Inspection app for iOS and Android devices. If you need any app customization, contact Snappii team and we will discuss it.

Construction Change Orders and the Easiest Way of Their Generation

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Change orders are an essential tool for contractors and subcontractors. They should clearly define the scope of work and generate detailed contracts with explicit pricing to protect themselves and their business. And if there are any changes to the original project, they need to be not just discussed and agreed verbally, but also documented.

What is a change order?

This way, a change order is a document used to record changes and amendment to the original construction contract. Change orders contain the records of additional services being provided, along with costing for those services. Change orders allow contractors to ensure that both parties are treated fairly. Sometimes, the original construction contract may spell out the specific change order form a contractor should use. Otherwise, if there is not a specific form in the contract, they can generally use any form.

How to make change order process easier and more efficient

Generating change orders is paperwork, and requires data collection, processing and calculations. This activity at the jobsite is a real headache. This way, contractors have to go to the office to complete all documents. However, nowadays there is a solution to add efficiency, speed and agility to the change order process.

Snappii offers ready-made Construction Change Order app to create quick construction change order requests and provide them to selected supervisors for reviews. The app allows users to avoid time consuming paperwork, as well as significantly simplify and accelerate the process. A worker can organize change orders by projects and fill in all necessary details, including information about labor, equipment, parts, construction sites, date and timestamp, as well as upload PDF documents and take pictures. Due to the in-built calculator it is simple to estimate total hours and costs needed to complete a particular project. Moreover, the app users are able to make a list of supervisors, assign orders to them, track supervisor’s feedback and proposed changes in case of rejections. Any order will be securely stored on the mobile device. Construction Change Order app contributes to more accurate and timely data. Change orders can be made right in the field and without visits to office and face to face interactions.

Construction Change Order app is available in Apple App Store and Google Play. Get a visual idea of Construction Change Order app from this video. Contact Snappii for any additional information. We can customize this app to meet any specific needs. Send us your requirements to get a free quote.

Top 3 In-demand Heavy Equipment of a Fall Season

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Fall is a quite popular time to buy heavy vehicles. There is some season-related heavy equipment, and companies are in a hurry to provide themselves with it. Also, companies are already starting to plan their needs for the next year. Here are some the most in-demand heavy equipment of a fall season.

Tow trucks

Winter is coming and tow trucks are the most popular heavy vehicle in the market. Perhaps, buyers are getting prepared for the icy weather. Among the top quality tow truck brands are Mercedes, MAN, Volvo, Iveco, Scania, DAF and Renault.

Refrigerated vans

Refrigerated vans have rather increased popularity in autumn. This may be due to the end of the warm season and the opportunity to get a discount on this type of heavy equipment. Also, with the onset of the cold season, the transportation of such goods as for example fruits and vegetables increases from southern areas.

Skid steer loaders

Skid steer loaders are in-demand during fall due to their versatility. They can easily shift between doing indoor work, small construction work, as well as outdoor snow and ice removal. Also skid steer loaders are very useful for different utilities works. And with the beginning of the heating season, such works increase.

Keep heavy equipment in a good working condition

If your business owns any heavy equipment, it requires regular inspection and maintenance. It can significantly extend its life cycle. Snappii offers a smart and convenient Heavy Equipment Inspection app. It allows users to conduct detailed on-the-go inspections covering each major system and component of heavy equipment. The app provides both mechanical and visual checkpoints. The users are able to indicate problems and disrepairs, and instantly notify mechanics about maintenance issues or repair services required. This video will provide you more information about Heavy Equipment Inspection app. Download the app in Apple App Store and Google Play. Need any app customization? Snappii team is ready to discuss your specific requirements. Send them here.

How to Increase Efficiency in the Workplace

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

It is obvious, that if the employees of any business are happy, their productivity increases, and this is exactly what helps the business grow. Improving efficiency in the workplace starts from enabling employees to work smarter, not harder, as well as from maintaining and developing of such important factors as work environment, job satisfaction, effective leadership, right tools and equipment and more. The tips below will help find and implement the strategies of boosting employee engagement and increasing the efficiency of the workflow.

Delegation

Delegation may provide some risk, however it increases responsibility of employees, what is important for improving the morale. This contributes to a sense of achievement and development in their careers. Moreover, it is a perfect opportunity to identify new talents and strengths of the team.

Flexible work hours and remote work

Flexible work hours may let employees work more efficient. Also it is worth considering the possibility of making some part or the entire team remote, or offering more work from home days. “Buffer, Edgar, Zapier and Groove are among many companies that run on fully remote teams. It’s more than just a trend. According to reports, using remote teams improves workplace productivity by 13 percent,” according to Entrepreneur.

Comfortable workplace conditions

Workplace should be not just safe but also comfortable for employees. Inconvenient environment distracts from concentration, and employees will spend more time trying to improve their conditions. Ensure both heating and air-conditioning systems are in working order, the workplace is clean, all equipment and tools are in good condition and in place, lighting complies with standards, etc.

Automation of tedious activities

There are some monotonous, laborious and time consuming tasks, which may not be related to immediate work activities. For example, paperwork. This tires employees and reduces their interest in progress and in increasing the efficiency of the workflow. Try to automate such operations. There are many technologies, which significantly excelled in this direction. Special mobile apps allow businesses almost completely eliminate paperwork and work with all documentation using mobile devices. This contributes to more fast, optimized and reliable work with various data, as well as provides a positive effect on the efficiency of all operations.

Why you should turn to Snappii

Snappii is an expert in transferring to paperless business. We offer unique solutions of developing custom apps for businesses and converting existing paper documents to their digital analogue. Learn more about DIY form conversion here and try it yourself. Also, Snappii team is ready to do it for you. Send us your forms and requirements here. Need a complete custom app for your business? You can send us your requirements to discuss.

Facilities Management Data and the Best Way to Work with It

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

The formal practice of facility management has been around since the 1970s. Today there are 2 types of facility maintenance workers: the facility manager and the maintenance technician. Technicians are responsible for building walkthroughs, preventive maintenance, and repairs. Among facilities managers’ duties are: maintaining safe, comfortable, and useful environments, work with building assets, exploring of their impact, strategic tasks and more. These responsibilities are constantly evolving.

Why collect facility management data?

Data is critical for facility managers to understand where the facilities management processes and procedures stand, in which direction to move to improve them and to measure these actions. In general, data and analytics set the stage to better facilities management.

The key types of data to use

While there is a huge number of data to consider, some metrics will provide more insight. Here are some of them:

– Work order response time. This is both a diagnostic data and a prescriptive one. This data contributes to avoiding delays and optimizing repair works.

– Repair cost. The data of average repair costs is useful when planning yearly facility maintenance budgets. This contributes to more rational and cost-effective use of funds.

– Energy cost. Energy is a big cost for facilities. The data of usual energy costs and usage helps optimize and save the related expenditures in facilities.

– Space occupancy. This data allows facility managers to understand existing space utilization and how to better manage the space.

The benefits of mobile apps

To make the work with data easier and more efficient, modern facility managers refer to special mobile apps. These apps allow users to collect, manage and analyze all data right on a mobile device. Among the main benefits are:

– Timely and more accurate data.

– Agility and the opportunity to work with data right in the field

– Better instant communication and the opportunity to share all data without face to face interaction

– The opportunity to generate various reports and store them with constant access.

Snappii is the top business app development company. We are ready to create a custom app for fast, simple and efficient work with any facility management data. Send us your requirements to discuss.

Moreover, Snappii offers the ready-made Building Maintenance app, which can be useful for any facility manager. This app is designed to help organize and manage maintenance inspections of buildings. Also users are able to evaluate conditions of functional areas and create building service orders. Download Building Maintenance app to try. It is available in Apple App Store and Google Play. Feel free to contact us to discuss the customization of this app.

Estimating and Quoting Software for Construction Projects

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

What estimator wouldn’t want to quote construction projects faster and easier? This way, to optimize this process, save time and money, modern estimators, contractors and other specialists implement special mobile technology for estimating and quoting.

What is construction estimating software

Construction estimating software is a pocket mobile tool, gaining immense popularity, and designed to streamline and improve the process of creating cost, material, and labor estimates for various construction projects and operations. The, estimating, quoting and bidding processes are all very closely interconnected. It’s common for some software to span all these activities. Also all estimating and quoting software provides different packages of specific features, so user should keep this in mind, when certain features are critical.

Why it is useful

Estimating and quoting apps are a real time saver. Pre-made mobile forms allow users to collect data and fill in estimation forms in a snap, anytime and anywhere. No need to fill in the forms manually, transfer documentation, adjust any form to the standard, constant maintain file storages and more. Estimating and quoting apps contribute to increased accuracy, reliability and agility. Estimating becomes a process with minimal effort and great time savings.

Construction Estimator app from Snappii

Snappii helps construction companies make their operations easier and more efficient for about 10 years. Construction Estimator app is one of our top ready-made apps, which is successfully used by different specialists. This app allows users to quickly create on-site estimates for construction and repair projects. Among the main features of the app are:

– the opportunity to import clients from the address book or Excel file;

– the opportunity to quantify material, labor and other costs and fill in the pre-made form;

– the opportunity to make necessary calculations and show a customer the total estimated cost in labor, parts, and the grand total;

– the opportunity to transform voice to text and avoid typing;

– the opportunity to preview the estimate as a PDF;

– the opportunity to share the estimate with anyone via email, Facebook, network drives and other sharing options available on device;

– the opportunity to store all the data locally on the device.

Construction Estimator app is available in Apple App Store as well as in Google Play. Snappii team is open to discuss any customization of the app to meet your specific needs. You can contact us here.

How to Make a Roof More Energy Efficient and Reduce Energy Costs

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Daria Ivantsova

Summer or winter months are usually the time of increased energy costs. The reason is more intensive use of heating and cooling systems. There are some ways to reduce energy costs in home, and energy-efficient roofing is one of them.

Adequate roof insulation

One of the ways to make a roof more energy efficient is ensuring adequate insulation. Poorly insulated attics can’t fully withstand high temperatures and force homeowners to increase energy costs. However, while improving insulation, it is important to know the optimal amount and type of insulating material that should be used.

Roof coating

Another method for increasing a roof’s energy efficiency is to add specific coating or material to the roof. Dark colors retain more heat. In its turn, there is a coating to reduce heat retention, for example special cool-roofing paint. In addition to energy efficiency, this solution contributes to increasing UV and waterproofing protection for the roof.

Energy efficient roofing materials

The following solution is suitable while roof replacement or construction of a new roof. There are special energy efficient roofing materials, which should be thought in advance. For example, metal roofing provides significant savings in energy, than shingle.

The process to start with

Considering all the variety of opportunities to increase energy efficient of roof and reduce energy costs, and keeping in mind various specific aspects of each house, homeowners should conduct roof inspection before deciding on the best strategy. The best way to make such inspection accurate, efficient, as well as fast and quite simple, is using special mobile app.

Roof Inspection app from Snappii

Snappii offers smart and multifunctional Roof Inspection app. This app is specifically designed to perform multiple types of roof inspections by using a mobile device. Roof Inspection app covers the following types of roof: asphalt shingles, clay tiles, slate, metal, wood shingles and shakes, built-up/membrane/green roof. The app users are able to collect roof inspection details in minutes right in the field, take pictures, make notes, add digital signature, generate reports and send them. This video demonstrates how Roof Inspection app works. The app is available to download in Apple App Store and Google Play. Snappii team is ready to discuss the customization of Roof Inspection app. If you have any specific requirements and you want us to implement them in the app, please send them to us.

The importance of regular roof inspections

Keep in mind, that any roof requires regular inspections regardless of the immediate problem or intention to remodel something in the roof. By making sure the roof is in good condition, you can prevent different hassles and keep safety of inhabitants.

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