Inventory_User_Guide

SMART Inventory

User Guide

eTech Technical Support

Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm: 0844 848 1624

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

2 SMART Inventory User Guide

Introduction

This User Guide will help you to get to grips with both the HD2 and P6500 PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and the SMART Inventory software that runs on it. The User Guide contains images captured of the screens of the PDAs with the SMART Inventory software running. We have used screen shots from both the HD2 and P6500 PDAs. Depending on which PDA you are using, there may be slight but insignificant variances between your PDA and the screen shot contained in this User Guide

We have included in blue italics at points in the Guide some frequently asked questions with an appropriate answer, such as How do I know when a Release is available?

Top Tip! We have also included Top Tips which are generated from feedback that clients have given us about the best way to use SMART Inventory on site.

Please remember that as an eTech client, you have access to our Technical Support Desk on 0844 848 1624. Put simply, there is no question too daft to ask us about the software or hardware. We

pride ourselves on being approachable and helpful and having invested in your PDA hardware, we want you to get the maximum use and enjoyment out of SMART Inventory.


1. Getting to know your PDA

Turning the PDA On and Off - HD2

To turn your HD2 PDA on, press and hold the On/Off button for a couple of seconds, circled red

below.

The PDA will gently vibrate and after 20 seconds will load up the „Today Screen‟ (Fig. 1). The Today Screen performs a similar function to the Desktop screen on your PC or laptop, giving you access to programs and applications on the PDA. The Today Screen also displays icons at the top right of screen which indicate the status of components such as the battery and the GPRS Phone

signal. We‟ll cover these icons in more detail later in this Guide.

To turn the PDA off, hold down the On/Off button circled red above for a full 5 seconds. The screen in Fig. 2 will appear. Tap „Power Off‟ and the PDA will shut down. You will not lose any data you have recorded on SMART Inventory by shutting down the PDA. Please note that the HD2 PDA has a capacitive touch screen which reacts to the touch of your fingers and will not respond to tapping with a normal stylus.

Fig.1 „Today Screen‟

Fig.2


Note that if you press the On/Off button for one or two seconds only, the screen of the PDA

switches off. Pressing the On/Off button again switches the screen back on again. This is the Standby Mode. Don‟t confuse Standby Mode with switching the PDA On and Off. In Standby, the

PDA is still running and using power, albeit with the screen turned off. The small orange LED on the top of the front face of the PDA indicates you are in Standby mode.

When you are using the PDA, you‟ll note that it switches to Standby Mode if it is not used for a period of time. This helps to maintain power.

If at any time you want to return to the Today Screen, just push the button with the „House‟ icon shown below.


Turning the PDA On and Off - P6500 As a Quick Start guide, the images below indicate the location of the buttons you need to turn the P6500 PDA on and off, to start the SMART Inventory software and to activate the camera.

To turn your P6500 PDA on, press and hold the On/Off button for a couple of seconds. The PDA will gently vibrate and after 20 seconds will load up the „Today Screen‟ (Fig. 1). The Today Screen

performs a similar function to the Desktop screen on your PC or laptop, giving you access to programs and applications on the PDA. The Today Screen also has icons at the top right of screen which display the status of components such as the battery and the GPRS Phone signal. We‟ll cover these icons in more detail later in this Guide.

To turn the PDA off, hold down the On/Off button for a full 5 seconds. The message in Fig. 2 will

appear. Tap „Yes‟ and the PDA will shut down. You will not lose any data you have recorded on

SMART Inventory by shutting down the PDA.

Fig.1 „Today Screen‟ Fig.2


Note that if you press the On/Off button for one or two seconds only, the screen of the PDA

switches off. Pressing the On/Off button again switches the screen back on again. This is the Standby mode. Don‟t confuse Standby mode with switching the PDA On and Off. In Standby, the

PDA is still running and using power, albeit with the screen turned off. The small green LED, circled in the image below, blinks every five seconds in Standby mode, to indicate that the PDA is still turned on and using power.

Quick Start Guide to Icons on the ‘Today Screen’ (HD2 and P6500)

The HD2 and P6500 have similar variants of the Today Screen. We noted above that the Today

Screen displays icons at the top right of screen which show the status of components such as the battery and the GPRS Phone signal. These icons are identified below. Tapping on an icon such as the Battery Status icon, takes you to a screen with more detail on the charge status of the PDA.

Device maintenance We recommend that you keep the device on charge when it is not in use. In the event that you run the battery flat, your device will not lose any data or installed applications. You can check the battery level from the Battery Status indicator on the Today Screen, as shown

above. Your PDA may be supplied with a car charger. Topping up the PDA in the car between jobs will easily maintain sufficient charge for a full day. If you need to run the PDA flat out all day and are struggling with charge towards the end of the day, we can supply a spare battery and dual charging cradle.

It is good practice to turn your PDA off when you finish for the day rather than leaving it on

Standby. Just like your PC, running the PDA continuously may eventually clog up the device memory and make the device run slower.


2. Getting to Know SMART Inventory SMART Inventory assists you to capture a full description of a property, its contents, fixtures and

fittings together with site photos, which are compiled into the SMART Inventory Report.

From 6th of April 2007, it became compulsory for Landlords to join a scheme that safeguards

Tenants‟ damage deposits. Where a dispute arises about allocation of a deposit that cannot be

resolved, the scheme refers the dispute to its dispute resolution service. An independent

adjudicator examines the facts and determines how the deposit should be allocated. An Inventory

which provides a detailed record of the condition of the fabric and content of the building at the

beginning and end of a tenancy is central to this process.

eTech‟s SMART Inventory software gathers the data on the PDA required to automatically create a

„Check In‟ and „Check Out‟ report, recording an inventory of the contents and the condition of the

fabric of the Building. The system uses the PDA‟s on-board camera to gather photographic

evidence, supplemented with pre-formatted text options. An optional floorplan can also be created

on the PDA which orientates the rooms‟ descriptions in the Inventory Report.

Once the assessment has been completed on the PDA, it is transmitted to eTech via Wi-Fi. The

SMART Inventory report generates automatically and is published on-line to eTech‟s Portal.

Starting SMART Inventory– HD2

To start SMART Inventory on the HD2, turn on the PDA. The Today Screen will appear, displaying

either one or two folder icons, as circled red in Fig. 1 below. The folders will be named Smart

Survey and Test Smart Survey depending on whether you have a live or a test version of the

software on the PDA, or both. Tapping on the folder icon takes you into SMART Survey and the

Main Menu screen below in Fig. 2.

Fig.1 Fig.2


Starting SMART Inventory – P6500

To start SMART Inventory on the P6500, from the Today Screen (Fig.3), tap „Start‟ and then select

„SMART Inventory‟ (circled red) from the drop down menu. Main Menu screen will appear (Fig. 4).

Fig.3 „Today Screen‟

SMART Inventory Main Menu

Once SMART Inventory is running, you are presented with the Main Menu shown below. From the

Main Menu you can start a new survey, view existing and submitted surveys, access features such

as software updates through the Options menu and Exit SMART Inventory.

The diagram below identifies the menu items and their functions:

1 - Start a New Inventory

2 - View existing Inventories 3 - Options \ Software Update 4 - Exit SMART Inventory

Main Menu


We look at how to start an Inventory later in this User Guide. The following guidance covers the

View Survey feature (item 2 above) and the features available through the Options icon (item 3 above).

‘Viewing Survey’ icon Why would I want to view an existing survey on the PDA? You may have to break off during an Inventory before submitting the data that has been collected on the PDA. In these instances, you can close the survey and access it again through the View Survey icon on the Main Menu (item 2

above). This takes you to the screen below.

Fig.5

Surveys that you have started on the PDA will fall into one of three statuses – „New Survey‟, „Survey Complete‟ and „Site Notes Uploaded‟. You can change the status view by tapping the drop down arrow as shown above and tapping on the required status.

The „New Survey‟ status lists all surveys that have been started but not completed on the PDA. The „Survey Complete‟ status lists all surveys that have been started and completed on the PDA. The „Site Notes Uploaded (Not Lodged)‟ status is not applicable to SMART Inventory.

‘Options’ icon Tapping the Options icon (circled red in Fig.6) reveals four icons (Fig.7). Two of these, „Device Setup‟ and „System Paths‟ are house-keeping features for use by eTech‟s Technical Support team.

You‟ll need to use the „Update‟ icon when a new Release of the software is issued, the details of

which are covered in the section headed „Updating SMART Inventory‟ below. The „DB Cleanup‟ button circled red in Fig.7 on the next page assists you to remove old and redundant surveys from the PDA. This is a feature that is not commonly used by those undertaking Inventories on the PDA as the existing In-going Inventories on the PDA may be used for Out-going Inventories at the end of a tenancy. The distinction between In-going and Out-going Inventories is explained in detail

later.


Fig.6 Fig.7

Updating SMART Inventory How often does eTech update SMART Inventory? This depends on when new features are requested by users, when they are issued or when we need to incorporate amendments to the software. Typically, Releases are issued every 12 to 16 weeks.

How do I know when a Release is available? 48 hours before the Release of a new software update

is issued, we will email you. The email will contain Release Notes to explain what changes or new features will be incorporated into the software. The Release Notes will also be posted on the eTech Portal. We‟ve included details of the DEA Portal at the end of this user Guide. Sometimes if I randomly check for an Update, the PDA tells me there is one available. Why doesn’t eTech tell me about all Releases that are issued? There are a number of applications that we

provide and not all Releases may be relevant to the software you are using. Accordingly, we only email you about a Release for software you are using. You can update SMART Inventory when a Release is issued in two ways:

1) Via GPRS phone Connection from the device - You can update SMART Inventory direct

from your PDA whilst on the move. This uses the device‟s GPRS phone connection and is reliant on you having GRPS signal strength.

2) Via Active Sync connection – Where you have poor GPRS signal strength, you can

update SMART Inventory using your desktop PC‟s internet connection by linking your PDA to your desktop via software called Active Sync. If you choose to update SMART Inventory

via Active Sync with your desktop PC, ensure your device is correctly synchronised with your desktop PC before you start the steps below. See the following section of this Guide for details on how to install Active Sync software on your desktop PC.

Performing a software update

1) From the SMART Inventory main menu select „Options‟ then select „Update‟ (Fig.12).

2) Tap „Check Now‟ as circled red in (Fig.13).


Fig.12 Select „Update‟ Fig.13 Tap „Check Now‟

3) SMART Inventory will check to see if any Release updates are required on your device.

4) If an update is available, you will be prompted as in Fig.14. If you are on the current version of the software, a green „tick‟ will display in the middle of the screen. If an update is available „OK‟ (circled red) to start downloading the new Release (Fig.15).

Fig.14 Update available prompt Fig. 15 Software update in progress

5) When all files have downloaded and the bottom progress bar is at 100%, tap „Close‟. The

software update is now complete and you can restart SMART Inventory.


3. Using SMART Inventory We have provided a review below of how to start an Inventory with SMART Inventory in the context of the various stages involved in letting a property. Prior to a tenant taking occupation of a property, the Inventory Clerk is instructed by the Landlord

or Letting Agent to undertake a „Check-in Inventory‟. This is also often referred to in the Lettings industry as the „Ingoing Inventory‟ or the „Inventory Make‟. In SMART Inventory, we call this the „In-going Inventory‟. At the end of the tenancy when the tenant has vacated the property, the Inventory Clerk will be instructed by the Landlord or Letting Agent to undertake a „Check-out Inventory‟. This is also often referred to in the Lettings industry as the „Outgoing Inventory‟. In SMART Inventory, we call this

the „Out-going Inventory‟.

One of the key features of SMART Inventory is the ability for the Inventory Clerk to undertake an In-going Inventory on the PDA at the start of a tenancy and then to be able to access that content on the PDA to conduct the Out-going Inventory. During the Out-going Inventory, any changes, defects or missing item can be recorded on the PDA. SMART Inventory then flags in the Out-going

Inventory report any changes or damage that has been noted in the property by the Inventory Clerk.

When the same property is re-let, the Landlord or Letting Agent will instruct the Inventory Clerk

to conduct another Check-in Inventory. As you start a new In-going Inventory on the PDA, you will be prompted with the option to either „Create a new In-going Inventory‟ or „Create In-going Inventory from an existing Out-going Inventory‟. If this is the first Inventory you are undertaking on this particular property using SMART Inventory, select „Create a new In-going Inventory‟ . If

you have previously undertaken an In-going Inventory and Out-going Inventory for a property, tap

„Create In-going Inventory from an existing Out-going Inventory‟ and SMART Inventory will enable you to complete the In-going Inventory using the content gathered in the previous Out-going Inventory.

The steps in undertaking In-going and Out-going inventories on the same property are set out diagrammatically on the following page.



Top Tip! The Check-in process is typically undertaken by the Letting Agent with the Tenant in the property using a printed copy of your Inventory Report. Accordingly, changes and additions may be made to the physical document and agreed by the Letting Agent and Tenant if the Inventory Clerk has missed a defect etc.

It is always advisable to get a copy of the In-going Inventory and to review any changes that have been noted during the Check-in process. You can go back onto the PDA and ensure that these changes are also noted. This ensures that when you come to do the Out-going Inventory, your starting point on the PDA includes all the defects that were noted and agreed at the start of the tenancy.

If you are asked to do the Out-going Inventory, the Letting Agent may hand back to you a copy of

your SMART In-going Inventory with the manual amendments agreed at the Check-in. You can locate or download the original In-going Inventory to the PDA and make the changes to reflect the manual amendments before starting the Out-going Inventory. When undertaking the inspection of the Out-going Inventory, you may find it easier to work from a printed copy of the Inventory, noting any additional defects or items of missing content, fixtures

and fittings on the PDA. Having started SMART Inventory, you will be presented with the Main Menu (Fig.1) with each section indicated by a red, amber and green traffic light. The status key for each colour is listed below:

- Section not started

- Section started but not complete

- Section completed

When you have worked through a section, you will return to the Main Menu with a green traffic light for the section you have completed. The Main Menu contains traffic lights for the Introduction, Health and Safety, Cleanliness, Keys and Photos Required sections.

Fig.1


‘Introduction’ Section The Introduction sections must be answered in full for all Inventories. The Introduction section takes you through a brief description of the Property in addition to enabling you to record the meter readings for Gas, Electricity, Water, Oil and LPG (where relevant). You‟ll notice that you can record readings in a free text box. This gives you the flexibility to record more than one reading. For example, you‟ll find some electricity meters display a Low, Medium and High reading (Fig.4). You can use the scroll bar circled red to move up and down the free text box and the „ABC‟ button circled in orange to switch the keyboard between letters and numbers. There are prompts for

photos of all the meters and you should aim to get a clear photo of the readings if possible (Fig.5).

Top Tip! Meter readings are a constant source of dispute between Landlords and

Tenants. Spend the time and effort to record them accurately and take a photo of the meter reading if possible.

Fig.4 Fig.5

Top Tip! The Introduction section ends with photo prompts the for Front, Rear and Side elevation. Note that the First photo you take in response to the photo prompt for the Front and Rear

elevations will appear on the front cover of the SMART Inventory Report (as circled red). If these photos are poor, the Report looks poor, so take your time and get decent shots.

Top Tip!


Some SMART Inventory clients use the photo prompts for the Front, Rear and Side elevation at the

end of the Introduction section to gather a bundle of external photos. The software groups all these photos together at the beginning of the report which provides a useful summary of the

external condition and contents of the garden, as per the example below. We‟ll cover how you can record more about the external parts of the Property later, but this technique is quick, effective and more than adequate for some instructing clients.

‘State of Cleanliness’ Section The State of Cleanliness section enables you to record a summary of whether carpets, curtains, soft furnishings, bathroom and bedroom fittings and kitchen appliances and fittings have been

professionally cleaned and the current state of cleanliness.

Top Tip! You can highlight more than one item („multi-select‟) in the list of options. In the example in Fig.1 the carpets are recorded as „cleaned by tenant, to a good standard, with the exceptions identified in the body of the Inventory‟.

You can also use the „Describe‟ option at the top of the screen to enter an additional state of cleanliness which will be saved on the PDA for use in future surveys.

Fig.1


‘Keys’ Section

Use the drop down arrow circled red below to access and select a list of key types or use the keyboard to describe the keys and photograph them when prompted.

Top Tip! Keys are another contentious issue between Landlords and Tenants so make sure you get a photo of all that are available, including window locks. Don‟t spent too much time describing each key, a photo of a bunch of keys should be adequate to confirm what keys were available, but confirm with your instructing client.

Fig.1

Adding a Room The room function within SMART Inventory has some powerful features designed to help reduce

time in undertaking the Inventory. SMART Inventory enables you to add a room, and to describe the Doors, Walls, Floors & Ceilings, Windows, Contents, Fixtures & Fittings in that room, together with their condition. In some properties, the description of the Doors, Walls, Floors & Ceilings in one room will be very similar if not identical for other rooms – think of a new three bedroom flat with all rooms with magnolia painted walls and ceilings, cream carpets and uniform double glazed UPVC windows.

Once you have added and described one room, SMART Inventory provides you with a „Based on‟ feature that enables you to copy the description of Doors, Walls, Floors & Ceilings from that room to another room, saving you the task of re-inputting similar data. To add a room, tap „Options‟ Fig.1 and select „Add Room‟ in Fig.2. You can now select the room name (Fig 3). Scroll or “push” the Suggestions list to view the available room names and tap on

your chosen room name. If the room name isn‟t in that list, tap into the top field circled in orange Fig.3 which will bring up the keyboard and type in the room name. Once you have highlighted or entered a room name, tap „OK‟ circled green in Fig.3.


Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.3

Once you have added a room, it will appear with its own traffic light on the main menu (Fig.4). You can remove a room by tapping red „minus‟ icon circled red in Fig.5 and rename a room by tapping the „note pad‟ icon circled blue if Fig.5.

Fig.4

Fig.5

Once you have completed adding data in one room (covered below), you can use the „Based on‟

feature when you add the next room. To use the „Based on‟ feature, select the appropriate existing room name in the „Based on‟ field (Bedroom 1 in the example below). SMART Inventory will copy

data from that room into the new room (Bedroom 2 in the example). Tap OK, circled green, to add Bedroom 2 to the Inventory.


Recording Elements in a Room

SMART Inventory follows a common approach to recording the Doors, Walls, Floors & Ceilings, Windows, Contents, Fixtures & Fittings, all of which are referred to in this Guide as the „room elements‟. For each room element, you record its description and any defects that are evident before capturing photos to support the description of the element and its defects. More than one Door, Wall and Window can be recorded per room, enabling different door, wall or

window types in a room to be accommodated. To access the room elements, tap on a room from the Main Menu (Bedroom 1 in Fig. 1). Tap the element you want to record (Doors in Fig. 2). Confirm if you want to record doors in this room (Fig. 3).

Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.3

Now choose the description of the door. The software defaults to „All Doors in Room‟. You can change this by tapping on the down arrow circled red in Fig.4 and selecting from the list of door

names as circled red in Fig.5. You can also type in your own door description by tapping into the „Name‟ field circled orange in Fig.4 which brings up the keyboard.

Top Tip! A Door, having two sides, effectively „belongs‟ to two rooms. You need to decide which room you are going to describe a door in. Try including a door in one room only, being the room you go into through that door. This reduces time on site by avoiding you describing the same door twice, from different sides in different rooms! It also helps you not to forget to include a door. If a door is a different finish or condition on one side, you might want to ignore this Top Tip and add the door to

both the rooms that it serves, so you can differentiate which side is which.

When you have selected the name of the door, tap „ok‟ circled green in Fig.5. This adds the door to the Inventory (Fig.6). You can add another door in this room by tapping „Add‟ as circled green in Fig.6. To record detail of the door, tap on the door name as circled red Fig. 6 which takes you to the description screens, examples of which are shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 for Doors. Note that you can select more than one description per screen as in Fig. 9.


Fig.4

Fig.5 Fig.6

Fig.7

Fig.8 Fig.9

Top Tip! You can add your own descriptions to every screen in the software, providing you with full customisation of

the content for your Inventories. To add your own

description to any screen, tap the „Describe‟ option, as circled red in Fig. 9 which brings up the screen shown in Fig. 10. You can now add to and store bespoke items. By tapping into the field circled red, you will activate the keyboard to enable you to type in your description. To add it to the list, tap „Add‟ circled green. You can tap on

and use any previously added items such as „Push bar‟ circled in orange. You can delete any previously added items using the red „minus‟ icon circled in blue. Remember that all items you add are saved for use in your future Inventories.

Fig.10


Adding Defects When you come to the end of the screens for description of an element, you will be presented with a Defect Screen (Fig. 11). The Defect Screen enables you to record one or more defects against the various components that you have recorded for an element. In the examples for Doors below, one or more defects can be recorded against the door finish, frame, glass, handle, cylinder lock, or cat flap. As an example we will assume that the door handle is broken.

Start by tapping on „Handle‟, circled red in Fig. 11. Select from the list of defects (Fig. 12) or add your own using „Describe‟. Record the extent of the defect (Fig. 13), or again add you own using „Describe‟ option. You can also „Skip‟ the extent of the defect if not relevant. Fig. 14 now displays „broken (from misuse)‟ for the handle. If there is another defect to record for the handle, repeat the exercise of selecting the defect and extent. If „broken‟ is the only defect with the handle, tap „Back‟ as circled orange in Fig. 14 which returns you to the Defects Screen Fig. 15, now displaying

„1‟ defect for the Handle.

Fig.11

Fig.12 Fig.13

Fig.14

Fig.15

Once you have recorded all the defects, tap „Next‟, circled red in Fig. 15 which takes you to the first of two camera prompts (Fig. 16).


Fig.16

Fig.17 Fig.18

The first camera prompt in Fig. 16 enables you to capture photos of any defects you described.You have the options (circled in orange) to Add Photo (which fires up the camera immediately) to Take Later (which stores a prompt for these photos in the Photographs Required section of the

Traffic Light Menu), or ignore the photo prompt by tapping Not Required. Guidance on using the

camera is provided below. Let‟s assume you have successfully taken a photo of the defective handle and closed the camera. You will now be presented with the Annotation Screen (Fig.17) The Annotation Screen displays each photo as a thumbnail and brings forward the defect(s) you selected so you can annotate the photos. To annotate a photo, tap the annotation as circled red in Fig. 17 and this will be copied into the Description box alongside the photo (also circled red in Fig.

17). You can also tap into the Description box which will bring up the keyboard and enable you to type in your own annotation. Note that where you record multiple defects, you can select more than one annotation for each photo. If you are happy with the photo and its annotation, tap „Next‟ circled in green in Fig. 17. If you don‟t like the photo, tap „Delete‟ circled blue in Fig. 17. When you have annotated or deleted the photos you took, you will move to the Photo Review Screen (Fig.18). This screen enables you to scroll through the photos you have just taken using the left and right arrows (circled red in Fig. 18) and to delete or edit the photos and annotations you

added. Alternatively, tap „Next‟ bottom right of Fig. 18 and move on to the second camera prompt.


The second camera prompt (shown left) brings forward all the components you described in the element, in this case: door

finish, frame, glass, handle, cat flap and cylinder lock.

Top Tip! The second camera prompt is an invaluable way of recording extra detail about a feature and thereby avoiding typing detail

onto the PDA. Rather than typing in „Original Georgian full panel door‟ or „ornate brass door handle‟ to the description of a door, you can describe the door as „Single leaf‟, and the handle as „handle‟ and use the camera to capture the full detail. You may find some clients like to have more narrative descriptions, but if your photos are taken well, they will enable you to add a huge amount of detail to the Inventory very quickly.

Having completed the door, you will be returned to Fig. 19 where you can either add another door by tapping „Add‟ (circled green) or „Back‟ (circled red) which takes you back to the Room Menu, Fig. 20.

Fig.19

Fig.20


Adding Contents Fixtures and Fittings The process for recording Contents, Fixture & Fittings („CF&F‟) differs to Doors, Walls, Floors, Ceilings and Windows.

The challenge with CF&F in Inventories is often the sheer quantity of items that need to be recorded. SMART Inventory has a specific tool that makes this simple and efficient. The CF&F section stores an extensive list of items of contents, fixture and fittings. You can add to this list yourself. Items of CF&F can also be selected from this list using an alphabetic look-up tool, enabling you to find and select items in a couple of taps of the screen.

The CF&F section also enable you to group items of contents, fixtures and fittings together in „Templates‟. This enables you to set up Templates for room types such as Bathroom, Kitchen and Dining Room which contain pre-set but editable items of contents, fixtures and fittings.

To add an item of CF&F, tap on the Contents, Fixture & Fittings section and answer „Yes‟ in Fig. 1. The „Add CF&F‟ screen now appears as shown in Fig.2.

We‟ll start by adding a Double light socket as an item of CF&F. Tap into the „Name‟ field circled red in Fig. 2 and type „d‟ „o‟. The software filters the list of CF&F and „Double light socket‟ is displayed, circled in green. Tap on this item and tap „Add‟ circled in orange. Double light socket will now be added to a list of CF&F for this room which we will cover below. Tapping „Add‟ clears the CF&F screen so you can type in the first few letters of the next item you want to record.

If you type in the first few letters of an item you want to record and it does not appear in the list, you can finish typing the description of the item and save it to the list for future Inventories. For examples „Stair guard‟ is not currently in the list of CF&F, and typing „sta‟ only brings up the options of „Standard lap‟ and „Standard rose fitting‟ (Fig.3). If you complete typing out the description of „ Stair guard‟ and tap „Add & Save‟ the item will be added to this Inventory and

saved for future Inventories (Fig. 4).

Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.3


Fig.4

Fig.5 Fig.6

You can access the list of all the items of CF&F you have added and saved previously by tapping the „User Items‟ icon circled red in Fig. 5 which exposes the list of user items in Fig. 6. You can delete an item using the red „minus‟ icon. You can also add an item from this screen by tapping in

the field circled red in Fig.6 and typing it in. There is a scroll bar on the right of the screen to

enable you to move up and down the list and you can also „push‟ the screen up and down with your stylus or finger.


As noted above, the CF&F section enables you to group items of contents, fixtures and fittings

together in Templates for room types such as Bathroom, Kitchen and Dining Room. The Template function is accessed from the „Templates‟ icon, circled red in Fig. 7. This takes you

to the screen in Fig. 8 where you can Add, Edit, Apply and Delete the Templates. To add a Template, tap „Add‟ circled red in Fig. 8. Type in the name of the new Template you wish to add – „Bedroom‟ as an example circled red in Fig. 9. Now tap „Add Item‟ circled in orange and record the various items of CF&F you want to save in the Template.

Fig.7

Fig.8 Fig.9

To edit an existing Template, tap on the „Edit‟ icon. You can now remove any displayed items of CF&F by tapping on the red „cross‟ icon circled in blue in Fig. 10.

Fig.10

Fig.11 Fig.12


You can select more than one Template at a time to be used in a room. For example, in a Kitchen you might have a template for Kitchen Fittings (to include fitted cupboards, work surfaces etc) and

a separate Template for Kitchen Utensils which you could select when producing an Inventory in a furnished flat. Having selected the relevant Template(s) or added individual items of CF&F, tap the „Cancel‟ icon circled in red, Fig. 11. The selected items of CF&F are now presented as shown in Fig. 12. The

number of each item of CF&F in the room can be controlled with the green plus and minus buttons circled red in Fig. 12. As you tap the plus or minus icons, the number count changes accordingly (circled red in Fig. 13). Use the red „minus‟ buttons to delete an item of CF&F from the list. If you tap on the name of the item of CF&F (circled blue in Fig. 12), you are given the ability to record the colour of the item and a manufacturer's name. Having described all the items of CF&F

in the room, tap on the yellow Defect Triangle (circled blue in Fig. 13). This brings up a list of all the items of CF&F and enables you to record a defect against each item in the same way as you record defects against the other elements in the room.

Use the defect photo icon (circled in yellow Fig. 13) to capture images of any defects identified with the CF&F. If you wish to take photographs of the CF&F to support the description of the items, use the photo icon (circled in pink Fig. 13). Tap the „Back‟ option bottom left of the screen to

return to the Main Menu.

Fig.13


‘Check-in’ functionality

SMART Inventory enables you to undertake the „Check-in‟ process with the Tenant in the

property using the PDA.

As you will be aware, the Check-in process involves walking a new tenant through a

property to check they agree with the description of any defects that are noted in your

Inventory Report, together with items of Fixtures and Fittings that you have listed.

This task is typically done by the Letting Agent or Inventory Clerk using a printed copy of

the SMART Inventory report.

This invariably means two trips to the property – one to compile the In-going Inventory

on the PDA and a separate visit to meet the tenant at site with a printed report. The

Check In feature in SMART Inventory enables you to schedule your In-going Inventory,

leaving sufficient time to undertake the Inventory before the Tenant arrives for the

Check-in process.

The PDA now presents the Inventory Clerk with a summary of all the defects and items

of Fixtures and Fittings listed in a room on a single screen of the PDA. This enables the

Inventory Clerk to easily walk and talk the Tenant through the content of the Inventory

Report on the PDA. If additional defect are highlighted by the Tenant, these can be

added in the normal way. When the contents and condition of the room have been

checked and agreed with the Tenant, it can be marked as „Reviewed‟.

We have also developed a new Inventory Web Link that is generated on the PDA when

you undertake an In-going Inventory. The Web Link is a web-address which gives access

to a copy of the Inventory Report on-line. When you have finished the check-in process,

you can present the Tenant with a new Declaration Signature Page we have drafted. You

write the Inventory Web Link on the Declaration Signature Page which is signed by the

Tenant. By signing the Declaration Signature Page, the Tenant is acknowledging that

they have been walked through the Check-in by you and that they can gain access to the

full Inventory report on-line. You are prompted to take a photographed of the

Declaration Signature Page with the PDA, which is included at the back of the In-going

Inventory Report. You can hand the Declaration Signature Page to the Tenant with the

Web Link written on it, or keep the signed Declaration Signature Page and write the Web

Link address on a separate piece of paper for the Tenant to keep.

If you wish to undertake the Tenant Check-in, first prepare the In-going Inventory.

When the Tenant joins you at the the Property, tap the „Tenant Check-in‟ section shown

in Fig.1 below and answer „Yes‟ to Fig.2. You will now be presented with a traffic light for

each room. Tap into the room you are currently reviewing with the Tenant.


Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.3

The PDA now displays all the defects recorded against each element in the room (Fig.4).

You can also view the description of the elements as well as the defects by tapping on

the „+‟ icon, circled red in Fig. 5 below. To „shrink‟ the list back to just the defects, tap

the „-„ icon circled red in Fig. 6.

Fig.4

Fig.5 Fig.6

By scrolling down the screen you can review a list of the Contents Fixture & Fittings

(„CF&F‟), together with any defects you have recorded against these.

If the Tenant spots a defect or an item of CF&F that you haven‟t recorded, go back into

the main Traffic Light menu, select the room you are in, and add the additional defect or

item of CF&F. When you and the Tenant are happy that the PDA reflects the condition

and contents of the room, tap the „Please Tap When Reviewed‟ button at the bottom of


the screen (Fig. 7). The button will now display a green tick (Fig. 8). Tap „Next‟ and you

return to the list of rooms in Fig. 9.

Fig.7

Fig.8 Fig.9

When you have reviewed all the room with the Tenant, you can obtain and photograph

the Tenant(s)‟ signature on a Tenants‟ Declaration Page. You can devise your own

Tenants‟ Declaration Page, but we have set out below some suggested wording. Please

be aware that you and your client, and not eTech, are responsible for assessing the

effectiveness of any Tenants‟ Declaration wording you may wish to adopt.

You can obtain the details for the Web-link required to complete the Tenants‟ Declaration

Page by tapping on the section headed „Inventory Web Link‟, circled in Fig. 9.

Fig.10

Fig.8 Fig.9


This displays the full web-link, as shown in Fig.10. Write the two numeric reference

numbers on the Tenants‟ Declaration Page (these are shown in red in the example

below) and obtain the Tenant(s)‟ signatures on the Tenants‟ Declaration Page. Now

photograph the signed Tenants‟ Declaration Page using the „Tenant Signature Photo‟

button, shown at the bottom of the screen in Fig.9.

The photograph of the signed Tenants‟ Declaration Page will now be included as an

image at the back of the Inventory Report in place of the usual signature page.

A Word copy of the Tenant Signature Declaration below will be available on the eTech

Portal.

Joe Bloggs Inventory Clerk Ltd

2 Short Street

Lampton

(the ‘Inventory Clerk’)

Tenants’ Signature Declaration - Version 1.1

Property Address ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...(the ‘Property’) Date of Tenant Check-in ……..………………………………………………………………………………………….………….…………….…(the ‘Check-in Date’) Tenant(s) present at Check-in 1 Signature ……………………………………………Print Name ……………………………………………..…………. 2 Signature ……………………………………………Print Name ……………………………………………..…………. 3 Signature ……………………………………………Print Name ……………………………………………..…………. 4 Signature ……………………………………………Print Name ……………………………………………..…………. 5 Signature ……………………………………………Print Name ……………………………………………..…………. 6 Signature ……………………………………………Print Name ……………………………………………..…………. (together the ‘Tenant(s)’) By signing this Declaration, the Tenant(s) hereby confirm the flowing:

The Inventory Clerk has reviewed and agreed with the Tenant(s) the extent of the Property’s contents, fixtures and fittings together with any defects in the condition of the Property.

The Property’s contents, fixtures and fittings together with any defects in the condition of the Property will be recorded in the Inventory of Condition relating the Property ( the ‘Inventory’)

The Tenant(s) can access a copy of the Inventory online at the following address web address:

http://portal.etech.net/customersitenotes.aspx?surveyid=212127&guid390439b2 [In addition, a printed copy of the Inventory will be sent to the Tenant(s) within 2 working days of the Check-in Date.] In the event that omissions or errors in the Inventory are identified by the Tenant(s), or the Tenant(s) disagree with the description of defects to the Property in the Inventory, the Tenant(s) hereby agree to notify the appointed Letting Agent of the Property of such changes or variations within 7 days of the Check-in Date. If the Tenant(s) provides no additional changes or variations to the Inventory, the Tenant(s) hereby agrees that the Inventory will be deemed to comprise a fair and accurate schedule of the condition and contents of the Property as at the Check-in Date.


Stand-alone Out-going Inventory Report You have the ability to undertake an Out-going Inventory Report on the PDA without

having to first undertake an In-going Inventory on the PDA. This is useful where, for

example, you are handed a manually typed-up Inventory from another company, and

asked to create a „Check-out‟ or „Out-going‟ Inventory from that document.

When you start a new Out-going Inventory on the PDA, you are given the following

prompt:

If you have been given a manual typed-up Inventory and asked to create a Check-out

Inventory, simply select „New Out-going Inventory‟ on the screen above. If you‟ve

already created the original In-going Inventory using SMART Inventory, select „Create an

Out-going Inventory from an In-going SMART Inventory on the screen above


Uploading an Inventory from the PDA

When you have completed the Inventory, all traffic lights on the Main Menu will be green and the

„Submit‟ option circled red in Fig. 1 will become active. Tap on „Submit‟ and the PDA will push the data from the device to the eTech Portal (Fig. 2). You will be presented with the screen on Fig. 3. Tap „Upload Site Notes‟ and the PDA will push the photos taken during the Inventory from the device to the eTech Portal. The submission process will now complete, indicated by Fig. 5. If you have an error or a „time-out‟ during submission, tap the Submit again. The PDA will start

submitting from where it lost connection, such as photo 22 or 37. If you have any issues with submitting an Inventory, please call the Technical Support Desk on 0844 848 1624.

Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.3

Fig.4

Fig.5


Top Tip! An Inventory on the PDA can contain a large amount of data and photos. To ensure fast and

smooth submission of data and photos from the PDA, connect the PDA to your home Wi-Fi connection or to your desktop computer via Active Sync (covered below) if it has an internet connection. This avoids the PDA using its phone GPRS connection which is slower and less reliable

than when connected to Wi-Fi.

Active Syncing your PDA with your PC What is ‘Active Syncing’? Basically, this involves connecting your PDA to your computer or laptop‟s USB port via the wire cable provided with the PDA. Why would I need to Active Sync my PDA to my laptop? When you Active Sync your PDA, it can be connected to the internet through your computer or PC, as opposed to the PDA‟s GPRS connection

through its mobile phone facility.

The following steps will guide you through Active Syncing your device with your desktop PC or laptop. Ensure you have the latest version of Active Sync (4.5) installed on your desktop PC before starting. To download a free version 4.5 of Microsoft Active Sync visit: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/activesync/activesync45.mspx

Once Active Sync 4.5 is installed on your desktop PC or laptop, follow these steps:

1) Turn on your PDA and plug the cable provided with the PDA into the USB port on your desktop PC and into your PDA via the charging port.

2) Active Sync on your PC will automatically detect the PDA and you will see a small green circle rotating in the bottom right of your desktop PC screen as it loads up. You will be

prompted to set up your connection:

3) Click „Next‟. The synchronization options window will now be displayed. Un-tick all options, click „Next‟.

4) The „Allow wireless connections‟ window will now be displayed. Select according to

preference and click „Next‟.

5) Click „Finish‟ to complete the setup, and your device will now be synchronised with your

desktop PC.

The next time you want to submit data from your PDA, plug the PDA into your computer via the USB lead and Active Sync will automatically fire up, although this may take 30 to 60 seconds. Click on the „Connect without setting up your device‟ button. The PDA will now piggyback on the PC‟s internet connection.


Connecting your PDA to Wi-Fi

HTC - HD2 If you have Wi-Fi at home, you can connect the PDA to your Wi-Fi network. First, tap on the phone

signal bar indicatory as circled red. This will activate the Wireless Control screen. Now tap on the „on-off‟ Wi-Fi button circled in orange. As the Wi-Fi activates, you‟ll be presented with a list of the available Wi-Fi networks. Select your own network and enter any Network Key that you have set to control access to your internet connection.

HTC- 6500 Tap on the phone signal bar indicatory as circled red in Fig.1 below. This will activate the Wireless Control screen (Fig. 2). Now tap on „Comm Manger‟ as circled in red in Fig. 2 and tap on the Wi-Fi icon in Fig. 3. As the Wi-Fi activates, you‟ll be presented with a list of the available Wi-Fi networks. Select your own network and enter any Network Key that you have set to control access

to your internet.

Fig.1

Fig.2 Fig.3


Using the PDA’s Camera effectively

SMART Inventory relies on good images to produce a good quality report and learning how to get the most out of the camera on the PDA is key.

Basic camera function – HD2 When the camera is activated within SMART Inventory, you can take a picture by pressing the round icon circled red in Fig. 1 below. You can also take a picture by holding your finger onto the

screen of the PDA when the camera is active. This makes the PDA focus on the area of the image where you are holding your finger and triggers the camera at the same time. Keep the shutter sound „on‟ so you can hear when you have taken a photo.

To activate the flash, tap the flash icon circled in green in Fig.1. The flash has three settings – Auto, On and Off.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

You can change settings such as „White Balance‟ and „Brightness‟ by tapping the orange icon in Fig.1 and the red „cog‟ icon in Fig.2. When you have taken the pictures you require and you want to return to SMART Inventory, tap the orange icon in Fig.1 followed by the „X‟ circled green in Fig. 2. This closes the camera.


Basic camera function – P6500 When the camera is activated you can take a picture by pressing the silver button on the side of the PDA, labelled „Camera activation‟ in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

WARNING – when taking a picture with the P6500, you must ensure that the screen of the PDA is displaying the „Camera‟ icon, as circled in red in Fig.2. The P6500 has a number of modes, including video and multi shot, however pictures are only stored when the PDA is in camera mode. It is possible to change modes by inadvertently rotating the „scroll wheel‟ located on the left hand side of the PDA (as circled red in Fig. 3) when the camera is active. You can also inadvertently

change the camera mode by using the square silver button on the front of the PDA to take photos (circled red in Fig.1). If you stick with the camera activation button on the side of the PDA indicated in Fig. 1 and keep your fingers off the scroll wheel, you‟ll have no problems. Another tip is to keep the shutter sounds on as you‟ll notice subtly different shutter sounds in the different modes which helps you spot when you are not in camera mode.

If you have inadvertently switched to the wrong camera mode, don‟t worry. As you return to SMART Inventory there will be a black space where you‟d expect to see a thumbnail of your photo to warn you that you are in the wrong mode. Tap „Add Photo‟ again, this time revert to the camera icon (you can tap the up and down arrows above and below the camera icon to return to the

correct setting as circled in Fig.2) and retake your photos.

Fig. 2

Fig.3


To activate the flash, tap the flash icon circled orange in Fig.2 and tap on the flash icon circled red in Fig. 4. The flash icon changes to Fig. 5 when the flash is active.

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

To remove the camera settings from the screen, tap on the arrow that is now in the centre of the screen (circled orange Fig.5). A guide to the other camera settings on the P6500 is provided below:

Standard Camera Mode (ensure this is always selected)

Resolution – Set to “1M”

White Balance – Set to “Auto” unless you want to experiment

Brightness – Set to “0”

Storage – Will depend on individual settings

Flash Light – Tap on this to turn the flash light on/off

Self-timer – Set to “Off”

When you have taken the pictures you require and you want to return to SMART Inventory, tap the screen on the PDA and tap the „X‟ circled green in Fig. 2. This closes the camera.


Camera Tips As noted above, SMART Inventory relies on good images to produce a good quality report. The key to taking good pictures with a PDA is to be aware of light levels. Low light levels can affect the colour rendering of photos, giving a pinkish or blueish tone. The focus of an image may also be affected.

The steadier the hand, the better the image. Take your time when capturing images.

Ensure the device is still and keep it still until the image has been taken.

Open curtains in a room and turn any available lights on to get as much light in the room as possible. Use the flash where lighting conditions are poor.

You are able to review the captured image on the PDA and it is obvious when the camera is struggling for light. One of the most useful functions on the camera is the White Balance control. This function enables you to set the camera for different internal lighting

conditions such as low lighting or florescent lighting. Changing the White Balance can have a big impact on image quality and accurate colour rendering.

Access the White Balance setting on the P6500 through the settings menu in the camera as circled in red.

P6500

P6500


On the HD2, tap the green circled icon to reveal the orange circled „cog‟ icon below. You can scroll

through the White Balance settings by tapping the icon circled red below:

HD2

The effect of changing the white balance can be seen in the images below. The same shot has been taken with different White Balance settings displayed to the left of the PDA image:


As you scroll through the White Balance settings with the camera activated, the colouration of the image on the PDA screen will change, enabling you to pick the best setting for the light levels in the room.


Top Tip!

When taking an image near a light source, avoid pointing the camera into the light source. In the example below, the light is falling into the room in the direction of the orange arrow. Taking a shot of the window sill from the angle shown in the photo on the left, over-exposes the shot with the result that the window sill detail is lost. By moving so that the sunlight is not falling directly into the camera lens (as per the example on the left), the shot is more evenly exposed and the detail of the sill is visible.

Top Tip!

When taking photographs of defects, some SMART Inventory users adopt a „tagging‟ technique with numbered markers. This ensures that both the detail of the defect and its specific location can be recorded in two separate photos. The example below from a SMART Inventory report shows the chip to the cabinet (left) and where that chip is located (right).


You can adopt this technique to great effect in recording the location of small defects on large elements such as stains and marks on walls and floors. In the example below from a SMART Inventory report the three scratches in a wooden floor are picked out with a photo showing

location of markers 1, 2 and 3. This ensures the Inventory has adequate detail of the location of the defects.


Generating the Inventory Report through the eTech Portal With the Inventory complete and submitted from the PDA, SMART Inventory generates the

Inventory Report which is available for downloading from your password protected account on

eTech web-based Portal. Please access the eTech Portal through the URL www.etech.net/dea which

takes you to the following log-in page:

Your Login to the Portal will be the email address

you gave us.

Your password will be your first name. You can

change these details in due course if you wish

In addition to storing your Inventories, the Portal acts as an information hub. The details of the

latest software releases are shown on the front page (circled orange). A copy of this User Guide is

available for download as circled green below. Inventory reports can be accessed as PDFs under

the „Surveys‟ tab circled in red below.

Each Inventory report is displayed with its address as circled in red. The Inventory type is circled

in green. Tapping on the link highlighted in orange in the „Site Note‟ column brings up a PDF of the

Inventory Report.


If you scroll to the right of the page and tap on the „Photos‟ link circled in red below, you will be

taken to the photo edit screen.

The Photo Edit screen shown below enables you to delete a photo as circled in green or to change

the annotation as circled in blue. Tap the „Update Photo Data‟ button circled in red to save the

changes you make.


If you wish to change or amend an Inventory, make the adjustment on the PDA and re-submit the

survey from the PDA. To view the changes in the Inventory Report, tap the „Regenerate Site Notes‟

button as circled in orange.

Defect Report

You are able to produce a Defect Report from a completed In-going or Out-going

Inventory and this provides a list of all the defects that have been identified in each

room in the Inventory report.

The Defect Report generates as a PDF. However, the text can be highlighted in the PDF

and copied into a word document by your client if they wish. This can be invaluable for a

Letting Agent who is compiling a list of defects from the Inventory for use in written

correspondence with a Tenant for example. If your client requests a Defect Report, you

can access it from the Defect Report tab on your SMART Portal account, as circled red

below


Report Editing Function

In order to make it easier to top and tail your SMART Inventory Reports, you are able to

create a Rich Text Format (RTF) version of the Inventory. RTF is a special document

format that provides limited editing of the text in the Inventory Report. The RTF

document is designed to make it easier to top and tail typos etc. If you need to make

other changes to the Inventory Report, you should still make these on the PDA and re-

submit the Inventory, or by adding photos via the SMART Portal.

To obtain an RTF copy of an Inventory, tap on the „Export as RTF‟ button on your SMART

Portal account. This located above the Defect Report button as circled red in the image

above. Remember that any changes you make to an RTF document will not be reflected

on the PDA when you come to undertake the next In-going or Out-going Inventory, so

please only use this facility to make minor tweaks and changes to an Inventory. You can

save an RTF document as a PDF and provide it to your clients in the normal way.

Inventory_User_Guide

Documents

hd2 pda

pda hardware

today screen

smart inventory software

desktop screen

right of screen

screen shots

capacitive touch screen