Boring Log Software Checklist: Must-Have Features to Streamline Geotechnical Workflows

The Problem: Boring Log workflows are operating in silos.

For too long, geotechnical boring logs have been treated as something separate, kept in standalone systems outside of the tools used for Construction Materials Testing (CMT), Inspections, and lab work. This separation creates unnecessary silos, duplicate data entry, and fractured workflows. Field technicians, lab staff, and project managers are forced to chase down information across multiple platforms, slowing delivery, increasing the chance of error, and making it harder to provide clients with timely, consistent results.

The Solution: Bring your Boring Log workflows into the same software as the rest of your operations.

But here’s the reality: boring logs don’t need to live in a different system. Geotechnical, CMT, inspection, and lab data all come from the same source—your team—and they all serve the same purpose: giving clients accurate, reliable information to keep projects moving. When everything lives in one platform, your operations become more efficient, your teams collaborate better, and your clients get a seamless experience.

Use this checklist to discover if your software is built for connected workflows or if it’s holding you back with silos:

All-in-One Platform & Visibility

One Platform for All Data

Are your boring logs, construction materials testing, inspections, and lab data unified in one platform—or are you still managing multiple disconnected systems with separate costs, maintenance, and training requirements?

Connected Workflows

When field data is collected, does it automatically trigger the next step—such as lab testing, reporting, or invoicing—without manual handoffs or switching platforms?

Fully Configurable

Can you completely tailor the system—along with workflows, form templates, and report designs—to match the way your team works?

Dashboard Visibility

Does your software provide a single, real-time dashboard showing field activities in progress, lab sample status, and report delivery timelines—so you can manage by exception instead of chasing data across systems?

Mutli-Discipline Analytics

Does your software allow you to generate insights across all project types—geotechnical, CMT, and inspections—so you can spot trends and make smarter decisions?

Smart Scheduling & Project Setup

Centralized Scheduling

Can you plan and assign drilling crews, field testing, and inspections in one shared platform—while linking critical project details like site maps, training manuals, billing structures, and client distribution lists directly to the job setup?

Real-Time Work Order Notifications

Are your field teams notified the moment they're assigned a work order via email and SMS text—or when it’s completed, overdue, or canceled?

Personnel Certification Tracking

Can your software manage personnel certifications, ensure they are up-to-date, and assign certified staff to the appropriate jobs?

Scheduler Alerts on Work Orders

Does your system alert schedulers when field staff accept or reject work orders, helping keep projects on track and avoiding scheduling delays?

Streamlined Field Data Entry

Library of Field and Lab Test Forms

Does your platform include a comprehensive library of industry-compliant field and lab forms with built-in validations and calculations for consistent, accurate data capture?

Growing Library of Industry-Compliant Forms

Does your software provider maintain and continuously expand a library of hundreds of industry-compliant forms and standards—so you can simply select and deploy the right forms with a click, without dedicating internal resources to build or update them?

Device, Mobile and Offline Accessibility

Can your crews access the software on any device—laptop, tablet, or mobile (iOS and Android)—to log boreholes, cast cylinders, and complete field work offline, with data syncing seamlessly once back online?

Comprehensive Groundwater Visualization

Can your boring log solution integrate well diagrams and piezometer details for a comprehensive view of groundwater and subsurface behavior?

Fence Diagrams for Layer Visualization

Can your software generate fence diagrams to visualize how layers change vertically and laterally across an area?

Sample Creation and Lab Test Assignment

Can field staff create samples and assign lab tests directly from the field form, reducing duplicate entry and accelerating turnaround times?

Comprehensive Reporting

Lab Test Data Integration

Do lab test results — including Atterberg limits, gradation, and compressive strength — automatically populate directly into your boring logs and other reports, eliminating manual data re-entry and ensuring consistent, accurate deliverables?

Data Export in Multiple Formats

Can your platform export and share data in standard formats like AGS, DIGGS, DXF, and GPJ for compatibility with client tools and regulatory requirements?

Client Portal Access

Can your clients access their reports and project status updates via a secure portal, without endless email chains?

Reporting & Analytics

Can you generate borehole logs, fence diagrams, and lab reports from standard or custom templates branded with your logos and signatures, and export them to PDF while maintaining legacy formatting standards?

Seamless Billing, Invoicing and Integrations

Integrated Billing and Invoicing

Can you invoice directly from your platform, tying billing to your geotechnical, CMT, and inspection projects, without a separate accounting tool?

Flexible Billing Rates

Can your software manage billing rates and override them at a project level to stay competitive?

Automatic Billable Work Logging

Does your software automatically log billable work so it can be seamlessly added to invoices?

Project Budgeting and Tracking

Does your software allow you to set project budgets and track progress against them in real time?

API & ERP Integrations

Can project and billing data flow seamlessly into your ERP or accounting systems through APIs, while maintaining compliance with industry data standards?

Support, Training and Partnership

Responsive Support

Does the vendor offer extensive help desk content, in-app navigation tools, and SLA-backed support with fast response times—without hidden fees?

Training & Adoption

Are there in-app training tools that guide users through scheduling, field, lab, reporting, and billing workflows, along with comprehensive implementation training and ongoing education?

Long-Term Partnership

Does the vendor actively incorporate customer feedback into product development, provide dedicated teams for implementation and success, and deliver custom forms and reports quickly without extra charges?