Technicians spot more than the job they were sent to do. A worn part, a safety risk, or an upgrade that would make a customer's system run better are all easy to mention and then forget. Defects and recommendations give your technicians a simple way to record these findings in the mobile app, so they reach the office straight away with photos and notes attached. Your office team can then review them, quote for the work, and track every finding through to a result, so nothing seen on site is lost and more of it turns into paid work.
Defects and recommendations: what's the difference?
Both are findings logged by a technician during a job, against a specific asset or the property in general. The difference is why the work matters.
Defect | Recommendation | |
What it is | Something that must be fixed because it affects safety, performance, or reliability. | A suggestion that adds value through an upgrade, an efficiency improvement, or an enhancement. |
Examples | A faulty valve or a boiler lockout. | A smart thermostat or a magnetic filter. |
Why it matters | Needs immediate attention or a scheduled repair to keep the system safe and working, and helps you stay compliant. | A sales opportunity your technician has already qualified on site. |
Technicians also give each finding a priority, so the office can see at a glance which defects need urgent action and which work can be planned for a later visit.
From finding to finished work
Defects and recommendations follow the same journey once they are logged. Every finding lands on the defects and recommendations dashboard on the web, where the office can see the technician's description and photos. From there, the office can add one or more findings for the same customer to a proposal without retyping anything, because the technician's notes and photos carry through.
Commusoft keeps the status of each finding up to date as the work moves on. When the customer accepts the proposal, a job is created. When that job is completed, the finding is marked as resolved. If the customer declines, the office can close the finding as not fixed, so you keep a record of what was offered.
Alongside these fixed statuses, you can build your own pipelines with stages that match how your business works, and link each defect type and recommendation type to a pipeline.
What to log as a defect or recommendation
Defects and recommendations are for work outside the scope of the current job. Keeping that boundary clear means the office isn't searching through job notes for extra work, and technicians aren't burying revenue that should be quoted.
Log it as a defect or recommendation: a separate piece of work, such as unrelated damage to a wall or a possible controls upgrade found while fixing an HVAC unit.
Keep it on the current job: anything related to the job in hand, such as a follow-up appointment to finish the work. This belongs in the job report or may need a variation.
Defects and recommendations replace the older Additional works feature.
Where to go next
We have broken down the defects and recommendations articles by topic.
Recording findings on site
Managing findings in the office
Settings
Training
Defects & recommendations training: Decision makers: plan your setup and pipelines.
Defects & recommendations training: Office teams: use the dashboard and turn findings into proposals.
Defects & recommendations training: Technicians: log clear, useful findings on site.
Common questions
What is the difference between a defect and a recommendation?
What is the difference between a defect and a recommendation?
The difference between a defect and a recommendation is whether the work must be done. A defect is something that must be fixed because it affects safety, performance, or reliability, such as a faulty valve. A recommendation is a suggestion that adds value, such as an upgrade or efficiency improvement like a smart thermostat.
Can technicians mark defects or recommendations as resolved?
Can technicians mark defects or recommendations as resolved?
No, technicians can't mark defects or recommendations as resolved. Once a finding is logged, the office team manages it from the defects and recommendations dashboard on the web.
Can a defect or recommendation be added without a job?
Can a defect or recommendation be added without a job?
No, a defect or recommendation can't be added without a job. Technicians log them in the mobile app once they have arrived at a job.
Can I put more than one defect or recommendation on a proposal?
Can I put more than one defect or recommendation on a proposal?
Yes, you can put more than one defect or recommendation for the same customer on a single proposal. Each defect or recommendation can only be added to one proposal, so technicians should log each finding separately.
Should follow-up work on the current job be logged as a defect or recommendation?
Should follow-up work on the current job be logged as a defect or recommendation?
No, follow-up work on the current job shouldn't be logged as a defect or recommendation. Work related to the job in hand, such as a return visit to finish it, belongs in the job report or may need a variation. Use defects and recommendations for separate work found on site.