Industrial Specialty Services (ISS) relied on paper forms and email to update their Acumatica records. They needed a digital solution to eliminate paper, centralize record-keeping, and streamline their entire data collection process.
By integrating GoFormz with Acumatica, Industrial Specialty Services has standardized their job package documentation, streamlined communication, automated recurring processes, and centralized record-keeping.
Pre Job Assessment (PJA)
Job Sheet
Quality Form Collections
Safety Form Collections
Billing Collections
Job Packages
Based in Deer Park, Texas, Industrial Specialty Services caters to customers in the downstream oil and gas sector, focusing on leak sealing, maintenance, pipeline repairs, and fabrication. ISS was also recognized as Acumatica’s Customer of the Year at the 2021 Acumatica Summit in Las Vegas.
Prior to GoFormz, Industrial Speciality Services (ISS) relied entirely on paper. “We were capturing all of our supporting documentation on paper forms as well as our job sheets,” explained Kimberly Malone, Systems Administrator for Industrial Specialty Services. “These paper documents were then attached into a project in Acumatica.” They would scan and email the paper documents into Acumatica, their Cloud ERP system of choice.
“We came across the GoFormz team at the Acumatica Summit in Las Vegas,” explained Malone. Shortly after, ISS started a free trial and collaborated with the GoFormz Professional Services team to accelerate their set up. “We started with six forms we wanted to digitize. I worked with the GoFormz team and they prepared the forms for us, and then we took them and did the same thing so that we could learn how to do it on our own.”
Industrial Speciality Services has six forms that make up their job packages. “The Pre-Job Assessment is the first form of six that is generated,” explained Malone. Leveraging Conditional Logic and Dynamic Field Properties, the criteria selected within Acumatica dictates which pages are included in the Pre-Job Assessment (PJA) form and pre-fill the forms with Acumatica data, guiding the technician's tasks for the day. “Based on the service line item selected in Acumatica, GoFormz automatically selects what form to present and prepare for the user.”
The second form in the ISS job package is the digital documentation checklist. “Then we have a checklist that is just a list of all the documentation for our jobs,” explained Malone. “The checklist is a matrix of all potential project documents. This tool is used to track the status of documents from the project start to finish.
The remainder of the job package is comprised of quality, safety, and billing collection forms. “Those are forms where we attach files and pictures,” explained Malone. Image fields are an excellent way to visualize and provide proof of work to customers and office personnel. Additionally, Industrial Specialty Services creatively uses the File Attachment field paired with Calculations to dynamically display the names of attached files directly on the PDF. This innovative approach ensures that safety documents accurately attach and display mandatory paperwork, saving time by eliminating the need to sift through various documents in search of required paperwork.
The final form included in the job package is the Job Sheet. “The job sheet is service line specific, the same way we have our Pre-Job Assessment (PJA) form set up,” explained Malone. “Whenever a job sheet is triggered and created in GoFormz, it’s sitting there with a list of technicians ready to start entering the specifics for that job. Once they receive an auto-email notification, they simply click on the link through their tablet, and then they go from there.” The Job Sheet uses a format similar to the PJA, incorporating Dynamic Field Properties and Conditional Logic throughout the form. However, for the Job Sheet, Dynamic Field Properties also determine which line items are hidden or visible when sharing forms with a customer. This logic streamlines communication, enhances professionalism, and ensures each customer receives an experience tailored to their unique service needs.
Technicians utilize tablets in the field. “Some people see the tablet as a big phone,” explained Malone. “So they use the device in portrait mode, while others, like myself, use it as a small laptop in landscape mode.” GoFormz provides two viewing options, List View and Form View, allowing users to choose the format that best suits their needs. Additionally, it offers flexibility across all devices for optimal form visualization. “With all the information captured on these forms, the signature field can appear small for the customer, but if they turn the tablet landscape, it automatically enlarges that signature field without modifying the template.”
“With all the information captured on these forms, the signature field can appear small for the customer, but if they turn the tablet landscape, it automatically enlarges that signature field without modifying the template.”
– Kimberly Malone, Systems Administrator, Industrial Specialty Services
Industrial Specialty Services utilizes a variety of automations to manage their workload. “We have a workflow that creates the job package, the job sheet, and one that updates customer data,” explained Malone. All of these workflows tie back to Acumatica. “In Acumatica, if we change the customer ID or any information about the customer and the forms are already created, we have a workflow that updates the information automatically with the most up-to-date data.” GoFormz workflows can dynamically update forms with new customer information as the job progresses. This feature is invaluable when plans change, as the team doesn't need to create entirely new forms for technicians. The integration and workflow handle the updates automatically, allowing technicians to continue their work seamlessly.
“In Acumatica, if we change the customer ID or any information about the customer and the forms are already created, we have a workflow that updates the information automatically with the most up-to-date data.”
– Kimberly Malone, Systems Administrator, Industrial Specialty Services
Industrial Specialty Services has achieved substantial savings with their new process in place. “One of the biggest benefits that we always emphasize is the legibility of the digital form versus the paper form,” explained Malone. “It reduces the time that it would take someone to interpret the technician's handwriting in the field.” Eliminating the need for ISS personnel to interpret documentation sent back from the field saves significant time. With paper forms, illegible documentation can lead to further communication, causing delays, missing data, and instances where technicians might forget what they wrote down by the end of the day.
“One of the biggest benefits that we always emphasize is the legibility of the digital form versus the paper form.”
– Kimberly Malone, Systems Administrator, Industrial Specialty Services
This new process has led to centralized record-keeping. “We are now able to capture our job details in a single location. GoFormz is available to our user community on the opportunity screen, the service order screen, the appointment screen, the project screen, and soon to be our quoting screen,” explained Malone. “The biggest benefit of having GoFormz is the visibility of our data across Acumatica. Previously it was captured manually and stored in various locations. If you didn’t have access to those locations, you didn’t have access to the forms.” Centralizing data in a single location eliminates re-entries and redundancies, streamlining data collection.
Lastly, Industrial Specialty Services has experienced great support from the GoFormz team. “GoFormz is a great group of people with whom to work. Everyone on the team is very responsive, informed, and well spoken. When working with the GoFormz team, you get a level of expertise and honesty that’s very much appreciated,” explained Malone. “We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with GoFormz for years to come.”
“GoFormz is a great group of people with whom to work. Everyone on the team is very responsive, informed, and well spoken. When working with the GoFormz team, you get a level of expertise and honesty that’s very much appreciated.”
– Kimberly Malone, Systems Administrator, Industrial Specialty Services
Industrial Specialty Services plans to add two more form templates to their repertoire. “Up next on the docket is to add a short and long version of our JCAs,” explained Malone. These two new digital form templates will also include automated workflows that streamline their data collection to Acumatica. Additionally, Industrial Specialty Services plans to incorporate GoFormz on their quoting side of the business. “We are going to incorporate GoFormz onto the sales quoting side so we can launch this process within Acumatica as well.”