Efficiency Ideas

[John Adrian Sopher]

Drew Levy wrote his first blog and posted it here for all to read.  This gave me the idea of starting this topic.  What ideas can we come up with to makes us more efficient?

I will set this up like the marketing ideas thread, if you have an idea to put on the list, contact me in a personal message and I will add it to the list.  This will keep the list nice, neat, and at the front of the thread.  Then we can discuss the ideas here in the thread to see how well they work for us.  I'll start things off...



1) Time yourself during the inspection & when making the report. (both are part of the job)
2) Start working on the report while doing the inspection.  (portable computer of some kind)
3) Have a pre filled out report ready.  (Have all the typical stuff already entered and tweak as needed for each inspection)
4) Evaluate the order you do your inspection compared to the order you enter the info in the report.  (try to get both to match)
5) Evaluate your inspection routine.  (Find slow points & routinely missed/forgotten item that you have to go back a check.)
6) Find a way to keep hands free of tools until needed.  (I find my hands are always full with a digital recorder and camera.  I then must set those down to test something, open something, grab another tool, etc.)
7) If you schedule multiple inspections per day, try to schedule inspections in close proximity to each other.
8 ) Create a routine for each individual room like you do for the whole house.
9) Reorder narratives to place most used narratives at the top of your list.
10) Voice recorder

[Jay Markanich]

If an inspection has taken longer than I anticipated (and I try to leave plenty of room between inspections to accommodate this circumstance) I tell the people that I will get the report to them that night.  I have them sign the agreement, put it in the book, explain how the report cross references into the book, and so forth.  I then do the report at my earliest opportunity and save it on my thumb.  When I get home, it is only a matter of putting my letterhead on the report and sending it off. 

I usually like to have the report in the client's hand when they leave.  I find that if I am honest and say I haven't the time now, but will do it later and get it to them, they understand and have no problem with that.

[John Adrian Sopher]

I normally have the report done that day for my clients but if I have a late inspection I tell them I will have it to them by noon-ish the next day.  As it stands I can only do one inspection a day.  Inspection and report takes me about 6 hours.  I need to get that down to at least 3 hours total time!

Thus the reason for this thread.  I hope we can come up with some great ideas to cut time for all of us.

[Dominic Maricic]

Experience is a huge part of that John. Jay's working on 10,000 inspections (right Jay?). He can drive up to a house and know half of what's going to be wrong before he even enters via signs from the outside. When you work with any program so long you also memorize everything. I've gone on ride alongs where guys use the program so quick I can't see where they are tapping as they've memorize the order of their narratives.

So one thing, reorder your narratives so the most used are at the top.

[Jay Markanich]

Well, 10,000 plus a couple...

[Ian Niquette]

Jay, you must have a big thumb, to save report on it!!

Seriously though, that is a great method. I don't do an on site report. I give them a summary sheet with the big issues on it and have the report to them within 24 hours. Clients and realtors alike seem to like that in this area. You just have to find what works best for all parties involved in your area and accomodate them. If you are willing to do that you will have more than enough to keep busy, so long as you do it in a way that also accomodates you, be creative and have fun with it. It can be challenging at times, but if it wasn't, it wouldn't be worth it, at least in my eyes. Great advice Jay.

[John Adrian Sopher]

Experience is a huge part of that John. Jay's working on 10,000 inspections (right Jay?). He can drive up to a house and know half of what's going to be wrong before he even enters via signs from the outside. When you work with any program so long you also memorize everything. I've gone on ride alongs where guys use the program so quick I can't see where they are tapping as they've memorize the order of their narratives.

So one thing, reorder your narratives so the most used are at the top.

Got that one on the list!

And I'm not quite hitting 10,000 but I'm almost at 30!   lol

[Michael Merino]

Eat more pizza

[Bruce Ramsey]

"Find a way to keep hands free of tools until needed.  (I find my hands are always full with a digital recorder and camera.  I then must set those down to test something, open something, grab another tool, etc.)"

I wear a tool belt.  Everything goes back into the tool belt immediately.  I don't set my camera, screwdriver or any tool down anywhere anytime.  Everything goes back into its specific pouch on the toolbelt.  In 5 years I have never left a tool behind and my hands only have the tool or camera needed at the time. 

Don't use a voice recorder or paper notes.  I just take a photo of everything that needs to be remembered.  Works for everything except squeaky floors.  Pictures of sounds don't work well.  Since most digital cameras also can shoot video, a short video of the sound could work. 

3 hours total including report?  Most of my inspections take 3.5 hours just doing the inspecting.  Report writing is extra time.  If the house is vacant and the customer does not attend, I can complete the inspections quicker.  Only accept jobs with slab foundations would save 1/2 hour per inspection.   

[Bob Elliott]

Just tried a new method today and the onsite seemed to go faster.
I was left alone at the beginning and simply walked through the entire house calling out all material items on video.

Went back and did inspection by only taking shots of the defects.

Getting ready to start that report and will let you guys know how the writing goes if anyone is interested.

[Davin Strand]

What saves me the most time is doing the report on site. I don't carry a printer but they get the report e-mailed. Sitting in my truck or at the house saves a lot of time. If I wait and do it when I get home there are to many distractions and the report takes forever. I do not stay up until midnight doing reports anymore. I give myself enough times between inspections to do this. You don't forget things.

I have a power supply in my truck to plug in my computer and an internet connection with me. When I get home I have nothing to do. If I have a late inspection I still force myself to do this even though I want to get home.