You can enable the following features by going to Settings –> Configure, and then scrolling down to “App configuration”. After changing settings, be sure to scroll all the way down and click “save”
Custom Data Fields to be filled in with the app during work: SYNCrew has some optional fields that you can enable to allow (or require) workers to fill in as they leave a project or change their skill. There are text, number and pick list fields available and they are commonly used for things like description of work, materials used, contract vs. Time and Material, but they are very flexible so let us know how you want to use them. These fields can be optional or required, in which case the worker cannot move on until they enter the required information. Click HERE to learn more.
Custom buttons on app home screen: When a worker is clocked in, the app has default buttons that say “take photo or video,” “Start meal break,” “go to next jobsite,” and “done for the day.” These may not be exactly right for your type of work and so you can change what these button show. To use custom text, click the check box marked by the red circle below and then edit the button names to what you want for English and Spanish. For workers whose phones are in other languages, it will show English. Remember to scroll down and click “save” when you are done.
Add Break Time Enable: Checking the box next to this option makes is so the app will allow workers to add their breaks at the end of the day. Specifically, in the event that a worker did not take a break during the day, when they clock out, the app will ask if they want to add a break for the day. If the workers says to add a break, it will be added in the middle of the last work block they worked.
Allow worker to end break after 30 minutes, regardless of when button is clicked: Checking the box next to this option will add a feature to help workers correct the somewhat common mistake of forgetting to clock back in after lunch. When this option is enabled, and the worker has been on lunch break for more than 30 minutes, a button will appear that says “end break after 30 minutes.” This way, if the worker remembers much later that they never ended their break, they can easily click to end it after 30 minutes instead of ending it then and asking an admin to correct the time.
Photo Flags: Photo flags are a way to categorize photos. When a worker takes a progress photo, they will have the option to add a flag from the list you enter here. These are used for many things but common examples are for receipts, pre-existing damage, serving notices, and things like that. Importantly, each SYNCrew client sets their own photo flags so they can be whatever YOU need! Read more about photo flags HERE.
Now that you have a few days of data, you already have some valuable information waiting for you inside SYNCrew! Running a few reports now will show you what you have collected and also show you
Run a work block report. You can get there by clicking “Reports” in the left navigation and then selecting “Work Block Reports.” At first, just pick a date range of “Last 7 days” and click run so you can see what this report shows.
Once you see that, click to “show filter” and then you can play around to find things by entering a worker and/or projects. What makes this report so powerful is that you can find the needle-in-the-haystack – things like, “I need to see all the work last July that George did at 123 Main St.” Like magic, the work block report will show you instantly!
2. Run a Timesheet. Click “Manage” in the left navigation and then select “Timesheets.” The date should automatically show the current pay period so you can just click “run.” You can see more details about timesheets by clicking the button below.
Now that you and a few selected workers have tried the app and honed all the settings and details, the next step is to get the worker accounts created and get the word out that SYNCrew is how everybody will log their work going forward.
The two links below have useful information to achieve this but please contact your account manager or support@syncrew.com if you have any questions or just want to walk through your plan.
While the SYNCrew app is easy to use, it is sometimes a trick to get the workers to start using the app. Below are some best practices to help make sure your rollout is successful. Please keep in mind that each company we serve is unique and if these tips don’t make sense for you, please reach out to your account manager or support@syncrew.com as we have likely helped somebody in a similar situation and will have ideas for how to change the script for your needs!
Best process for a smooth start
This list will take you 5 minutes to read and a few more to follow, but your start with SYNCrew will be seamless if you follow this. As always, we are here to help so please
Use it yourself: Test the app yourself to make sure the projects and settings look familiar. Getting this right will make workers feel more comfortable with the app.
Make sure your setup is perfect: Check in with your SYNCrew account manager with any questions about how to make the app perfect for your needs. If you don’t know who you account manager is, you can email support@syncrew.com and they can direct you to them.
Set a start date: Pick a pay period to start using SYNCrew. If your pay week ends Sunday, have them start on the following Monday so you have a clean transition from the old system to the new one. We do NOT recommend running SYNCrew and your old system together for a few weeks as this makes it confusing for the workers. It may be scary to make a hard switch, but our experience is that you will be much happier for it! Don’t forget that we are here to help you and your workers with any issues that may arise.
Talk to your team:In the week before your start date, meet with the employees in person (or on the phone if in-person is not feasible) to do the following:
Explain the benefits to your workers: They may be nervous about “being tracked” (see below) and understanding the benefits to the company and to them will ease this.
Send welcome text: When you add workers to SYNCrew, they automatically get a text message welcoming them. This text also has instrutions on how to download the app and log in. We recommend you send this around the meeting and make sure that everybody knows the text message will be coming or else they will ignore as SPAM.
Make the start date clear: The more clear you are, the better.
Log into SYNCrew each day in the first week to check for usage. Anybody not using the app should get a text or call from their manager. If they have trouble, encourage them to contact SYNCrew support by texting 415-968-1593.
Once you have the initial group up and running, new hires are easy since they see everybody else just doing it.
Benefits to workers
Understanding the benefits to them can be a really powerful tool to get employees engaged with SYNCrew.
No more errors on paychecks: Workers create their timesheets as they work so they never forget to fill in the timesheet. Further, the hours they enter and see on their phone are the hours that go directly into payroll so there are no chances for mistakes in their paychecks.
Company can back them up:For the kinds of work that SYNCrew clients do, it’s often the case that the employer does not actually know when their employee arrives, how long they stay, or what work was done. A client may not see an employee and tell the employer that they did not show up. Prior to SYNCrew, owners and managers had to trust clients in the spirit that, “the customer is always right.” But with SYNCrew, now you can look at the employee’s profile and know for sure when they arrived. You can share the arrival photo with the client and know your team did the good work you know they can!
Show their great work: SYNCrew photos and videos allow workers to show their great work even when the boss isn’t on site to see it. Faster opportunities for recognition and promotion for your best employees.
Nobody gets a free ride: A common concern of workers is that some of their colleague are getting away with arriving late or leaving early when the boss isn’t looking. With SYNCrew, everybody’s actions are seen clearly and fairly.
Common reasons workers don’t want to use the app and useful replies
Fear of tracking: the more tracking you enable, the more this comes up. Some clients allow employees to keep GPS off and don’t require photos and these employees are not very concerned since they can go to their phone’s settings and disable all the sensors (GPS, camera, etc). Most companies expect at least photos and usually GPS to be enabled. A few things help with these concerns:
SYNCrew only captures data when the app is open so they can hard-close the app when not at work
Except where constant GPS tracking is used, the only time the app sends data is when they take an action. In the case of companies using GPS tracking pings, it only sends those pings while they are clocked in, so there is no chance of being tracked outside working hours.
Share the benefits to them (some examples listed above) and also why you chose to start using SYNCrew. If they know the real reason, workers are less likely to fear the worst.
Cost of data: This is less a concern since most cell phone plans include unlimited data but it still comes up from time to time. The SYNCrew app is designed to use as little data as possible by compressing photos and videos where possible and minimizing all other data use. If employees are concerned, encourage them to use the app for a few days and then look at the apps data usage in their phones settings. If they don’t know how to do that, they can contact us by text at 415-968-1593 and we can advise them on how to see it. Once they see how little is used, the concern usually disappears.
Fear of change: Some workers may be nervous about trusting technology with something as important as their paycheck. For these folks, we recommend highlighting that SYNCrew allows them to see their hours in the app, just as they could when wrote them on a piece of paper. Additionally, our support team is available to help answer their questions in English or Spanish at 415-968-1593.
Time cheaters don’t want to get found out: This is tricky and unpleasant, but some employees cheat on their timecards. Those employees will push back on SYNCrew because they know their days of cheating are over. Their complaints are usually expressed in one of the other concerns above, but we have heard that most owners and managers know who these people are. These issues are somewhat unique but we have seen many examples are are happy to speak with you about specific concerns.
SYNCrew’s form functionality can be used to create COVID-19 check-in forms to capture daily health data for your employees. Employees can access the COVID-19 screening form through the SYNCrew app and answer all the questions there. A completion email will be sent to an address of your choosing.
The instructions below walk you through creation of a form and setting it to be mandatory.
How to create a new form:
Click “New Custom Form” at the top of the page
On the pop up, enter the name of the form and, optionally, one email address (you can add more emails while editing the form later)
Click “Save”
Now follow the steps to edit forms below
Setting up the form
This refers to the options at the top of the forms setup page
Enable: This option just enables or disables the form. If there is a check box showing, the form is enabled.
Send to project email: When this option is selected, completed forms will be sent to the email(s) that are listed for the Project. You can see these emails by clicking “edit project” from the project profile page.
Email address for completed form: Whenever a form is completed, these emails will receive the form.
Name: This is the name that shows up on the form list in the app and admin portal
Project: This setting managed when the form can be seen by workers in the field. If you want the form to appear both clocked in and out, you just need to copy the form once completed and set the copy to have different project settings
Clocked in project: The form will show anytime a user is clocked into any project (as you are now)
Single project: The user will see the form when they are clocked into ONLY that selected project. They will also see that form if you select “allow user to see while clocked out” AND they search for that project.
Allow user to select: These forms will only be seen while the user is clocked out.
ALWAYS CLICK “UPDATE” AFTER EDITING THESE SETTINGS OR THEY WILL NOT BE SAVED
In this example, we have three questions we want to ask:
1. Within the last 10 days have you been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had a test confirming you have the virus?
2. Do you live in the same household with, or have you had close contact* in the past 14 days with someone who has been in isolation for COVID-19 or had a test confirming they have the virus? *“Close contact” is defined as living in the same house, being an intimate partner, being a caregiver, or being within 6 feet of an individual for longer than 10minutes who has COVID-19.
3. Have you had any one or more of these symptoms today or within the past 24 hours, which is new or not explained by a reason other than possibly having COVID-19?
Possible responses should be Yes/No for the first two questions and a list of symptoms on the third.
After we’ve setup the header info (section above), we can add the questions one by one.
To add a question, click where it says “Check Box” in the bottom of the form and select “List” as the type for the first question. As the possible answers are Yes/No, we select “List” and then add the Yes/ No responses.
Click on submit and you will get a pop-up. In this pop-up, type (or copy/paste) the first question where it says “label” . This will be what the employees will see as the question in the app.
Click Save, then click on “edit” to the right, to add the possible responses. The pop-up opens again, this time allowing you to add the responses. Type the first response in the field that says “Add” and then click on the Add button. Do the same for every possible response, in this case it’s only Yes and No.
Click Save, then move on to the next question. Again, click below where it says “Check box” and repeat the same process.
The third question is slightly different, as the employee could have one or more symptoms at once. Hence, we pick “Multiple Pick List”, allowing the employee to select more than one response.
The rest of the process is the same, except we will add more possible responses than just Yes or No. Another important difference is to select “Optional” on top, that way a response is not required when the employee has no symptoms. Otherwise, the form will force the user to choose at least one.
When you added all the responses, click save.
To finish, click “update” to finalize the form.
Set the Form as required
Once your form is created, go back to the main forms setup screen and select your COVID form in the dropdown labeled, “Required at start of day.” Then click save to the right.
Now your workers will be required to complete this form before starting work with any clock in that follows a clock out. If they change task throughout the day as they work, they will only complete this form once. If they clock out and then come back to work for whatever reason, they would complete the form again.
Your workers will need to be sure they have recently updated apps so if they are able to clock in without completing the form, that is most likely the issue. Have them update the app and then leave it open for a few minutes with good wifi or cell signal and it should update properly to require the form.
How to review forms
The admins can now access the form via the Reports -> Custom Form reports Page.
Once on the page, select the Covid form (and any other desired filters for time, employee etc). Below you can also filter by responses (For example you can search all Yes responses to a particular question)
On the list that returns, you can click on any particular form where it says “View Details” to see the responses. You can also generate PDFs and manually email the forms from here.
COVID-19 on the phone app
This section shows how a worker can access the form manually. This is done in cases where not all workers need to complete the form or when the mandatory form is already used for another purpose.
Click on the menu button (three horizontal lines on the top left) and then on “Forms”
Then click on “Start New Form” and select the “Covid-19 screening” form
Respond to the questions just like in any other electronic form
Finally click “Send Form” And the form will be sent to the system
The Audit Report allows administrators to track what edits were made to employee’s times by which admins. It shows the affected employee, what was changed (time added or edited), the previous and new values, who made the edit and when.
To run this report, click on “Reports” in the main menu and then on “Audit Reports” on the submenu that opens.
This will open the Audit Report page. Here you can filter by Teams, Workers, Skills and Projects, as usual in most reports, but you can also filter by who is the admin who made the edit(s). Please note that time filter applies to the date and time of the work, not the date and time when the edit was made.
The resulting report can be viewed on the screen but also exported to CSV, where you can open it using Excel by pressing on “Export to CSV”.
Workers are able to disable GPS for the SYNCrew app in their phone settings. If they do this, the app will still work and the latest GPS location that was shared with the app will be used.
There is an easy way to see if GPS has been disabled. Click “teams” in the left navigation and you will see a circle next to each person’s name.
Green means GPS is on and updating:
Red means GPS has likely been disabled:
There are cases where GPS won’t work even if the employee has it enabled. The two most common reasons (among many) are that the phone’s GPS sensors are broken or the location settings are set in a way that prevents it from getting regular updates. You can read more about this here or contact us at support@syncrew.com with questions.
Project Labels are a way to group different projects together, sort of like a folder except that a project can have more than one group applied. These are visible to admin only, so workers are not aware of them from the app.
How to turn on Labels:
To enable Project Labels, go to Settings –> Configuration and then scroll down to the section labeled “Projects.” The configure your options as shown in the image below:
Where Project Labels show up in the app
On Project overview page (click “Projects” in left-navigation). You can filter for Project Labels at the top of this page.
On the Project profile page, this Project Label is visible in the info area at the top, left.
Filter for Project Label in Work Block Reports. There is a simple filter for Project Label in the filters.
Work Block report results. If you selected the option to “show in reporting,” you will also see an additional column in the Work Block report that shows the Project Label for that row’s work block.
Timesheets are a way for SYNCrew to create the trusted paper timesheets that many people still want as backup. To easily generate the timesheets, select “Manage” from the left navigation and then select “timesheets.” Then select the appropriate filters:
Which workers: The default setting that loads is all workers. But if you only want a single team or single worker, you can select that (purple box below)
Date range: The default date range is the current pay period but you can select any one you want.
Then click “Run.”
Once that runs, the a summary view will appear as shown below.
For each row, you can see the workers name, their regular and OT hours
At the far right of each row is the “approved” column where you can quickly see the status – green dot is approved, gray means nobody has approved it. If you put your mouse on top of a green dot, it will show you which admin approved the hours and when they were approved.
Click on a worker’s row to see on onscreen preview on the timesheet (purple arrow)
Click “export” at the top-right to export all the timesheets as PDFs (red arrow). This also includes a .csv file that will open in Excel or any other spreadsheet program. If you have a lot of workers, this will likely be emailed to you in a few minutes rather than downloaded.
Once you view the timesheets, you may want to see them formatted differently. To see available timesheet options, go to Settings –> Configuration and scroll down to “timesheets,” as shown below. As always, if you have any questions or trouble, please reach us at support@syncrew.com and we are happy to help!
