Frequently Asked Questions

 

How do I get my company logo to appear on the forms?

You can supply a company logo or other graphic that will be used as "letterhead" on your forms.  Prepare a file named "logo.png" that contains a 118-pixel high by 728-pixel wide image of your logo.  Then use iTunes File Sharing to copy that file from your computer to your iPad.  As the file name implies, the image should be in PNG image file format.  To copy the file to your iPad, connect your iPad to your computer and start iTunes (if it’s not setup to start automatically.)  A device icon associated with your iPad should appear on the header bar in the iTunes window.  Click it to show its settings menu in the left sidebar, then click the File Sharing menu item.  Scroll down the list of Apps on the File Sharing page and select the “Superintendent” item to open its Documents panel.  Now “Add ...” or drag-and-drop your custom "logo.png" file from your computer into the Documents panel.

 

How do I save a form so I can come back later to finish working on it?

The app saves your work as you enter it.  You can navigate to a different part of the app, close the app and/or switch over to an entirely different app without worrying about saving or submitting the form on which you were working.  When you are ready to submit the form, tap the "Preview" button on the Title Bar.  The app will show you an image of the PDF document that will be generated and e-Mailed.  If you're satisfied with it, tap the "Sign and Submit" button on the Title Bar.  Otherwise, tap the "Cancel" button to resume working on the Form.  Once you tap "Sign and Submit" you cannot make any further changes to the Form even if you choose to stop it from being e-Mailed at the next step of the process.

 

I started work on a form but things have changed so much that I just want to start over.  How do I delete it?

Go to the Active Forms Summary Worksheet and do a standard iPad right-to-left swipe on the cell for that form.  Then just tap the Delete button that appears in the right side of the cell.

 

Can I setup separate lists of people to automatically receive the various types of forms I am submitting? 

Yes, in the Master Settings you can create a default distribution list that will apply to all projects for each type of form.  By tapping on “Master Settings”, and then “Master Forms Settings”, you can then go into the setup for each form type and enter in the emails you would like.  You would tap on the “Add Form Submit Contact” item, and then either choose from your Contacts or Personnel lists, or enter an email address manually.

Once you have this saved, you can then manage these lists on a project by project basis.  By tapping on the “Project Forms Settings” item for a current project, you can add or remove contacts from the lists by editing the Form Submit Contacts for each form type following the same steps as you did in the Master Setting.

 

 I have reminders stacked up in the Due & Pending Worksheet for forms that I don't really need to submit.  How do I get rid of them?

Simply do a right-to-left swipe on the reminder cell for that form and tap the Delete button that appears in the right side of the cell.  That reminder (as well as any older reminders for that form) will be removed from the worksheet.

 

The Personnel Time form has more employee time code entry fields than I need for the projects and employees I track.  How can I cull down the list?

The first time you make entries for an employee after he/she has been assigned to a Project, the form will contain entry fields for every Employee Time Cost Code that you have defined in your Master list.  To make your entries more manageable, you can easily remove codes for activities that you don't expect the employee to perform for that Project on an ongoing basis.  Just do a right-to-left swipe on the time code entry cell you want to remove, then tap the Delete button.  The app will remember what you did the next time you make entries for the employee.  Of course you can also easily add entry fields back to the form at any time by tapping the (+) button.

 

The Safety Inspection form contains more safety inspection categories than are applicable to the projects I manage.  How do I tailor the content of my Safety Inspection Reports to my project-specific requirements?

When you create a new Project, the full list of the Master Safety Inspection Categories is automatically assigned to it.  To remove categories from the Safety Inspection Report for a Project, first check/use the "Project" main menu item to make sure it's the "current" working project.  Then tap "Forms Settings" in the Project Settings section of the main menu.  Select the "Safety Inspection Setup and Scheduling" option to see the list of Inspection Categories assigned to the Project.  Do a right-to-left swipe on the Inspection Category cell you want to remove, then tap the Delete button.  You can restore a Safety Category that you've previously removed by tapping the (+) button.

To manage the Master list of Inspection Categories and the Safety Inspection Items comprising those categories, got to the Safety Inspection page in the Default Forms Settings section of the Master Settings area of the app.  There you can change, add to, and/or reorder the Master list so it reflects the actual inspection criteria you use for your projects.

 

How do I add photographs to my forms?

A photo (camera) icon appears on the top bar of most of the text entry sections on the forms as well as on the corrective action subsections of the Safety Inspection form.  You can either take pictures ahead of time and add them to the form (most common) or you can begin filling out the form and take pictures as you're entering text into the section of the form to which the picture applies.

For example:

  • Open a Daily Log form.

  • Select one of the text entry sections (e.g. Activities).

  • Tap the camera icon at the top of the text entry form.  You'll see the (initially empty) list of photos currently associated with Activities.

  • On the top right of that page's title bar you'll see two buttons -- "Select from Photos" and a Camera icon.

  • The "Select from Photos" button allows you to pick a photo from the library/albums on your iPad.

  • The Camera button activates the iPad camera to take an ad hoc picture.

  • Once you selected or taken a new picture it will appear in the list of pictures associated with the section of the form you're working on -- Activities in this case.

  • If you tap on a picture element in the list, a page will open that allows you to enter a caption for the photo and/or to crop the photo.

You can repeat the photo selection process for any number of photos that you want to associate with the section of the form.  Tap the Preview button on the main form page to see how the photos are referenced, embedded and annotated in the PDF.

 

I need to sign the forms that I submit to the office.  How can I apply a written signature to my forms?

First, go to Default Forms Settings in the Master Settings section.  Then, go into the settings page for each type of form that you'll want to sign and set the "Require Signature to Submit" setting to "Yes".  (Don't forget to tap "Save" when you're done changing settings.)

Now, whenever you "Sign and Submit" that type of form, you will be presented with a signature page.  You can use your finger (or better, an iPad compatible stylus) to make a written signature.  If you don't like how it looks, tap the "Clear" button and try again.  If you become frustrated with the process of trying to draw a legible signature this way, you can tap the "Stamp" button to apply a Signature Stamp that you've previously created.  To apply the Signature Stamp, simply enter the PIN/security code you used when you created it.

The signature page also allows for a second written signature that, when used, will be labeled "Accepted" and applied to the Form as an additional signature.  To apply an "Accepted by" signature, tap the "Yes" option, then have the accepting party sign his/her name on the signature line below.

When you're all done signing, tap the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page.

 

I like the Signature Stamp idea.  How do I set one up? 

Go to the User Settings page in the Master Settings section and tap the cell labeled "Primary User Signature Stamp".  Tap the "New Signature" button to clear the signature line and use your finger (or better, an iPad compatible stylus) to draw your written signature.  (If you don't like how it looks, tap the "New Signature" button again to clear it and start over.) 

Once you have one you like, tap the "Save Signature" button.  You'll then be prompted to set and confirm a one to ten digit PIN (security code) for the stamp.  Now, whenever you "Sign and Submit" a form, you can apply the Signature Stamp instead of drawing your signature.  Just tap the "Stamp" button on the signature page and enter the PIN that you've assigned to your Signature Stamp.

 

How do I submit multiple Personnel Time forms in one submission email?

From the Personnel Time page, tap the “Select for Preview” item in the top right corner of the page header, and you will notice that all the personnel resources with time entered in their timesheets will have a blue checkmark next to them.  You can tap whichever personnel timesheets you do not want included in the email to remove the checkmark.  Once you have verified that all the timesheets you wish to send in one submission email have a blue checkmark, tap on “Preview”, and then submit the form like you would any of the others.  This will send all the selected timesheets out in one email.

 

How do I set a response target date for a Request for Information?

The Request for Information form comes with the ability to set a Response Target Due Date for the request.  In the form you can set the Priority (Due Date) to Standard, High, or Critical, which by default is set to 5, 3, and 1 business days respectively.  This target date will be marked in the PDF form depending upon which Priority level you have chosen. 

If you would like to change the number of days assigned for each Response Target Date option, you can do so from the Master Forms Settings in the Request for Information Setup.  Under the Response Target section, you can configure the number of days to be either business or calendar days, as well as define the number of days for each setting.

 

How do I set corrective action resolution timeframes for Safety Inspection infractions?

 he Safety Inspection form has the ability to add a resolution due date for every item inspected that did not meet the safety requirements.  When you tap No for an  inspection item in the Safety Inspection form, a window will open allowing you to add a disposition, the responsible party, whether or not it was corrected on site, and a due date.  Setting a due date will display in the PDF, providing you with a resolution date to have the safety infraction resolved.

 

How do I create and share a starter settings database?

If your firm has multiple iPads, and you would like for all of them to start from the same point, you can create a starter settings database and distribute it amongst the other iPads.  This would be useful if you would like for all of your iPads to contain the same resources (labor, equipment, cost codes, etc.), contractors and suppliers, and forms settings before they are put into service.

To create a settings database:

  • On the first iPad, start Superintendent app.
  • After logging in, tap the Master Settings item which is at the bottom of the Main Menu
  • Tap on the “Resources” item, and from here you can begin defining the Personnel, Contractors and Suppliers, Labor, Equipment, and Materials that you would like to be universal amongst all your iPads.  You are able to define the unit of measure, unit cost, and cost codes for all labor, equipment, and material resources.
  • Navigate back one screen, and tap on the “Master Forms Settings” item.  From here you can define the Common Forms Settings (which allow you to set the banner image and form header information), as well as the individual forms settings.  You can setup each form’s scheduling, as well as many other aspects of the individual forms, configuring them to suit your needs.
  • Once you have configured this iPad with all the data you would like to distribute to the other iPads, you are ready to export the database.

To export the database:

  • Connect your iPad to your PC or Mac via USB, and open iTunes.
  • Click the device icon in the header menu of iTunes, and click on File Sharing.
  • Scroll through the list of Apps and click on Superintendent, which will display all the files for the app in the Documents window.
  • On the iPad, open the Master Forms Settings and tap on the “Database” item.
  • Tap the “Export Database to iTunes File Sharing” item.
  • Once the export is complete, you should see a file in the Documents window titled “journeyman.zip”.
  • Drag and drop the “journeyman.zip” file onto your desktop, where you can then save it wherever you would like on your PC or Mac.  Keeping this file is a safe place is a good idea if you think you may have future iPads you’d like to import this database into in the future.

Importing the starter database to the other iPads:

  • Connect your iPad to your PC or Mac via USB, and open iTunes.
  • Click the device icon in the header menu of iTunes to show, and click on File Sharing.
  • Scroll through the list of Apps and locate the Superintendent item and click on it, which will display all the files for the app in the Documents window.
  • Drag and drop the “journeyman.zip” file you saved earlier into the Documents list in iTunes.
  • On the iPad, open the Master Forms Settings and tap on the “Database” item.
  • Tap on the “Import Database from iTunes File Sharing” item.
  • You will be prompted “this will overwrite the current database on this iPad”, which you will want to tap “Yes”.
  • You will then be asked if you would like to delete the file from iTunes, which is up to the user.
  • If you like, you can then verify that all the settings and resources are correct after the import has completed.
  • Repeat these steps to import the starter database on any other iPads with the Superintendent app.

 

Can I report  weather conditions for more than one shift or period of the day on the Daily Log?

 Yes, you can report up to 3 separate shifts or periods of the day (e.g. morning, afternoon, evening) weather conditions in the Daily Log form.  To add additional weather sections to the Daily Log, tap on the “Master Settings” item, and then the “Master Forms Settings” item.  Locate the Daily Log Setup and Scheduling item and tap on it.  In the window that opens under Section Controls, you will see Weather Shift 1, Weather Shift 2, and Weather Shift 3.  Tap next to each shift that you would like to see displayed in the Daily Log, and enter the text you would like to display in the form.  The default text for Weather Shift 1 is “Conditions”, which will display in the PDF as “Weather Conditions.”  Once you have completed this, tap on “Save”, and you will see the additional weather sections the next time you access the Daily Log form.

 

I need to submit a Daily Log for a previous date.  How do I set the date for it?

Open a new Daily Log form and, before you enter any data into the form, tap on the blue date in the top right corner of the form.  This will open a date picker with Month, Day, and Year dials.  Set the dials to the date you need to complete the form for, and then tap outside of that window.  You will then be prompted if you want to change the date of the current form, or create a new one.  Make your choice, and you will then be able to complete a Daily Log form for the date you have just chosen.

 

Can I import more than one personnel or contractor resources from my Contacts at the same time?

 Yes, you can select multiple personnel resources or contractors and suppliers when importing them into the app.  To import them into the Master List so they are available to all projects, you can tap on Master Settings in the Main Menu, and then tap on Resources.  From there you can tap on either Personnel or Contractors and Suppliers, and on the next screen tap on the blue (+) sign.  In the window that opens tap on Contacts, and then tap on all the contacts you wish to import, and tap on Import.  This will add all the selected contacts to your Master List. 

When you need to import personnel or contractors to a new project, or add a new contractor to an existing project, you can tap on Project Resources from the Main Menu and then follow the same steps above, only this time you can choose to import from either the Master List or your Contacts.  Once imported, only those resources imported will appear in the Personnel or Contractors list when you are working with the forms for that project.  Alternatively, you can add contractors and suppliers from the Daily Log form by using the “Add New” feature.  When you access the Labor, Equipment, or Materials window, when you tap “Supplier/Resource” a list will open displaying the project contractors, and you will see the “Add New” option at the top of the list.  Tapping on that will allow you to add as many additional contractors as you need, following the same import steps as before.

 

My Daily Logs are very similar from day to day.  Is there a way to start my new one from the previous day's form?

Yes, you can copy the information from the previously submitted Daily Log and then only update what has changed from the previous day.  When in the Daily Log, if you tap the blue circular arrow icon next to the Submitted Forms History folder icon, you will be prompted that “This operation will overwrite any current data.  Are you sure?”  If you tap “Yes,” all the data, with the exception of photos, will be copied over saving you from having to enter all the information again.