Forms & inspections
Build inspection checklists once, attach them to PMs and work orders, and collect structured answers instead of paper.
Forms turn "check the compressor" into a structured record: which checks ran, what the readings were, what failed, and the photo that proves it. Answers are data - filterable and reportable - not a PDF in a drawer.
Form templates
A form template is the reusable definition, built in the form builder (Forms). Each template holds ordered items - the questions - chosen by the kind of answer you want:
| Item type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Single select | Pass/fail, yes/no, condition ratings - supply the options |
| Multi select | "Which of these apply?" - optionally with minimum/maximum selections |
| Number | Readings - pressure, temperature, run hours - with min/max, a unit, and integer or decimal precision |
| Checkbox | A simple done/not-done tick |
| Text | Notes and observations (single or multi-line) |
| Photo | Visual evidence - photos are compressed on upload, served through short-lived links, optionally capped at a maximum count |
| Section | A heading that groups the checks that follow |
Conditional follow-ups
Items can be shown conditionally based on an earlier answer - "Describe the issue" appears only when "Belt condition" was answered Fail; a photo prompt appears only when something is wrong. Forms stay short for the happy path and thorough for problems.
Draft → published
Templates start as drafts and must be published before they reach the field. Publishing validates the template - selects need at least two options, conditions must reference earlier questions - so broken forms can't ship.
A published template that needs changes can be set back to draft, edited in place, and republished. In-flight responses are safe either way: every response takes a snapshot of the template's items at attach time, so later edits never mutate a form someone is mid-way through filling.
Templates can also be duplicated (to branch a variant) and archived - archived templates disappear from the list and can't be attached, but their completed responses remain on the records that hold them.
Getting forms in front of technicians
A form reaches the field by being attached to a work order:
- Via PM - set the form on a PM schedule or template; every work order the schedule generates carries its own copy. This is the pattern for recurring inspections.
- Directly - attach a form to a specific work order when creating it or from its detail page.
The technician fills it in on their phone as part of completing the job; partial progress saves, photos come from the camera. The same form (photo answers included) is fillable by an outside contractor through a shared work order link - no account needed, and PM-generated work orders shared with vendors get the same treatment.
Where answers go
- On the work order - the completed form is part of the record
- Asset condition - condition-type answers can feed assessment history
- Reporting - answers are queryable, so "all failed belt checks this quarter" is a filter, not an afternoon
Build-fast options
- Start from your existing paper sheet: one template section per sheet section, one item per line.
- Or let your AI assistant draft it: the MCP tools can build a complete template - items, options, conditional logic - from a manufacturer's maintenance recommendations, ready for your review and publish.