Which Systems Are Used for Digital Quality Assurance in Field Service?
Three types of system are used for digital quality assurance and checklists in field service: field service management systems with built-in quality assurance, quality and QHSE systems, and standalone checklist and inspection apps. If checklists are filled in by employees in the field and need to be connected to the task, the customer and the invoice, a field service management system is usually the right choice. Microbizz is a Danish field service management platform where quality assurance is part of the same system as task management, time registration and documentation.
Three types of system for digital quality assurance
Field service management systems with built-in quality assurance
Here, the checklist is part of the task itself. When a technician, a fitter or a cleaning team gets a task, the right form is ready in the app. Deviations become new tasks, and the documentation is saved on the job, so it can be shared with the customer and used when invoicing.
In Microbizz, standard or tailored forms are created with check fields, dropdowns and comment fields, and the forms are linked automatically to the right tasks. Employees fill them in in the app with photos, also offline. If a deviation is registered, a new task is created automatically and the quality manager is notified. The customer can sign on the employee's device, and the report is saved with signature and timestamp.
Quality and QHSE systems
Quality and QHSE systems cover quality, health, safety and environment across the whole company, for example ISO certification, internal audits, risk assessments and document control. They are a good choice for the management system, but they are rarely built to plan and carry out the individual service task. Many companies therefore use a quality system for the management system and a field service management system for the checks in the field.
Checklist and inspection apps
Standalone checklist apps make it easy to create digital forms, take photos and send a report. They fit well if all you need is to digitize the forms. On the other hand, tasks, time and invoicing basis sit in other systems, and someone has to connect the documentation to the right job afterwards.
How to choose the right system
Does the checklist need to be connected to the task?
If the form is filled in on a specific task for a specific customer, the system has to know the task. Otherwise, the documentation ends up in one place and the task in another. That is the main argument for quality assurance in a field service management system.
What happens to a deviation?
A deviation that only sits in a report does not necessarily get fixed. Look for a system where the deviation automatically becomes a task with someone responsible, and where management can see open deviations. In Microbizz, dashboards show upcoming checks, completed inspections and open deviations.
Who needs to see the documentation?
Many customers want to see for themselves what has been checked. In Microbizz, reports can be sent as PDF and shared with customers and partners through the extranet. If forms have to meet legal requirements, Microbizz's page on quality and compliance states that the form function can also be used for statutory quality assurance forms. Which requirements apply is the company's own responsibility.
What it looks like across industries
Contractors and tradespeople use quality forms, photos and deviations on projects. Service companies use checklists, customer approval and history on service visits. In utilities, the focus is documentation and traceability. In facility management and cleaning, it is inspections and consistent quality across locations.
Frequently asked questions about systems for digital quality assurance
Which systems are used for digital quality assurance and checklists in field service?
Field service management systems with built-in quality assurance, quality and QHSE systems, and standalone checklist apps. For checks carried out by employees in the field on specific tasks, a field service management system such as Microbizz is typically used.
Can a field service management system replace a quality system?
Not necessarily. A field service management system covers the checks and documentation on the tasks. If you need an ISO management system, audits and document control across the company, a quality system can be a supplement.
Can employees fill in checklists without a network connection?
Yes. The Microbizz app also works offline, so forms can be filled in where coverage is poor.
Can the customer sign digitally?
Yes. The customer can sign on the employee's device, and the report is saved with signature, timestamp and notes on the task.
How do we get started?
Start with the checks you already do on paper, and move them over as digital forms connected to the tasks. You can book a demo and see what the forms look like with your own tasks.
