How do you enter data on site?

[Steven S. Ramos]

I agree if the picture is with the comment. I happen to prefer to have the pictures at the back of section of the report so the written comments can be scanned quickly in one place. In this scenario a reference is required and useful.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by sramos

I agree if the picture is with the comment. I happen to prefer to have the pictures at the back of section of the report so the written comments can be scanned quickly in one place. In this scenario a reference is required and useful.

Most Inspectors prefer that pictures accompany the comments for the obvious reason it is much easier to comprehend.
Home Inspector Pro does allow you to enter as many of the comments as you wish into the summery section however , which would contain all text and refer to page and section where a picture can be found along with other comments such as materials used.

[Chuck Lambert]

For photo input the 3D software can time stamp comments and then later back in the office show you photos that were taken (with time stamp) +- 2 minutes of when you time stamped the comment. Saves a great amount of time by only showing one or a few photos to choose from instead of all that you took and have to weed thru them.

Chuck

[Bob Elliott]

Most modern cameras have folders built in that can do the same thing.
Not sure how that feature would help.

Most Inspectors like to run through all the pics anyway.

[Brian E. Kelly]

I take the picture in the order of my HI which is almost always in the same sequence, then it is easy to find the pics as I enter the data for the report. I annotate most of the pics with an arrow, circle, and HERE. The software does all that and HERE is my annotation by default.

Most of the narratives for defects or items of interest have already been written in the 6 yrs of HI report writing. click click click

I might save a little time if I could have a couple of more comments for pic annotation in a drop down menu. Not much time though.

Anymore I do the inspection, while taking pictures, then do the entire report on site at the end.

[Steven S. Ramos]

I have a ton of canned comments too. I always add more specific info to save from getting the phone call later and to make my point abundantly clear.

As for styles of reporting (where photos are placed) there are two schools of thought (probably more ): keep the photos together which allows someone to read a comment and see the photo; the other being placing the comment and add the photo at the end of the section. I personally (it really is a matter of style and what your customers are telling you that counts there are no right or wrongs here) have received much feedback from clients that my other forms of reporting took too long to read. Now I know what we all say that we want the client to read the whole report. But really, how many actually read the whole report, I don't have factual information - just anecdotal - but I am guessing that the percentage of clients that read the whole report is lower when the client cannot quickly scan a section (i.e. plumbing) to get the issues and then drill down from there....

By the way - great discussion here. I really am enjoying hearing all the different opinions and ways in which inspectors get it done. This is how I learn because there always seems to be someone here who figured out how to crack the coconut.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

I take the picture in the order of my HI which is almost always in the same sequence, then it is easy to find the pics as I enter the data for the report. I annotate most of the pics with an arrow, circle, and HERE. The software does all that and HERE is my annotation by default.

Most of the narratives for defects or items of interest have already been written in the 6 yrs of HI report writing. click click click

I might save a little time if I could have a couple of more comments for pic annotation in a drop down menu. Not much time though.

Anymore I do the inspection, while taking pictures, then do the entire report on site at the end.

I never put comments under the picture as a rule but instead add location or componant title only.
Adding a comment would be redundant since the picture comment does not show up in a summery.(plus duplication looks terrible)

Thats why I always push Active Words software as a great program for typing shortcuts.

It is almost impossible to get out of some form of narration in a high end report.

Some how left-side-cracked as a comment just does not cut it in a high end report.

You can have 6 years of comments stored and spend another 6 years scrolling through them to hunt and click (haha)

Thats why a search as you type feature would be a nice addition in many ways.

The search type would need to be section speciphic in order to produce fast relevant results however.

This way those 6 years of comments ,which may number in the thousands would actually save time over narration.

[Jeffrey R. Knight]

After this poll being here a while you should all notice that there are a lot of home inspectors spending late nights creating reports. 73% of the ones that took the poll are going back to the office to create their reports. What would be interesting is what the average length of time it takes for these inspectors to complete a report once they get back to the office.

I did notice thou that the percentages do add up to more then 100% .... so the percentages may be off some.

[ldapkus]

I now use a PDA again for my reports. I love it.

[Mark E. Northrup]

I have a pre printed sheet for the roof, garage, water heater, furnace, attic, exterior and the outside that i use when i am at the inspection. Then i sit in the truck and enter the info in the laptop. Then i take the laptop inside and imput the rest of the inspection. At the end i inter the pictures look over them and enter the rest of the comments. I spell check and do final test for the software i use (Inspect it) and then print the report. I tell the clients that the final report with corrections will be emailed to them after i am at home and look over the report. It works really well and I have very few call backs.
I use a HP touchscreen that i carry around with me in the inside and fill in the info. I use pre-canned comments that i edit on the fly. Works really good for me.

[William R. DeVries, CMHI]

I have a few blank reports that I carry with me in the truck in case battery goes down, (sshh don't wanna give tablet ideas) and input along the way outside, and in the house, sometimes put down and walk back to tablet, pictures along the way, usually 30 - 100 in a bad house, input everything and wrap up report, if clients want copy i print rough draft for them, no pics, them i sit and grab a coffee and finish report at a wifi coffee shop and send it along. the pictures allow you to reflect what was there and re assess inspection, aqny modifications are then done and final report is punched.
With the impressive size Dom has on the reports for the most part i send it attached in the email and discussion warm down letter.

[Bob Elliott]

I have spent the last few days loading up a mind map on my Android with every component I can think of.

If you have a Android phone it is called Thinking Space and syncs with Free Mind ,the popular freeware that has been out for years, on your home computer.

I prefer this because everything is opened with a tap.

My other new method to try is the phones voice recorder but with a software called Rehearsal Assistant.What I like about that app is its ability to let you add titles to your folders ,that are easy to scroll to.

[Bruce Thompson]

What is a mind map?

[ldapkus]

Bob lost his mind, he needs a map to find it.......a small map.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by bthompson1

What is a mind map?

It is a way to map your ideas in general.
You could actually even use it as a way to find files easily.

It works simular to the branches of a tree.

Picture a "center box" with a main idea like Inspection

Now from that box draw a line to a box labeled Roof

Make other boxes surrounding the center page box with (main subjects) which in this case are systems.

Draw a line to each one.

Where it gets interesting is that you can now after clicking on one of the other boxes have it in turn become the center box for yet another series of boxes.

Say you click on roof and it is now surrounded by components associated with roof.

Materials,flashing,drip edge,chimney and how ever many you decide to create.
What in many ways makes it better for notes than anything else is the no limit to how many sub sets you are allowed to create.

Take a typical Report program for instance.

You can have subject tabs and sub tabs,but there is a limit to how many sub sets you can create.

With a mind map you can go forever.

The map is manageable and fast because you start with only the first box on screen and open the sub sets in progression.

They can of course retract and get out of the way on another click.

Much easier to do than my little summary would make you think.
TRY IT.



Just go to free Mind and download a free copy.
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Download

What I like on the phone version is being able to do everything with just one thumb.

Pay no attention to Linus as his Apple vending machine may not be capable of it.
He gets jealous.