Guide
Site survey software vs. email, forms and spreadsheets
Before a machine, instrument or commercial appliance is delivered, someone has to confirm the site: door width, delivery route, power, drain, floor load. Here is how the usual options compare.
Updated October 20, 2026| Email + phone | Generic form tool | Field-service software | InstallCue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer effort | Reply to many emails | Fill a form | Often needs a portal login | One secure link, no account, any phone |
| Checks answers against your thresholds | No | Rarely | Sometimes, usually for technicians | Instantly – out-of-range answers become blockers |
| Photos where you need them | Attachments, scattered | Optional uploads | Yes | Required or optional per template |
| Reminders | Manual | Sometimes | Varies | Automatic by email when the customer's address is on file, stop when complete |
| Ready decision | Implicit | None | Varies | A person on your team marks the site Ready |
| Hand-off to the crew | Forwarded emails | Export | In the app | Install pack: measurements, photos, site contact, cleared blockers |
Whichever way you collect it, the questions are the same: see the pre-installation site survey checklist.
Choose email if…
you install a few units a month and know every customer site.
Choose field-service software if…
your main problem is scheduling and work orders – it usually starts after the site is ready.
Choose dedicated site survey software if…
failed or repeat visits caused by site issues are costing you money. InstallCue focuses on the step before dispatch: collecting confirmed data from the customer and catching blockers early. Use the calculator on the home page to put a number on one avoided repeat visit.
See how InstallCue checks site readiness · Plans and prices
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