It’s important to find a solution that allows you to create and upload custom templates to generate reports in the formats in which you need them. Fortunately, Device Magic offers the ability to customize a PDF or Word version of your submission data. In this article, we’ll show you how to get started with a step-by-step video tutorial and helpful feedback from Device Magic users.

Video Guide: Creating Custom Templates to Generate Word or PDF Reports

This feature can be helpful in many situations. Perhaps you need to replicate report formats that your clients are accustomed to receiving. Or maybe you want to give your existing forms and reports a more professional look. You can do it all within the Device Magic platform. Watch the video below for an introduction on how to make the layout of your Word or PDF report match your original form or create something completely new.

Custom Templates Deliver Big Value

The ability to format submission data with custom templates and generate Word or PDF reports exactly how they want them has been a huge benefit for many Device Magic users. Below are just a few examples of how our customers have found this feature useful in their everyday operations.

BriggsAmasco

“When we started the Device Magic trial I saw that it interfaced with our existing Microsoft Word forms through a simple mail merge. This was great because users were seeing the same forms they were used to—we were off to a good start.” – James Wood, IT Manager

BriggsAmasco is a UK-based commercial roofing and waterproofing company. They partnered with Device Magic to help streamline company-wide safety protocols and their repair maintenance division operations. For both use cases, the customization capabilities were crucial to meet the compliance and client demands.

Farmers National Company

“Device Magic’s ability to deliver reports in both PDF and Word formats allowed us to have the flexibility that we needed to deliver the product our clients wanted. And that’s something the competitive options we researched did not offer.” – Matt Gunderson, VP of sales and marketing

Farmers National Company needed a mobile data collection tool to help facilitate and scale their new collateral inspections business line. With several moving parts and inspectors flying across the country to perform the inspections, they needed the ability to easily go into a report, make edits or fill-in missing items and resubmit. The ability to do this and produce custom Word and PDF reports was a major reason Farmers National ultimately chose to partner with Device Magic.

Additional Customer Feedback

“The fact that Device Magic just worked out of the box, and for the most part I have good user control to customize things makes it very useful.” – Starr Livingstone, general manager, Channel Jets

“It facilitates the creation of forms and adapting the existing forms for new uses that are sent both to our customers or partners of our company. This saves us a lot of time in our daily activities and has a nice design.” – Johnny G., small business administrator, G2 Review

Next Tutorial: Microsoft Excel Templates

Eager to create your own custom Word or PDF templates with Device Magic? You can get started by signing up for a free 14-day trial. Before you dive into the trial, we also encourage you to check out our blog on generating reports using Microsoft Excel templates. Device Magic users now have the option to create and upload customized Excel report templates when selected as the submission format for available destinations.

Read the blog: How to Generate Custom Reports Using Microsoft Excel Templates

The post How to Generate Custom Microsoft Word or PDF Reports with Device Magic appeared first on Device Magic.

We understand that equipment is an operational cost on the farm, not a profit driver. However, keeping your farm machinery in peak operating condition certainly plays a role in meeting tight production deadlines. The last thing you need to deal with is downtime caused by unexpected equipment failures and costly repairs. To avoid this, we recommend creating a farm equipment inspection checklist to guide daily machine walk-arounds prior to operation. Adhering to this kind of checklist not only helps you catch small issues before they become larger problems, it also promotes safety and helps prevent accidents on the farm.

First Order of Business: Go Digital.

We also recommend ditching the clipboard when performing these daily inspections. Adding manual paperwork to your daily task list just isn’t feasible. Not to worry. Mobile data collection solutions, like Device Magic, can be used as an equipment mobile inspection app. This allows you to build custom inspection reports and checklists that you and your employees can easily access out in the field, even when they’re offline.

The problem with using a cookie-cutter inspection checklist is that it probably won’t cover every type of farm machinery that you use, and won’t address specific issues that are important to your operation. A custom-built mobile form; however, allows you to easily create checklists tailored specifically to your needs. Additionally, the ability to access your equipment inspection reports through a mobile app can improve efficiency and help ensure accurate recording of critical information.

What To Include On Your Farm Equipment Inspection Checklist

As we mentioned, checklists will vary depending on your operation. But there are several areas you should always include on a comprehensive equipment inspection checklist. So let’s take a look at these items.

Engine Compartment & Electrical Components

A daily check of your equipment’s engine compartment and electrical components is crucial to maintaining optimal safety and uptime on the farm.  This will be the most thorough part of your inspection, as there are quite a few areas you want to be sure to check, including:

• Switch the front and rear lights on/off
• Test the machine’s back-up alarms
• Make sure the engine battery is charged
• Check all belts and hoses, especially your hydraulic hoses, to make sure they are connected properly and not damaged
• Inspect engine compartment covers and guards to ensure they are properly installed
• Check for and remove any debris in the engine compartment

Brake Systems

Again, checking the brake system is especially important for safety on the farm. Brake systems on specialized farm machinery can be complicated and multi-faceted, which further emphasizes the need for an inspection checklist tailored to your specific equipment. However, there are a few general items to always include:

• Inspect for air or fluid leaks
• Perform brake system diagnostic tests if you have the necessary tools
• Identify any brake system components with excess wear that possibly need replacement

Operator Cab Inspection

A comfortable machine operator is a productive machine operator, right? It’s crucial to keep your machines’ operator cabs clean, organized and, most importantly, safe for optimal efficiency. Here’s a few items to be sure to include in the cab inspection:

• Make sure all steps, handrails and grab bars are secure
• Inspect and configure all windows and mirrors to ensure optimal visibility
• If the machine has wipers, check wiper fluid levels and make sure the wipers effectively clear the windshield
• Check that the seatbelt, safety harness, and other safety-related elements in the cab
• Test the horn
• Ensure the operator control panel and/or display screen is working properly
• Check for machine issue indicators

Wheels & Tracks

Whether you’re operating machinery with wheels or tracks, it’s critical to keep these components in good condition. Especially to avoid ground or field disturbances. Here’s what to look for on wheeled machines:

• Debris or air leaks in the tires
• Excessive wear
• Visible rim damage

If you operate track machines, it may be harder to identify and diagnose undercarriage issues. If you suspect issues with the steering or material handling, call your equipment dealer to see if service is needed. You should regularly inspect these items on track machines:

• Track components, such as the rollers, idler wheels and sprockets
• Shoes and links on metal track machines
• Tension and torsion axles on rubber track machines

Fluid Inspection

An important part of preventative maintenance is checking the fluid levels on your machine. Puddles around the equipment can be one of the first indicators of an internal problem. Machine fluids and related areas that should be inspected regularly include:

• Engine and hydraulic oil
• Fuel water separator
• Transmission
• Engine coolant
• Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)

Create Custom Inspection Checklists for Your Farm with Device Magic

If your farming operation relies on specialized machinery, you need access to customized and thorough inspection reports. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, the Device Magic platform makes it easy to build inspection checklists and forms with all the features you need. Additionally, our mobile forms app works offline, which is a key benefit for rural operations with limited internet connection. 

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