Steve, Dom asked me to post this on here. It's the same response I gave you last night.
I'm not sure if I can help in the area of Voice Recognition for the actual reporting, I only used it during the first couple months as I built up my library of comments. I'm now to the point that I'm only adding 4-6 unique comments during a report and I'm only slightly customizing 10-15 other comments. The rest of my comments are written to be used universally or they address an issue which should ALWAYS have the same statement made about it and the same recommendation given(to maintain consistency and reduce liability).
During those first few months, I very purposefully reduced the number of inspections I scheduled. I only allowed 3-4 per week so I could focus my extra time on practicing the reporting with HIP. I used some of the extra time to just dictate and adjust my comments. I started by reviewing several of my old reports and I dictated about 3-5 of the most common comments for each section of the template that I had created. I dictated to a Word file and then inserted them into HIP(cut and paste, it goes pretty fast). At that point, I could begin using HIP but I did have a lot of comments to write each time I did an inspection. From there I took one section at a time and wrote my own comments or tweaked an existing HIP comment for my own use. Once I got a section done I added the comments to my template and started using them during the next inspection. It took a while, but the practice was invaluable and as my template grew it was always getting a regular "field test".
I also benefitted from making three universal drop-down lists which I use in 75% of my comments. They are <<LOCATION>>, <<LEVEL>> & <<GENERIC DEFECTS>>. Here's a sample of what's in them:
LOCATION - North, South, East, West, north, south, east, west, central, middle, 1st floor, 2nd floor, basement, bedroom, bedrooms, living room, laundry, attic, furnace, A/C unit, garage, entry, exterior of the structure, wall, walls, utility room... etc. etc. (50-60 items in the list)
LEVEL - minor, moderate, major, considerable, serious, minor & moderate, various, concerning, hazardous... etc. etc
GENERIC DEFECTS - damaged, loose, cracked, cracking, settling, corroded, corrosion, missing installed improperly, weathering, deteriorated, deterioration, disconnected, broken... & damaged, & loose, & cracked, etc. etc (the duplicated items with an "&" sign allow multiple issues to be addressed quickly in a comment)
I use these lists A LOT. And I usually place them 2-3 times in a single comment so I can build the comment quickly and yet have a certain level of customization. The lists will definitely save you time instead of filtering through a huge list of specific comments or typing unique comments for every inspection. I also have 2 similar lists for just about every section like in the heating section I have <<HEATING COMPONENTS>> & <<HEATING DEFECTS>>. It's obvious what goes in those lists.
These also save me time building comments which may need some customization in a particular section. You could conceivably write only one or two comments for every item in the template and "build" all your comments this way. Of course that will mean a lot of clicks just to make one comment. Or you could write out every possible variation of your comments for every section of your template. That, of course, will lead to a lot of searching every time you have comment which only comes up every 20th inspection.
The best approach for me was to have a little of both. Those 3-5 most common comments I mentioned earlier have expanded to the 10-15 most common and then I have a universal comment in most sections. For example, using the heating system again, I have a comment which reads:
There is<<HEATING DEFECT>><<HEATING DEFECT>> at the<<LOCATION>><<LOCATION>><<HEATING COMPONENT>>. Recommend evaluation and repairs by a qualified HVAC contractor.
This one comment alone has the potential for thousands of variations. It saves me from searching for that "one comment I remember writing a month ago but I can't seem to find it on my list so I'll just write another one like it". It also saves me from typing a bunch of custom comments for every inspection.
The way to speed up your reporting is to determine what you are fast at (when using a computer) and design you template and your reporting method around that. If you are fast at the "hunt and click" game then long lists of comments in your damage panel may to the trick. If you type a mile a minute then fewer comments may work for you. Some guys I believe just dictate their comments as they walk through the house and then cut and paste them into HIP when they are done. Everyone is different and no method is sacred.
Those are some of my methods, use what you can, throw out what you don't need & ask any questions you like. Good Luck!
