Work life gets busy. Sometimes, we forget to submit that completed work order to the client – we’re only human, after all. Sometimes, the client enquires, and while we may turn a slight shade of red, we immediately get up and retrieve the work order form.
Only… it’s not where we left it. In fact, it’s nowhere to be seen. Horrified, we now have to call the responsible employee and try desperately to find or duplicate this work order.
We’ve all been there in one way or another.
Isn’t it time we freed ourselves from the pain of paperwork?
Why Use Digital Work Order Forms?
There are countless reasons to ditch paper. However, which ones are actually worth noting?
Switching can save money, but it’s not the core reason. In the grand scheme of things, you may save a slight margin – but this won’t make your job any easier.
The real beauty of using digital work order forms is that they’re easier to use. They’re faster and far more reliable too. It’s much harder to misplace a digital form than a paper one. Digital records don’t get smudged, torn, or soiled in any way. They don’t harbour germs, either. And if you find a digital document with a coffee stain, we urge you to show us. 😂
All of this said, there must be some benefit to sticking with paper. Why else would so many hesitate to implement digital apps instead?
The Benefits Of Paper Work Order Forms
Perhaps, if you require some kindling for a fire, there may be a benefit there somewhere?
We jest; there is genuinely one major advantage paper has over digital forms – the ability to work offline. At least, this used to be the case before Appenate hit the market.
Initially, Appenate was intended as a disaster management platform. Disasters tend to disrupt networks, so, Appenate had to be offline-capable. That’s how it was developed, and that’s how it’ll stay.
So there you have it, paper has lost its last bit of hope in the race against digital. On that note, how would you move to a digital platform? They’re so clunky and rigid. You want to create forms your way and not be dictated how to do your job by some faceless digital device, right?
It Starts With One Form
The first step is to ensure that you can keep your forms the way you need them to be. So we recommend identifying a work order form that’s a prime target – perhaps something light like an installation order form – and then using that to lay the groundwork.
You could, and should, poke around and see what other mobile app providers can offer you, but in Appenate’s case, here’s what to expect.
Get your form handy because upon signing up, you’ll be thrust into the web platform that you’ll use to build your apps. From here, you’ll navigate to ‘screens’ and start building by dragging and dropping fields from the left onto your app screen.
You can name these fields, easily re-order them, and define what information you need them to receive.
We’re not about to pretend that Appenate is easy to learn. There’s a lot of power here, and with power comes complexity. So if you get stuck, an informative call with an Appenate specialist is a click away. Use this free-of-charge service to learn Appenate and build your form how it needs to be – no compromise.
Test It In The Real World
Next, you’ll add users in the field to your account, enabling them to access and use your app. You may get some resistance from employees about switching to a new system, but as soon as they realise how much easier it is to use than paper, they’ll hop on board.
Gather feedback from real-world use and look for ways to improve the process even more. For example, you could automatically email each form to the person responsible for creating your reports. Or you could set up apps to kick start other apps – for example, if an inspection yields the need for planned maintenance, a follow-up can be set off automatically.
Tweak And Scale
Once your first form works flawlessly, it’s time to move on to the next. Or, better yet, train up a few core users that can handle all the form design you can throw at them (depending on the size of your company) and scale it up.
Those stacks of dusty, musty, and grimy old paper will all be gone in time. And you won’t even wonder where they went – because you won’t miss them at all.
Hold On One Second; What Are The Costs?
Well, to start with, you’ll be paying precisely $0 for 15 days. After that, you can claim a special deal where you get the next 90 days of Appenate for up to 15 premium users for just $90.
But then it’s time to pay up… time to break the bank and deplete the budget, with a grand… $9.90 to $17.90 per user per month (subject to change and depending on your needs).
Rather affordable, especially considering some in the industry charge as much as $80 per user – and you even get charged for support with other providers.
With Appenate, you’ll enjoy free support and training for life on top of always-affordable pricing.
What Do I Do Now?
If you’re keen to rid your business of paper – starting with work order forms first, of course – it’s all relatively simple.
Signup for a free account here. You’ll then be able to access the Appenate platform and schedule a training session. You’ll also receive emails guiding you through the process and offering other valuable information.
All that’s left to do after that is make the switch and start scrapping those printers.