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The latest release of ScanSeries for Android includes several improvements and fixes and is available immediately. Version 1.1.17 update includes the following changes:

• Added redesigned Date Picker feature for better user experience.
• Added better compatibility for various screen sizes to decrease user interface issues on unsupported devices.
• Improved barcode scanning experience on the supported Janam XM5 device.
• Added smart combo for manufacturer and service fields to help decrease data entry time.
• The 'Loading Devices' bug users reported has been fixed.
• Other minor fixes to improve user experience and performance.

To request more information or report any new issues with the latest release, please contact memberservices@buildingreports.com.

Available now, ScanSeries iOS version 2.3.41 and ScanSeries for Android version 1.0.99 can be downloaded in their respective app stores. Read the full article for important information about each new release.

BuildingReports is pleased to introduce an addition to the Administrator, Manager, Manager/Inspector, Inspector and Custom User role types: Account Manager. The addition of this new feature is in response to requests from our valued Service Members, and is another example of why your feedback is so valuable.

The Account Manager role is a new user designation internal to BuildingReports Service Company members, and provides a third option to improve usability for organizations that provide account management services to large multi-facility customers within a given jurisdiction or region.

A June 15th article by Julie Ritzer Ross in VSR Magazine took an interesting look at several technologies (including BuildingReports and our hardware partners at Janam) that helping companies overcome obstacles and deliver better field service. the author writes, "Long mired in paper, pens, and clipboards, field service organizations are fast gravitating towards technology for use at job sites and in the back office."

"A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large." - Henry Ford

Selling a product is a far different prospect than selling a service. Generally, buyers will know the fundamentals of what your product is, how it works and maybe even why they need it.

Services on the other hand can be a far more nebulous value proposition to try and define for a prospective customer. You can't hold it in your hand, and understanding how to differentiate the value of one service over another can ultimately come down to preconceptions and hinge upon 3rd party references.

To win in today's competitive marketplace, service companies must begin to think differently about how they go to market, position their service offering and solve for their customers' challenges.

BuildingReports has partnered with Janam to offer a new custom device, built specifically for the inspection of high-security and restricted areas where devices with cameras are prohibited. The Janam XM5 provides the same benefits as other ruggedized devices from Janam, but the new custom device allows us to provide an alternative for those Service Members that have requested a camera-less solution.

Inspector's Boot Camp, a leading training resource for the Fire and Life Safety industry, is proud to announce its partnership with Liberty Mutual to present a week-long, in-depth automatic Automatic Fire Sprinkler Inspection Boot Camp. The event is currently scheduled for June 1-5, 2015 at Liberty Mutual's state-of-the-art fire labs in Wausau, Wisconsin.

This event is in addition to this year's Fire Alarm Inspection Boot Camps to be held at Aiken Technical College's FAST Lab in Aiken, SC on the following dates:

• May 18-22, 2015
• September 14-18, 2015
• November 9-13, 2015

After a decade of fire and life safety inspection training excellence, Inspector's Boot Camp will become a part of the new BuildingReports University in 2015 (more information will be provided during the official launch).

ScanSeries 2.1 for iOS is now available for download from the Apple App Store. In addition to updates and modifications based on your feedback, this release also includes several enhancements to improve the user experience and add important functionality to the leading mobile fire and life safety inspection application.

As a Facility Manager or Building Owner, you have to make sure your up to code keeping all of your tenants safe. But being up to code means more than just fixing a few electrical issues. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of ways to fail your building's fire inspection. That's why we've pulled together 10 of the most common shortcomings in the infographic below.

According to a recent study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (The ever-changing global service provider industry: Key findings for 2010), businesses ranked the following strategic differentiators as their top ten considerations when selecting a service company:

1. Skills & training of workforce
2. Depth of industry knowledge
3. Quality of customer service
4. Depth of process knowledge
5. Low cost of service delivery
6. Recommendations by other companies
7. Customization of service delivery
8. Market reputation
9. Track record of management team
10. Time to complete project

So how can you leverage this to generate more business for your fire and life safety service organization?