We had the pleasure of sitting down with Peter Becher, the Process Area Owner at Krones, to delve into the remarkable journey of Krones with Resco.

Peter Becher, a key figure at Krones, shared insights into his role as the global responsible for the service system and process environment. Reflecting on his pivotal position, Peter states, “In the Resco and Salesforce environment, my role as a Process Area Owner is crucial in ensuring the seamless integration and efficiency of our service systems.”

The quest for a comprehensive field service management solution

As Krones embarked on a transition in their IT system environment, they found themselves in search of a robust solution for their field service management.

Krones explored various options. However, due to the specific need for advanced offline capabilities on certain operating systems, they opted to delve into the Resco and Salesforce combination.

Peter describes the turning point, stating, “The story of how we got to Resco was a bit strange, or mad, or surprising – that’s probably even better. Salesforce recommended us to talk to Resco about their offline capabilities on Windows devices.”

The mobility empowering over 1,500 technicians around the world

The journey, as Peter describes it, was “nothing short of spectacular”.

Within a span of four to five months, Krones delivered the pilot of subsidiary Salesforce Field Service in combination with Resco, setting the stage for a global rollout.

Commenting on the speed of implementation, he notes, “We changed a lot of things in the project approach, moving to a more agile environment.”

Currently, live on all continents, including North America, Krones boasts more than 1,500 service technicians using Resco Mobile CRM as their sole front end.

The success story of the rollout resonates not only in numbers but in the positive feedback received, emphasizing the solution’s usability for sales and service technicians alike.

“It’s really a big success story for our company,” Peter remarks.

Expanding horizons with Resco Inspections+

Reflecting on the implementation journey, Peter highlights the flexibility and usability of the Resco solution. With an impressive 25 internal releases, the platform seamlessly integrated with Krones’ environment, proving to be a powerful tool for their service technicians.

The platform’s capability to minimize clicks and touches on smartphones aligns with the technicians’ preference for simplicity.

Recently, Krones expanded its Resco footprint by going live with Resco Inspections+. Peter describes this expansion as a strategic move to replace paper-based and report-based processes, “Resco, in the beginning, was a kind of solution for a challenge that we had – the offline capability for Windows devices. But the other possibility is moving more to that customer 360° view. That’s where we see a lot of possibilities around the Inspections.”

The inspections functionality, with its focus on condition assessment, guided procedures, and integrated processes aligns with Krones’ vision. Peter envisions leveraging checklists, assessments with scoring, automated workflows, and even generating leads or opportunities directly from Resco checklists, further improving their operational efficiency.

Looking to the future

As our conversation drew to a close, Peter expressed enthusiasm for the future collaboration between Krones and Resco. “The journey from our side has been amazing. We’re really looking forward to what we can do together,” he concludes.

The journey, marked by Resco’s continuous evolution from a solution for offline capability to a versatile development platform, exemplifies the tool’s adaptability to diverse business needs.

And Krones, a true hidden champion in the beverage industry, stands as a testament to the transformative power of mobile solutions for the frontline workers.

Príspevok How German manufacturing giant Krones uses mobility to empower 1,500+ technicians globally zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Do your external users need a Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Power Platform license or not? What is an “external user?” The questions seem simple, but there are multiple points to consider.  Ben Vollmer, an industry veteran, provides practical insights to help you make an informed decision when defining your external user strategy.

Licensing Microsoft Business Applications to external users is a commonly misunderstood area of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Apps licensing guide. Ben Vollmer, along with Jakub Bajla and Eduard Kesely from Resco, brings some common sense to this topic by guiding you through the core concepts and providing real-life examples.

The term “external user” has been part of the Microsoft vocabulary for about 20 years. Despite its longevity, it’s often misunderstood.

External users are individuals who interact with a system but are not part of the organization that operates the system. Examples include customers accessing a portal to view their account information or caretakers accessing a relative’s medical records online.

The webinar starts by breaking down the terminology. Ben explains the difference between an external user and an outsourced user and explains what it means to be working “for you” or “on your behalf”.

Do your users need licenses? Important points to consider

Ben encourages viewers not to skip the details when considering whether a user can take advantage of external user access to Microsoft Business Applications or not. The details draw the fine line between being in-compliance and out-of-compliance with the Microsoft licensing guide. He suggests considering:

• Who owns the license? 
• What is the external user doing?
• Multiplexing
• Access to graphical user interface (GUI)
• License reassignment rights

Good news: Resco supports all scenarios

If you use Resco, you can rest assured our products offer options to make sure you stay compliant with the Microsoft licensing guide – no matter which group your users fall into.

Ben Vollmer is joined by Eduard Kesely, Resco Head of Product. Eduard describes the three types of projects you can build with our Mobile App Development Toolkit:

1. Anonymous External Users: These users access the app without authentication, receiving the same content universally. Typically this is for marketing purposes involving publicly available information. Setup involves creating a common user in the backend and customizing specific projects in Woodford which will be used for these types of users. (Usage scenario is for customers who need to access common information of the company)
2. External (Portal) Users: These users log in to access CRM content tailored for them. This setup requires defining a security role in CRM and using Woodford to configure the project with authentication entities and registration methods. (Usage scenario is for suppliers of the company who are not part of the company and directly do not contribute to the business of the company)
3. Standard User Project: A project for authenticated users, with unique content for each logged in user based on security role and permissions.  (Usage scenario is for contractors, seasonal workers, and sales representatives directly working on behalf of the company)

For in-depth information about Resco and external users, please visit our Wiki: https://docs.resco.net/wiki/External_users

To discuss your specific scenario, please contact Resco at sales@resco.net.

Ben Vollmer, Strategic Advisor at Resco

With a distinguished 16-year career at Microsoft, Ben held several leadership positions within the Dynamics 365 business unit. His extensive background spans consulting, sales, product development, and product management, covering a diverse range of industries and markets. Ben is recognized as an industry veteran, known for his pragmatic approach to solving complex business challenges.

Príspevok External users demystified [takeaways from a webinar with Ben Vollmer] zobrazený najskôr Resco.

G2, a platform based on user reviews, has given our solutions a big thumbs up this Spring 2024. But what exactly does that mean?

Understanding G2 Badges:

G2 awards badges based on user reviews and satisfaction. A “Leader” badge means we’re a top choice in a specific category, while “High Performer” shows we’re a strong contender.

Our winning categories

For spring 2024, we were recognized in three key areas:

• Field Sales Leader for our field sales app that empowers salespeople to work on the go.
• Field Service Management for our solution that streamlines scheduling, dispatching, and field operations.
• CRM (Europe & EMEA) for our mobile-first CRM platform that keeps customer relationships strong.

Now for the best part – what did people love so much about the Resco solutions to earn these badges?

Here’s why users are fans.

Offline functionality 

Resco lets mobile workers access data and complete tasks even without an internet connection.

Several reviewers praise this capability as it solves their field sales, data collection, or customer visits reporting challenges. One of the users highlights, “Synchronization with the backend and usage is very fast, even when there are millions of records synchronized to the offline client.”

Mobile support

Resco mobility products are built for frontline use, so users working out of the office can ditch their laptop and get things done from a phone or tablet. This mobility was the core benefit for several reviewers. Matthias, Process Engineer Sales & Service from the Machinery sector highlights:

“We have over 500 service engineers in more than 50 countries, which do our service tasks on ocean going vessels in nearly every harbor around the world. Resco allows us to bring them an easy-to-use mobile solution, where they can track the engineer hours, the changed parts, the measurements and recommendation.“

Seamless integrations

“There is a tight integration with Microsoft Power Platform which gives the ability to develop sophisticated mobile offline applications,” explains a reviewer one of the reasons they decided for Resco.

Solutions integrate natively with popular platforms like Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, giving organizations and software integrators a unified business system to work with.

No-code / low-code development

Users can easily customize Resco to fit their specific needs, even without coding. A reviewer appreciated this feature: “The form designer is very powerful. I can design an offline form that can do anything the customer is asking for. The tools for report design and managing users are very well designed. The API works perfectly, and I can configure the backend database to any need we have.”

Want to see what others are saying? Check out the user reviews on G2.

Príspevok Resco recognized as a Leader and High Performer by G2: Which features did users like the most? zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Learn hands-on how to build mobile apps for field workers using Resco and Power Platform. We will guide you through installing, customizing, deploying, and improving the solution and measuring the impact in a series of three 1-hour on-demand webinars with live Q&A sessions. 

In this workshop centered around a common business case, our Success team will guide you through the journey of a fictional company Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning.  

Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 as its CRM. However, it has digitization requirements that go beyond a CRM solution and they’re looking for a way to grow on Power Platform. 

Through the Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning story, we will show you how you can use the same Resco tools you know and love for CRM on Power Platform to cover a wide range of business challenges. 

Our Success team will demonstrate: 

• Setting up Resco Inspections+ for non-CRM use cases 
• Building a solution for performing health & safety procedures and vehicle inspections, using templates and adjusting them to fit the use case 
• Measuring the impact of the collected data with Fabric and Power BI   

Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning is a fictional industrial cleaning leader with 80% of their workforce serving outside the office in roles such as drivers and inspectors. The company wants to consolidate multiple point solutions and pen-and-paper processes for health & safety and vehicle inspections into one business application with a strong long-term perspective. 

After completing the training, attendees will have a solid grasp of how to rapidly deploy an end-to-end mobile solution using Resco and Power Platform that helps make their non-CRM teams more productive in the field. 

Day 1: Setting up the mobile app  

Get to know the business case of Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning, a fictional industrial cleaning leader with a need to digitize non-CRM processes and teams. 

• Intro to Resco on Power Platform and the business challenge 
• Showcase of the final solution with screenshots and solution architecture 
• Setting up Resco Inspections+ for Power Platform 
• Setup of Resco mobile app  

Presenters: Nicholas Boxall, Knowledge Specialist, and Lukas Lesko, Support and Education Manager 

Duration: 1 hour (including Q&A) 

Day 2: Inspections solution low-code customization 

Dive deep into the process of customizing Resco Inspections+ through the lens of the Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning business case, see the mobile app in action, and discover how the solution achieves the business requirements. 

• Creating Health and Safety Assessment and Vehicle Inspections 
• Using advanced features: data mapping, OCR, tagged images 
• Showcase of scheduling and timesheets 
• Customizing the solution, including setting up rules 
• Backend work with Inspections data 

Presenters: Marek Ferenc, IT Support Specialist, and Lukas Lesko, Support and Education Manager 

Duration: 1 hour (including Q&A) 

Day 3: Fabric integration and data visualization in Power BI 

Join us for the final part of the Power Platform Masterclass, where we bring the data story full circle. In this session, we’ll delve into the data collected by Z.A.P. Energy Cleaning, through questionnaires discussed in our previous session. We’ll demonstrate the end-to-end process of data handling – from offloading and optimizing storage in Fabric to generating insights in Power BI.  

We will discuss the potential future impact of Fabric, including the cost of data storage and the possibility of reducing the data footprint. Then, we will look at the data processing in Notebooks and finally build a simple report. We will cover: 

• Best practices for working with big data 
• Using Fabric to prepare the data for analysis 
• Building a report with Power BI 

Presenters: Marek Rodak, Knowledge Specialist, and Matej Vanik, Developer 

Duration: 1 hour (including Q&A) 

Príspevok Build end-to-end mobile business solutions faster with Power Platform and Resco [short summary from a masterclass webinar] zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Fieldworkers rely on good tools for data collection, and Resco’s Inspections+ and Forms+ are the go-to solutions. But the real challenge isn’t just gathering data – it’s making sense of it. 

Thanks to our partnership with Microsoft, we’ve made this process straightforward. By integrating Resco’s data collection with Microsoft’s visualization tools, we’ve created a streamlined solution for businesses to harness their data effectively. 

This guide breaks down the steps for using Power BI to not just view but truly understand your questionnaire responses. It’s time to move beyond the basics of data collection and tap into the full potential of your information with the power of Power BI. 

Use case: Working with questionnaires in Power BI 

Using sample data from elevator inspections, we create visual reports to identify patterns.  

For instance, filtering inspections by account reveals variations in problematic accounts. Those variations include:

• Asset-specific insights, like identifying recurring issues with specific elevator brand component.
• Analyzing specific time frames, such as comparing season to season.
• Asking why we did fewer inspections this season compared to others
• Visualizing meaningful data to offer valuable insights. 

Technical integration

Importing data into Power BI Desktop: Data extraction 

Let’s start with the actual report.  Begin by importing data from your backend using the “Get Data” option. This connection serves as the foundation for your Power BI report, allowing you to pull in data from sources like Dataverse or Salesforce. 

Entity selection 

You don’t have to import the whole organization. Select only the relevant entities that you intend to visualize in your report. Once you have selected all the entities that you need, click Transform data. This imports the entities and starts Power Query Editor right away. 

Data transformation and cleaning 

Data refinement 

Use the Power Query Editor to clean up your data. This involves removing unnecessary columns and shaping the data to match your reporting needs. In this use case, unnecessary columns can be questionnaires we don’t want to visualize or questionnaires with serialized answers columns that are empty. Cleaning your data ensures that only essential information is included in your report.  

Parsing JSON 

After you are finished with data cleaning, create a new query (table) that contains only the questionnaires you want to visualize. Remove all but the serialized answers column (containing questionnaire responses in JSON) and transform (parse) it. This step is crucial for isolating the key columns that hold the answers you want to visualize. 

Managing relationship model 

Defining relationships 

The Model View is used to set relationships between various tables in the report. That includes a newly created table, like the one where we’ve transformed questionnaire data.  Establish relationships between the different tables in your dataset. These relationships create a unified data structure, allowing you to connect and analyze data across various entities. 

Building the report (final step) 

Creating visualizations 

In this phase, your data is ready to be visualized. Pick visualizations that convey your data insights the best. You can choose from many visualization types. Here is one of the most basic: A card displaying the number of questionnaires collected. You can modify each visualization by editing properties, adding filters, etc.  

Key takeaways

• Resco’s Inspections+ and Forms+ are essential for precise data collection, answering the challenge to derive meaningful insights from massed data 
• Our collaboration with Microsoft enhances this process by integrating Resco’s data collection with Microsoft’s visualization tools, providing a streamlined solution for businesses. 
• This guide briefly explores displaying and interpreting questionnaire responses with Power BI, unlocking your data’s full potential. 
• In our use case, working with questionnaires in Power BI unveils patterns and valuable insights for decision-making based on actual figures. 

Conclusion

Efficiently transforming questionnaire responses into a robust Power BI report empowers data-driven decisions and becomes a catalyst for knowledge acquisition, strategically equipping field workers for inspections and enhancing overall efficiency. This is how data visualization transforms the mobile workforce. 

Explore more with a Power BI deep dive on the Wiki. 

Príspevok A step-by-step guide to visualizing questionnaire responses with Power BI zobrazený najskôr Resco.

A recent Microsoft survey indicates that 65% of frontline workers view artificial intelligence as a tool that can alleviate their workload and amplify their contributions. This points toward a future where AI seamlessly augments human impact.

The collaboration between Resco and Microsoft is a testament to such digital integration’s power.

Previously, we explored how the fusion of Resco and Azure Custom Vision’s AI digitized health and safety processes in the construction and oil & gas industry.

Now, let’s shift our focus from safety inspections to field service and equipment recognition.

The use case: Equipment recognition in field service

Efficient equipment recognition is a critical aspect of field service operations.

Technicians need to identify and validate various equipment pieces swiftly and accurately, whether for maintenance, repair, or replacement purposes.

This process often relies on manual documentation or memory, leading to potential errors and delays. But now you can combine Resco (including the new Power Platform solutions) and Azure Custom Vision to create a faster and more comfortable solution for frontline workers.

The solution: Smart forms and AI working together

Field technicians can employ mobile forms in Resco Inspections+ or the newly announced Resco Forms+ to capture images and details of equipment on-site, creating a comprehensive visual database.

This solution enables inspectors to collect and evaluate data digitally. Technicians can fill out information about work progress or create reports without needing to rewrite data or use desktop devices.

All data is synced with the core databases of organizations thanks to native integration with Microsoft’s platforms and data management tools, including Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Dataverse.

Integrating Azure Custom Vision’s AI empowers workers to automatically identify and classify equipment, eliminating the guesswork and significantly enhancing efficiency.

For example, if they find a defective part, they can easily document it with a photo and quickly secure a replacement. No time is wasted searching for the correct part, as the system performs this task automatically.

This technology can also be used for other questions, like looking up items in a product list. If the captured image matches a tag in the pre-trained model, it becomes the answer. This saves time and ensures accuracy in various field service tasks.

Technical integration: Synergy of Resco and Azure Custom Vision

Let’s assume you’ve already pre-trained your Custom Vision model for the image recognition of various spare parts typical for your industry.

Accordingly, you’ve also established a link between this model and your mobile project in Woodford. You’ve also created an existing questionnaire template used during technician visits to monitor assets (e.g., elevators in our case). If not, find the steps to do this in our documentation.

Now, let’s find out how to leverage custom vision to identify and find a missing part in a lookup view.

Imagine that during your site visit, you find out that some parts are subject to corrosion. You must photo-document the defects and simultaneously secure the supply of new spare parts.

Compliance with all technical prerequisites and picking up the proper production types and models are mandatory. You’re already capturing the defective part, why not speed up the process?

Use the “image recognition” question format in Questionnaire Designer to capture the spare part. If the captured image matches a tag in the pre-trained model, the tag’s name becomes the output answer.

This outcome may be applied to other questions as well, such as a lookup question pointing to the product list in our case.

If there exists any product with the name matching the recognized tag, the lookup is automatically filled in with detected part. No other data input from the technician operative is necessary.

Why it matters

Operational agility: Instant recognition optimizes equipment-related tasks, enabling technicians to take informed actions.

Enhanced productivity: Real-time evaluation and automatic recognition saves time for field technicians, boosting overall efficiency. At the same time, it saves them a mental capacity needed for remembering or finding the correct equipment.

Compliance and records: Digital data collection, paired with visual documentation, strengthens data integrity and regulatory compliance for field service organizations.

Code-free integration: The native integration with Microsoft platforms and no-code development enables IT teams, consultants, and partners to seamlessly leverage digital forms and AI’s advantages without spending resources on coding and maintenance.

Conclusion: AI as the booster of efficiency

The solution combining Resco and AI enables technicians to scan and recognize equipment efficiently through image recognition, bridging the gap between the physical and digital realms.

This capability not only accelerates workflow but also ensures accuracy and consistency in equipment identification.

But the combination of AI recognition and mobile forms isn’t just limited to equipment recognition.

It can be an accelerator of processes in various fields:

Inventory management: To streamline retail and warehouse operations by scanning and cataloging products accurately, reducing errors, and optimizing restocking processes.

Quality control: Enhance quality assessments in manufacturing by automatically identifying and categorizing product defects, increasing accuracy.

Retail and e-commerce: Simplify product searches for shoppers by allowing image-based product identification, making the shopping experience more efficient.

Healthcare: To improve patient data capture and medical image tagging for healthcare professionals, simplifying data retrieval and analysis.

If you’re intrigued by the prospects of integrating Microsoft business apps with Resco mobility, reach out for more information.

Príspevok How Resco and AI offer faster, more accurate equipment recognition in field service zobrazený najskôr Resco.

We’ve explored how Resco Inspections+ and Microsoft Azure Custom Vision integrate together. Find out how they create a solution for easier and faster inspections in the oil & gas or construction industry.

In today’s digital age, technology provides multiple ways of automating and simplifying work tasks.

And the latest accelerator of frontline work transformation is AI.

A recent study shows that 65% of frontline workers believe that AI is their ally. They envision a future where technology can lighten their load and amplify their impact.

The collaboration between Resco and Microsoft exemplifies the potential of such digital integration.

This article looks at how Resco Inspections+ and AI in Azure Custom Vision can digitize health and safety processes for the construction industry. And the resulting solution provides benefits in terms of speed and accuracy of safety inspections.

The use case: Safety inspections on worksites

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Inspections are a common and important part of several industries. Helmets, goggles, or protective clothing are all part of mandatory equipment in oil & gas or construction industry.

It helps workers prevent injuries and mitigate safety hazards. But it is also important for organizations, as it helps them ensure safety and comply with regulations.

For example, one of the biggest OSHA fines in 2022 included penalty for failing to provide eye and head protection on a construction site. The fine totaled $321,956. The risk of work injuries on oil & gas rigs is even higher, making it critical to use new tools for safety improvement.

PPE inspections are often done with pen and paper, which creates a risk of losing or damaging the reports. Some field workers use spreadsheets that aren’t integrated with the core backend systems of organizations. This creates extra manual work for workers and it’s a complex task for organizations to keep all documents in order for years.

The solution: Mobile forms and AI that automate tasks

Mobile forms in Inspections+ enable inspectors to collect and evaluate data digitally. Inspectors can take notes, photos, or videos on site, providing visual proof of health and safety measures. 

The native connection to Dataverse, Dynamics, or Power Platform allows inspectors to sync data in real-time with their organization’s main database. Doing so mitigates data silos and allows organizations to set up a single source of truth.

The AI can automate and optimize related processes. For example, it can make evaluation of workers wearing protective equipment quick and error-free.

The integration: Technical part of integrating Inspections+ and Azure Custom Vision

The integration allows users to classify images in questionnaires or entity forms using Azure’s Custom Vision service. It requires an Azure Custom Vision subscription and at least one model for classifying images.

It is necessary to pre-train this model prior to use in the mobile app. The main steps for setting up Custom Vision include creating a new project, selecting project types and classification types, and obtaining the prediction URL.

You can read more about the process in the technical documentation.

The connection to Azure services itself is set up in Woodford. You can do so by adding a new model definition with all the necessary information in the ‘Settings: AI Image recognition’ section.

Once the training and setup are complete, users can utilize image recognition in questions, views, and forms. It allows them to scan images and match them to specific fields or records.

The entity where image recognition is to be used, must include a string field with barcode formatting on. For example, you can add a row button to the form that uses the ‘Scan Image’ step. Then, simply fill in the value or find the record you are looking for in a lookup view.

Another use case of how you can leverage the custom vision service is to answer questions in questionnaires directly. To do so, you can use the ‘image recognition’ question type.

If the captured image matches the tag in the pretrained model (with a probability above a customizable threshold), the tag’s name serves as the question output. You can apply this result to the other questions (e.g., string fields or lookups) and build your questionnaire business logic based on the tags.

POV: A health & safety inspector with Resco and AI at hand

Let’s have a look at one real-life scenario where technicians cannot start their duties until the safety standards are met.

The legal requirement states that until the protective equipment is not demonstrably present and documented, the mobile worker can’t begin the inspection on a worksite.

You can easily achieve this by integrating Inspections+ and AI in Custom Vision service. The upcoming release will enable this option even for Power Platform.

A technician simply takes a picture of his or her protective equipment at the beginning of the work order process.

The picture will be automatically attached to the documentation and well represented in the overall report. Only after taking the picture and detecting all the required safety protection (e.g., helmet in this case), the operative can proceed with the inspection.

Why it matters:

Real-time safety: Instant safety evaluation means workers can start their work faster and without a burden of administrative tasks. Organizations can also ensure compliance according to OSHA policy.

Audit trail and compliance: Digital data collection and the combination of photographic documentation, signed reports, and cloud storage ensure data integrity and easier document storage. 

Digital data collection: Real-time evaluation, inspections scoring, and elimination of data rewriting will help save inspectors’ time. 

No-code integration: A fast solution for ISV partners, consultants, and internal IT teams to incorporate the benefits of Inspections+, Power Platform, and AI technology without lengthy and expensive development.

Conclusion

That’s the showcase on Resco and Custom Vision joining forces. Quick photos, AI analysis, improved health and safety – all for a safer oil & gas rigs or construction sites. It’s tech that works for the frontline workforce, without the hassle. 

Príspevok Keeping worksites safe: How Resco and AI enhance safety inspections zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Productivity, business agility, and customer satisfaction can be significantly improved with Resco Inspections+.

You can enable your field workers to collect data and perform their tasks faster and error-free using guided workflows everywhere, even offline.

This article will show you how to start a free trial to experience Inspections+ in a few minutes.

Table of contents:

1. Starting Inspections+ trial
2. Getting Inspections+ app
3. Basic operation of Inspections+
   • Step 1. Create a checklist
   • Step 2. Answer the checklist
   • Step 3. Check the results of the answered checklist　

Starting Inspections+ trial

Access the Inspections+ trial request form.

Enter the following information:

• First Name, Last Name: Enter your name. This name will be the login username in the trial environment.
• Business e-mail, Phone Number: Enter a valid e-mail address and phone number. You will receive a confirmation email after the trial environment is acquired.
• Company Name: Enter your company name. This name will be used as the name of the trial environment.
• Country: Select your country of residence.
• “I have read and agree with RESCO Privacy Notice and RESCO Terms and Conditions.” check box: Read the RESCO Privacy Notice and RESCO Terms of Conditions and check the box.
• Advanced options: If checked, you can choose the location of the server (Europe or USA). You can also skip this step without checking the box.

After entering all the information, click the ‘Start your trial’ button. Setup of the trial environment will begin.

After waiting a few minutes, you will be taken to the main screen of Inspections+. From this screen, you can access all functions of Inspections+.

At the same time, you will receive an email confirming the completion of the trial environment creation. The following login information will be included in the email.

• URL of the trial environment, Organization (organization name of the trial environment), Username, E-mail

Click the ‘Start here’ button in the email and set a password to log in to the trial environment.

Click ‘Reset Password’ and wait a few seconds, then you will be redirected to the main screen of resco.Inspections.

This completes the setup of the trial environment.

Getting Inspections+ app

The next time you access the trial environment, go to the URL provided in the email and log in with your username (email address) and password.

Next, install the mobile app to connect to Resco from your mobile device.

The following platforms are supported:

• iOS10+
• Android 5+
• Windows 10+
• Wear OS 2.0+

Click the links above to find the app.

Or access the app store for your device, search for “Resco Inspections” and install the app.

Basic operation of Inspections+

Step 1. Create a checklist

In Inspections+, you can easily create a checklist using the Questionnaire Designer.

First, access the Inspections+ trial environment and open the Questionnaire Designer.

You will be redirected to the Questionnaire Designer screen. You can create and edit checklists in this screen.

A sample checklist is placed in the center of the screen.

Let’s create a simple checklist.

Click ‘New Questionnaire’.

A wizard will open for the initial setup of the new checklist. Here, leave the default values unchanged and click ‘CREATE’ in the lower right corner.

The checklist edit screen will open.

How to edit

First, let’s change the title of the checklist.

Double-click on the words “New Questionnaire” to edit the text.

Then, add the components of the checklist.

Parts can be selected from the list on the left.

Types of the components

Static Components: Items that cannot be edited by respondents. You can add images, descriptions, links, etc.

Questions: Items that respondents can enter values for. You can add questions in a variety of formats, including text, multiple choices, numbers, dates, images, etc.

Group: Group multiple items together. This is useful when you want to separate checklists for easier viewing or when you want to enter the same question repeatedly.

Hover over each item and click ‘More Info…’ in the displayed message to go to the Resco Wiki (English site) for a detailed explanation.

Let’s add an item to be answered in text format.

1. Click ‘Text’ in the list on the left
2. A Text item will be added in the center. Edit the value as you like

• Text: Enter the text of the question
• Add Description: Enter a supplementary description of the question
• Default value: Enter the initial value of the answer
• Maximum Length: Specify the maximum length of the answer

Once entered, click the ‘Save’ button in the upper left corner of the screen to save the data.

Click ‘Preview Form’ on the toolbar at the top of the screen to preview the saved checklist.

Follow the same procedure to add items of your choice to the checklist and save.

When you have finished editing, click ‘Save & Close’ in the upper left corner of the screen to close the editing screen.

The checklist you created is displayed in the center of the screen. Click to select it and click ‘Activate’ on the toolbar.

The status of the checklist will change from ‘DRAFT’ to ‘ACTIVE’, allowing users to answer from their mobile apps.

Step 2. Answer the checklist

Open and answer the checklist in the Inspections+ mobile app.

First, launch the app.

The quick introduction screen will appear.

After reading the function introduction screen, the login screen will appear.

Enter the following information:

• User Mode = Standard User
• URL = URL of the environment *URL that was included in the e-mail you received when you acquired the trial environment.

(Example: https://[environment name].app.[us or eu].resco.net/)

• Username, Password = email address and password you registered when you obtained the trial environment
• Save Password = ON

After entering the information, click the ‘Sync’ button in the upper right corner. After a short wait, the application selection screen will open.

Select ‘Inspector’.

The home screen for field workers will open.

Select ‘Templates’ from the home screen.

You will see a list of checklists that you can answer. Scroll down and you will find the checklists created in the previous step. Other checklists are data for demonstration purposes.

For example, “Quality Assurance” is a checklist you can try.

Open the checklist you created.

Enter your answers and click the hamburger button (三) in the upper right corner. Select ‘Complete’.

You can also try our product tours to see how the Questionnaire Designer and Inspections+ mobile app work in your browser without installing any software.

Step 3: Check the results of the answered checklist

In Inspections+, you can view and export the results of the answered checklists in the Results Viewer.

Select ‘Results Viewer’ in the center of the Inspections+ screen.

The Results Viewer will be launched.

A list of checklists that have been answered is displayed in the center of the screen.

Select one of the checklists, and the results of your answer will be displayed on the right side of the screen.

The menu on the left side of the screen allows you to filter the results. Also, select the ‘Export’ button at the top of the screen to export the response results data.

This completes the basic operation of Resco Inspections+.

More information about how to use Inspections+

Looking for more information? Watch a webinar on how to create a good questionnaire.

Príspevok Increase your field workforce productivity with Resco Inspections+ zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Have you ever worked with a client who struggled with ineffective inspections?

HG Technology, a Resco partner that specializes in cloud-based business solutions, has faced a similar challenge.

As a Microsoft Silver Partner, it uses the full Microsoft 365 suite to help clients with digital transformation. The company creates tailored systems that enhance its clients’ business operations. These include inspection software, data and document management, and bespoke applications.

When the HG Technology’s team realized its construction industry client’s workers were still using paper reports during routine inspections, they wanted to help them improve this process. So, they looked for a digital solution.

That’s when they found Resco Inspections+.

In this interview, Millie Beere, Product Manager at HG Technology, shares how Inspections+ improved the client’s inspection process, saving time and money.

When you looked for a digital solution, why did you choose Resco instead of similar solutions available?

At HG Technology, we primarily use the Microsoft suite to provide cloud-based business solutions. So, when we learned that Resco’s products were also cloud-based and could be integrated with Microsoft applications, we knew Resco would fit perfectly with our company ethos. We saw it had the potential to enhance our client’s operations.

Resco offers an out-of-the-box app that’s ready for implementation. To what extent did you customize it to match your clients’ needs? 

One of our main customers is in the construction and aggregate industry. For this client, Inspections+ didn’t suit the business’ needs straight out of the box. So, we customized existing entities to better store equipment data. Specifically, we wanted to present this information in a Tree format with which client users were comfortable.

How did you go about this customization?

First, we customized the Asset entity so that it was suitable to store equipment data. This primarily involved creating new fields. 

We also customized the Tree entity so that it replicated the existing equipment configuration. This meant the equipment was stored in a structure that the users were familiar with. The Tree entity now builds itself and maintains its structure when new equipment data is brought across from an external platform.

To import equipment data into Inspections+ and constantly keep it up to date, we used Microsoft Power Automate and SharePoint lists. We then integrated them with Inspections+. The purpose was to export and store completed questionnaires, inspections, and audits. This way, our client can now view live equipment data from within the Inspections mobile application.

The client can now use the application to access the relevant inspections and reports anytime. This integration works fully automated; the client can extract completed reports and store the PDFs in a SharePoint document library. That can be helpful for future reference and external auditing. 

Did you also make any other customizations of the app?

Yes, we have also made several customisations to questionnaire templates to help our clients get the most out of their inspections. For example, we have implemented ‘Fault Notifications’, which notify the managers on the client’s side when an inspector picks up on an issue on-site. This notification informs managers of the fault, its location, and whether it has been resolved.

In addition, we have also implemented calculated fields, as inspectors often need to enter a range of measurements. Thanks to our customized rule, the questionnaire generates an average of these measurements.

You mentioned integrations with Power Automate and SharePoint. Have you integrated Inspections+ with any other Microsoft applications?

Being a Microsoft Silver Partner, we’ve encountered a few scenarios where a client has benefited from such integrations. Apart from integrating Power Automate and SharePoint, we have also implemented a Microsoft Power BI dashboard directly into Inspections+. 

Our client wanted to view department-specific data at the drop of a hat. It included data such as how many inspections have been completed in the current month, which pieces of equipment have been inspected, and so on.

In our solution, the Power BI dashboard uses the data stored in Resco to provide interactive and drill-down dashboards. This integration allowed our client’s users to manage their team’s performance quickly and effectively.

As a result, our client’s data is more secure and easier to navigate. It also prevents users from having to sort through large amounts of information to find what they are looking for. And we can choose which users can view what data. These are just a few benefits of being able to create unique app configurations.

To better understand your clients’ context, can you tell us more about their industries, use cases, and how the solution helps them?

As I mentioned, we have worked with a client from the construction and aggregate industries to implement Inspections+.

Before implementing Resco for this client, its users conducted routine inspections using pen and paper. They often couldn’t find the time to create digital copies of these inspection reports, which resulted in misplaced inspections. 

Going digital has allowed our client to run inspections from the users’ mobile devices. They can do so anywhere, anytime, and whether they are online or without access to the internet.

We also learned that the aggregate industry experiences routine external audits. 

For these audits, they must provide data from their routine equipment inspections. But as inspectors often lost their paper reports with no digital copies, they couldn’t always provide auditors with the data they required.

After implementing Inspections+, and integrating SharePoint, all their digital inspections are exported and stored in SharePoint automatically. 

Can you give an example of any quantifiable benefits that using Resco solutions brought to your client?

Before going digital, our client’s inspectors used to spend several hours a week in the office typing up their paper reports. Sometimes this didn’t get done, and the process was incredibly time-consuming.

Now, they’re able to save that time, as they complete inspections much faster. Plus, the inspections are more likely to be done. Their work is much more efficient.

Which Resco features do your customers find most useful? 

We have found the Tree entity to be very beneficial to the aggregate industry. Our client users store their equipment in a system called SAP, so they appreciate we have been able to replicate this structure in Inspections+. Now, inspectors can follow the familiar layout to find the piece of equipment they are inspecting.

Thanks to the Tree structure, inspectors can easily find the questionnaires associated with each piece of equipment. That’s another feature we have found useful. It avoids incorrect inspections being conducted, saving the users valuable time.

Being able to capture an image when inspecting is also very beneficial. Now, when an issue arises, inspectors can just take a picture and tag the image with the relevant information.

As users usually take images when an issue occurs, we have also set up a notification system informing managers of any faults that arise. As a result, the client can now resolve faults quicker and with less machine downtime.

You just mentioned a few of your clients’ favorite features. What are the best features from your point of view?

Firstly, the ability to create department-specific app projects means users don’t get overwhelmed. They only see relevant inspection information. This is both secure and timesaving. 

Secondly, being able to set up notifications is another important feature. The main purpose of conducting inspections is keeping on top of what is or isn’t working. That’s why being able to notify certain members of the team when a problem occurs means issues get resolved much quicker.

Thirdly, we’ve found that inspectors are often without internet access throughout the day. Therefore, being able to access inspections whilst offline is very beneficial. It increases the likelihood of inspections being conducted.

Do you plan to further scale your Resco solution or try other Resco products in different scenarios in the future?

Absolutely. We are always looking for new Resco clients and hope to expand our skill-set as we go. In 2021 we branched out and started networking in the Middle East—we see great potential and hope to expand our clientele in this industry. 

Would you recommend Resco to other companies?

I would recommend Resco to businesses that conduct inspections regularly. Especially to those who haven’t yet digitized their inspections.

By working with a Resco partner, implementing the solution can require only minor work. It can help businesses conduct inspections anywhere, anytime, from their workers’ mobile devices.

Príspevok How HG Technology improves its clients’ inspections and audits thanks to Resco zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Be among the first to try ALIS – our Asset Location and Identification System. We are sending out ALIS Developer Kits. Receive 6 Bluetooth beacons, a mobile app to monitor them, and a sandbox for testing and experimenting. We will support you in developing a solution for problems related to localization and monitoring of any assets. 

In resco.Labs, we are harnessing the potential of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) devices. We are integrating them with our enterprise-grade software for the mobile workforce in order to: 

• Find assets 
• Identify the assets and access relevant documents 
• Make sure the technicians are present at the site 

Interested in learning more? Read our blog to understand how ALIS works.  

We are excited to announce that we now offer an ALIS Developer Kit. By ordering it now, you can actively participate in the ongoing development and shape the future of ALIS. 

What will you find in the ALIS Developer Kit? 

The kit includes everything you need to customize ALIS for your specific use case. It contains the necessary hardware, software, and support to get you up and running. You will receive: 

6 Resco ALIS Beacons  

Each of these six BLE devices is equipped with a temperature sensor. One can remotely activate a sound to facilitate easier identification.  

Watch the unboxing of the beacons:

5 hours of support and consultation 

Purchasing the Developer Kit grants you five hours of dedicated support and consultation. You will get access to expert guidance as you test and experiment with the solution. The Resco team is committed to your success and will provide assistance, answer your questions, and help you overcome any challenges you may encounter along the way. 

Access to the Mobile ALIS Application 

Available for both Android and iOS, this easy-to-use application allows you to monitor the BLE devices and work with them effortlessly. 

Access to a Prebuilt Resco Organization 

To simplify your development journey, the Developer Kit also provides access to a preconfigured Resco organization. This environment serves as a sandbox for testing and experimenting, and comes with preconfigured beacons and assets, ensuring a smooth and easy start. 

What’s next? 

The next step is simple – become a member of a closed testing community by purchasing the Resco ALIS Developer Kit for €499 (+ shipping).  

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Need more information? Feel free to contact Nikolas Fabry, Business Development Manager, at nikolas.fabry@resco.net    

Príspevok Apply for an ALIS Developer Kit and assist your field workers in finding and recognizing assets zobrazený najskôr Resco.

You don’t have time to waste when you use a mobile app for work. You need it to be accessible and well usable. Adela Halmo, a UX researcher at Resco, explains how we address our users’ needs, from the initial research interviews to the implementation stage.

At Resco, our focus is on providing software solutions for frontline workers. Can you explain why UI/UX is important for them?

Frontline workers operate in the field without the convenience of a fully equipped office. They are constantly on the move and often under time pressure. These people need to concentrate on delivering high-quality work they are experts at.

We don’t want to burden them with complicated work apps. Our goal is to make them intuitive.

The Resco Mobile App Development Toolkit works very well from a technical point of view. We have a top-notch offline mode and customizable synchronization. We strive to make all of this as user-friendly as possible for frontline workers.

Why is usability so crucial?

When an app is usable, it is easy for the workers to figure it out. They don’t require extensive training or support.

Using their work app should leave them satisfied and self-confident. They shouldn’t feel frustrated, as that could negatively impact their interactions with customers.

How does the UX/UI of mobile apps differ from desktop apps?

Mobile devices are ubiquitous. People rely on them as their primary devices for accomplishing tasks. For deskless workers, they are clearly the most practical devices in the field. They can’t imagine running around and doing their job with any other device.

My colleagues who worked at Resco two decades ago foresaw this trend and couldn’t ignore it. They adapted desktop applications for use on mobile devices. Supporting frontline workers is not new to us.

Thanks to our extensive experience, we know that mobile applications have different standards compared to desktop apps. Most importantly, mobile apps require users to navigate efficiently and quickly, even with gestures. With larger screen space, desktops can display more information. Mobile app interfaces often prioritize essential information and use responsive design techniques. Mobile apps are typically designed to adhere to specific platform UI guidelines and conventions, ensuring consistency with other native apps on the platform and providing a familiar user experience.

How does this translate to the user interfaces of mobile devices?

Let’s emphasize the usability concept once again: making the apps user-friendly is crucial so that anyone can work with them.

When discussing field service, our users work in challenging conditions. They often wear gloves or work in harsh sunlight. Therefore, the apps need high contrast, large touch targets, and so on. Workers should not struggle to tap exactly where they intend to. They need to have their apps in their hands and have complete control over gestures that help them accomplish their tasks.

Speed is paramount in the field. Everything must be designed to allow workers to operate their apps quickly.

Resco has been in the market for 24 years. During this time, user interfaces and the entire experience of using technology have evolved. How do user requirements change?

Users want their apps to be as simple as possible. In the past, there was a focus on creating visually appealing interfaces with shadows and gradients. However, nowadays, fewer people prioritize aesthetics. The primary expectation is for apps to be easy to navigate.

Additionally, users prefer having everything in one place, so they don’t have to use multiple apps. That’s why they can take pictures directly in Inspections+, use a QR scanner, or write notes.

When field users encounter a problem, they want to avoid calling colleagues or rummaging through Sharepoint. They can access Steps+, which provide all the necessary documentation directly from their apps.

You work as a UX researcher. How do you get to know the user’s needs?

To be honest, UX research is quite challenging in B2B.

While reaching people who use desktop tools is relatively easy and allows for direct implementation of their requirements, reaching mobile users is more complex. Typically, there are implementation partners and managers involved. However, this research is highly valuable as the ultimate goal for a UI/UX researcher at Resco is to see frontline workers using the application.

Apps created with the Mobile App Development Toolkit cover many scenarios. They are not single-purpose apps that everyone uses more or less equally – like social networks. With each case being unique, user requirements are very diverse. It’s fascinating to us.

We try to cover as many scenarios as possible in our research. On top of it, we are always thankful for customer feedback. If you communicate with your frontline users, everything they say is relevant to us. It is the most valuable feedback we can get. If you want to share it directly with me, you can reach me at adela.halmo@resco.net

Most importantly, all our users are united by the fact that they want to work quickly and simply. We try to follow that.

What are the methods of UX research in Resco?

We ask a lot of questions. We perform user interviews, either exploratory or focused on a specific topic. Before we even get to the topic of Resco, we ask our users about their work, their scenarios, division of tasks.

We ask them what they want to achieve with our tools, what they enable them to do, and what we can improve.

These are not feedback loops but rather deep conversations about how they feel when they use our app, how they relate to it, or whether they are comfortable with it.

We also interview the admins that use our web tools to build and customize apps for frontline workers.

When we have new ideas for improving our applications, a UI designer and a UX designer develop a prototype. It all starts with a wireframe. UX design takes place in the Miro application, and UI design in Figma. We play with how everything should look so the design is consistent with everything we offer. We are striving to make everything look as simple and standard as possible.

We cooperate with the developers early in the UX design phase. We must ensure all the features we creatively design fit into our code and the data model.

Throughout the whole process, we are in touch with product managers. They are in charge of the product on a broader scale and evaluate the impact of the new features.

Then we test our prototype for usability. Basically, we watch how people react to it. During usability tests, we don’t ask questions. We observe users as they perform tasks and record their immediate reactions. We want to see how the prototype is worked with, where there are pain points, and if we can improve the prototype immediately in the next iteration.

After the usability testing, the features are coded and offered for preview. With our new release cycle, we have a preview each month. We encourage everyone to try it right away and give us immediate feedback.

The partner or customer must know what was done and how they can set it up. We provide documentation on our wiki.

What have you been working on recently? Is there anything you are especially proud of? Why is it important for the users?

We are redesigning forms. You can imagine a form as a detail of one record: for example, a screen with the name of the company and all the details about it.

Forms are an app component that every user works with every day. We analyzed how they are currently coded and how they should look according to the design system. We are making them more straightforward to interact with.

I would also like to point out our work on data mapping. Data mapping gives field workers, managers, and consultants an easy way to update existing records in a database directly from a questionnaire. They can also create new records or populate their questionnaires with data from the database. The update makes it easy to set up data mapping without coding using a simple wizard. A big part was released in January, and soon we will release more.

What else are you up to? Are there any exciting projects in your pipeline that you can already share?

I mentioned redesigning the forms. Admin users put the forms together in Woodford’s Form Designer, which has already got a significant UX change, and we plan to continue it. We want the people designing forms to do as little work as possible. We want to come up with useful defaults. And when the designers decide to change something, they will know exactly what they are changing in the application to prevent them from accidentally setting things they do not want. Also, there is a rather big conceptual switch between how we looked at the Style editor until now and what it will enable in the future.

One area we are focusing on is the color in the Theme editor. Until now, users could set any colors they wanted. They could have accidentally produced a colorful app that didn’t follow accessibility standards.

Of course, we want to accommodate customers who have their branding colors. They can choose one color, and we will recolor the entire app for them.

With this change comes the possibility of having a dark mode.

What are the trends in the UI/UX industry that shape your priorities?

We are implementing Material Design. It is an open-source design system from Google that standardizes every single component in mobile applications. As I see it, even Microsoft’s design system is largely influenced by Material Design.

We want the users that come into contact with our apps to experience the least possible shock.

We are also influenced by trends in features. AI is a big trend; of course, it is starting to be addressed in customer feature requests. We already took part in implementing AI in creating work instructions and automating inspection summaries, and there is more to come.

Discover the Mobile App Development Toolkit

Príspevok UX researcher: Frontline workers require their apps to be straightforward zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Modern fish farming is a high-tech industry. Technology helps with feeding procedures, visualization of important events, and automation. A well-managed environment contributes towards the welfare of the fish.

From pen and paper to a robust software solution

ScaleAQ has been on the market for 40 years and started out using pen and paper.

The company owns a lot of internal equipment – forklifts, welding machines, etc. These assets need weekly or monthly service. As you can imagine, paper documents sometimes got damaged or even disappeared.

Christian Våge, Team Lead Electro/Automation, ScaleAQ, explains that they started to inspect their assets in 2017 with the help of Resco.
“We quickly saw the benefit and added customer equipment as well,” says Mr. Våge.

Inspecting the fish pens

Now they use Resco Field Service+ along with Inspections+ to inspect the fish pens too. Field engineers sail in small boats and fill in the inspection forms directly at sea. Resco Field Service+ mobile app, fully integrated with Dynamics 365, allows field engineers to work on any device, even with low or no internet connection.

A lot of maintenance work needs to be done on each recurring inspection. Sometimes the inspection is not finished in one go, and the engineers need to make a second visit. There can be different people on each visit. Information needs to be passed on.

Resco Inspections+ allow the field engineers to access the questions that have already been answered. All the answers are reused, only the ones they need to focus on are highlighted.

The technician does not need to reenter questions that have already been entered. It speeds up the inspection, saves time, and increases efficiency.

Data collected during the inspections are securely stored on the mobile device thanks to Resco’s signature offline capability and synced with MS Dynamics once the field engineer becomes online again. Once synced, the documents are stored on SharePoint and also at a customer portal, where customers can review them.

Assembling the fish pens

ScaleAQ has built many fish pens over the years. They come in different specifications, and many of them are unique. When they are being assembled, they demand a unique inspection every time. The inspections must be carried out with the correct template of questions.

To make it easy for the field workers, Resco mobile app pulls out the data about each pen from product cards stored in MS Dynamics and builds an inspection questionnaire dynamically. This process guarantees each asset is inspected with the right inspection template and questions.

Moreover, the questions dynamically change based on the answers that are already given.

Everyone can rest assured the collected data is relevant to the specific asset. This increases the quality and accuracy of the data. Accurate data account for better decisions that lead to the competitive advantage of ScaleAQ. The data is subsequently analyzed in the back office.

And when the pens are being moved between locations, field engineers see the exact info they need to assemble them.

Back-office workers do not need coding skills to put together responsive questionnaires and analyze the outcomes. They can take advantage of the Inspections+ no-code capabilities.

All data in one system

As ScaleAQ grew, its partner seamlessly integrated it with Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service. They have incorporated other back-office systems as well.

All the company data is created and stored in one ecosystem. This way, ScaleAQ avoids data silos and makes sure all the employees and vendors are on the same page.

Sustainability

ScaleAQ has overcome many hurdles thanks to its robust software solution. The biggest challenge at the moment is the state of the ocean and the fish. That’s why they promote circular aquaculture and are focused on sustainability.

With the Green Platform Project SirkAQ, they are developing solutions to reuse, repair and extend the life of plastic from fish farming equipment and to use recycled materials in new products.

Thanks to technology, they have a detailed overview of all the processes. That helps with good management of resources and sustainable operations.

After all, there can be no aquaculture without a clean ocean and healthy fish.

Field service+

Resco Field Service+ with Inspections+ help companies to become more efficient and sustainable – not only in aquaculture but also in manufacturing, property maintenance, or the energy sector.

If you got interested in the ScaleAQ story, in how they use advanced mobility to drive efficiency, and you’d like to explore how it can benefit your business, book a demo with us, and we’ll provide you all answers and tailored consultation.

Príspevok ScaleAQ makes fish-farming more efficient thanks to advanced mobility zobrazený najskôr Resco.

In our space for innovation, we are exploring multiple concepts to make the lives of field staff easier. One of them is ALIS – our new asset localization and identification system. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to navigate field workers and help them execute their work orders.

The potential of BLE as unassuming small devices that transmit information has long been overlooked. In the Resco ALIS Lab, we are modifying this technology to make them meet industry requirements. We are also integrating them into our software solutions to unlock their capabilities.

Resco ALIS Lab

Resco ALIS Lab is one of the resco.Labs projects that we launched to bring game-changing technology to mobile workers. The mentor of this lab is Radomir Vozar, one of the founders of Resco. He works in the lab alongside Resco experts from various backgrounds: hardware and software development, UX and UI, sales, and marketing.

In this article, Radomir Vozar explains:

• How ALIS works
• How it can be used in the field
• How you can leverage ALIS with the Resco platform
• How to apply for a Resco ALIS pilot in your company

How ALIS works

The basic unit of ALIS is a BLE device also called a beacon. It passively transmits a low-energy signal in short, regular intervals. The signal carries simple information. It can be a serial number, or an ID used in computer systems.

Versatility

The information that is sent out from the beacon can be configured.

In the basic setup, a beacon contains a chip, an antenna, and a battery with a life span of 10 years or more – all encased in a protective shell.

In addition, we can fit a beacon with a sensor to monitor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, light, motion, vibrations, or air quality.

Another useful enhancement is a LED or voice signal hardware extension, helping better identify an asset in situations where more assets are located next to each other.

NIVY Watch, the daughter company of Resco, will be lending their expertise to the Resco ALIS Lab and helping create enterprise-quality beacons with the related software necessary for integrating with the existing Resco platform.

Low price

Beacons are exceptionally low-cost. They don’t require complicated infrastructure, implementation, and maintenance.

Low energy

A beacon is stationary, meant to sit in one place. You can stick it to any asset. We can customize it for use with a magnet, a zip tie, a screw, or an adhesive. It is wireless and does not require any cables.

Distance and localization

The primary benefit of a beacon is that you can tell how far you are from it.

How is that possible? The radio magnetic waves from a beacon leave the device in all directions. As they travel, they get weaker, meaning their magnitude is getting smaller. By reading the magnitude, you can guess the distance from a beacon with a high enough precision to localize your asset.

With multiple beacons in a network, you can use this distance measurement to localize them in space.

Widely supported

To make use of the beacons, you need a device that can pick up and decipher its signals. The good news is that most mobile phones and tablets now have Bluetooth receivers. Anyone with a smartphone and a dedicated mobile app can read the signals and enjoy the benefits of beacons.

If you are asking where to get one of these dedicated mobile apps, the short answer is that we are adding beacon support to our platform through the Resco ALIS Lab. It will be possible to add this Resco platform feature without any coding to Inspections+ and Field Service+ use cases.

You can find more info about joining the pilot program at the end of this article.

How beacons can be used in the field

In the following paragraphs, we will explore the potential of beacons in everyday situations.

If a field worker has a mobile app that can read and interpret signals from the beacons, it can save him (and his back-office colleagues) a lot of hassle.

Asset localization

The first practical use of beacons is asset localization.

An example of an asset is an air conditioning system. Large buildings have tens or even hundreds of air conditioning units. When a service technician inspects and services one of these devices, he needs to get to it, read or scan its barcode, find its IDs, and start filling in the work order.

It is not always easy to find the asset. The technician may not be familiar with the site; a third party could have done the installation. The asset may be hidden behind a ceiling construction. We know from experience that in complex sites, e.g., large plants with a lot of piping, it can take up to a few hours to localize a single asset.

If we stick a beacon to each asset, the field worker can perform a simple scan on his mobile app and see all assets on the site. With a list of assets, their distance, and direction, he can quickly identify the asset he is looking for. The time saved can be remarkable.

Identification of an asset and related documents

Once the field worker has located the asset, he must start an asset-related inspection, or field service work order.

The beacon transmits a unique ID together with other asset-specific information. The mobile application on his smartphone receives this information set and simply runs and pre-fills the related Inspection or Field Service work order with all the data. Moreover, this can all be done with only one click. This can save significant time and avoid incorrect data input.

Making sure the technician is at the site

The next area where beacons can come in handy is monitoring the presence of a field technician at the asset. When it comes to medical equipment or devices that comply with regulations, it is crucial to ensure the technician has been at the site and inspected the correct device.

With beacons, you can monitor the time the field service technician has spent in close proximity to the asset.

Sign up for a Resco ALIS pilot

As you can see, beacons can improve the work of field service technicians in multiple ways. There are many options for exploring their potential. That’s why we need you, our valued customers and partners, to tell us what is most valuable for you.

Right now, we are looking for companies that will join the first Labs pilot program. We will tailor the hardware and software to their use cases. If you can imagine beacons working for you, get in touch, and we can discuss how we can meet your needs.

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Príspevok In resco.Labs, we are experimenting with BLE devices that will guide field workers zobrazený najskôr Resco.

It is going to be a little technical, but the reward is worth it, so let’s dive right in.

What scenario you can cover with this flow

Back-office user manually selects any number of rows in Account table. Then clicks on “Generate Report button” and Accounts Overview PDF is automatically generated and saved on SharePoint.

Prerequisites

• The setup can be done only by an admin
• Report Template is created in the organization
• You have these licenses:
  • Power Automate license for the admin
  • Resco license
  • Dataverse Admin License

Step 1: Create a new flow and a trigger

First, go to make.poweautomate.com and click on the “New flow” and “Automated cloud flow” options.

You can name your flow now or just click on “Skip” (you can name it later).

For a trigger, enter “http request” into the search bar and choose the “When an HTTP request is received” option.

For a Request Body JSON Schema, insert this JSON:

{

“type”: “object”,

“properties”: {

“GUIDS”: {

“type”: “string”

}

}

}

The provided JSON is a representation of an object with one property called “GUIDS”.

Within the code, we define what this trigger should expect to receive from the button we’ll create later in PowerApps.

Let’s break it down further:

“type” & “object”: This indicates that the root element of the JSON is an object.

“properties”: This keyword is used to define the properties of the object.

“GUIDS”: This is the name of the property. In this case, it represents a globally unique identifier (GUID).

“type” & “string”: This specifies that the value of the “GUIDS” property should be a string. A string is a sequence of characters, such as letters, numbers, and symbols.

Step 2: Create a variable

The next step we will need is a variable. Go ahead and click “Next step” and search for an “Initialize variable”.

Select an appropriate name for the variable. In this case, we are going to name it “varGuids”, select its Type as “String” and Value is going to be “GUIDS” from previous step/trigger.

Your variable should look like this:

Step 3: Compose – edit format of GUIDS

Right now, we have received our GUIDS of records we selected in the view.

The only thing that keeps us from using a Resco Reports connector in our flow now is that the connector expects those GUIDS to be in the slightly different format – in comma-delimited list of record IDs.

That’s why our next action is a step called “Compose”, where we take those GUIDS and use an action to get a subset of characters of a given string.

Click on “Add new action” search for “Compose” action, then click on “Inputs”, switch to “Expressions” and start typing function called substring.

Add the () after the function, switch to “Dynamic content” and choose the variable “varGuids”.

Add “1” after the variable, and add another function called “sub()”, where we define the length of substring. In the () add another function called “length()” and inside of () there will be our varGuids variable again.

After this, just add “2”.

The whole expression should look like this:

substring(variables(‘varGuids’),1,sub(length(variables(‘varGuids’)),2))

Step 4: Resco connector – the star of the show

When we got this out of the way, we can now proceed to adding Resco Reports connector as an action.

Type in “Resco Reports” to the search bar and choose the “Generate a report on multiple rows” action.

You might be asked to provide you Dataverse resource URL, please do so.

After you provided you Dataverse URL, you can now setup Resco Reports action.

In Report ID, choose the correct Report from your organization that you defined in Report Designer.

In this case, it has to be a report for list of records.

For the comma-delimited list of record IDs, choose “Outputs” from the “Compose” action, and then your preferred format. You can chose PDF, HTML, Word or Excel.

The action should look something like this:

Step 5: SharePoint configuration

The next action we need to do is to create a file in SharePoint.

Type in “Create a file” and choose the action related to SharePoint.

In this step, you will define your SharePoint site and the folder path from your site. You can set up a file name as well.

The only thing that you must have the same as in our example is the file content. Choose the “Report content” option from the “Generate a report on multiple row” step in our flow.

The step should look like this:

And now you have it. You can now select multiple records on the list view, click the button, and your report for those records will be generated and saved to your SharePoint site.

Step 6: Create and define the button

We have successfully created a flow, all we need to do now is to add a button to the view.

Navigate to the make.powerapps.com again, go to the “Solutions” and choose a solution you want to add a button in. Click on three dots and hit “Edit”.

Create a JS file in your computer with this script:

function GenerateReport(selectedIds) {

var formattedGuids = “{” + selectedIds + “}”;

var req = new XMLHttpRequest();

var url = “[INSERT URL OF YOUR FLOW HERE]“;

req.open(“POST”, url, true);

req.setRequestHeader(‘Content-Type’, ‘application/json’);

req.send(JSON.stringify({

“GUIDS”: formattedGuids}));

Xrm.Utility.alertDialog(“Single PDF report will be generated from the selected rows. It will be saved in SharePoint.”);

}

Do not forget to paste you flow URL from the trigger of the flow.

The next thing we want to do is to create a web resource, which we will use in the configuration of the button on the list view. Click on “New”, then select “More” and “Web resource”.

Choose the JS file we created earlier, type in the Display name. Type should be automatically changed to JavaScript (JS). Click “Save”.

Navigate to the apps, choose the app you want to add a button in and click on “Edit”.

Find a view where you want to place your button, click on three dots and then on “Edit command bar”.

Select the main grid and click on “Edit”.

On the upper left side, click on “+New” and choose “Command”.

The next settings for button are up to you, but here are some examples:

• For the label, type in “Generate Report”.
• For Icon, choose “Use Icon” and “PdfIconFile”.

Important part about configuring the command starts here:

For the Action, select “Run JavaScript”, for the Library, choose the JS file that we added to a WebResourse.

Next, type in the name of the function from the JavaScript web resource, in this case “GenerateReport”.

Click on “Add parameter” and choose “SelectedControlSelectedItemsIds” from a dropdown list.

Since it’s a button for generating a report for multiple records, we don’t want it to be visible unless at least one item is selected on the list.

Therefore, for a visibility, click on the dropdown, and select “Show on condition from formula” and then click on “Open formula bar”.

Paste following function to a formula bar:

CountRows(Self.Selected.AllItems)>0

Make sure to Save and Publish it.

How to get in touch

And that’s a wrap! In this blog, we demonstrated how to create a flow, which generates the Resco Report for multiple records in your Dataverse org and saves this report in your SharePoint.

You can trigger this flow by clicking on your custom button.

If you want to learn more, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and I’ll be happy to follow up.

Príspevok Save time and effort: Create PDF report for multiple rows in Dynamics 365 with Resco Reports connector zobrazený najskôr Resco.

Since joining Resco in 2018, Tomas has been instrumental in implementing projects and helping our customers thrive within the Dynamics ecosystem. In this blog, he shares the three most interesting mobile requirements he has encountered during his time at Resco.

1. Risk Matrix component in Inspections+

The client wanted to add a Risk Matrix component to their Inspections+ questionnaire form. The problem was that this kind of question didn’t exist in the Questionnaire Designer tool.

To create a Risk Matrix question type, Tomas had to be creative and find a workaround. He decided to add several Option set questions with the pre-defined values and applied custom formatting via Styles in order to mimic the desired layout of the Risk Matrix component.

“The whole process from the requirement analysis through the implementation until the quick test took about two to three hours and demonstrated the flexibility of Resco. I was able to create the solution without any coding, using Resco’s no-code/low-code tools,” explains Tomas.

Resco’s solution not only covered the client’s need for functionality and layout but also design. The original component had several color scales ranging from green through yellow to red, each representing a different level of risk. The flexibility of the Resco Questionnaire Designer tool in terms of design allowed us to meet these demands, making the user adoption process much more accessible.

When the client saw the result, they were very pleased with it. The partner only added one minor rule to the solution to ensure that mobile users could only select one question in the matrix, and the rest were not editable. This solution demonstrated Resco’s platform’s adaptability and provided value to the client by meeting their specific requirements.

2. Complex custom mobile report

The potential client’s requirement was the ability to generate a mobile report with a custom layout upon the completion of the Questionnaire form.

Resco mobile reports are a very important and popular feature among Resco customers and partners. This feature allows users to quickly generate a PDF or Word document, or other output, which shows the results of the work orders field workers complete in the field. This output can be easily shared with clients or saved in the system for archiving.

A potential customer was interested in using Resco Inspections+ feature, but they wanted to see some output from it as well. The customer shared a scanned paper form with a complex layout they used for their work.

While the Resco Report Designer is a powerful and flexible tool that offers many configuration options, it requires some time to learn how to use its full potential and build really complex reports. Resco developers have improved the usability of the tool in recent releases, investing in making these technologies more user-friendly.

“Thanks to this, I was able to replicate the customer’s paper form using the Report Designer tool, creating a faithful copy of the form,” Tomas says.

The client was impressed with the custom mobile report during the demo and was pleasantly surprised by the capabilities of Resco technology. Such custom reports are recommended for users in highly competitive environments who need to quickly generate customized reports and send them to clients. They are also very useful for clients who need their reports to comply with strict legal requirements.

Although it can take several days to create a complex report, the effort is worth it as it can be updated very quickly once completed.

Mobile reports are the bread and butter of field data collection, but their generation isn’t solely a task for frontline workers. The ability to access and quickly create reports is important for field managers and back-office employees to review data and steer the information flow.

That’s why Inspections+ new feature, utilizing the Resco Power Automate connector, allows reports to be generated directly from Dynamics 365 and Dataverse. And makes it simple and fast.

3. Complex validation rules in Woodford

A potential client was planning to replace their current custom-built backend system and mobile app with something more standard. One of their requirements for the demo presentation was the ability to configure multiple validations in the mobile app without any programming, in a no-code/low-code way, to make the mobile app smart and foolproof.

The challenge was to ensure that the mobile application was user-friendly, with various validations and checks to prevent potential problems from the user entering incorrect data or conducting inspections for which they were not trained.

To address this challenge, Tomas used Resco’s customization tool, Woodford, and specifically its Rule Editor – a complex, flexible and no-code component for implementing custom business logic.

“I needed to create a multi-level validation that would check several actions within the application. Although the potential client wasn’t sure such validations could be created in the given timeframe, I was able to successfully demonstrate and present them, receiving positive feedback,” remarks Tomas.

The easier we can make things for users, the better the results, and the fewer errors there will be. Companies can save a lot of money by preventing repeated inspections due to technical incompetence.

The app Tomas presented demonstrated the combined power of Microsoft Dataverse and Resco. During the presentation, the client was surprised by the significant advantage of customizing Resco’s mobile application without programming.

Setting up an app without the need for custom code leads to faster development, lower costs, easier and cheaper maintenance of the system, and a better user experience. Companies often overlook costs hidden in the future maintenance of the custom code. However, these costs can be significantly reduced by applying a no-code/low-code approach where it’s suitable.

Make the most of Resco by staying in the loop

“I highly recommend attending our product webinars, where we showcase and demonstrate new functionalities. Additionally, I encourage our customers and partners to provide us with their feedback, which drives us forward, helps us better understand the real-life scenarios and keeps our focus on the features that bring a high value to our customers,” advises Tomas.

You can also follow us on social media such as YouTube and LinkedIn, where you’ll find the latest updates about our features and events. And if you’re interested in the technical aspects of our solutions, check out our technical blogs and subscribe to the Resco newsletter, where you’ll find valuable Tech tips.

By following these tips, you can ensure that you’re utilizing Resco to its full potential and staying ahead of the game in terms of mobile capabilities.

Príspevok Challenge accepted: Three unique customer demands solved with Resco zobrazený najskôr Resco.

The Intersolar event held in Long Beach, California, showcased the latest advancements and trends in the field of green energy.

Trevor Metcalf, our Marketing Manager from Resco North America, attended the event and shared his insights on the top five trends observed at Intersolar 2023.

This blog post will delve into these trends and provide a glimpse into the exciting future of renewable energy.

1. Scalable energy solutions

One of the prominent trends witnessed at Intersolar 2023 is the emergence of scalable energy effects.

Various companies showcased cutting-edge technology and software solutions that enable the initiation and expansion of green energy projects.

This trend signifies a shift towards empowering individuals and organizations to actively participate in the renewable energy transition.

Key points:

• Scalable energy solutions offer the flexibility to start small and expand gradually.
• Technology and software play a crucial role in facilitating the growth of green energy initiatives.
• The trend emphasizes democratization and accessibility of renewable energy resources.

Key data:

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that 90 percent of the world’s electricity can and should come from renewable energy by 2050.

One of the main drivers of increasing adoption of renewable energy has been the rapid decline in the cost of green technologies.

For example, the cost of electricity from solar power fell by 85 percent between 2010 and 2020. Costs of onshore and offshore wind energy fell by 56 percent and 48 percent respectively.

This has made renewable energy more competitive with traditional fossil fuel sources and has led to an increase in the adoption of green energy solutions.

2. Home energy tech revolution

Intersolar 2023 highlighted the rise of companies specializing in home energy tech. These innovative products enable individuals to adopt green energy practices within their residences.

Examples include solar panels, collapsible homes, and other eco-friendly solutions designed for domestic use.

This trend signifies the increasing emphasis on sustainability and self-sufficiency at the individual level.

Key points:

• Home energy tech products empower homeowners to generate and utilize renewable energy on-site.
• Solar panels and other green energy solutions are becoming more accessible and affordable for residential use.
• The trend reflects the growing awareness and demand for sustainable living practices.

Key data:

Especially in Europe, there is a growing trend of households integrating green energy into their homes. According to The Guardian, 2 million Europeans are now involved in 7,000 local energy communities across the continent, with numbers growing rapidly since EU directives promoting clean energy and energy communities were introduced in 2018 and 2019.

These local energy communities allow households to produce, consume and sell their own renewable energy. Examples include solar panels in the Netherlands and biomass burners in Spain. The EU sees the engagement and involvement of citizens producing and consuming energy locally as vital if the bloc is to meet its climate targets.

3. Safety and compliance solutions

Safety and compliance solutions emerged as a crucial trend at Intersolar 2023. Companies showcased products and software designed to ensure the safety of workers involved in green energy projects.

Additionally, these solutions facilitate proper data collection and compliance with industry standards, enhancing overall project efficiency and risk management.

Key points:

• Safety and compliance solutions prioritize worker well-being in the green energy sector.
• Enhanced data collection and compliance software streamline operations and improve project outcomes.
• The trend highlights the industry’s commitment to maintaining high safety standards and regulatory compliance.

Key data:

The hazards renewable energy workers encounter are often universal issues that people in similar fields experience. That said, clean power alternatives, like wind, have specific challenges that increase safety risks for operators and mechanics. This industry isn’t immune to threats.

Some of the most significant safety concerns for employees who work in renewable energy include machinery misuse, fall hazards, electrical currents and confined spaces. Therefore, processes like lock-out/tag-out and tools like Energy+ are important in improving industry’s safety standards.

4. Hydrogen energy advancements

Intersolar 2023 showcased significant advancements and interest in hydrogen energy.

Numerous companies presented novel technologies and products related to green energy and hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a promising alternative fuel source with vast potential to revolutionize various sectors, including transportation and industrial processes.

This trend signifies the increasing focus on hydrogen as a clean energy solution.

Key points:

• The emergence of new companies and technologies indicates the growing investment in hydrogen energy.
• Hydrogen offers a sustainable and versatile energy source with applications in multiple sectors.
• The trend highlights the potential of hydrogen to complement other renewable energy sources.

Key data:

The International Energy Agency (IEA) publishes an annual report called the “Global Hydrogen Review” which tracks hydrogen production and demand worldwide, as well as progress in critical areas such as infrastructure development, trade, policy, regulation, investments and innovation.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global hydrogen generation market size was USD 145.67 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow to USD 220.37 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.6% from 2021 to 2028.

This growth is driven by increasing interest in hydrogen as a clean energy solution and the development of new technologies and products related to green energy and hydrogen.

5. Software standardization for field operations

The final trend observed at Intersolar 2023 pertains to software standardization for field operations.

Many companies in the green energy industry face challenges in integrating pen and paper processes and different software solutions for various procedures in inspections, installations, and maintenance.

This trend calls for the development of a standardized software solution that simplifies and optimizes field activities, enhancing overall efficiency and collaboration.

Key points:

• Field operations in the green energy sector require a unified software solution for improved productivity.
• Standardization eliminates the need for multiple tools and enhances data sharing and communication.
• The trend emphasizes the importance of streamlining processes and ensuring seamless collaboration among stakeholders.

Key data:

The green energy sector can be considered an early adopter of digital technologies, however it must now be enabled to be a continued and efficient adopter.

By 2030, digital technologies have the potential to help resource-intensive industries in particular reduce their global Co2 emissions by 20%. In other words, these technologies can save 9.7x more emissions than they produce and digital tools will be a significant driver of the increased efficiency.

Conclusion

Intersolar 2023 provided a platform to explore the most exciting trends in the field of green energy.

The trends discussed in this blog post, including scalable energy solutions, home energy tech, safety and compliance, hydrogen energy advancements, and software standardization, highlight the industry’s continuous evolution and commitment to a sustainable future.

And tools like Energy+ can definitely help to shape the future of industry.

Príspevok 5 Exciting trends in green energy unveiled at Intersolar 2023 zobrazený najskôr Resco.

“Having more complete & up-to-the-minute information makes it easier for us to respond quickly to change,” points out one of the benefits Keith Murphy, Business Analyst at Maxol, a leading fuel stations operator in Ireland.

And for the frontline workers, the benefits of switching from paper reports or spreadsheets to their more flexible counterparts are even more tangible.

“Before, our field sales reps needed to be at home after their daily visits to document and follow up their visit reports on a laptop,” says Marcel Federlein, CRM Consultant at Hoffmann Group. That could mean tens of minutes or even hours of additional administrative work. “With the mobile reports, visit reporting time has been reduced by at least 30 to 60 minutes per day,” adds Marcel.

And so, it becomes critically important for both the employees in the office and the field how effectively they can create documents like time sheets, service reports, inspections, or invoices.

But with such possibilities, there comes a question. What are the key functionalities that make reports effective? And what should you focus on to achieve success similar to Hoffman Group’s or Maxol’s?

The 5 key functionalities of effective digital reports

Working with hundreds of customers across industries we understood the importance of reports and what is key to make them truly effective. One of the areas where quality reporting is crucial is in the data collection scenarios.

That’s why we made sure Resco Inspections+ offers a robust set of features that make generating, editing, and managing of reports easier and more efficient.

Here you can explore the 5 key features that make truly effective reporting possible.

#1: Creating reports without coding

IT resources are scarce across the job market. It’s a long-term challenge not just for standard industries like manufacturing or field service, but for integration software vendors too.

To mitigate the need for coding skills, Inspections+ utilize a set of no code/low code development tools to enable teams develop and customize their digital reports.

This allows businesses to save time and resources while still generating accurate and professional-looking reports.

“It gives us additional capabilities without big IT development. It makes possible that a skilled person can create reports or checklists without any IT support,” comments Peter Becher from Krones AG.

A showcase of Resco’s no code/low code Questionnaire Designer.

The critical tools in the process are Questionnaire and Report Designers. They combine the power of advanced features like smart questions, scoring, or data mapping with simplicity of drag-and-drop design process.

Recent demonstration of creating timesheets reports in Dynamics 365 with Resco development platform is a great showcase of that. It proves that complex functionality can be achieved without writing a single line of code, giving great power to even small IT teams.

And if the back-office staff possess such capabilities, they can make the next phase much easier for frontline workers.

#2: Reporting from mobile devices, automatically

Even nowadays, many field teams need to rewrite the data they collect. They rewrite it from the paper notes they take, spreadsheets they run, or custom mobile apps that aren’t integrated with the company’s database.

The complexity of it can be staggering.

“What was happening was that we would have a salesperson who goes out to the customer number one. They take pictures of the equipment and written notes.

They do five, six, seven, eight, nine of those. And at the end of the day, they come home, plug in their phone to their computer and paste the data into an Excel spreadsheet.

Then go back to their notes, type in the forklift details into the Excel spreadsheet, and email that to the wholesale manager. The manager would then take that, pull a couple of photos out, post that to the wholesale auction network, and try to sell,” explains Jason Johnson from Southern States Toyotalift.

And so, the ones who can integrate data collection and reporting into one process gain a massive advantage.

The no code development, native integration with D365 & Power Platform, and a single app for data collection and reporting in Inspections+ enable to solve it and deliver data in real time.

The frontline users can then automatically create reports of collected data with add-ons like e-signatures from their mobile device. Without rewriting. Administrative burden. Extra hours or work.

For Southern States Toyotalift, this efficiency meant optimization of the reporting to just 4 minutes per visit. And eventually a $350K/month increase in revenue.

#3: Relying on reports in offline scenarios

But still, being able to collect and report data from one place and device doesn’t guarantee complete success.

Even with today’s signal coverage, there comes a time in a day for frontline workers when they find themselves outside the reach of internet. If they cannot create reports in such conditions, the benefit of having digital solution comes close to zero.

It took about 15 minutes to switch from offline to online mode and back for Hoffman Group’s sales representatives with their legacy solution. And due to this reliability issues, they moved back to making post-work reports and phone calls.

To solve these critical scenarios, Inspections+ utilize full offline functionality allowing frontline users to collect and report data even in the most challenging conditions. The solution makes it possible to store all the data locally, and sync it once back online.

Features like DocuSign integration also enable digitally signing documents in offline mode without additional custom development.

And how reliable is this technology?

Imagine being in a remote area of Norway, deployed by a helicopter, surrounded by hills, valleys, and hanging on a communication tower and still being able to report data without delays. This is one of the most extreme use cases where reports in Inspections+ currently work, and technicians of Site Service Group can fully rely on them.

And what about the Hoffman Group’s sales representatives? They save 60 minutes every day and have eliminated 50% of calls after switching from legacy solution to Resco. All thanks to reliable offline mode, letting them fully leverage the power of digital reports.

#4: Generating reports in Dynamics 365 & Dataverse/Power Platform

Mobile reports are the bread and butter of field data collection, but their generation isn’t solely a task for frontline workers.

The ability to access and quickly create reports is important for field managers and back-office employees to review data and steer the information flow.

That’s why Inspections+ new feature, utilizing the Resco Power Automate connector, allows reports to be generated directly from Dynamics 365 and Dataverse. And makes it simple and fast.

The connector eliminates the need for any 3rd party solution and saves resources for further IT development.

An example of Power Automate prompt enabling to generate report and AI summary from Resco questionnaire

Furthermore, this opens a great space for innovation. Resco’s Product team recently demonstrated how Chat GPT, an AI language model, can further optimize report generation.

“The goal was to help workers and managers create report summaries without having to spend time getting through them manually or converting unreadable data into a much more presentable form,” explains Malvína Melkovičová, Product Consultant at Resco.

#5: Advanced analysis tools and integration with Power BI

Without additional analysis, the initial reports may have been of limited use.

Let’s say a field service organization generates a report on the number of service orders completed by their technicians over the past month. While this information is useful, it doesn’t provide much insight into the efficiency of the organization or the performance of individual technicians.

With tools available in Inspections+ like Results Viewer and Dashboards, organizations gain a deeper understanding of their operations. The solution makes it easy to set up charts, views, or notification to get a real time insight into organizations’ key performance indicators.

“Once the automated online sync kicks in on the user’s phone, the inspections are all visible via customized dashboards back in head office. Simple, reliable, quick and easy,” outlines the possibilities Keith from Maxol.

The native integration with Dynamics 365 and Dataverse also enables teams to analyze data through powerful Power BI platform.

Armed with this information, the organization make data-driven decisions to improve their operations.

Missing any of the key reporting features in your field operations?

The importance of reports for both the office and frontline workers cannot be overstated. They possess a way to say goodbye to manual data entry and administrative burden while enabling advanced data analytics and better business decisions.

Inspections+ is a solution which includes all the key functionalities enabling effective reports. Including the ability to create them without coding, generate reports on mobile devices, full offline functionality, integration with D365 and Power Platform, or advanced analysis.

“It was exactly what we were looking for and more,” concludes Keith from Maxol.

If these capabilities could help your business and field team too, schedule a free demo or contact our sales to explore Inspections+ in more detail.

Príspevok Reports done right: The 5 key features for frontline teams & businesses zobrazený najskôr Resco.

All in all, an offline mode means your field workers are not looking at the loading icon on their screen when they are in a hurry and need to work.

Watch Trevor Metcalfe, North America Marketing Manager at Resco, explain the five hidden benefits of offline in detail.

The benefits of offline

1. Speed

A mobile client that doesn’t rely on server-based logic, data, or connectivity is much faster and more responsive for the user under all conditions.

Even with perfect 5G wireless, a mobile app that relies on this signal to operate is still more sluggish than a fully offline capable client.

2. Consistency

The mobile experience is only as good as its worst-performing scenario. Imagine you are in the field and need to update an inspection ticket or look up a historical client work order.

If you are waiting seconds or minutes until you can complete the task, it’s not only frustrating and inconvenient at the moment. It also erodes your faith that the app will work in the future. It may mean a field-based employee decides not to add data or might decide to wait until they are back in the office/closer to a better wireless region.

3. Convenience

Having all the functionality a field-based worker needs right there on the device means they never have to think twice about getting the job done with a workflow they can trust.

Field-based work can be challenging enough, but imagine having to tweak your workflow to get your job done based on whether you have a serviceable wireless connection or not.

With an offline-capable client, a worker can get their job done and let the data sync and other server-side actions take care of themselves later.

4. Efficiency

If field-based workers can be confident that they can do everything they need in real-time, it’s a huge efficiency driver. They are not wasting time waiting for connectivity. They are inputting data and doing their job at the optimal moment.

Suppose someone has to wait until they get back within wireless coverage or even until they are at a PC. This not only extends their working day, which can impact job satisfaction. In that case, it means there is a gap between when they do the job and when they record the full details for the system of record. This can result in details being forgotten, work being rushed, or potentially not being tracked at all.

This was the case at Southern States Toyota Lift, an authorized Toyota Forklift dealer in Florida and Georgia, US. The salespeople used Excel spreadsheets. When they digitized the processes using advanced mobility, the company revenue increased by $350k/month thanks to improved efficiency of data input and processing.

5. Security

For certain organizations, security is a major consideration. The ability for field-based workers to be able to work with a full offline dataset and only sync when they are within a sanctioned network environment is massive.

Both customer and provider can be assured that the highest data security models are being upheld.

How to recognize an app with an effective offline mode

Not all offline modes on apps for field workers are equal. So, how do you recognize an excellent offline mode?

First and foremost, it is customizable. An admin can make sure field workers can access precisely the data they need in the offline mode. This makes the app quicker and more responsive.

An important feature is the ability to set up your synchronization. You only want to send and receive what’s required – ideally in an optimal storage format.

A stable and customizable offline mode is crucial when you store and transfer a lot of data. Thinking about it early on will save you a headache as your organization grows.

At Resco, we are developing software with an offline mode in mind. Resco Mobile App Development Toolkit can handle millions of records and complex tables. Our customers and partners have control over what is being synchronized.

Simply said, Resco puts the five hidden benefits of offline into plain sight.

Príspevok The five hidden benefits of offline zobrazený najskôr Resco.