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1

Originally Posted By: hcurry
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


This not a complaint but rather a call for help on getting report software. I tried for two weeks to understand and practice using the reporthost forms. I thought I was somewhat computer literate, but I cannot get anywhere there.


If anyone has had a problem like this or suggestions for a user friendly package for a new inspector please let me know.

2

Originally Posted By: jgallant
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Harvey,


It appears that you haven't completed the 4 tutorials that we provide, and recommended you go through when you signed up. Like any other software, some effort towards familiarizing yourself with our system is required. We have a clearly numbered, step by step menu that takes you through the report writing process on the main menu, that presented after logging in. There's on-screen help, and more detailed, context sensitive help available simply by clicking the help link at the top right corner of every web page in ReportHost.

In our (prompt) responses to your emails, we gave you explicit instructions, with clickable links, on how to access the sections you asked for (tips articles, help, etc.). Don't know how to help you beyond this.

Please let us know if you have specific questions on how to proceed. We genuinely want to help you.

--
-Jim Gallant
Owner, All Point Home Inspections - Poulsbo, WA www.allpointinspections.com
Co-founder, ReportHost (Web-based report writing service) www.reporthost.com

3

Originally Posted By: kmcmahon
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


I will say three things on Reporthost.


The setup process is not very user friendly and extremely time consuming.


After 10 months I’ve forgotten how to add things and have to learn all over again. I tried for an hour the other day to add one item and didn’t get it in.


2. After the setup, the reporting is very strait forward and simple. Still takes me an average of 2 hours to type a report, but that has to do with not being able to set it up how I like. I just don't have the time it would take to do it. Probably about 10 hours or better, and I don't have that kind of patience.

3. My clients really like the reports it generates and I don't spend a fortune on printing costs.

Overall I give it a B- ![icon_wink.gif](upload://ssT9V5t45yjlgXqiFRXL04eXtqw.gif)

--
Wisconsin Home Inspection, ABC Home Inspection LLC

Search the directory for a Wisconsin Home Inspector

4

Originally Posted By: jgallant
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


kmcmahon wrote:
I will say three things on Reporthost.
The setup process is not very user friendly and extremely time consuming.
After 10 months I've forgotten how to add things and have to learn all over again. I tried for an hour the other day to add one item and didn't get it in.

2. After the setup, the reporting is very strait forward and simple. Still takes me an average of 2 hours to type a report, but that has to do with not being able to set it up how I like. I just don't have the time it would take to do it. Probably about 10 hours or better, and I don't have that kind of patience.

3. My clients really like the reports it generates and I don't spend a fortune on printing costs.

Overall I give it a B- :wink:


--
-Jim Gallant
Owner, All Point Home Inspections - Poulsbo, WA www.allpointinspections.com
Co-founder, ReportHost (Web-based report writing service) www.reporthost.com
5

Originally Posted By: kmcmahon
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Jim…quite a few months ago I asked if you could implement some items in to streamline the setup process, however I believe the response I got back was something in the order of because of the way it was setup, it just couldn’t be accomplished. And I understand that.


Having taken up Webmastering lately myself, I know how difficult it is sometimes to make something work easier when it comes to webbuilding. Sometimes what you want to do is just plain impossible because of the way your specific site is setup, and without restructuring the entire site, it just can't be done and sometimes isn't worth the effort for the little gain you get.

Here's what I was looking for (as far as setting up the report structure):
I have about 21 sections or more to my report.
In quite a few sections, I check for the same things.
(In WI we have to report the condition of items regardless if something is wrong with it or not) and I make my report by rooms. Easier for the client to know exactly where a problem is located.

So let's say I have to check doors and locks.
I want to put in a (concern) that states "Doors and locks functioned normally."
I want to install that (concern) in 8 different sections of my report. (Bedroom 1,2,3, bathrrom, upstairs bathroom, kitchen, etc)
Right now I have do the setup 8 times, search for the section number and
line numbers and then install it.
It takes quite a few clicks and waiting for pages to load, etc to get it just listed in one section.
Now I have to do that 7 more times (once for each section). Very time consuming.
If there were a way to have a concern inserted in however many sections you want it to appear all at one time and just have to checkmark the sections you wanted them in and just click once to insert it, it would save lots of time.

Like I said, I understand it may be impossible. It's just my opinion on how it would make it easier on us.

--
Wisconsin Home Inspection, ABC Home Inspection LLC

Search the directory for a Wisconsin Home Inspector

6

Originally Posted By: wpedley
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Kevin,


You are thinking the same as I , and I was trying to ask this

same question. I also think it would be easier. I was thinking of a way to have all the concerns related to that section automatically included
in that section so all we had to do was check that box. ![icon_idea.gif](upload://6VKizmOm2U7YYmfXNtFW4XTwFVy.gif)

--
BPedley
Inspecting for the unexpected

7

Originally Posted By: lclark
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


I did my first sample report on report host last week… I mess around with it three or four days. Starting to get discussed with the program I took a couple of days off. Then I went back and started reading all the tutorials. I had trouble learning how to download pictures and resized them so they would fit. every time I would click on your link to download the resizer.I would get some weird foreign page that was out of service. I went to Microsoft homepage and got power toys resizer . this worked really well.once I get the pictures downloaded, I started on the report. It took me three hours to do. I have a dial up service with Web accelerator so I’m hoping that it will get faster the more reports to do. I have an inspection on Wednesday morning and plan on using reporthost, I hope I can do it a lot faster this time. Will see.

8

Originally Posted By: kmcmahon
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


wpedley wrote:
Kevin,

You are thinking the same as I , and I was trying to ask this

same question. I also think it would be easier. I was thinking of a way to have all the concerns related to that section automatically included
in that section so all we had to do was check that box. ![icon_idea.gif](upload://6VKizmOm2U7YYmfXNtFW4XTwFVy.gif)


yep...exactly!

--
Wisconsin Home Inspection, ABC Home Inspection LLC

Search the directory for a Wisconsin Home Inspector
9

Originally Posted By: jgallant
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Kevin and William,


I agree that assigning a concern to one or more report sections is more onerous that creating the concern, especially when assigning it to multiple sections. Besides this issue, do I understand you to say that another issue is how to replicate concerns from one report section to another? If so, would an option to "Clone a report section" be of value?

As you suggest Kevin, ReportHost's ease of use has some limitations due to it being web-based, where actions are done via form submits across internet connections. For the issue about multiple assignements of a concern, if we modified the page where you create a concern's assignment, so you had the option to enter report section names and field note positions for multiple (5?, more?) assignments at once, would that be worth doing? Or can you think of a better work flow?

--
-Jim Gallant
Owner, All Point Home Inspections - Poulsbo, WA www.allpointinspections.com
Co-founder, ReportHost (Web-based report writing service) www.reporthost.com

10

Originally Posted By: kmcmahon
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Yes Jim…that would help and should work better than the current.


Or if you wanted you could have a section box at the top to let us give it a title and below a list of all the different concerns (shortened versions) with check boxes next to each. (there could be 100 or more to choose from)
Then you just check the box next to the concerns you would like included in that section.
Of course in this scenerio you would have to had previously set up all your concerns so they appear on the list, or use reporthost prewritten concerns.

Cloning could work also, but in a more limited way. As you will only have three or four bedroom secions and up to three bathrooms, but it sure could be a benefit to your site.

The assignments will be the most difficult problem, as you would want a concern going in it's proper place.
Like If I have four concerns about one subject, I'd want them together.
Like:
Doors and locks do not function
Locking mechanism on door not functiong
Door is misaligned. Adjust as necessary to open/close properly
No locking mechanism found on door

But I guess you could pre-assign these to automatically go together in their given sections.

Thanks for listening.

Kevin

--
Wisconsin Home Inspection, ABC Home Inspection LLC

Search the directory for a Wisconsin Home Inspector

11

Originally Posted By: wpedley
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Jim,


How about this idea. Just like how we download all our pics before we
write the report, maybe we could do the same with all the concerns we need. Then we can pull them just like the pics and place them in the
concern area. The problem with this is that we would have to take extra time looking through all the concerns and then save them one by one to this side area. What we are asking might be impossible, but I would like
to see all concerns automatically listed in the appropriate sections so
we can just click on the box. My clients love this report by the way.
Thanks.

--
BPedley
Inspecting for the unexpected