Whether managing a fleet of taxis, manufacturing a product, or monitoring a supply chain, inspection is a vital checkpoint in every industry and business model.

The first thing that may come to mind when you hear the word "inspection" is a checklist to tick off. In reality, an inspection involves much more than checking boxes—there are workflows to create, tasks to assign, reports to write, and not to mention, a huge volume of data to collect for regulatory compliance and process/product improvement.

You can't do all of the above while also staying one step ahead of your competition if your inspection process still lives on pen and paper. Using a software tool, however, can ensure that inspection doesn't become a bottleneck that slows down your time-to-market.

But, before you set out exploring all the options available there are a few things you need to know, such as the common features to look for and considerations to weigh when choosing a vendor.

We've created this Buyers Guide to detail everything you need to know before making the final purchase decision.

Here's what we'll cover:

What is inspection software?
Common features of inspection software
What type of buyer are you?
Benefits of inspection software
Key considerations

What is inspection software?

Inspection software is software that allows users to digitalize all or part of their inspection process, which comprises functions such as managing schedules, conducting timely inspections, creating checklists, and storing and tracking documents. This type of software helps businesses save time, manage compliance, and reduce human effort by automating inspection-related tasks.

Pre-trip fleet inspection using Whip Around

Common features of inspection software

Different vendors offer different features in their inspection software. Selecting the right tool for your business is easier when you know what the common features are and what they do. Here's an overview.

Inspection task management	Create, view, manage, and complete inspection tasks to reduce chances of making manual errors.
Customized inspection templates	Use customizable, built-in templates for specific tasks; add appropriate questions/options to templates.
Offline inspection	Perform inspection activities even when not connected to the internet.
Inspection reminder	Receive alerts about pending/upcoming inspection activities through in-app pop-ups, email reminders, or text messages.
Schedule recurring tasks	Create and schedule recurring tasks. When you complete a task, the software reschedules the task automatically for future inspections.
Reporting	Create, download, send, and save copies of all your inspection reports for future reference.

What type of buyer are you?

Before you start evaluating inspection software options, you'll want to know what buyer category you belong to. Most inspection software buyers will fall into one of the below categories:

Small businesses (1-49 employees): These buyers have simple requirements; they're looking to improve their inspection activities. Most are currently using manual methods, so the transition to an automated tool should be gradual and methodical. They should start with the basic inspection features, such as inspection task management and customized templates.

Midsize businesses (50-999 employees): These buyers require additional features because they deal with a relatively higher volume of customers, suppliers, and vendors. They may operate out of multiple facilities and require additional features such as offline inspection, inspection reminder, and recurring task scheduler.

Large businesses (1,000+ employees): These buyers benefit by using a single system to handle relative/adjacent functions, which are more granular given the scale of operations. The main benefit is the centralization of data exchange across teams or departments. They can opt for a complete operations management suite that includes inspection as a built-in module.

Benefits of inspection software

While some of the benefits of inspection software may be clear from our discussion above, we've called out the most notable ones below:

Speed up daily inspections: The right inspection software can bring down your daily workload significantly. It can reduce the time needed to do all tasks and speed up results.

Meet compliance requirements: Depending on your industry, you may have specific regulations that govern aspects such as workplace, environment, or product safety. While the software will help build workflows for necessary inspections and schedule tasks, its centralized data management will ensure that you have all the necessary information to produce when demanded by authorities.

Key considerations

Here are some important things to look out for before you purchase inspection software:

Mobile app availability: If you are constantly on the move, then mobile apps can be useful for you. Check whether the inspection software you're considering offers access on mobile devices such as iOS and Android smartphones/tablets. The mobile app will help you perform audit and inspection tasks from any location.

Customer support: Ask software vendors if they offer support 24/7, only during business hours, or not at all. Also, ask about available support modes, such as email, phone, or live chat.

Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.

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