Smarter Week

How to automate it

How to automate “fill in safety, permit and risk forms”

Here are 2 ways to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today and, for AI fixes, a prompt to copy.

15 min
typically, every day
45%
of the time can be automated
Easy
to set up

Fix 1 of 2

Software featureBest fix

Fill in safety and site forms on the phone, pre-filled

Digital forms in SafetyCulture (iAuditor) or your site app fill in the date, job, crew and location for you, take photos and signatures, and file themselves. No clipboard to retype later.

Typically saves about 40% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the paper forms you fill in most (risk assessments, permits, pre-start checks, sign-in sheets).
  2. 2Build them once as digital checklists, or use a ready template from the app's library.
  3. 3Set the job, crew and date to fill in automatically.
  4. 4Fill them in on site, take photos, get signatures and let them send to the office.

Tools: SafetyCulture (iAuditor) · Procore, Autodesk Build, Fieldwire, Buildertrend or Raken · ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, FieldEdge, Workiz or simPRO forms

Fix 2 of 2

AI

Talk your job notes into the phone and let AI tidy them up

Speak for 30 seconds in the van about what you found and did; AI turns it into clean notes for the job sheet, the customer and the office. Talking is far faster than thumb-typing.

Typically saves about 45% of the time10 min to set up
  1. 1Use the voice button in your field app, or the voice mode of an approved AI app on your phone.
  2. 2Right after the job, say what you found, what you did, parts used and anything to follow up.
  3. 3Paste the prompt below with your recording or transcript.
  4. 4Check the result and paste it into the job sheet.
Prompt to copy
Turn my spoken job notes into three short parts: 1) Work summary for the job sheet (bullet points: problem found, work done, parts used with quantities), 2) A plain-English note for the customer (under 80 words, no jargon, no prices unless I said them), 3) Follow-ups for the office. Do not add anything I did not say.

My notes: [PASTE OR DICTATE YOUR NOTES]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot · Voice notes in ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, FieldEdge, Workiz or simPRO

Quick wins

Have you tried…

Have you tried talking your job notes into your phone and letting AI tidy them up?
You speak for half a minute about what you found and did. AI turns it into clean job notes, a short note for the customer and a list of follow-ups.
Are your safety and site forms filled in on a phone instead of a clipboard?
Apps like SafetyCulture let you fill in checklists on your phone with photos and signatures. Job, date and names fill in for you, and nobody has to retype it later.

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

HourLeak · the 8-minute work audit

How many hours does this cost you?

The free 8-minute check works out where your week goes and gives you your top fixes. The team scan does the same for everyone and adds it up, so you know which leaks to fix first.

Answers are anonymous. Leaders only see team totals.

Other common tasks for Field service technicians