Paper checklists have one big flaw
You can't tell when they were filled in. A sheet with every box ticked at 9:58 p.m. might mean the job got done, or it might mean someone ticked them all on their way out. A form on a phone records who sent it and when. If you ask for a photo of the clean grill or the locked door, there's your proof.
It also means you can look at last Tuesday's closing checklist from your couch, without driving to the store to flip through a clipboard.
What you can build
A form is a list of questions. Each one can be:
- Short or long text
- A number, such as a fridge temperature or a cash count
- A date
- A dropdown choice
- A rating
- A signature
- A file or a photo
Start from a template, like an opening checklist or an incident report, and change it to match your place. Or start blank. There's no special training needed. If you can write a list, you can build a form.
What teams use them for
Opening and closing. The same steps in the same order, whoever's on shift. Great for new staff, who won't have to ask what's next. Here's a free template to start from.
Incident reports. A customer slips, or an employee gets hurt. A form with the date, the place, what happened, who saw it and a photo gets the facts down while people remember them.
Inspections and safety checks. Weekly equipment checks, temperature logs and vehicle walk-arounds. With a form, your records are all in one searchable place.
Handover notes. What the next shift needs to know. It's better than a note on the register.
Seeing the results
Every submission's saved with its author and time. You can look through them one by one or export them to a spreadsheet when you need to, for an inspector, an insurer or your own review.
Tips for checklists people will really use
Keep it short. Ten items that matter beat forty that don't. Long lists get ticked without being read.
Ask for proof only where it counts. One photo of the thing you worry about is enough. Too many photos and people will start to resent it.
Write the item as an action. "Wipe down the prep tables" is better than "prep tables."
Read them. If nobody ever looks, your team will work that out quickly. Pick a checklist each week, and mention it to the person who filled it in. Thank them when it's good.
What it costs
Forms and checklists are in the Operations hub on every plan, free for up to 10 people at 1 location. Basic is $14.50 a month billed yearly for your first 30 people.