Resources • reports • exports • PDF vs CSV
Reports & exports: what to send (and when)
A practical guide to producing client and auditor packs: when to use PDF vs CSV, how to name exports, and how to avoid contradictions by exporting from one source of truth.
- Reports
- Exports
- CSV
- Auditor packs
Reports stay consistent when they're generated
from the same underlying door records
A practical guide to producing client and auditor packs — when to use PDF vs CSV, how to name exports, and how to avoid contradictions by exporting from one source of truth.
Goal 01
Pick the audience
Client, auditor, or internal ops — the audience determines the format, level of detail, and what evidence to include. A pack built for an auditor includes everything; a client pack is focused and readable.
Goal 02
Choose format
PDF for narrative client and audit packs — readable, branded, hard to accidentally edit. CSV for door lists, analysis, and bulk internal workflows. The wrong format for the audience undermines the pack before anyone reads it.
Goal 03
Avoid contradictions
Export from the record, not from retyped spreadsheets. When a client's PDF shows 17 doors and an auditor's CSV shows 21, trust collapses — and you're reconstructing the discrepancy across three tools to find out which one was right.
Office ops
Producing client packs and audit evidence — keeping export formats and naming consistent across every project so nothing needs reassembling later.
Inspectors & managers
Checking what's ready to export and why — understanding which export entry points are available and what they cover before sending anything to a client.
Admins
Setting naming rules and retention expectations across the team — so exports are findable months later and "who has the current version?" has a clear answer.
Start by deciding who the pack is for —
that determines format and detail
Three distinct audiences, each with different expectations. Sending an internal ops report to an auditor, or an auditor-grade evidence pack to a client, creates confusion rather than confidence.
Three audiences · three different packs
Audience 01
Internal ops
Progress lists, backlogs, severity counts, and scheduling inputs. Produced and consumed internally — doesn't need narrative or branding but does need to be accurate and generated from the live record so the numbers are trustworthy.
Audience 02
Client pack
Readable summary plus door-level evidence where required. Clients need to understand what was found and what happens next — not raw data. Focus the pack on outcomes and evidence for the decisions the client needs to make.
Audience 03
Auditor / regulator
Identity, history, and evidence continuity across visits. Auditors need to trace a door from its first record to its most recent sign-off without gaps. Complete, timestamped, and consistent — the full chain, not just the latest visit.
Export entry points
Where to generate each export type in Fire Door App
Inspections
Inspection PDFs and history CSV exports.
Quotes
Quote PDFs generated from the same quote record.
Invoices
Invoice PDFs and payment links where enabled.
RAMS
Approve RAMS, then download the PDF pack.
Analytics
CSV export for internal reporting and analysis.
Use PDF for human-readable packs —
CSV for bulk analysis and internal reporting
Both formats come from the same record. The choice isn't about preference — it's about what the recipient needs to do with the output.
Human-readable · client/audit
CSV
Structured data · analysis
Can be misunderstood if door IDs or evidence are inconsistent across visits — clients will notice if "FD-027" in the PDF doesn't match a door they know. Generate from the record to keep IDs stable.
A CSV opened in Excel can be accidentally edited and re-saved — changing door IDs, outcomes, or dates without any change record. Treat CSV as analysis and internal ops; use PDF or portal for any client-facing output unless agreed otherwise.
Decision flow
Three questions that lead to the right format every time
Naming is what makes a pack usable
months — or years — later
A well-named export answers "what is this, when was it produced, and which version?" without opening the file. Three rules that make every export findable.
Three rules · every export · every time
Rule 01
Include client, site, date, and stable ID
A filename that answers who, where, and when — without opening the file. "Client – Site – Block A – 2026-01-20" is immediately navigable. "Inspection Report Final.pdf" requires opening to know anything about it.
Rule 02
Keep versions with a revision marker
If re-issued, add Rev 02 (or Rev 03) — never overwrite the previous version. Both files should be retained; the revision marker makes "which is current?" unambiguous and preserves the previous version for audit purposes.
Rule 03
Store centrally — not on someone's laptop
One place that everyone uses to find the current version. "It's on Sarah's computer" is a retention strategy until Sarah leaves. Use a shared drive, project folder, or the platform — the location matters less than the consistency.
Example file naming patterns
Client – Site – Area – Date – Type – Rev
Riverside Estate – Block A – 2026-01-20 – Inspection Report.pdf
InspectionRiverside Estate – Block A – 2026-01-27 – Remedials Update – Rev 02.pdf
RemedialsRiverside Estate – Door List – 2026-01-20.csv
Door listClients and auditors lose trust
when the pack contradicts itself
Four pitfalls that create contradictions between what you said and what you sent — then a practical handover pack structure that keeps everything focused and consistent.
Common pitfalls · where packs fall apart
Accuracy
Re-typing into spreadsheets
Every time data moves from the record into a spreadsheet by hand, a transcription error becomes possible. A mistyped door count, a copied outcome that doesn't match, a total that was right when it was entered but wrong when the record was updated. The pack contradicts the system.
Fix: export directly from the live record. The pack's numbers are the record's numbers — no intermediate copy.
Traceability
Unstable door IDs
If IDs change between visits — because someone renumbered the register, added a prefix, or reset the sequence — pack history becomes unreliable. An auditor trying to trace FD-027 from visit 1 to visit 3 can't do it if the ID changed to FD-A-027 in visit 2.
Fix: assign door IDs once and never change them. Additions get new IDs; existing doors keep theirs for the life of the register.
Versioning
Multiple "final" PDFs
When a pack is re-issued without a revision marker, two documents circulate with the same or similar names. Clients and crews don't know which is current — and often default to the one they already have, which may be outdated. "Final" is not a version number.
Fix: if you re-issue, add Rev 02 with a short change note. Keep the Rev 01 on file — don't delete or overwrite it.
Format
Sending raw CSV externally
A CSV sent to a client lands as a spreadsheet full of door IDs, severity codes, and inspection dates with no context. Without narrative or structure, clients can't interpret it — and may edit it accidentally, creating a modified version of your data that then circulates as if it were authoritative.
Fix: use PDF or portal for client-facing outputs. CSV is for analysis and internal ops unless your client has explicitly agreed to receive raw data.
Handover pack · suggested contents
Keep packs focused — if you include everything, clients won't find what they need
Pack contents (minimum)
Summary
What was inspected, key outcomes, and next steps — one page, client-readable.
Door-level evidence
The doors that matter for the decision — not every photo from every visit, but the evidence behind the outstanding items.
Remedials status
What is open, in progress, complete, and proof of close-out where available — grouped by area or priority.
Practical checklist
Cover note
Scope, dates, and who to contact for questions — sets expectations before the client reads a single door record.
Exceptions
Doors not accessed and why — with a follow-up plan so "not inspected" doesn't become a gap in the audit record.
Assumptions
Any "open up / investigate" items called out explicitly — not buried in scope or discovered when the invoice arrives.
Version marker
Revision marker if re-issued — so the client knows this supersedes any previous version they received.
For ongoing client visibility between formal handover moments
Client Portal rolloutQuick answers on export formats, evidence packs,
and platform scope
Four questions that come up when teams are formalising how they produce and distribute reports — especially when moving off manually assembled spreadsheets and email-thread approvals.
Exports & formats
Yes — use CSV exports for internal reporting and analysis. Inspections, analytics, and door register data are all exportable as CSV. Keep your naming and door IDs stable so exports from different dates can be combined or compared without discrepancies.
The key constraint is treating CSV as internal ops only. If a CSV is going externally — to a client, a managing agent, or a regulator — use PDF or the Client Portal instead. CSV is a working format, not a deliverable format.
Keep the record structured from day one — stable door IDs, outcomes recorded, photos attached per finding. When the pack is needed, generate PDFs and exports directly from the same record. The pack assembles itself rather than being manually rebuilt from scattered sources.
The most common reason evidence packs take time to produce is that the underlying records weren't captured consistently — photos filed separately from findings, door IDs that changed, or outcomes that were recorded in a spreadsheet rather than the system. Fix the capture process and the export process becomes fast.
Client distribution & compliance
It depends on the client and the purpose. PDFs are best for formal handover moments — a completed inspection report, a remedials completion pack, a client-facing summary at the end of a contract — where the output needs to be filed as a point-in-time record.
The Client Portal is better for ongoing visibility — where clients want to check current status between formal handover points without waiting for a PDF to be generated and emailed. Many teams use both: Portal for day-to-day client access, PDFs for formal milestones.
No. Fire Door App supports workflows and evidence retention — the platform helps you capture findings consistently, export from one source of truth, and keep door-level history accessible. It does not determine what inspections are required, whether findings meet regulatory standards, or whether a pack satisfies any particular compliance obligation.
Compliance and competent-person decisions remain your organisation's responsibility. The platform makes those decisions easier to document and evidence — not easier to bypass.
Quick facts
Reports & exports at a glance
Audience first
Decide who the pack is for — that determines format and detail level
Format rule
PDF for client/audit · CSV for internal analysis. CSV stays internal unless agreed
Naming
Client – Site – Area – Date – Rev. Answers who/where/when without opening
Stable IDs
Door IDs assigned once and never changed — cross-visit history only works with stable IDs
Versioning
Re-issued packs get Rev 02 suffix. Never overwrite — keep Rev 01 on file
Handover pack
Summary + door evidence + remedials status. Cover note + exceptions + assumptions + version
Get started
Issue one clean client pack from one record
Export from the live record, keep door IDs stable, and stop rebuilding reports in spreadsheets after every visit.
Issue one clean client pack.
Export from one record — keep door IDs stable.
Export from the live record, keep door IDs stable, and stop rebuilding reports in spreadsheets after every visit.