Why and How to Manage Water Damage Restoration Remotely

Daily monitoring of the drying process is a standard practice in the water restoration industry. Typically, technicians are responsible for performing daily inspections at jobsites, to measure and report on moisture levels. But some restoration contractors are minimizing the need for this labor-intensive approach, thanks to newer technology that enables drying to be managed remotely.

Water-damage restoration projects require careful management of onsite equipment. Installed systems must run properly and dry effectively.  But if a system experiences downtime or dries too gently, the time required to restore a property increases. That’s the leading reason why proper equipment management is so important.

But equipment management has traditionally required multiple return visits to jobsites. The process is patchy, imperfect, time-consuming and costly. For these reasons, remote management is becoming more accepted and more prevalent in the restoration industry.

You’ve probably heard about remote management, but hesitated to explore using it. So, read on to learn more about it. And find out why it might be a good investment for your water damage restoration business.

A Definition of Remote Management

Remote management is the use of smart technology to monitor and report on how well drying equipment is functioning and how effectively it is performing. Let’s look at both aspects…

Remote monitoring is primarily available in two forms:

• Onsite sensors that collect relevant air-quality data, without the need for a technician visit. The sensors can track moisture and temperature levels, which may be viewed remotely in real time on a computer or mobile device).

• Drying equipment (dehumidifiers, air movers, etc.) with built-in Bluetooth connectivity for remote-monitoring and control capabilities. This type of equipment further bolsters remote management. In some cases, Bluetooth beacons can be retrofitted on existing equipment to allow data readings.

Remote reporting is a separate function, and involves using a mobile app to create and share reports and collaborate on jobs. For example, a versatile floor plan app (a form of water damage restoration software) will let you do all of the following:

• Sketch each water-damaged room at a new jobsite accurately and rapidly – within minutes – for contextual visualization.

• Assemble room sketches into a complete floor plan sketch, if necessary.

• Attach photos of the jobsite.

• Add sketch annotations and photo markups to increase understanding of the property’s condition and to visualize your drying plan.

• Consolidate your sketch, annotations and photos into a professional, branded report.

• Share your initial report as a baseline document (via email) before work begins.

• Modify your report easily at any time by adding remote-monitoring data and other updates to substantiate your work.

• Generate and share a final report to demonstrate completion of the drying job.