Guide
How to choose a vendor verification service: a buyer's checklist
Choose a vendor verification service by whether it produces verified visit data for every vendor, not just the ones willing to install an app, because that data is what lets you check billed labor, catch no-shows the same day and hold vendors to their SLAs. Check eight things: adoption without an app, proof of presence, CMMS compatibility, one process across sites, completion data, monitoring and alerts, the pricing model and setup time. For each, ask the provider to show you what happens on a real visit.
By David Torchiano, Co-Founder
Last updated · 4 min read
What do unverified vendor visits cost a multi-site operator?
Before comparing providers, be clear about the problem you're paying to solve. Unverified visits cost money and time in a few predictable places, and each one is caught by a specific piece of data:
| Where it costs you | What happens without verification | The data that catches it |
|---|---|---|
| Billed labor | Hours on the invoice are the vendor's own count | Verified arrival and departure times for each visit |
| No-shows | Found when a site calls in or the invoice arrives, after equipment has stayed down | Live arrival status, with no-show and late-start alerts |
| Response-time SLAs | A late arrival can't be told apart from an on-time one | Verified arrival time on the same work order as the due time |
| Repeat visits | A second trip for the same problem gets billed as new work | A completion report that records work performed and any follow-up needed |
| Staff time | Coordinators call sites and vendors to confirm visits by hand | Visit records already on the work order |
| Who was on site | An unknown subcontractor does the job under the vendor's name | The individual technician and company recorded for each visit |
A service that can't produce the data in the last column for every vendor won't close the gap. Use the checklist below to find out whether it can.
What should you look for in a vendor verification service?
Use this checklist whether you manage a handful of sites or hundreds, and whatever mix of vendor types you work with. Each item says why it matters and what to ask the provider.
- Adoption without an app. Subcontractors and smaller vendors skip apps, and a check-in nobody does proves nothing. Ask: what does a technician who has never used your service do on their first visit?
- Proof of presence, not just a call. A call or a status change doesn't place anyone at the site. Ask: how do you confirm the technician's location, and what happens when it can't be confirmed?
- Works with your CMMS. Verification only helps if it lands on the work order your team approves invoices from. Ask: which systems do you write to today, and exactly what gets written (status, times, notes, photos)?
- One process across every site and vendor. When each site or vendor checks in differently, there's no standard to audit against. Ask: is it the same number and steps for every site, vendor and client?
- Completion data you can use. "Complete" says nothing about the work performed, parts used or follow-ups needed. Ask: what does the completion record contain, and can technicians add photos?
- Monitoring and alerts. Finding a no-show when the invoice arrives is too late. Ask: can we see who is on site right now, and are we alerted to no-shows and late starts?
- A pricing model that fits a large vendor list. Per-seat or per-technician pricing grows with every vendor you add. Ask: what exactly am I charged for, and what happens if we go over our plan?
- Setup time. A rollout that needs every vendor trained stalls. Ask: what does a vendor have to do before their first check-in, and what does connecting our systems involve?
How does spryggAIVR answer the checklist?
| Checklist item | spryggAIVR |
|---|---|
| Adoption without an app | No app and no login. Technicians call one number and tap one texted link. |
| Proof of presence | Caller ID (or the vendor's PIN) identifies the technician; the texted link checks their location against the site address. Off-site and unverified visits are flagged. |
| Works with your CMMS | Reads work orders from and writes check-ins back to ServiceChannel, spryggCMMS and Google Sheets today, and sends check-ins to email and Slack. Corrigo and Accruent are coming soon. See integrations. |
| One process | One check-in number for every site, vendor and CMMS. |
| Completion data | The technician describes the work by voice at check-out; it becomes a completion report, with photos sent by text. |
| Monitoring and alerts | A live board of who's on site, with no-show and late-start alerts. |
| Pricing model | By monthly check-ins, from $99 a month for 100. Overage never costs more than the next plan up, and every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. See pricing. |
| Setup time | Vendors have nothing to install. Setup is mostly connecting your systems. |
When is a different tool the better fit?
- Your technicians are all in-house. If they already run a field service app with GPS check-in, its built-in check-in may be enough.
- You need continuous tracking. Following a technician through the day is a job for fleet telematics, not a check-in service.
- You need proof at a specific asset. Tags on individual rooms or equipment show which one was serviced, ideally alongside a location check.
For what each check-in method can and can't prove, see vendor check-in methods compared.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between vendor check-in and vendor verification?
Check-in records that a visit started. Verification proves it: the right technician, at the right site, at the time recorded, with a record of the work.
Can one check-in process cover hundreds of sites and vendor types?
Yes, if it doesn't depend on each vendor adopting a tool. With spryggAIVR every site and vendor uses the same phone number and the same steps.
Do we have to replace our CMMS to verify vendor visits?
No. A verification service should add proof to the system you already use. spryggAIVR writes verified check-ins back to the work order rather than replacing your CMMS.
How long does it take to get started?
For vendors there's nothing to set up: they call the number. For your team, it's mostly connecting your systems, which we scope with you when we set up your free trial.
Try spryggAIVR on your own work orders
Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. No credit card required.