The Inspection Manager | Time to start taking the tablets

Matt Lambert Posted On July 7, 2016

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The use of mobile onsite reporting applications is revolutionising the way businesses work and the UK civil engineering sector is embracing innovative software developments that are changing the way the site data is collected, formattedand delivered to clients.

Traditionally surveyors’ have completed reports onsite using a voice recorder, or hand written notes, attaching photographs taken separately using a digital camera.

This creates duplication when returning to an office environment to re-assemble text files, add images and converting the elements into a standard reporting format.

The Inspection Manager Ltd (TIM), a north west software company are pioneering the use of automated site reporting using Android, IOS, and Windows based software, downloaded as an App-for tablets and smart phones.

Estimates that on average a surveyor spends approximately 1/2 hours per day typing up site reports and surveys, this is equates to 5/10 hours per week.

TIM Sales Director Paul Miller says “We’ve taken this ‘problem’ and created the perfect ‘solution’. A secure, cloud-based service delivered on a monthly subscription or licensed basis, using the ‘Software as a Service’ model (SaaS) to give our clients a truly mobile reporting capability, with reports and surveys available within minutes of a site inspection being completed.

Miller goes on to stress that “By using TIM’s custom built templates designed specific to clients requirements – from simple forms, surveys, site inspections, and commercial asset documents – TIM clients are producing reports in less than 50% of the time it previously took using conventional data gathering and report production methods.”

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The software was developed collaboratively with North West civil engineering company ‘Excalon’ (http://www.excalon.org) who now have more than a 130 surveyors using the TIM application from pre-site, to re-instatement.

Throughout the development phase of the App, Excalon provided vital feedback on what enhancements and improvements were needed to ensure the reporting features and interface menus matched the real world demands of site inspections, and guided template developments to ensure the final documents stood up to compliance and regulatory scrutiny.

Compliance is a key driver in the adoption of mobile site reporting software. Civil engineering companies, and local councils are coming under close scrutiny, especially with contracts in the public sector, where the demands for operational transparency and total regulatory compliance are triggering penalty clauses where reporting is seen to fall short.

The data-rich nature of reports created using Apps such as the TIM product can prove vital information including geo-coded tags (think GPS watermarking) and date/time stamped photos provide clear, unambiguous reference to site inspection work.

The TIM software provides businesses with a cost effective solution to mobile site reporting with bespoke reporting templates created for each client, designed to ensure that site teams and surveyors fill in forms correctly, resulting in reports that comply fully with relevant laws and regulations.

Companies keen to start taking to the tablets can explore the benefits with a free 14 day trial the app is available to download onto iPhones, iPads, Android smart phone, and tablets, and Windows 8-10 tablets.