How do you enter data on site?

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by dduffy

Bob...Like you, my best shortcut is not taking any notes, my pictures are my notes and I usually take about 100 for a screwed up slab on grade, stucco, tile roof.

I don't have a hard time thinking it would take 200 pictures if the homes here had basements.

It takes me the most time typing what the picture is meant for in the report, well it does take time, which I do not regret, my business is strictly referral, so I guess the extra time pays for itself in the long run, no need for advertising just my website which I really don't get many calls from, no realtor meetings, many realtors do not like my reports, but many do, there are a few honest ones I have known for a long time, great people, but I tell it like it is, clients love it, one referral after another, and could and usually do work 7 days a week with a couple nice two week vacations in between.

So I'm not really looking for any more shortcuts, with the pictures and annotations in the pictures nobody calls asking what does this mean, so the extra time I spend on the report saves me time in the future not answering any questions about a report....thus, I call it a shortcut--:-

I could have wrote that ,except for the 7 days a week part.

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by belliott

I could have wrote that ,except for the 7 days a week part.

LOL Condo--

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by dduffy

LOL Condo--

Hey us Chicagoan s love our Bears.
Good luck with Philly after what what Mike Singletary did to you guys.
We should have taken that old Bear while we had the chance.

have fun cleaning.
At least you own property.
You guys sound so busy in the Scottsdale area I am tempted to visit some day soon.
Just waiting another year before I travel as I am in phase 2 of my business plan and should increase 50% next year if it holds up.

Just gotta keep off my lazy butt or at least my lazy fingers as it is all about the web baby.

Dom knows.

[Dominic J. Maricic]

Yup, I know I have to keep lighting a fire under you to get you back to work!

[ehendrix2]

I like using the field notes. Gives you a checklist to make sure you don't mis anything. Sometimes with talkative buyers, you might miss an item if you don't have your checklist. Plenty of pictures is always a good back-up for when you get back to the office.

[James R. Szczesny]

I know I am chiming in late on this post but this is what I have used now for 3 years. I really like it. TDS recon http://www.tdsway.com/products/recon

very durable and can get wet and handle drops or me crushing it in a crawlspace

[Steven S. Ramos]

When I can.... I try to enter the data in my software onsite and load the pictures at the end of the inspection. In my area there is such a diversity of construction that I really never know what I am walking into as far as condition, age, styles and materials even within the same house. If I am in a hurry or other conditions dictate I will use my camera as a notepad and take lots of photos and do the report at the office. I try not to make this the rule because I always end up doing the report at night and that just wears on you after awhile.

[Steven S. Ramos]

The other thing I would add to this discussion is that it would be really refreshing to see some software that lets the inspector choose how they want to enter data. As you can see from the poll many inspectors take photos onsite and do the report in the office. Wouldn't it be cool to have a report writing wizard that would pull each photo up in order and then allow you enter the comment and have it placed in the proper location (the report would still read in section by section for the consumer but the data entry would be disconnected from the report format - a lot less clicking to change sections. Currently almost all report writing software gets this part backward.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by sramos

The other thing I would add to this discussion is that it would be really refreshing to see some software that lets the inspector choose how they want to enter data. As you can see from the poll many inspectors take photos onsite and do the report in the office. Wouldn't it be cool to have a report writing wizard that would pull each photo up in order and then allow you enter the comment and have it placed in the proper location (the report would still read in section by section for the consumer but the data entry would be disconnected from the report format - a lot less clicking to change sections. Currently almost all report writing software gets this part backward.

That is true.
Software allows you to place photos into appropriate sections and even allows comments under the photos, but you must go to the comment section afterwords .

It would be nice to have picture comments become the actual comments in the report.

That would involve another set of drop downs if you wanted to use canned comments and they would need to have the option of defect or material comment (summery placement or not).
In essence you would have four columns of options possibly in drop down format or search as you type.

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by belliott

It would be nice to have picture comments become the actual comments in the report.

Bob - that's what HIP does.

If you do the text first then go to the pics - the large drop down will have all the comments for that section. Pic one and - vioal!

It's the same end result your looking for, only in reverse - the actual report comments become the picture comments.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by rmaday

Bob - that's what HIP does.

If you do the text first then go to the pics - the large drop down will have all the comments for that section. Pic one and - vioal!

It's the same end result your looking for, only in reverse - the actual report comments become the picture comments.

Reread Rick as you are right in that it is esrever.

What Steve is talking about is having picture comments become the report comments.
I do not know how you work but I understand Steve on that issue 100%.

HIP is the best no doubt ,and I think you know I am just a little familiar with HIP as it is the best out there.

Rick are you not understanding that time and effort would be shaved if we could work straight off the photos.
I know you like to have your checklist , but that is distracting to you and the client in my opinion.Still that is your option and I am sure you would have ideas that make that method more efficient.

However that is not what is being discussed here as we are talking about the many who use photos only for notes and then do the report at home straight off the pictures.

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by belliott

Reread Rick as you are right in that it is esrever.

What Steve is talking about is having picture comments become the report comments.
I do not know how you work but I understand Steve on that issue 100%.

HIP is the best no doubt ,and I think you know I am just a little familiar with HIP as it is the best out there.

Rick are you not understanding that time and effort would be shaved if we could work straight off the photos.
I know you like to have your checklist , but that is distracting to you and the client in my opinion.Still that is your option and I am sure you would have ideas that make that method more efficient.

However that is not what is being discussed here as we are talking about the many who use photos only for notes and then do the report at home straight off the pictures.

The only difference is where you type the info. You either type it below the picture or in the report body.

Either way it comes out the same.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by rmaday

The only difference is where you type the info. You either type it below the picture or in the report body.

Either way it comes out the same.

Ok one more time...

Double work....Double work

It would be nice to go through the pics and comment under them as you go.
Present methods for software you must go through 100 plus pictures and slot them then you must click into the the comment section and type comment then you must go back yet again to pick comment typed in comment section to add it as a caption.
Either that or you must add a different comment such as location of subject picture.
Better would be to use comment under picture as report comment.

You can not do that Rick.

If you type the comment into the report section it does not auto add to the picture as a comment unless there is some secret you are holding back.

Now try and keep an open mind ,as I have no idea what your method is for sure but you obviously do not use pictures as notes the way many do.

Great ,would be to stay in picture edit mode and not have to click back and forth.

End of subject...(from my end)

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by belliott

Ok one more time...

Double work....Double work

No, same work, same work (or less).

No matter if you use a camera, notepad or ESP, you still have to

Enter data into the program
Annotate photos

It would be nice to go through the pics and comment under them as you go.
Present methods for software you must go through 100 plus pictures and slot them then you must click into the the comment section and type comment then you must go back yet again to pick comment typed in comment section to add it as a caption.
Either that or you must add a different comment such as location of subject picture.
Better would be to use comment under picture as report comment.

That may be what you do, but not what you “must” do.

How about trying this:

Enter your data (text) into the report (you can do this by looking at your notes or looking at your pictures in any picture viewer).

Upload your pictures

Go through and slot them and add the caption (which is there, in the drop down) at the same time. Result is the report comment and pic caption are the same.

You can not do that Rick.

If you type the comment into the report section it does not auto add to the picture as a comment unless there is some secret you are holding back.

You are correct, you have to add the caption. Difference is, if you do the report data first you don’t have to type the caption (unless you want it to be different than what is in the report)

Now try and keep an open mind ,as I have no idea what your method is for sure but you obviously do not use pictures as notes the way many do.

My mind is open – what about yours?

I have used a technique similar to yours (pics as notes and annotating pics first) and I have tried something different – and found it works better for me.

Great ,would be to stay in picture edit mode and not have to click back and forth.

True, but that is not here yet so use what is available - simply reverse the process.

End of subject...(from my end)

Good, then I get the last word.

Here’s a breakdown of the way I used to enter data (and the way I still believe you do) and my current process

OLD WAY

1) Upload pics
2) Edit pics
3) Select section for pics
4) TYPE the caption
5) Generate report with just pictures (to use as notes)
6) Enter data into report software (from looking at the pdf of pics/ with captions – pic notes)
7) Review completed report

Assuming 100% unique comments, you have to type twice – once for the caption and once for the data. If you have comments stored (ie, toilet leaking), you would still be typing the caption, but clicking in the report.

NEW WAY

1) Enter data into report (from field notes)
2) Upload pics
3) Edit pics
4) Select section for pics
5) CLICK the caption (available from the drop down)
6) Review completed report

Even assuming 100% unique comments, you only have to type once. Your typing is then available in the drop down for the picture.

So, not double work – half work.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by rmaday

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Good, then I get the last word.

Here’s a breakdown of the way I used to enter data (and the way I still believe you do) and my current process

OLD WAY

1) Upload pics
2) Edit pics
3) Select section for pics
4) TYPE the caption
5) Generate report with just pictures (to use as notes)
6) Enter data into report software (from looking at the pdf of pics/ with captions – pic notes)
7) Review completed report

Assuming 100% unique comments, you have to type twice – once for the caption and once for the data. If you have comments stored (ie, toilet leaking), you would still be typing the caption, but clicking in the report.

NEW WAY

1) Enter data into report (from field notes)
2) Upload pics
3) Edit pics
4) Select section for pics
5) CLICK the caption (available from the drop down)
6) Review completed report

Even assuming 100% unique comments, you only have to type once. Your typing is then available in the drop down for the picture.

So, not double work – half work.

Glad that works for YOU

Now if you can get the field note mentality off this sub-subject you will have actually read my post.