Field Reporting Software: 5 Key Benefits

Regular site visits are crucial if you want to correct issues in your projects early and avoid costly mistakes. But to fix errors, you first need to catch and record them. That’s where field reports become invaluable.

Field reports are used to document any observations you make during a site visit. And they do more than catch and record problems ready to be fixed—they provide a measure of progress and a record of compliance that can be referred back to as construction projects move forward.

Whether you call them field reports, site reports, inspection reports, or anything else—these documents can make or break your construction project’s progress. The best field reports give everyone involved in your project a clear view of planning, agreements, project progress and further actions to take. They quite literally put everyone on the same page.

In this article, we’ll explore what makes a good field report and five ways using field reporting software can streamline the process.

Good communication is vital for success in any kind of project—and construction is no exception. From architects and engineers to project managers and construction contractors, everyone needs to be aware of what they need to do and when to avoid delays and escalating costs.

Clear field reports that are shared with the whole team help ensure everyone knows what their responsibilities are and what adjustments they need to make. A good field report helps keep your project on track and on budget. 

Field reports deliver huge benefits at every stage of your project: through planning, construction and beyond. By building in quality control from the very start, you’re less likely to hit major issues down the line. Inspecting your site regularly and documenting those visits thoroughly will bring any problems to the surface early—so you can fix them there and then—and avoid extensive rework as your project nears completion. 

And after your project is complete, those same field reports will give you a historic picture of construction. This offers a record of the steps you’ve taken, so you have the evidence you need to resolve potential disagreements about specific aspects of your project. 

Ultimate Guide To Field Reports

Unfortunately, getting the full benefits from your field reports can be time consuming without the right tools to help you.

Without robust tools, it’s easy to misplace the valuable data that goes into your field reports. Photos can get lost in your camera roll. Notes taken quickly onsite can be easily misconstrued when you return to them later. And details can be forgotten if there’s a delay between making an observation and writing it up in the report. Without accuracy and timeliness, field reports quickly lose their value.

But there are ways to make sure that doesn’t happen. Dedicated field reporting software takes delays and misplaced documentation out of the equation. There are tools specifically designed to make field reporting simpler—allowing you to attach notes and photos to specific actions while you’re onsite.

Stop Creating Excel Punch Lists

Put simply, field reporting software is any software that’s created to make field work quicker and easier. You can use field reporting software on the mobile devices you take on-site to support you with paperless inspections and automated field reports.

Field reporting tools eliminate the need for pen and paper. Instead, it provides a modern tool that can store all your plans, notes and pictures in one handy place. It will save you time and help you generate professional reports wherever you are and whenever you need.

Purpose-built field reporting software that’s created with project management in mind gives you a single tool to collect and organize information from your site visits. The best software is an app you can use on-site so you can directly attach your pictures and notes to plans and checklists in the field. This stops information from getting lost or misconstrued.

And that’s not the only benefit. The right field reporting software can help you: 

1. Give everyone full visibility: When architects, engineers and contractors have access to the same software, everyone can clearly see how the project is progressing. The whole team has greater visibility into what’s been completed, what’s yet to be done and any changes that need to be made. 
2. Make collaboration intuitive: With a clear and shared view of the project, decisions can be made faster. And they can be based on accurate, up-to-date information. Tasks can be quickly assigned to the most appropriate people and any requests for rework can be shared with the full team, too.
3. Improve accuracy in reports: Good field reporting software enables you to enter project information, notes and photos in real-time while you’re still on-site. This removes the delay between making an observation and writing it up, meaning every note can be accurate at the point of recording.
4. Increase efficiency and productivity: By moving from paper records to field reporting software, you don’t need to spend time copying and distributing paper reports. Teams can also see up-to-date task lists that they can get started on sooner.
5. Reduce the chance of costly delays: With accurate, up-to-date and accessible field reports showing you the status of your project at all times, you’ll be able to spot any errors as soon as they arise. Crucially, you’ll also be able to fix errors early—saving the time and cost of extensive rework further down the line.

Once you’ve decided to use field reporting software to streamline your site inspections, you then need to find the application that’s right for you.

There are some key features and functions that it’s important to look out for when you’re looking for great field reporting software. These include:

• On-site inspection capabilities
• Location tagging
• Photos and sketching
• Checklists
• Documents and drawings
• Collaboration tools
• PDF generation and distribution

For more detail on why each item on this list is so important, check out our guide on what to look out for in a field report app. Or, if you’re ready to try out an app that has all these features as standard, you can sign up for a free ArchiSnapper trial today.

Join 10,000+ architects, engineers and contractors who use Deltek ArchiSnapper for fast field reports and efficient punch lists.