File Names?

[Jim Katen]

I'm curious to know how you all name your inspection report files and why you do it that way.

Do you use the same file name when you send it to the customer, or do you give it a different name?

I have a system that I've used for many years. But recently, I've had three separate customers comment that my file names were odd, or strange.

Anyone mind sharing your system?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Richard Moore]

I use yymmddI for the report number (I = last name initial unless I or O, then first name)

+ -lastname for storing my docs and

+ pppp (last 4 digits of client phone number) for the link to the pdf

EG: An inspection for me today would be...

Report number: 100322M

Word doc name: 100322M-Moore

"Code" for the link to the pdf report: 100322M7730

It keeps my folders in date order and I can still quickly find a recent report by scanning for last name. If I had started before 2000 I probably would have used yyyymmdd...but I didn't and I'm hoping to retire before 2100. []

[hausdok]

I use the same system that I numbered my investigations with in the military - a set of initials to identify the type of report, the dod date a number to identify when the inspection was done, morning, afternoon or evening and the name of the client.

For example, the report for an inspection done for Jim Katen on the morning of March 22, 2010 would be:

Building Inspection Report 2010 March 22nd A.M - Name

| | | | | |

BIR 10 03 22 01 - Katen or BIR10022201-Katen

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Erby]

DATE:

Alpha for morning, afternoon, evening (hardly ever get to C)

County (I serve several counties

Address

i.e. 20100322B Fayette 4640 Oak Creek Drive

-

[Terence McCann]

Year and address:

10 123 Anywhere St Mytown, OH 44444

I archive, burn to DVD then purge each year.

[caryseidner]

I just use my clients name.

[Phillip]

mmddyy area Alpha for which one it was for the day

032210TA T is for Tuscaloosa

[Jim Morrison]

Last name [space] city

Stored in folders by month and year (e.g. in the 2009 folder, there are twelve folders, one for each month).

What is so strange about your system?

[esch]

3-23-10 Katen,Jim Horshoe Bend Rd.PDF

How do you do yours Jim?

Matt

[Marc]

All my report names are the same: Report. The report and all original photos, signed contract, documents, etc are combined within a folder that is named after the inspection address. 'Folder tree' has one folder for each month and one for each year. There is no paper involved anymore and the entire hard drive is copied weekly to a 2 TB 'internet cable' based backup drive located on my desk. It takes 90 minutes and holds about 12 of the most recent copies.

Marc

[qhinspect]

First three letters of the last name and the date of the home inspection. Easy for me to look up.

John Smith - Inspection date 10/3/10

Report # smi10310

If I do a wood destroying insect inspection is would be smi10310wdi. Radon test would be smi10310radon and a re-inspection would be smi10310reinspection

Been doing this for years now.

[Bob White]

MMDDYY with RPT, INV, etc., tadked on at the end. Each document is saved in open document format and PDF.

Stored in folders marked by year.

[Tom Raymond]

My reports are numbered YYMMDDx, x equals A for starts before noon, P for after. My file names are customer last name followed by report number (no spaces) for my Word file, and .PDF for the customer copy.

RAYMOND100323A or RAYMOND100323A.PDF

All of my pics are in a folder labeled with the last name, and all of the above are in a client folder labeled with last name. All of my client folders are in a folder labeled HI STUFF, along with all the goodies I download from here, my SOP and COE docs and any emails relevant enough to save. I keep a hard copy of the report, my original notes and signed agreement filed cronologically. DVD back ups are filed with my hard copies, but probably not often enough.

The problem with this system is that I remember the house long after I forget the name. If I could figure out how to label my files by photo thumbnails I probably would.

Tom

[kurt]

katen.report_3.23.10

katen.pics_3.23.10

katen.photolog_3.23.10

katen.invoice_3.23.10

katen.agreement._3.23.10

Simple, direct, and I have a script that names, saves, and archives.

They all line up alphabetically in the report folder.

[Bill Kibbel]

We just use consecutive numbers. Today I'm doing 66095.

There's no need to include all the information in the file name. We can find any report in our database instantly, by either entering the clients name, the address or the date.

[Inspectorjoe]

Address, date and time.

123 Main Street, done March 23, 2010 at 9 am would be 123main03231009

I keep an Excel file of all inspections, consecutively numbered, so I can search by date, buyer, address or agent.

[Marc]

We just use consecutive numbers. Today I'm doing 66095.

There's no need to include all the information in the file name. We can find any report in our database instantly, by either entering the clients name, the address or the date.

Database is the best way to go. I had one until about a year ago. It was homemade on downloaded 'Open Office' software. I couldn't get it to work in sync with an 'Inspection Request Form' in PDF format at my website so I dropped it then. IT fees are too expensive and often unproductive at the same time.

Marc

[RobC]

SCOPE Reports 10'

> Jan-June10' Reports

> KatenJim032310A

032310 = date

A=morning, B=afternoon

SCOPE Photos 10'

> Jan-June10' Photos

> KatenJim032310A

PDF printer automatically saves to the following

SCOPE Reports 10'(pdf)

>Jan-Jun10' Reports (pdf)

> KatenJim032310A

[resqman]

In the computer I create a folder for each year. Within each year there are folders Contracts and Reports. Both are named by date and number. 032310-01 01 is first one, 02 is second. Photos are stored in the photos folder on the computer. Each year has its own folder and the photos are stored in folders by date. Each inspection gets its own photo folder with an 01 or 02 at the end of the date.

Maintain excel spreadsheet with client information. Backup to removal disk twice a month. Hardcopy of contract is stored in files by month and year.

[randynavarro]

Katen Report

Filed liked Jim Morrison's. One file for each month.

12 files for the year.

[Jerry Lozier]

Jones032510-212x2

name; date; house address; x? if duplex

even if I've done multiple inspections for same client chances of next home having same street # is pretty slim

my report system would pull up all house#s with 212 if I plug that in so I can quickly tell if I've inspected the home before without pulling up actual report

[caryseidner]

katen.report_3.23.10

katen.pics_3.23.10

katen.photolog_3.23.10

katen.invoice_3.23.10

katen.agreement._3.23.10

Simple, direct, and I have a script that names, saves, and archives.

They all line up alphabetically in the report folder.

Now you'll have to add katen.ir_3.23.10[^]

[kurt]

Yep. Although, I've been saving them as jpeg's and inserting them into my software program like every other jpeg; I don't need radiometric for what I'm doing.

At least, not yet.

[mgbinspect]

I number mine. Todays last one of the day was 107334 the 10 is the year and the rest is the successive number since I started on my own. I did 2800 under a national chain before breaking out. That way I always know where I am in my career and they're easy to find. So, I file it under that number system, but send it to clients referencing the inspection address.

[John Dirks Jr]

I use the property address as the file name. I start a new folder each year. It works for me because being a part timer, I don't do enough inspections each year to get confused if I need to look back and find one.

On the report I use a date coded document number. That number is also recorded on the agreement to tie the two together.