Inspections let you work through a structured checklist against a vehicle and record the result of each item — one of five statuses (Acceptable, Advisory, Rectified, Failure, Not Applicable), plus measurements, notes, and photos where the template asks for them. Failure and Advisory items surface automatically as recommendation candidates for the customer.
Inspections are a Pro feature. To create or manage inspection templates, see Templates.
Who can run inspections
Starting an inspection needs the inspections.add_to_jobcard permission, which every default role has. Filling, completing, and reopening need inspections.edit, which technicians, managers, and owners have by default (the default Reception role can start inspections but not fill them, unless granted inspections.edit). Creating and editing templates needs inspections.create / inspections.edit in Workshop Settings.
Starting an inspection on a jobcard
Open the Inspections tab
Open the jobcard and click the Inspections tab. The tab shows a count of any inspections already on the card.
Start a new inspection
Click New Inspection, then choose a template from the list. The checklist loads with all the items from that template.
Work through the checklist
For each item, record the result: Acceptable, Advisory, Rectified, Failure, or Not Applicable. Where the item calls for it, you can also enter a measurement (such as tyre tread depth), add a note, or attach a photo.
Mark it complete
Pistonlog saves as you go, so there's no Save button. When every item is done, click Mark Complete. The inspection is recorded against the jobcard and the vehicle's history.
What the results mean
- Acceptable — the item is within spec, no action needed.
- Advisory — the item has a concern worth noting but not urgent. Flags it for the customer's attention.
- Rectified — the technician fixed the item on this visit. Pistonlog offers to update parts as you mark it.
- Failure — the item did not pass. This is the most urgent category and should drive a recommendation or rectification job. Pistonlog offers to notify a teammate when you mark one.
- Not Applicable — the item doesn't apply to this vehicle.
Turning findings into recommendations
Failure and Advisory items surface automatically in a From inspection block under the jobcard's Comments & Recommendations section. Each item has a checkbox: ticked items are included with the recommendations the customer sees on the printout, unticked ones stay internal. Nothing is copied into the recommendations text itself; the list stays in sync with the inspection as you fill it.
Where inspections appear
Once saved, the inspection shows in two places:
- Jobcard → Inspections tab — a full record of all inspections run on this card.
- Vehicle record — the vehicle's inspection history accumulates across all jobcards, so you can see what was checked at each visit.
If an inspection has been assigned to a specific technician, it also appears in their My Work queue so they can pick it up from there.
Assigned inspections in My Work
Technicians see their assigned inspections under the My Work section, alongside their other assigned jobs. This is the fastest way for a technician to find what they need to complete.