How can we get field crews and inspectors to embrace technology?
Legacy mobile data collection tools were clunky and cumbersome - lots of clicking, scrolling, and manual entry. Field users tolerated, but didn't embrace, this legacy technology. Fast-forward to today with all of our devices, gadgets, and apps - and now we expect more from enterprise mobile data collection tools.
New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) wanted to revamp their new construction quality inspection program using technology their inspectors would embrace. NJNG's Director of Engineering, John Wyckoff, was looking for a solution that would meet the expectations of the new workforce based on their everyday experiences with smartphones and consumer applications.
"New Jersey Natural Gas needed a product that provided ease of use for field recording and reporting - getting us away from paper forms and cumbersome databases, and Locusview delivered. Working with the team at Locusview has been a pleasure."
- Ray Ashkenis, Supervisor of Contractor Construction, NJNG
Locusview and NJNG started the process by enhancing the existing inspection form to ensure it was complete and promoted consistency. Four weeks after the new form was approved, a mobile application was configured and ready to be deployed to the field for testing.
"We delivered a forms-based application that incorporated our best practices from other utilities and features such as logical navigation, pre-population of data, and capturing pictures as documentation. Based on the results of the field testing and feedback from inspectors, we made changes to meet NJNG's specific requirements."
- Product Manager, Locusview
After incorporating changes from field testing, the application was rolled out to all NJNG inspectors with less than two days of training. The inspectors didn't just accept the technology, they embraced it. Within the first 30 days over 1,000 inspections had been performed and recorded with the new technology.
"Our inspectors, from the newest to the most experienced, quickly adapted to and embraced the product, and have found it to be simple and straightforward to use. Already they have been able to spend more time performing inspections and less time on paperwork."
- Ray Ashkenis, Supervisor of Contractor Construction, NJNG
Locusview also developed a dashboard to allow supervisors and executives to monitor inspections in real-time as well as identify long-term trends. The modern, flexible interface allows users to filter and analyze data in different ways to access user-specific results.
"The dashboard reporting feature is an excellent tool that gives us a much easier way to view what is happening out in the field. We're able to promptly identify potential quality issues and trends in order to enhance our contractor communication and training, and to more quickly report critical data to senior management."
- John Wyckoff, Director of Engineering, NJNG
Modern mobile technology - both devices and applications - is now able to deliver solutions that field crews actually want to use. Providing technology that meets user's expectations can be an important part of our effort to attract the next generation workforce to the utility industry.
