The platform is starting to become a little better for document management. However, as we grow in use cases and number of inspections, it is becoming a bit of a “paperwork” nightmare perhaps worse than we had when everything was on paper. We have sites struggle with not updating the inspection report title (so they get the default date and name), not using the document number field, not reviewing or archiving inspections, struggling with how to capture revision and review dates (mostly still doing in an offline spreadsheet), extra duplicate or unused templates, and more. I have several ideas together that I think would vastly improve document management.
- Document Number
- Current: When duplicating templates, the document number field enumber] value continues from the number of the originating template.
- Suggested: Provide an option to either continue the numbering or reset the number while duplicating.
- Explanation: In case you may use the duplicate as a replacement for the original template, but in other cases, you are duplicating to give someone a copy of the template or use it as a start for creating something completely new.
- Template List
- Current: The template list and archive template list cannot be downloaded. We must obtain this from the data exporter tool or Power BI data tables.
- Suggested: On the template and archive list pages, add to the menu to download as a “csv” file. This export should include template name, last modified (name and date), last published (name and date), if it’s scheduled, groups with access, users with access, owner, number of inspections (complete, incomplete, archived complete, archived incomplete), average duration, and last inspection date.
- Explanation: This would help in identifying if you have duplicate and obsolete templates. It would also be possible to use this as a form document registry and troubleshoot completion or access issues.
- Template Revision History
- Current: The template last modified and publish dates are captured. A history of changes is not. Some sites duplicate templates each time they make a revision and archive the duplicate after adding a revision date in the title.
- Suggested: Similar to Inspections, track a revision history of what changes were made to the template, when and by whom.
- Explanation: This would allow us to see what changes were made and by whom in case we need to talk to someone about it or figure out what is was previously. Sometimes you need to understand when looking at an inspection report why there is a difference to another report and when that change was made.
- Inspection Report Title
- Current: The default is conducted date and conducted person. Often, people forget to change this once building out their title page. When changing the title for one report format, it changes it on the other.
- Suggested: Make it clear that report titles follow all report formats. Make updating the title a required step when publishing a template the first time. Make the location of editing the report title more obvious (such as putting it at the top of the Report page rather than the pencil to edit on the preview).
- Explanation: Report titles provide relevant context when looking at linked Actions and is a common complaint when just date and person. They also allow for sorting inspections. As-is, many people do not make custom report formats, so they forget to edit the title.
- Template Folders
- Current: The folders feature was recently changed to show in the template list only inspections not in folders. If you search, it gives results in and not in folders.
- Suggested: (both to the live and archive pages)
- Add a folder called “uncategorized” which is system-made to include templates not in a folder.
- Show more folders on the screen as multiple columns of thumbnails rather than spread across the page width.
- Show all folders and rid of the “view all” link.
- Add a toggle at the top of the page to display all templates in a list versus the folders.
- Explanation: The current new behavior is confusing. Now, when we want to see things across folders, searching is the only way, but limits capabilities. If we want to see all templates in order of name or last modified date, we can’t. If we forget what templates we have, we’re now forced to open each folder.
- Inspection Listing Filters
- Current: There is no easy ability to find completed or incomplete inspections aside from sorting by Completed Date.
- Suggested: (both to the live and archive pages)
- Add a filter for “Completed Date”
- Add a filter for “Incomplete/Complete”
- Explanation: This would allow us to easily find inspections we need to review and archive versus those which are still in progress or perhaps were mistake entries to be deleted.
- Inspection Listing
- Current: Inspections are listed in the order they are conducted. We can sort by title (which are often left as the default) and is really slow. Otherwise, we must filter by template name or folder.
- Suggested: Add a toggle at the top of the page to display all inspections in the folders the template is currently assigned to. The layout should mirror that of the suggested layout for templates.
- Explanation: If you are looking for specific reports or review a batch of records, being able to jump a folder would be much faster. At times, you just want to see the latest records regardless of folder or template, hence the toggle.
- Inspection Archive
- Current: When archiving inspections, the person who archived it and the date/time of the archive are not captured. Additionally, you have to archive one by one from the list, and if you had sorting, you have to re-do those each time you leave a report.
- Suggested:
- Capture the archive date/time and person, showing this on the columns of the “archive” page.
- Within the “Web Report” page of an inspection, if you have permission to delete, add an “archive” and “archive mark to delete” button in the top menu. The “archive mark to delete” would put a “yes” in a delete column so you know those are the ones you don’t want to keep. You can then look in the archive list and find those to permanently delete them (as a final review step).
- Add a “next/previous” inspection which would navigate to the next report based on what was next in the listing with your current sorting/filters. If you clicked Archive, it would automatically go to the next.
- Explanation: Reviewing a large list of inspection reports is very tedious. If you want to blindly checkmark several and archive, you can do that. However, if you need to open the reports to find those which are mistake entries and make sure that records are completed properly, it is very challenging to open a report, go back to the list, archive it, then open the next report; if you open each then archive all at once, it’s hard to remember which was the last one you opened. By capturing the archive date/time and person, we have control over who performed that action.
- Inspection Template Revision
- Current: Inspection reports do not show when the template was last revised. The only way to capture this is manually adding it to the template title or as an “instruction” field within the template.
- Suggested: Within the inspection data, automatically record the template publish date at the time the inspection was started. Display this on Inspection Reports (by default, with an option in report format to turn this off).
- Explanation: For document control, it is critical to know what revision a “form” was when it was used. If there was a change, we can then prove that the form was a different version at the time the inspection was conducted. When capturing revision dates/letters in the template title, it muddies up other data due to having different template names. When capturing it in an instruction field, sites often forget to add the field and rarely update it when they do. Publish/Modified dates are now captured in SC so it should be automated.
Hi Corey, my name’s Paddy and I am the Product Manager from the Inspections Team. Thank you so much for providing such detailed feedback that touches such a broad range of Inspections and the platform. This feedback is very helpful for us as we plan and continue to improve the document management capacities of the platform.
In addition to the suggestions above, I just discovered that only Admin (or Data Access?) permission can add templates into the folders. If sites cannot move their own templates, it seems to defeat the purpose when they have no power to organize things.
Hi
A lot of great ideas above.
Document management is a huge gap for us on SC. As part of any Health & Safety Management system there has to be a way to manage documents such as permits, licenses, training certificates, etc.
Currently we have tried to use ASSETS as a way to manage documents, but obviously not working 100%. Assets do allow us to upload a document/photo and set some details.
So it would perhaps mean a few changes on the ASSET module to make it a DOCUMENT module.
Currently we use Dropbox for all documents. Ideally we would like to have a document folder for a site, where copies of permits, licences, certificates can be uploaded and then recurring reminders set for a service date (e.g. gas pump or compressor service), expiry date (e.g. training certificate, permit, license).
Hi@roekies thanks so much for contributing to this thread and for identifying you current work around including some of the missing ingredients that could make this a really formidable solution!
Hi,
@roekies concerning the document management. I got great support from the SC team to look at a work- around (Heads - up, creating an inspection template, assets, ...) but as mentioned, it doesn’t give a clear view on the documents.
I fully agree with
I’m desperate for a specific document library
which would allow our teams to easily find a specific permit, document, floor plan, … without having to scroll an entire list. (I have now documents in “assets” for 16 locations).
Having the documents in assets is actually witholding me from adding “real” assets, because I want to make sure it is clean and clear for my teams.
I agree with the queries about improvements.
The portal and system is vastly improved and inspections and data can be collated on mass.
This leads to other issues about transparency and document control.
Currently we have many thousands of inspections that are on sites (projects).
Therefore when trying to find a quality audit completed of which there will be hundreds of not thousands then even with filtering it can prove annoying and time consuming.
I would like to see something that can be added at the template stage where the template is built that allows this to happen.
I know the template title can have various things added to make unique but I am looking at solutions that simplify this more. So feedback on this would be very welcome.
With regards to document control I do think this should now really be part of the system for template history like it is for inspections.
This should be available in order to fully understand the changes and so on and why they were done.
It should also have a potential approval method.
The addition of understood and recordable document control will only enhance the platform and give it a other tool in its armour.
The decision making process for templates is required so there is traceability.
I have mentioned that in the UK that in Construction we will need this for the Golden Thread of information, records and decision making to be compliant with current and future building legislation.
If we can have some improvements in this area then we have the ability to make SC also fit with the Golden Thread and it would then be the system of choice.
Regards John.
I just came across your post and couldn’t help but think about how important document management is in keeping things streamlined and organized. Your suggestions are spot-on, and they definitely address some critical gaps.
I just came across your post and couldn’t help but think about how important document management is in keeping things streamlined and organized. Your suggestions are spot-on, and they definitely address some critical gaps.
If you're open to exploring additional options, you might want to check out Sugar Enterprise. It’s designed to handle a range of document management needs and could offer some of the features you're looking for, such as better revision tracking and document control.
My list was a big ask across various parts of the platform. This was prior to and completely separate from the actual “Documents/Resources” feature. These asks were more related to management of the templates and inspections in the platform. The current capabilities are extremely limited and time consuming. Many plants choose to not clean up the records. I’m curious if you are considering all or just parts of the things below?