Inspection sheets tend to outlive the systems around them. The layout was agreed with a client, an insurer or a site manager years ago; contractors know where each answer goes; and changing it means retraining everyone who fills it in.
The paperwork is usually not the problem. The return trip is: printed sheets photographed on a phone, PDFs completed in whatever app the inspector has, and a coordinator retyping the answers into a spreadsheet so that one site can be compared with another. DocAIFlow keeps the sheet and replaces that return trip.
How it works
From the inspection PDF to comparable answers
Upload the sheet
Start from the existing PDF. If it is already a fillable PDF, its fillable fields are extracted; otherwise place fields over the page where answers belong.
Make checks explicit
Use checkboxes for pass/fail items, radio groups for one-of-several ratings, dropdowns for fixed lists such as site or asset type, and long text for observations. Mark the answers you cannot accept missing as required.
Share and review
Send one link to every inspector. Each response arrives in the form's dashboard, and the CSV export puts every inspection in a row with the same columns.
Good fit
Where this approach works well
- Repeated inspections on the same form: the same sheet completed weekly, monthly or per visit, where the value is in comparing answers over time or across sites.
- External inspectors: contractors or partners who will not install an app or create an account for your process.
- A layout you cannot change: a client-mandated or long-established sheet whose wording and order must stay recognisable.
- Spreadsheet reporting: inspections that end up in Excel or Google Sheets anyway, where a clean CSV removes the retyping.
Know the limits
What DocAIFlow does not do for inspections today
Dedicated inspection platforms cover more of the job. Before moving an inspection process, check it does not depend on any of these, because none is part of the current beta:
- Photo capture, GPS location or timestamps taken from the device.
- Offline completion in places without a connection.
- Signatures from the inspector or the site representative.
- Corrective actions, follow-up assignments or scheduled inspections.
- A completed inspection report generated as a PDF.
If your process needs these, a mobile field platform is the better choice today; our comparison with GoFormz sets out when.
After the inspection
Reviewing inspections as data
Each response is stored against the published form with the same fields as every other response. That makes it practical to sort by site, filter the items that failed, or count how often an observation recurs, first in the dashboard and then in a spreadsheet after exporting the CSV. The guide to collecting responses covers the export in detail.
Keep in mind that a response record is operational data, not a certified audit trail. Where an inspection carries legal or regulatory weight, confirm the requirement separately.
Questions
Inspection forms online
Can inspectors attach photos to an inspection?
Not today. The beta supports text, long text, checkbox, radio and dropdown fields. Photo capture is not a current capability, so inspections that depend on photo evidence need another tool.
Does it work offline on site?
No. The form is a web page and submitting needs a connection. Answers typed so far are saved on the inspector's own device, so a page refresh does not lose them, but this is not offline mode.
Do I get a completed inspection report as a PDF?
Not currently. Each inspection is stored as a structured response that you review in the dashboard and export to CSV. Generating a completed PDF per response is not part of the beta.
Do external contractors need an account?
No. Anyone with the published link can open and submit the form. If you need to know who inspected, add a name field; DocAIFlow does not verify identity.