COSTAR is delivered with some pre-loaded inspections that you can use, amend, or remove as required.

To create a new Inspection Form, click (Add New…) from the inspection form list or click on the Add New Form button from the bottom of the window.

Insert Section Header will add a new section header below the Heading.

Rename will allow you to edit the name of the Inspection form. This name is what will appear in the list of Inspections forms available to add to a Repair Order.

Insert Additional Comments will add non-checking commentary on the Inspections, such as an overall comment on what may be exclusions or exceptions.

Expand all will expand all sections in the Inspection list.

Collapse all will collapse all sections in the Inspection list.

Right-click on the Section Heading to open the options for the heading field.

Insert before will insert a new Item before the section heading.

Insert after will insert a new Item after the section heading.

Insert Section Header inserts a new Section header after the selected Section header.

Delete removes just the Section header but lease the associated Items.

Rename will allow you to edit the name of the Section This name is what will appear in the Inspection as the heading for following Items.

Move up moves the Section heading above the item preceding it.

Move down moves the Section heading below the item following it.

Right-click on an Item to open the options for an Item.

Enable checkboxes and reason dropdown adds or removes the ability to use the OK, Suggested or Required Checkboxes and then add a reason for the selection from a drop-down list. The example below has this option removed for Engine Oil, but has it checked for Automatic Transmission fluid.

 

Enable Comments adds a comment field that allows free text commentary to be added by the technician.

 

In the main body of options:

 

Insert before will insert a new Item before the section heading.

Insert after will insert a new Item after the section heading.

Insert Section Header inserts a new Section header after the selected Section item.

Delete removes just the item selected.

Rename will allow you to edit the name of the Section This name is what will appear in the Inspection as the heading for following Items.

Insert Attribute allows you to have specific data or selections available for the item. There are three types of attributes:

Entryline – free text

An example of this may be in a Wheel Alignment Section to have an Item of Front Left with Attributes of Toe (mm), Castor (Deg) and Camber (Deg)

 

Checkbox – multiple selections possible

Radiobutton – single selections only even from multiple options.

An example may be in a vehicle check-in list to note which type of wheel is present and only one selection is possible.

When displayed in the inspection they may look like this.

Move up moves the Section heading above the item preceding it.

Move down moves the Section heading below the item following it.

 

A completed Inspection may have multiple sections and attributes against some or all of the items in the Sections.

At the very bottom of the window is a selection to Return inspection to document?. When selected this will return items and comments that were selected as suggested or required to the Repair Order as a Comment.

Using your Inspections

Once your Inspection form is complete you can add it to a Repair Order.

In the top right section of the Repair Order is a button for Inspections.

The number in brackets after the word Inspections is the number of Inspections that are currently assigned to the Repair Order.

Clicking on the button will open a list of pre-configured Inspections that are available. Select the form you wish to assign and then select Assign from the top tool bar in the window.

Selecting View will open the Inspection and list all Sections and items in an overview.

Note: The summary on the left of the window will show the completion rate of each section.

 

Clicking on a Section Heading will open that section for data entry.

If Suggested or Required is selected against an item the Required Reason drop-down will appear.

 

The Comments will be available to any item where it was selected as an option in the setup of the Inspection Form.

To print out the Inspection

Simply select the print option for your inspection from the normal print screen on the Repair Order.

The printout will look something like below with each section separated and the space for hand-written comments and notes.

Once the document has been completed by the technician, the data can be entered into COSTAR so that there is a digital record attached to the Repair Order.

COSTAR Mobile

To get the most out of your Inspections COSTAR Mobile allows your technicians to access their assigned jobs on a workshop tablet and do the inspections while marking off directly against the Inspection Form. It also allows them to take and attach photo’s that can be forwarded to the client for acknowledgement or approval of additional works. All this information is stored with the Repair Order automatically.

 

A link to a video on using Inspection Forms with COSTAR Mobile is here.