Technology

There are 2 main parts to our Instant Reports system:

A report entry application running on a personal digital assistant (PDA) or smartphone
An online booking application allowing you to manage your appointments and download completed reports

PDA

Bellwether's software runs on Windows Mobile devices. These are lightweight (about 190g) and have sufficient battery life to last a working day. Before deciding to use PDAs we ran a series of usability tests on a variety of devices including smartphones, ultra mobile PCs (UMPCs) and tablet/laptop PCs. PDAs with VGA screen resolution came out as the clear winner. Whilst the larger devices may look more promising when sitting at a desk, we couldn't find anyone who could use one for more than 5 minutes whilst walking around.

The inventory clerk software has a very detailed database of inventory related words which are shown to the user based on what is currently being described - for example a door will have various descriptive terms for locks, handles etc. whilst a bed will not. You can enter the bulk of an inventory simply by tapping on the screen of the PDA to select the words you need. Should you find you need a specific term that is not in the system then the application allows that to be entered as well. See our Sample Reports for examples of a typical inventory created using our software.

Online Booking System

You can control all aspects of your diary through our online booking system. To access your appointments, simply logon using any modern web browser - no need to install any software on your PC.

The booking system allows you to:

Set up new appointments
Change appointment details
Configure the look and feel of your reports
Upload photos or other images for inclusion in your report
Download reports (in Adobe PDF format) to print or send directly to your clients