Why hire a technically advanced inspector? Inspectors are by far the most mechanical agents in the real estate world. They’re the rough-and-tumble ones who have no qualms about entering a dusty, spider-infested crawlspace. Their preferred tools are of the time-tested, no-nonsense sort such as flashlights, cell phones, and clipboards with the occasional incomprehensibly technical testing device. This is an industry that typically moves slowly towards technological advancement. So why hire an inspector that has cutting-edge technology at his or her disposal? Ordering Let's start at the beginning. Millions of real estate transactions are processed each year in the United States. Almost all of them require some sort of inspection. Technology has allowed savvy inspectors to reduce the amount of work their clients need to do to order, track and receive inspections. In the past, the primary mode of interaction between an inspector and his or her clients was the telephone and fax machine. Clients would send requests via fax, and then often follow it up with a phone call to make sure it was received. Scheduling the inspection meant more phone calls – a disruption for both the client and the inspector. But the modern, technologically advanced inspector has a better method. Using tools like this web site – complete with the ability to order inspections online – allows clients to shave valuable time off the process of ordering and scheduling inspections. Technologies like a la mode's net.X network are advancing this concept even further, giving its users the ability to not only order inspections, but track their progress all the way until delivery. No more annoying games of phone tag! Business management In comparison to their counterparts in the real estate industry, such as agents and appraisers, inspectors spend the most time in the field. This leaves very little time for business management tasks like book keeping, appointment scheduling and keeping up with client communications. Let alone marketing their services to get new business. And if the inspector prefers to deliver more professional looking reports than a handwritten checklist, it means sacrificing even more field time to go back to the office and transcribe their notes. Today's digital inspector has several tools that can aid in allowing him or her to spend more time in the field. All while taking care of managing their business and delivering professional looking reports faster. Starting with tools like online ordering and scheduling, inspectors can leave that task up to websites like this one and eliminate phone and fax tag. Their clients also appreciate the freedom to place their orders and appointments online without the need of spending time on the phone. Inspectors are also minimizing downtime while away from the office with tools like XSites Mobile. They can manage their orders, e-mail, and appointments from any Internet enabled mobile device, eliminating phone tag and interruptions while performing inspections. All of this means that the inspector can receive the order, schedule the appointment, and deliver the report in a fraction of the time it once took. Report delivery The report is done. Now how is the digital inspector going to leverage his investment in technology to improve the delivery process? Modern inspectors have forsaken the old handwritten report and the print-and-snail mail route for a much more efficient electronic delivery system. Utilizing their ability to upload reports to their websites for automatic online delivery to their clients, an inspector can deliver a report, complete with digital photos, through e-mail. Now, instead of waiting for the daily mail or trying to decipher a handwritten report, inspection customers can simply log into their e-mail and retrieve their reports. All of this means faster, more efficient, and more professional inspections that save everyone’s valuable time.