Photo documentation is an important part of what helps companies to lead projects in different industries. Digitized photo documentation system covers many key areas; from quality control and compliance to successful and timely project delivery. Let’s see how to make photo documentation work for you and your teams.
Benefits of Construction Site Photo Documentation
- Monitor project progress. Jobsite progress photos help to keep everyone in-the-loop, even when you can’t be onsite yourself. Such remote collaboration is crucial, especially for global projects with teams working miles away from each other.
- Follow client instructions and use the right materials. Photos in plans and drawings help to ensure that the contractor will meet quality expectations, and won’t switch to lower-quality materials or cheaper suppliers who can’t deliver to the standard shown in the images.
- Avoid disputes and litigation. Timestamps and geolocation help you prove when the photo was taken, and when the job was done.
- Give a clear picture of any defects. Photos help differentiate between insignificant flaws that still meet the project requirements and defects that must be addressed in order to complete the project.
- Record and learn from the history of previously completed projects. Images can be referred to for educational and instructional purposes. For example, when a project at one site is completed and approved by the client, you can extract the images from any related documents (eg. the job done card) and provide them to technicians working on similar projects. Visual references will help them to contrast and compare current project progress, meet new project requirements, and reach zero punch list goals.
- Update old documents and outdated drawings. Prevent misunderstandings of the overall project goal, and visualize project expectations for contractors.
- Save time on both filling-in and reviewing documents. An image can substitute several paragraphs of text. Visuals are also faster and easier to scan and digest. Apart from the convenience for the reviewee, it reduces man-hours and cuts working costs.
Examples of documents that use photos:
- Plans, drawings and sketches
- Invoices and receipts for purchased materials
- Inspection checklists
- Punch lists
- Job done cards
- Inspector reports
- Notices of noncompliance
- Stop work orders
- HSE checklists
- Memos
- Explanatory notes/instructions and more.
How to Use Project Management Images
For a better understanding of how images work on a job site, let’s look at construction photo documentation, in particular – punch list workflows.
- The supervisor (manager, site architect, contractor) inspects the site and fills in the punch list on iPad or iPhone upon detecting any defect. They add a brief description and add corresponding images right in the form.
- The completed form is then submitted to the contractor so that they can make any necessary repairs, and it’s also sent to the client for project revision.
- Once the errors are corrected, the contractor sends the punch list with photos of the fixed defects to the supervisor and client.
- If everything is fine upon repeat inspection, the project can move on to its official completion.
The same principles apply to managing other documents. You add photos, submit the document, and it’s instantly delivered to the required person on the project. Real-time communication and fast response times allow you to meet deadlines and achieve the highest project completion standards.
Read Next: Automated Data Filling
How to fill in a mobile form in the document management app, and what basic fields are available for automated data capture
How to Make the Most of Jobsite Photos with Fluix
Efficient photo management can determine overall project efficiency. Fluix has a wide functionality for photo processing, allowing you to interact with photos in numerous ways.
- Capturing images on mobile and sending them for review in real-time. Forms with added photos can be made instantly available to assigned users in Fluix. Users can then quickly review them and address any issues if needed.
- Adding images offline. In the Fluix app, your field team can fill out a form and add images when they’re working remotely – even without connectivity.
- Images as annotations. In forms without predefined image fields, you can add photos as annotations to accurately reflect the job site, or to reference particular objects/tools/machinery.
- Notes. Give a quick description or explanation of the pictured object. You can add voice notes, which are convenient when you’re wearing personal protective equipment and can’t type fast.
- Geolocation. GPS tags tie a photo to a specific location, which can help with locating objects both indoors and outdoors. Geolocation gives a detailed picture of interior and exterior positioning, allowing for more precise measurement and planning, as well as more accurate inspections.
- Timestamps. Label photos with the time and date to make a record of when the picture was taken. For long-term projects, when the time between project completion and revision is long, timestamps help to identify how old the defect is, and whether the contractor has caused it – potentially helping to avoid legal claims. Time stamps are also helpful for reporting and for making data-driven decisions.
- Include images to support reports. Create reports with image-based evidence and export them at the touch of a button. The images will be exported as links, available for fast review and download.
- Notifications to inform any assigned Fluix users about changes. Once all defects are fixed and corrected, photos are submitted as proof. Users are automatically notified about it, allowing the project to move to the next phase.
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