Before launching a paperless project, one question always comes up: should you buy tablets or use employees' phones?
Personal phones
Pros: nothing to buy, employees already know them, and they always have them on hand.
Cons: some employees refuse to use their personal device for work, and that's their right. The screen is small for long forms. The line between personal life and work is less clear.
Company-provided phones
A good option for supervisors and mobile technicians. You keep control of the device and the data.
Tablets
Pros: a large screen, ideal for long checklists, plans and client signatures.
Cons: bulkier, more expensive and more fragile if not protected.
Rugged tablets
For plants, construction sites and warehouses, a rugged tablet (resistant to drops, dust and water) saves a lot of replacements.
Our recommendation
Start with what you have. A well-designed web app works on every device. Test it for a few weeks, then buy only where the need is clear: a tablet mounted at an inspection station, a phone for the supervisor.
Don't forget
A sturdy case, a charger at every station and a simple usage policy. The most expensive devices are useless if they're always dead.
