The list below accounts for 80% of the tangible and achievable benefits when you start to undertake Audits, Inspections and Assessment using tablets and cellphones - i.e. electronic capture on premise - followed by automatic generation of all documentation for the next step in the business workflow.

Preamble

What we are talking about is using a system such as Clarinspect that allows you to work online or offline in the field to undertake an inspection, or audit. 

The system captures data, synchronises it to a master database, and from there it is used by the system to prepare draft documents for use in the next step of the business workflow.

#1 Cut out manual transcription steps

Immediate hit - no more reading from paper and translating notes from poor handwriting and then writing up what you think you meant. 

No more downloading from a digital camera, and trying to remember why you took a specific photo. Get them labelled at the time, and included in the data that they relate to. Context is very important and if you are taking a lot of photos then it becomes imperative to label them as they are taken.

#2 Cut down number of items carried (camera/clipboard)

A tablet incorporates a GPS, camera, and the assessment form itself as well as holding images, reports, diagrams and other reference material (after all a tablet or cellphone is really just a big USB stick). 

Consequently you do not need to take any of these separate items with you.

You can cut down on items you carry - everything is combined into one device

#3 Work can be checked in and available immediately

By using wireless (wi-fi) synchronisation, or 3G/4G, or tethering to your phone, the inspections can be sent back to base immediately. 

Depending on your processes this may mean that someone in the office could start processing your assessments and inspections immediately. 

A good example of this is where your Site Inspection (say) has a mandatory Health and Safety form to complete. 

The data from the Site Inspection may be processed by the Inspector/Assessor themselves whereas the H&S form may be processed by a different staff member.

This aspect is particularly important if you have completed a Hazard Report or Near Miss/Accident form on site. The smaller the delay in getting this processed, the better.

If connected on wireless or 3G/4G then important data can be processed immediately

#4 Born digital business records

A lot of business records start life on paper and then get turned into digital records. There are attendant risks to this as stated above - transcription errors, wasted time due to double handling etc.

With automation all records start life as digital records, so there is no latency in any follow-on workflow - the data is already in the correct form for passing into another system. The next step in a process may be a filing system for reports or a database for Health and Safety.

#5 Integration with workflow management system

Every client of a system such as Clarinspect has a different system for undertaking their line of business, be it a Health and Safety database or a Geotechnical database. 

Once the inspection or assessment process has been automated using mobile and cloud this make it easier to then securely share that data with the business systems. 

For example in the Geotechnical engineering area, Clarinspect has data level integration with the Core-GS system from Geroc. Staff working onsite can pipe their data quickly and easily into Core-GS and start analysing data and producing client reports in record time compared to their competitors.

Having your mobile inspection system integrated directly into your office systems means that field staff can rest assured that their work is being processed in good time, and with increased accuracy every time.

Postamble

There is much to be gained in automating audits, inspections and assessment using a system such as Clarinspect. 

This article has looked at the top 5 tangible benefits, but for every process automated there is a suite of add-on benefits, process improvements, cost savings (even from something as mundane as using less paper). 

I will save the catalogue of actual secondary benefits noted by clients for a later post. 

Happy Inspecting!