APPS FOR ARBORISTS
APPS FOR ARBORISTS
By Br andon Gallagher Watson W
henever I see tree pros with iPads, I inquire what apps they have been using and what they like or don't like about them. All three of the apps up for review in this issue come to you
from the recommendations of other arborists, so these are field tested and approved.All of these are apps you can use on the job site — from working with the client and the technical crew to creating estimates and proposals to collecting payment, all these can be done before you ever head back to the office.
Skitch for iPad Available on: iPad only Cost: Free
Skitch for iPad has been one of my
favorite apps since I first learned of it from Sam Kezar of Arboricultural Solutions, Inc. Skitch simply allows you to draw,add arrows, and insert text directly on a photo.What makes Skitch so useful in the field is the way you can get photos into the app. If you have a second- or third-generation iPad, you can sim- ply open the app,press the "Camera"button and take photos right on the spot that you can then draw on.If you took the photo previously
18 Arbor Age / April 2012
or if you imported the photos from your desktop,no worries, just press the "Photos"button to browse your photos stored on your iPad. Say,for example,you are talking with a client about performing some
pruning work on a tree whose branches were going over the client's garage.With Skitch,you could quickly snap a picture of the limb in ques- tion and, while drawing right on the photo, you can show the client exactly what branches you recommend removing.Once you and the client are satisfied with the recommendation,you can save the photo and even send it to the crew that will actually perform the work.No more vague work orders with directions from the sales arborist such as "prune branch over the garage" only for the crews to realize there are a dozen branches over the garage.With Skitch,you can show the technical arborists exactly what branch the sales arborist and client were talking about,and the work can get done right the first time.
Invoice2go Available on: iPad, iPhone,Android Cost:FREE for Lite Version,$14.99 for iPad, $9.99 for iPhone and Android versions Invoice2go has been the most popular invoicing software on iOS devices since they
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