Published 8 Sep 2023
What Are Online Checklists?
Online checklists help organizations save time by decreasing paper trails and streamlining jobs, such as assessments, inspections, and audits. Through online checklists, organizations can do away with the woes of paper-based processes and shift to a more efficient, paperless system.
In this article
- Why Use Online Checklists?
- Common Uses for Online Checklist
- Common Myths About Online Checklists
- FAQs about Online Checklists
- Perform Efficient Inspections and Create Useful Checklists with SafetyCulture
- Related Online Checklists
Why Use Online Checklists?
The struggle most people have with paper checklists is that they aren’t reusable. Aside from being inefficient, paper checklists are also not environmentally friendly. Online checklists can be reused countless times without wasting a single sheet of paper. It also ensures that your records are safe in the cloud or in a private server, meaning you don’t have to worry about file folders and physical storage of documents.
Paper checklists can also be difficult to distribute. Large organizations would benefit from using online checklists so that this isn’t an issue. Paper checklists have to be converted into reports manually; a digital solution ensures that reports are automatically generated and easily shared.
With paper checklists, you also have to contend with physical storage space requirements. This is especially problematic for construction, manufacturing, and transport companies because they go through a lot of checklists each day. If these companies used paper checklists, they would need multiple storage rooms. An online checklist app allows for online storage of checklists and inspection data for easy access and safekeeping.
Common Uses for Online Checklist
Online checklists are great for both personal and professional use. In the workplace, the most common uses for them include the following:
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Transport & Logistics
- Facilities Management
- Retail
- Hospitality
Here is a sample online checklist in use for toolbox talk meetings for reference:
Common Myths About Online Checklists
With all the benefits provided by online checklists, it’s a surprise that there are still some who doubt their effectiveness. The hesitance to rely on online checklists for business can be attributed to a few misconceptions that have been floating around for years; the most common of which are discussed below.
“I don’t need an online checklist because I already know what my job is.”
In any industry, the possibility of mistakes can never be completely eliminated. No matter how good you are, you’re still prone to human error. The example checklists above show that even highly trained professionals can benefit from online checklists that can act as guides or measures to ensure that every standard of safety and quality is maintained.
“I don’t need an online checklist because it will only slow me down.”
Although online checklists seem like an added responsibility, they actually help you get more done by ensuring that mistakes are prevented, scheduled inspections aren’t missed, and inspection reports are assigned and shared with the right people. In the long term, online checklists will help make inspections and reports more efficient and records accurate and always up to date.
“I don’t need an online checklist because it’s very limiting.”
Instead of limiting opportunities or stifling your creativity, online checklists help you discover new ways of achieving your goals because you don’t have to worry about the little things, like what to check during an inspection, what corrective actions to take, and who to assign these actions to. Regular inspections also help you come up with ideas that you can add to your checklist to create the ultimate online checklist for your use case.
“I don’t need an online checklist because I already have a paper-based workflow that works for me.”
While paper checklists may suffice for your current needs, they are very problematic in the long run, especially once you decide to expand. One of the main problems with paper checklists and inspection reports is storage. As documents pile up, physical storage can become a very costly problem. There’s also the possibility of misplacing or losing paper documents and sharing them from one site to another.
Online checklists allow you to do all this in minutes while providing a cost-effective storage solution via the cloud.
FAQs about Online Checklists
Yes, online checklists can be used for recording and storing sensitive information. However, this can only be done with a secure checklist app, one with the following features:
- Cloud storage
- Access controls for each checklist and their respective reports
- Regular security checks and patches
Depending on the checklist provider you are using, you can. Choose an online checklist provider that allows you to integrate with your most-used work software, particularly those that you can seamlessly transfer data and results to.
Yes, there are mobile apps for online checklists available today for you to better manage your tasks when on the go. However, it would still be best to use a checklist app that has both mobile and desktop capabilities for maximum flexibility.
Perform Efficient Inspections and Create Useful Checklists with SafetyCulture
With the number of tasks to do daily, having a checklist has now become an essential tool for everyday activities. But with several responsibilities at work, using traditional paper checklists can now be more tiresome, hence the need for online checklists and digital solutions.
One such digital platform for online checklists is SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor). A digital solution like SafetyCulture makes creating and sharing checklists and checklist templates easier and quicker. Whether it’s a weekly to-do list or a daily checklist, this digital solution’s online checklists can be shared, reused, and converted into reports within minutes.
Through SafetyCulture’s Public Library of online checklist templates, as well as its smart form builder, anyone in the organization can schedule recurring inspections, scheduled for every day, every weekday, every week, every month, and even every year. Each checklist and its respective reports will then be stored in the cloud with their own access controls, ensuring that all data stored is secure.
Furthermore, SafetyCulture is more than just an online checklist app. It is also an operations platform, allowing you to do the following:
- Report issues spotted during work and allow employees to create corrective actions for them
- Schedule when to use your online checklists and create notifications for yourself and your staff
- Train employees on safety practices, procedures, and more from the same platform
- Monitor the movement and usage of assets such as vehicles, tools, and equipment as part of your online checklists
- Share checklists and reports to others inside and outside your organization by exporting them in PDF, Word, Excel, and Weblink formats
- Seamlessly integrate the data from SafetyCulture-powered checklists and reports to your choice of platform
- Communicate with your teams anytime and anywhere with Heads Up
Related Online Checklists
Food Safety & HACCP Audit
HACCP Audit template can be used to identify the hazards, any CCPs, and the critical limit deviation. This template also records the past history of the product, corrective action, and future actions needed. Use SafetyCulture to create and customize your checklists and templates, and generate a comprehensive report to ensure risks are at safe levels.
OSHA PPE Self Inspection Checklist
This OSHA PPE Checklist contains 17 general inspection items to determine the need of PPE in protecting the workers, as well as equipment checks and evaluation of the compliance to safety rules when utilizing equipment. The SafetyCulture checklist builder makes it easier for safety managers to customize their checklists to fit their needs.
Rio Tinto Take 5 Checklist
This digital Take 5 safety checklist is designed to help mining workers and contractors minimize health and safety risks and hazards. It should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. The checklist asks the user to confirm they have received training, are aware of safety processes and have actively identified hazards and risks. Complete the Take 5 by providing a digital signature.
Heavy Vehicle Inspection Template
Use this digital checklist to conduct weekly checks and ensure that vehicles are maintained in the best conditions. Document any important details & attach relevant images to provide supporting information
Food Premises Inspection Report
This food premises inspection checklist allows you to perform periodic reviews of your food facility’s operation and auto-generate professional reports without the need for manual re-entry.
