Overview
Job photos should document the work, not slow it down. The ServiceMinder mobile app lets you take photos as you work, continue through the appointment while they upload in the background, and easily view, save, copy, or share them later.
If your organization uses CompanyCam, you can also keep your CompanyCam photo and video workflow connected to the appropriate ServiceMinder contact or appointment.
This article will review:
Note: The features and options you see in the ServiceMinder mobile app may vary based on your device and operating system, app version, user permissions, and your organization's configuration.
Take Photos as You Work
You don't have to wait until the end of an appointment to document the job. Add photos throughout the visit so the appointment record reflects what happened before, during, and after the work.
From an appointment, you can use the in-app camera to take new photos or select existing photos from your phone's photo library. Add multiple photos at once and let them upload in the background as you continue your work.
Photos stay connected to the appointment alongside your notes, checklists, forms, and other job information.
Worth knowing: The ServiceMinder mobile app currently supports direct photo uploads, not video uploads. If your organization uses CompanyCam, both photos and videos can sync into ServiceMinder through that integration.
Keep Working While Photos Upload
Once you've added photos, you don't have to stay on the screen waiting for every upload to finish.
Photos upload in the background while you continue working elsewhere in ServiceMinder or switch to another app. This means you can keep documenting the appointment, move into the next part of your workflow, or head to the next job without babysitting the upload process.
The app is also designed to keep background uploads moving more reliably when ServiceMinder is no longer the active app.
What happens when your signal is weak?
If connectivity drops, supported photo work can continue and upload when a connection becomes available again. You don't need to retake the photos just because you temporarily lose service.
For more about preparing for low-connectivity work and what happens when your connection returns, see Working Offline in the Mobile App.
Save Photos to Your Phone
If you want an additional copy of the photos you take through ServiceMinder, you can save them to your phone's photo library automatically.
Go to More > Preferences and turn on Save Photos to Gallery. Once enabled, photos taken through ServiceMinder are saved to your phone in addition to being uploaded to ServiceMinder.
This can be useful when you want a local copy of job photos for easy access outside the app or as an additional backup while working in an area with unreliable connectivity.
Note: To save or select photos, make sure ServiceMinder is allowed to access your Camera and/or Photos in your phone's Settings.
View, Save, Copy, or Share Photos
Photos aren't locked inside the job record once they've been uploaded. You can work with them directly from the mobile app when you need to use a photo somewhere else. Depending on where you're viewing the image, you can copy, save, or share photos from the gallery, photo strip, or full-screen viewer.
To access additional options, press and hold a photo for about a second. Available actions include Copy and Save to Photos.
This makes it easier to send a job photo to someone else, save an individual image to your device, or use it outside ServiceMinder without having to find another way to retrieve the file.
Use CompanyCam with ServiceMinder
If your organization uses CompanyCam, photos and videos taken there can automatically sync to the appropriate contact or appointment in ServiceMinder. ServiceMinder uses project, appointment, and location information to determine where the media belongs.
For the most reliable syncing, your organization should use Auto-Project Creation. When enabled, ServiceMinder creates a designated CompanyCam project for the work, giving the Service Agent a clear place to add media and giving ServiceMinder a direct project match when the content syncs.
For full details about this integration, see the CompanyCam article.
Work with CompanyCam During an Appointment
Once the integration is configured, the recommended field workflow is:
- Start the appointment in ServiceMinder.
- Open CompanyCam and find the project created for that appointment.
- Add your photos and videos to that CompanyCam project as you work.
- Finish the appointment in ServiceMinder when the job is complete.
Starting the appointment first is important. It gives ServiceMinder the best information for matching CompanyCam media to the correct record.
Photos or videos added to the CompanyCam project after the appointment is finished can still sync, but adding them to the correct project during the appointment is the recommended workflow.
Set Up the CompanyCam Integration
CompanyCam is configured from the ServiceMinder web application rather than the mobile app.
Administrators can go to Control Panel > Integrations > Other > Connect to CompanyCam. After connecting the accounts:
- Enable Auto-Project Creation.
- Set a consistent project-name template using shortcodes.
- Make sure CompanyCam users use the same email addresses they use in ServiceMinder.
How CompanyCam Matches Media
When media is added through CompanyCam, ServiceMinder tries to match it in this order:
| Matching method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Project ID | If ServiceMinder created the CompanyCam project, it can directly identify where the media belongs. |
| Active appointment | If there isn't a recognized project match, ServiceMinder looks for an active appointment associated with the user. |
| Location | If neither of those produces a match, ServiceMinder can use the photo's location to look for the nearest contact. |
Auto-created projects are the most reliable option. Appointment- or location-based matching can be less precise, particularly in places such as apartment complexes or office buildings where several customers may be close together.
