Inspections - User Guide

The Inspections module in Elite provides a structured way to schedule, complete and track inspections across your parks and marinas. Inspections are managed through a journal-based workflow, helping teams maintain consistent standards, record findings and create follow-up actions when issues are identified.

Inspections can be linked to plots or berths, allowing operators to manage a range of inspection activities, from routine park checks to marina dock walks. The system also maintains a full inspection history, providing complete visibility of previous inspections and any associated maintenance requests.

Prerequisites

Before using Inspections, ensure you have:

• A valid Inspections module licence.

• EliteParks version 27.4 or later.

Initial Setup

Before inspections can be carried out, several setup areas need to be configured.

Step 1: Configure Inspection Setup

Navigate to Inspection Setup and assign a Number Series. This controls how inspection numbers are generated and ensures every inspection has a unique reference.

Step 2: Create Inspection Types

Inspection Types define the different categories of inspections your organisation performs.

To create an Inspection Type:

1. Open Inspection Types.

2. Create a new record.

3. Enter a unique Code.

4. Enter a meaningful Description.

5. Select a Checklist Template Code. (You can come back to this step later)

6. Configure the associated Reason Codes.

Additional Options:

• Blocked – Prevents retired inspection types from being used.

• Workflow Type – Only select Dock Walk when creating a marina dock walk inspection.

Step 3: Configure Reason Codes

Reason Codes determine the outcome of an inspection, they are created within the Inspection type window.

Each reason code should include:

• Code

• Description

• Result Type

Available result types include:

• Passed

• Failed

• Needs Attention

You can create multiple reason codes for the same result type if required.

Step 4: Create Inspection Checklist Templates

Checklist Templates define the questions or tasks that inspectors must complete.

To create a Checklist Template:

1. Navigate to Inspection Checklist Templates.

2. Create a new template.

3. Enter a Code.

4. Enter a Description.

5. Add checklist lines.

Each checklist line can contain:

• Line Number

• Description Optional

• Header Formatting

Headers can be used to group related questions together, making larger inspections easier to complete.

Additional Options:

• Blocked – Prevents obsolete templates from being used.

Step 5: Create Inspection Journal Batches

Inspection Journals use batches to organise inspection processing.

Create:

• A default batch for general inspections.

• Additional batches for specific inspection types if required.

This allows different types of inspections to be processed independently.

Step 6: Create Inspection Templates

Inspection Templates determine which inspections should be generated for a plot or berth.

An example berth template could automatically generate:

• Dock Walk Inspection

• Safety Inspection

• Mooring Inspection

To configure an Inspection Template:

1. Create a new template.

2. Assign the inspections that should be generated.

3. Link the template to the relevant plots or berths.

Additional Options:

• Multiple inspection types can be linked to a single template.

• Templates can be blocked when no longer required.

Using Inspections

Generating Inspections

Inspections are completed through the Inspection Journal.

To generate inspections:

1. Open the Inspection Journal.

2. Select the required batch.

3. Choose Populate from the ribbon.

When populating the journal, you can:

• Assign a resource.

• Specify an inspection date.

• Filter by plot or berth.

• Post completed inspections automatically.

• Update incomplete inspections.

The system will generate inspection lines based on the templates assigned to the selected plots or berths.

Generated Information

Inspection lines may include:

• Inspection Number

• Inspection Date

• Park or Marina Code

• Plot or Berth

• Unit Details

• Unit Name

• Mooring Status (for Dock Walk workflow inspections only)

Note: Inspections are generated from the templates assigned to plots and berths.

Completing an Inspection

Once inspections have been generated, several actions can be taken.

To pass an inspection:

1. Select Pass from the journal line or ribbon.

2. Complete any checklist items presented.

3. Confirm the inspection result.

The appropriate reason code is applied automatically based on your setup.

Marking an Inspection as Failed or Needs Attention

Where issues are identified:

1. Select the inspection line.

2. Choose the required result from the ribbon.

3. Apply the outcome to a single inspection.

This allows users to quickly record findings during inspection rounds.

Creating Follow-Up Requests

If a problem requires further action, a request can be raised directly from the inspection.

To create a request:

1. Select Create Entry.

2. Enter a description of the issue.

3. Upload supporting photographs if required.

4. Select the appropriate request code.

This is particularly useful for generating maintenance requests from inspection results.

Posting Inspections

Once inspections have been reviewed, they can be posted.

Available options include:

• Post Selected Lines

• Post Entire Batch

For recurring inspection processes, the system can also automatically post completed inspections during future journal population runs.

If you are posting with a reason code that requires an entry you’ll be prompted to create this for completion.

Reviewing Inspection History

The Inspections module provides complete visibility of both active and completed inspections.

Active Inspections

The Inspections list displays all ongoing inspections across every journal batch.

Users can view:

• Linked plot or berth information

• Outstanding checklist items

• Generated requests or entries

• Current inspection status

Posted Inspections

Posted Inspections acts as the permanent archive for completed inspections.

This provides:

• A full audit trail

• Historical inspection records

• Review of previous issues and actions

• Long-term compliance tracking

Additionally, each plot or berth displays its own inspection history, making it easy to review all previous activity for a specific location.

Best Practice Recommendations

To get the most value from Inspections, we recommend:

• Creating separate inspection types for different business processes.

• Using detailed checklist templates to ensure consistency.

• Encouraging inspectors to include photographs where defects are identified.

• Linking inspection outcomes to maintenance request workflows.

• Regularly reviewing completed inspections to identify recurring issues.

• Blocking obsolete templates and inspection types to keep setup areas tidy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can inspections be performed for marinas?

Yes. Inspections templates can be linked to berths, making them suitable for marina operations.

What is a Dock Walk inspection?

A Dock Walk is a dedicated workflow type designed specifically for marina inspections.

Can I raise maintenance requests from an inspection?

Yes. If configured through the selected reason code, inspections can generate request entries directly from the journal.

Can I automate recurring inspections?

Yes. Inspection templates can be assigned to plots and berths, allowing inspections to be generated automatically through the journal population process.

Can I see historical inspections?

Yes. Posted Inspections provide a permanent archive of all completed inspections and inspection history is also available against individual plots and berths.

Summary

The Inspections module provides a flexible and structured way to manage inspections across parks and marinas. By combining templates, checklists, journals, and follow-up requests, organisations can standardise inspection activities, improve visibility of issues and maintain a complete history of inspection activity across their business.