Completing a Checklist in the Field

Here's what actually works when you're out there trying to get through a checklist without holding up the job. I've probably done this a few thousand times across different crews, and there are definitely some things that trip people up.

Getting to Your Checklist

Once you've opened the work order on your mobile app, you'll see a Checklists section if one was assigned. Tap it and you're in. Pro tip: if you don't see it, check that you're on the latest app version — older builds sometimes don't refresh the checklist assignment until you force-close and reopen.

If the checklist still isn't showing, the dispatcher probably forgot to attach it. Happens more than you'd think. Just ping them or add a note to the work order.

Filling It Out Step by Step

Most checklists are pretty straightforward, but here's what I've learned:

• Required fields — these block submission. You'll get a red warning if you try to submit with blanks.
• Photo fields — tap the camera icon. The app lets you take a fresh photo or pick from your gallery. I always take fresh ones; gallery photos can be old and you don't want to explain why that timestamp doesn't match.
• Signature fields — these need the customer present. Make sure you're on WiFi or have decent data before you hand them your phone; nothing looks worse than the app hanging while they're standing there.
• Conditional questions — some checklists will hide or show follow-ups based on your answers. Just answer honestly and the form adapts.

Saving vs. Submitting

This is important: Save lets you come back later. Submit locks it in and sends it to the office immediately. Once you hit submit, you can't edit — you can only add a new note or comment.

If you're working offline (and you should expect to be), your saves are local to your device. Don't wait until you're back at the shop to submit everything — do it job by job when you reconnect. Less to lose if something goes sideways.

Photo Quality and Compression

The app compresses photos before upload, which is usually fine. But if you're documenting something that might become a warranty issue or dispute, take a second to zoom in and check the image is readable. Blurry photos are worse than no photos — they look like you're hiding something.

If Something Goes Wrong

App crashes mid-checklist? Your progress is usually saved unless you force-quit. Reopen the work order and check — you might be further along than you thought.

Submit button grayed out? Scroll back up. There's almost always a required field you missed. The app doesn't always jump you to it.

See Also

Creating a Custom Checklist Template — if you're building these for your team
Assigning Checklists to Work Orders — dispatcher side of things
Viewing Submitted Checklist Responses — for when you need to pull up something you already filed

Any other field tricks I missed? This is the kind of thing that varies by crew, so I'm curious what's working for others.