Taking a Report with HWIT Integrated Reporting

Please note, if you are using MonitorQA or SafetyCulture you should refer to the guide here.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• A report on your list for the property you’re visiting
• A network connection (or at least a recent sync — see Working Offline below)
• The Fundamentals Mobile app open

Starting the Report

1. Open Fundamentals Mobile and go to the Reports screen.
2. Find the report for the property you’re visiting. Upcoming reports are sorted by date.
3. Tap the report to open it, then tap Open Report.

The report screen opens. You’ll see a row of section tabs across the top and the first question below.

Navigating Sections

The section tabs at the top of the screen show every section in the template. The active section is highlighted. A small count shows your progress through each section — for example, 3/8 means you’ve answered 3 of the 8 questions in that section.

• Tap any tab to jump directly to that section.
• Use the Previous and Next buttons at the bottom to move between sections in order.
• When all questions in a section are answered, its count turns green.

Answering Questions

Each question card shows:

• The question text
• Response buttons or a text field depending on the question type

Tap your answer. For Yes/No, Pass/Fail, or multiple choice questions, just tap the button. For text questions, tap the field and type your response. Your answer is saved automatically the moment you tap — there is no Save button to press.

Adding Notes to a Question

Every question has a notes field below the response buttons. Tap it to type additional observations — for example, details about a condition, what you found, or what action was taken.

Notes are included in the final report your client receives.

Taking Photos

Each question has a row of buttons for adding photos:

• Camera — opens your phone’s own camera to take one photo. Use it for the shot that has to come out just right.
• MultiShot — opens a camera right in the app, so you can take many photos in a row. Keep tapping the shutter. A strip along the bottom shows every photo you have taken. Tap a photo in the strip to check it, then tap Retake to remove it or Keep to keep it. Tap Done (top left) when you are finished.
• Library — pick one or more photos that are already on your phone.
• Video — add a short video. See Adding a Video below.

Photos appear as small pictures on the question card.

Tip: In MultiShot, tap the flash icon to switch the flash between Off, Auto and On — useful in dim basements, crawlspaces, or utility closets.

Photo limit: Up to 30 photos per question, and up to 150 photos per report total.

Working With a Photo

Tap any photo thumbnail to open a menu with three options:

• View photo — opens the photo full-screen so you can see it clearly
• Annotate photo — opens the annotation editor (see below)
• Delete photo — removes the photo from the question

Annotating Photos

The annotation editor lets you mark up a photo before it appears in the report — useful for highlighting a specific issue, circling a problem area, or adding a label.

To annotate a photo:

1. Tap the photo thumbnail.
2. Tap Annotate photo.
3. Use the toolbar at the bottom to choose a tool:
   • Paint — freehand lines, circles, rectangles and arrows
   • Text — add a text label
   • Crop / Rotate — crop the photo or straighten it
4. When you’re done, tap the checkmark to save.
5. Tap Discard if you want to cancel without saving.

Your annotated version replaces the original on the report. The annotation is saved to the report and uploaded automatically — it works offline the same way as regular photos.

Tip: The draw tool starts with a thin line. Use the slider that appears when the draw tool is active to make it thicker if needed.

Adding a Video

Use a short video for things a photo can’t show — a dripping tap, a running toilet, a strange noise. Your client taps the video in their report to play it.

To record a video:

1. On the question, tap Video, then Record video.
2. The first time, the app asks to use the camera and microphone. Tap Allow.
3. Tap the red button to start. Tap it again to stop. Recording stops by itself at 30 seconds.
4. Tap Use video to add it, or Retake to try again.

To add a video from your phone:

1. On the question, tap Video, then Video from library.
2. Pick a video of 30 seconds or shorter. Trim a longer one in your phone’s Photos app first.

Tap the video on the question to Play video or Delete video.

Good to know: A video counts as one photo toward the photo limit, and counts if a question needs a photo. Videos record with sound and upload when you are back online, just like photos. A 30-second video is about 15 MB, so it uses more data than a photo.

Skipping a Section

If an entire section doesn’t apply to this property on this visit — for example, the Pool section when the pool is closed for the season — you can skip the whole section:

1. Tap the section tab to navigate to it.
2. Tap Skip Section.
3. The section tab shows a strikethrough to remind you it was skipped.

Skipped sections are clearly marked in the final report so the client knows they weren’t forgotten — just intentionally bypassed. To undo a skip, tap the strikethrough tab and tap Unskip Section.

Adding an Action

An action is a follow-up item you want to flag — something that needs attention beyond the report itself. For example: Replace A/C filter, Caulk master bath shower, Call plumber about slow drain.

To add an action to a specific question:

1. Tap the Action button on the question card (shown with a flag icon).
2. Fill in:
   • Title — short description of the task
   • Description — any additional detail (optional)
   • Due Date — when it should be resolved (optional)
   • Assign To — which team member should handle it (optional)
3. Tap Save.

A badge on the question card shows how many actions are attached to that question. To edit or delete an existing action, tap the badge to open the action list, then tap the action.

Your office can also see and manage these actions from a computer. If an outside company needs to do the work — like a plumber or an AC company — your office can attach that vendor to the action. There’s even a button to turn it straight into a Task, so the visit gets scheduled without anyone having to type everything again.

Adding a Signature

If the template requires a signature, a Sign Report button appears on the final section.

1. Tap Sign Report.

2. Sign with your finger in the signature box.

3. Tap Accept.

The signature is included in the final report.

Completing the Report

When you’ve worked through all sections, tap Complete Report.

The app confirms completion. From this point, the system takes over automatically:

1. Report link created — a short link is generated at homewatchit.report so the client can view the full report online.
2. Email sent — the report is emailed to the client with the view link if you have that option enabled.
3. Billing item created — a billing item is added to the client’s account based on the visit rate. In the web app, the report’s Billing list shows it, lets you add further charges to the same visit, and later shows which invoice it went on (Tracing Billing Between Reports and Invoices).
4. Photos finalized — if any photos are still uploading, the system waits and sends the email once they’re all done.

You don’t need to do anything else. The report is complete.

Viewing a Completed Report

After a report is completed, the report link is available on the report’s detail screen. Tap it to open the report in your browser — this is exactly what your client sees.

The report shows:

• Property name and report date
• The technician who did the visit (kept on the report even if that person later leaves your company)
• Every section and question with the technician’s response, color-coded
• Notes on each question
• All photos
• The signature

The client can also download a PDF version from the same page.

Working Offline

Home Watch IT Fundamentals mobile app works without a network connection. Your scheduled reports, property information, and templates are synced to your phone ahead of time.

While taking a report with no connection:

• All your answers, notes, and actions are saved to your phone.
• Photos are queued for upload.

When your connection is restored, everything syncs automatically. The report email is not sent until all photos have uploaded successfully, so the client always receives the complete report.

Tip: Before heading to a remote property, open the app while on Wi-Fi to make sure everything is synced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I go back and change an answer? Yes. Tap any question and tap a different response. Answers can be changed any time before you tap Complete Report. Some answers can be changed after completion by editing the same report. The photos I took aren’t showing in the client’s report. Photos upload in the background. If you were offline while taking the report, they may still be uploading. The email to the client is held until all photos are done, so nothing will be missing. If photos seem stuck, check your connection and open the app to let the sync run. Can I annotate a photo after it has already uploaded? Yes. You can annotate any photo at any time before the report is completed. When you save an annotation, the photo is re-uploaded automatically with your markups included. I annotated a photo but the thumbnail still looks like the original. The thumbnail updates once the re-upload finishes. If you’re on a slow connection it may take a moment — the report will always include the annotated version. Can I complete a report if I skipped required questions? No. Required questions must be answered before the Complete Report button becomes active. The section tabs show which sections still have unanswered required questions. Why won’t my video add? It is probably longer than 30 seconds. Trim it in your Photos app, or record a shorter one. If it says “Another video is still being prepared,” wait a moment and try again. Can I draw on a video like a photo? No. Drawing is for photos only. Use the question’s notes to point things out. The client says they didn’t receive the email. Check that the email address on the client record is correct. You can resend the report from the app.