Voice-dictated work report: what it is, how it works, what you need
For people who coordinate technicians on the road and want to understand, before the demo, what really happens when a technician dictates the report instead of writing it.
What is a voice-dictated work report?
A voice-dictated work report is the job report the technician records by speaking into the phone at the end of the visit, instead of filling in boxes or writing on paper. The system transcribes the speech, splits it into the report fields (work done, hours, material, extras) and proposes it to the technician, who checks and confirms. The customer signs on the phone screen. From that signed report come the branded PDF and, if needed, the electronic invoice.
In iTER7 this is how the Pro plan works. It does not replace the technician: it removes the writing, not the judgement.
How does it work, step by step?
- Voice: at the end of the visit the technician opens iTER7 in the phone browser, taps the microphone and tells what was done.
- Text: speech becomes text in a few seconds, in the language it was spoken.
- Fields: the text is distributed into the report fields: description, hours, material used (ticked from the van list), extras to confirm.
- Technician's confirmation: the technician rereads, corrects if needed and confirms. Nothing leaves without it.
- Signature: the phone goes to the customer, who signs with a finger. The PDF goes out by email or WhatsApp.
- Office: the report is already written and signed; the electronic invoice comes from there, with no retyping.
An example (an example, not a real report)
The technician dictates: "Replaced the boiler safety valve, recharged the system to one and a half bar, recommended cleaning the exchanger within the year. Used one half-inch valve and two fittings. Mr Rossi asked to add the garage tap, done, half an hour extra."
The system proposes: work done (valve replaced, system recharged), advice to note (exchanger cleaning), material (1/2" valve, fittings x2, to tick from the van), extra to confirm (garage tap, 30 minutes). The technician confirms, the customer signs. The extra is in the report and will be on the invoice.
What do you need to use it?
- An Android phone or iPhone with a browser: no app to install.
- A data connection at the moment of dictation (even a weak one).
- iTER7 on the Pro plan, €199 a month per company, users included: the full price list is on How much does iTER7 cost.
- Ten minutes of training per technician, usually during onboarding.
What are the limits, said clearly?
- Without a connection you cannot dictate today: you type, and dictate when the network is back. Fully offline use does not exist.
- The text must be reread: product names and codes can come out wrong, which is why the technician confirms before the report leaves.
- The time per report is a demo estimate (about three minutes against 12-15 for a properly written report), not yet measured across several customers: in the demo we time yours.
- Loud site noise disturbs the transcription: dictate in the van, not next to the jackhammer.
The next step
The simplest way to find out whether it fits your company is to see it on a real job: Book 30 minutes on your case. Pages by trade: plumbers and heating, electricians, boiler maintenance.