At the customer's site, the installer fills a phone form with measurements, wall type, fixing method, finish color and photos. On submit, a Google Drive job folder and a measurement sheet PDF are created, and a drawing task lands on the drafter's board.
Typical results
Next day
Drawing due date after each site visit
≈75%
Fewer return trips to re-measure
≈25 min
Saved per visit on writing up notes
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
Installers measure openings on paper and bring the notes back to the workshop at the end of the day, sometimes days later. The drafter decodes handwriting, calls the installer about missing details and occasionally sends someone back to re-measure. Customers wait about three days for drawings to approve.
Before and after
Days from site visit to approval drawing
−67%Return trips to re-measure per month
−75%Minutes of paperwork per site visit
−83%The automation
At the customer's site, the installer fills a phone form with measurements for each opening, wall type, fixing method, finish color and photos. Required fields stop the form from being sent with gaps. On submit, a job folder is created in Google Drive with the photos and a measurement sheet PDF, and a drawing task due the next working day lands on the drafter's board with links to both.
How it works
- 01
Measure on the phone
At the site, the installer fills a phone form with measurements for each opening, wall type, fixing method and finish color.
- 02
Photos and required fields
Photos of each opening are attached, and required fields stop the form from being sent with gaps.
- 03
Job folder created
On submit, a Google Drive job folder is created with the photos and a measurement sheet PDF.
- 04
Drawing task assigned
A drawing task due the next working day lands on the drafter's board with links to the folder and the sheet.
- 05
Drawings to the customer
The drafter sends approval drawings within a day of the visit, starting from complete measurements.
Starts from
- Installer phone form
- Photos of each opening
Delivers
- Google Drive job folder
- Measurement sheet PDF
- Drawing task with due date
The impact
Approval drawings go out within a day of the visit, about 2 days sooner than before. Return trips to re-measure fall from around 4 a month to 1, and the drafter starts each job with complete measurements and photos instead of a page of handwritten notes.
Questions about this automation
Does the form work without mobile signal?
Yes. The form can be filled offline at the site and is sent automatically once the phone is back online, with photos uploading in the background. The installer sees a confirmation when the job folder and the drawing task have been created, so nothing is left sitting on the phone.
Which tools does it use?
A mobile form tool for the installer, Google Drive for job folders and the measurement sheet PDF, and the task board the drafter already uses, such as Trello, monday or a shared sheet. Simple automations like this are usually live within days.
Can the form change by product type?
Yes. Choosing railing, gate or balustrade shows only the measurements that product needs, such as stair rise and run for a railing or opening width and ground slope for a gate. The measurement sheet PDF follows the same layout, so the drafter always finds values in the same place.