What you get
A draft inspection created from a PDF, ready to review before saving.
Resources
Importing existing PDF inspection reports (and what to review)
A practical guide for migrating from PDF-based inspections: what FireDoorApp can extract, what your team reviews, and when to use the “Send to support” path.
Migration
PDF import
Review steps
Import review
Click to enlarge
Guide summary
Review focus
Door IDs/locations, pass/fail, severity, notes, and duplicates.
When to use support
Scanned or unusual PDFs, or when confidence is low and you want assisted import.
At a glance
The import flow is designed to be fast, but still reviewable before anything is saved.
Upload & extract
Upload a report and FireDoorApp extracts what it can into a draft: property details, doors, and component results.
Review before saving
Fix door locations, outcomes, severity, and notes; warnings help you spot low-confidence areas quickly.
Create or send to support
Create the inspection once you’re happy, or use “Send to support” for scanned/unusual PDFs that need assisted import.
Start from scratch vs import PDFs
There are two common onboarding paths. Both end up in the same joined‑up workflow.
Start from scratch
Import PDFs
Best for
New sites, new workflows, or when you want a clean setup quickly.
Existing estates where PDFs contain usable door registers you want to reuse.
What happens
Use the guided inspection setup, create doors as you walk, and keep everything structured from day one.
Upload a PDF, review a draft inspection, edit anything needed, then create the inspection in FireDoorApp.
Things to watch
Agree door IDs and locations early so repeat visits stay consistent.
Scanned PDFs and inconsistent templates may need extra review or the “Send to support” path.
A simple migration playbook (first building)
- Pick one building (or one small client site) and import a single representative PDF first.
- Agree door IDs + locations before scaling, so the register doesn’t drift between inspectors. Door ID checklist →
- Review the draft (locations, pass/fail, severity, notes), then create the inspection.
- Run one end-to-end workflow: use the imported inspection to generate an output and raise a small remedial set so you know everything joins up. Workflows overview →
- Only then scale: import the rest of the estate using the same ID and location rules.
What gets extracted (when the PDF allows it)
FireDoorApp attempts to parse text-based PDFs and turn them into a draft inspection.
- Property details: name/address (where present) and a starting structure for the inspection.
- Inspection metadata: inspection date and inspector name (where present).
- Door list: door locations and key attributes when detectable (ratings, dimensions, type fields).
- Component results: pass/fail outcomes and notes where the PDF contains a consistent structure.
Why some PDFs are hard to parse
- Scanned PDFs: image-only reports don’t contain extractable text for FireDoorApp’s PDF text extraction.
- Inconsistent templates: if tables, headings, or ordering change between pages, extraction confidence drops.
- Custom wording: fail reasons and component names vary; mapping may need manual correction.
Prep checklist for best results
- Prefer text-based PDFs: exports from a reporting system are usually easier than scanned documents.
- One PDF per building/visit: avoid mega “portfolio packs” unless you plan to split them first.
- Keep filenames meaningful: building + date makes it easier to trace what you imported later.
- Plan your door IDs: decide whether you’ll keep existing IDs or reissue a clean scheme before importing at scale.
- Expect a review pass: the import is designed to create a draft — not to replace on-site QA.
What users review before saving
The goal is a clean, consistent door register — so the workflow stays joined up later.
Check 1
Door identity and location
Confirm location strings, floor labels, and any tag/ID references so repeat visits open the same record.
Check 2
Pass/fail and severity
Verify outcomes for each opening so remedials can be prioritised and tracked accurately.
Check 3
Findings and notes
Edit unclear notes and standardise fail reasons so outputs stay consistent across inspectors and sites.
Common fixes teams make during review
- Normalize locations: make floor labels and area names consistent (e.g. “Floor 02” vs “2nd floor”).
- Clarify severity: move “urgent” out of notes and into a consistent severity field so remedials can be filtered.
- Standardize fail reasons: pick a consistent wording set so outputs compare across buildings and time.
- Resolve duplicates: if the same physical door appears twice, merge the intent before it becomes a long-term reporting problem.
Send to support (assisted import)
Use this path when the PDF is scanned, unusual, or simply too time-consuming to correct manually.
- Upload and send: choose “Send to support” from the import flow.
- Scope + quote: support reviews the PDF and confirms what can be extracted and the expected time/quality before proceeding.
- You stay in control: you still review the draft inspection before it becomes live data.
What to include when you send to support
- Which building/site it relates to (and whether this is a first import or an update).
- What you need out of it: door list only vs full findings, or a specific reporting outcome.
- Any existing ID scheme you want to keep (or whether you want to reissue IDs on import).
- How many PDFs and the typical size/format (scanned vs exported).
Common questions
Quick answers about confidence, review, and when to get help.
Do PDF imports replace on-site QA?
No. Imports create a draft so you can migrate faster, but teams still review identity, outcomes, severity, and notes before anything is saved.
What PDFs import best?
Text-based exports with consistent headings/tables. Scanned/image-only PDFs usually need assisted support because they don’t contain reliable extractable text.
What if we already have our own door IDs?
You can keep existing IDs if they’re unique and stable. The key is to decide the rule early and apply it consistently across the estate.
What’s the “Send to support” path?
If a PDF is scanned, unusual, or low-confidence, use Send to support for an assisted import quote and review, then you still approve the draft before it becomes live data.
Migrate one real building first.
Import a PDF, review a draft inspection, then follow the workflow into quotes, remedials, and client outputs.