August 2021 Product Update

Thank you for catching up with us and our August Product Update, brought by our Head of Product, Mike Rogers.

We have some exciting updates this month! Here’s a summary of what we’ll be covering:

• We’re wrapping up work on our new TREC 7-5 support in Web Writer. A big thank you to everyone who helped define and test this. We’ll be pushing it live for all users in September.
• We will talk about the Web Writer mobile app availability in the app store for all users and what that will look like.
• We’ll review some updates coming to HomeGauge ONE, what you can expect, and when.

Web Writer App

We’re in the process of launching the Web Writer app for iOS users. This will provide offline support for users on iPhones and Tablet. If you already know how to use the Web Writer in a browser, there’s nothing new to learn. Just sync up your reports and work offline. We’ll host some sessions on new ways to work with the mobile app in the coming weeks.

Our Android version is in the works, and we’re actively looking for testers to help us iron out any bugs. You can sign up for our Beta program by visiting our Beta Page.

A reminder that current subscribers get access to Web Writer as part of their existing package. You don’t need any specific setup. If you want to try it, I recommend visiting our support center and checking out our Web Writer setup article.

Texas Templates

We have lots of exciting news regarding Texas Templates. First, we’ll be making Texas templates available to all Web Writer users beginning in September. You’ll be able to conduct your inspection just like any other, only now you have the option of selecting a TREC print template when you preview your report. We’ll do the hard work of mapping all of the fields for you and ensuring everything is in the right place.

We’re also working on support for TREC 7-6 which will officially be approved in September. We expect to have support on both desktop and Web by the end of the year, we’ll before the enforcement cutoff in February.

HomeGauge ONE

I’ve heard folks ask support and my team recently what HomeGauge ONE is and whether it applies to them. In short, HomeGauge ONE is the new name we’re giving to our whole suite of products and services. If you’re a customer of HomeGauge, the chances are that you already use HomeGauge ONE. HomeGauge ONE is our software suite. It includes our Desktop Writer, Web Writer, Scheduler, Agreements, and Payments modules. Our Companion apps are part of HomeGauge ONE, too. They’re all parts or modules of HomeGauge ONE. We did this to simplify things for our users. Buying Companion separately from your Desktop subscription or subscribing to Web Writer separately from the agreements is unnecessary. Everything is included at one price and as part of one subscription, HomeGauge ONE.

In the coming weeks, you will see some cosmetic changes to our applications as we streamline the experience between our applications. The idea is to keep everything as standard and straightforward as possible.

As part of these updates, we’re making it easier for our newer users to get up and running with our tools. We have some easy-to-use links in the top right corner of the screen, taking you to our community forum and Support Center where you can get assistance from real live humans. Over the next few weeks, you’ll also notice some walkthroughs and tips directly in our applications. We will be testing things out within the Web Writer and will expand to the rest of the application. If you’re a seasoned veteran, don’t worry; you’ll be able to hide the tips and not see them again.

That is everything for August, be sure to stay on the lookout for our September update, where we’ll talk more about the Web Writer mobile app and more coming in Q4!