Forms & Checklists: An Introduction

Forms and checklists let you digitally collect job-specific information from both fieldworkers and customers at precisely the right stages in your workflow. They’re more flexible than custom fields, which are mainly used to capture data at the time of booking. By comparison, forms and checklists can appear during various booking statuses—such as check-in, check-out, or post-completion—to ensure you gather the necessary details exactly when they’re needed. This level of customization streamlines your workflow, provides a consistent data-gathering process, and helps maintain high-quality records for each job.

Key Benefits

1. Better Organization: Centralize all job-related questions and answers in one place, reducing paperwork and possible errors.
2. Flexible Timing: Show forms only when relevant—before a fieldworker starts a job, during a task, or after completion for customer feedback.
3. Role-Based Visibility: Ensure only the right people (e.g., fieldworkers, admins, or customers) see each form.
4. Custom Workflows: Connect forms to booking statuses or services so they appear exactly where they’re needed.

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Why Go Digital?

• Replace Paperwork: Ditch binders and manual forms in favor of a streamlined, mobile-friendly solution.
• Online & Offline Access: Fieldworkers can complete forms offline; data syncs automatically when they’re back online.
• Versatile Content: Insert text, photos, videos, signatures, and file uploads for comprehensive data collection.

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Data Capture & Validation

1. Custom Fields

   • Create fields for images, text, integers, decimals, temperature, formulas, etc.
   • Ensure all job-specific data is covered without clutter.

2. Validation Rules

   • Set mandatory fields or numeric formats to prevent errors.
   • Maintain consistency and accuracy, cutting down on follow-up queries.

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Differences from Service Custom Fields

• Custom Fields: Appear primarily during the booking stage, can affect pricing, and often show up in the invoice breakdown.
• Forms & Checklists:
  • Used before, during, or after a booking (e.g., check-in, mid-job updates, final feedback).
  • Don’t affect service pricing.
  • Can be displayed selectively to admins, fieldworkers, or customers.

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Forms for Fieldworkers

• Check-In & Pre-Job Checks: Prompt workers for site conditions or inventory checks.
• In-Progress Updates: Gather mid-job data, like issues discovered or parts used.
• Check-Out & Completion: Confirm final job details, upload images, and capture any notes on completed work.

Forms for Customers

• Customer Satisfaction Surveys: Collect feedback post-completion to improve services.
• Additional Requirements: Ask for more information if a booking changes status (e.g., “On Hold” or “Cancelled”).
• Always Displayed Forms: Request details consistently for every booking, such as disclaimers or terms acknowledgments.

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Workflow & Display Options

1. Link to Booking Status

   • Tie forms to specific statuses (e.g., “Check In,” “In Progress,” “Completed”) so they appear automatically when a booking changes stages.

2. Assign to Services

   • Show forms only for relevant services (e.g., HVAC repairs or pest control), ensuring fieldworkers see the correct questions.

3. Timing & Visibility

   • Always Displayed: Present on every booking, regardless of status.
   • Check In: Appears when fieldworkers press “Arrived.”
   • Check Out: Shows up once the job finishes.
   • Customer Satisfaction: Enables customers to fill out a feedback survey after completion.
   • Selected Status: Triggers when a booking transitions to that chosen status.

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Visibility & Display Options

1. Who Sees It?
   Decide if a form is visible to fieldworkers, admins, customers, or any combination of these.
2. When Does It Show?

1. Go to Forms & Checklists Settings: Access the settings page from your admin menu.
2. Click “Create New” or Edit an Existing Form: Enter the form’s name and descriptions.
3. Add Fields: Include questions or checkboxes to gather the data you need.
4. Assign to Statuses & Services (optional): Link the form to specific statuses or services if necessary.
5. Configure Display & Visibility: Choose when the form appears (check-in, check-out, always displayed, etc.) and who sees it.
6. Save: Your form is now ready to appear at the designated times and for the designated roles.

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Summary

By digitizing your forms & checklists, you eliminate cumbersome paperwork, improve accuracy, and streamline communication between fieldworkers, admins, and customers. Linking forms to specific services and booking statuses ensures the right forms appear at the right time—leading to a more organized, efficient, and professional workflow.

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Explore Additional Forms and Checklists Topics

Setting up Forms & Checklists

Learn how to professionally set up forms and checklists in OctopusPro, understand visibility options, define display options, assign forms to booking statuses and services, edit and manage forms, and activate or deactivate forms. This page will guide admin users in setting up forms and checklists, ensuring they are visible to the appropriate users.

Using Forms & Checklists

Discover how to utilize forms and checklists from various user perspectives, including admin users, fieldworkers, and customers. This page covers topics such as where admin users can fill out and view forms, and how fieldworkers can complete forms using the app or browser.

Fields Types/Elements

Explore the wide range of input fields that can be added to forms and checklists for users to provide the necessary data. This page offers details on all available field types and their appearances to users. Topics include creating new fields, different field types (date picker, time picker, text box, etc.), making fields mandatory, and requesting photo uploads.

Forms & Checklists: Use Cases

Examine real-life examples of forms and checklists across various industries, such as real estate, cleaning, and automotive. This page helps admin users understand how to create forms and checklists tailored to their specific business needs.

For further details on building or customizing forms, reach out to support for assistance.

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