How To Make Your Field Inspections Quick and Easy
Field assets in large facilities such as power plants, large buildings and factories require in-person visual inspection at regular intervals ranging from a few weeks to a few months. In the last few years, the increased frequency of failures caused by ageing assets and rapid industrial growth has increased the frequency of inspections. However, with the growing in number of inspections – the drastic increase in maintenance cost of human resources cannot be ignored.
Inspectors and auditors often visit remote locations. The equipment they need to inspect can be quite complex. Therefore, inspection done right is of paramount importance. Failure to take care in this area could lead to financial penalties with the business. Traditional paper-based inspection workflows require them to fill numerous forms, make notes, check progress and document data. This process can be inefficient and time-consuming. It can also be highly prone to manual errors. Faulty entry of inspection data could have health and safety implications which can be even more troublesome.
To address this concern, the field inspection industry must harness the power of digital technology given widespread use of mobile and tablets today. An integrated system to ensure timely and scheduled field inspections is the need of the hour.
Quick, user-friendly and integrated platform for capturing data efficiently
The field representative should be able to capture and share data from any location from smartphones and tablets. The platform should work offline in areas with weak or no signal so that data can sync once the device gets signal. This will facilitate field workers to work with speed and accuracy.
Paperless documentation to maintain timely records
Personalized inspection forms that are easily configurable on mobile devices is one of the most important features that can fill the gap between field representatives and the back office. Forms should be easy to fill with objective options such as checkboxes, radio buttons, and auto-suggest features for long sentences to minimize typing. This saves the organization from tons of paperwork which costs a fortune and thus affects the productivity adversely.
Configurable inspection workflow to handle documentation efficiently
The platform should effortlessly configure and adapt to the inspection workflow, such as signing off audits with a digital signature and tracing inspection actions based on your specs. The dashboard can also be configured to view necessary reports to make informed decisions.
Collaboration feature to communicate effectively
Field representatives can use the collaboration feature to share accurate, real-time information and updates across sites to all registered users. It can also be used to send inspection requests directly to field representatives who can view details and perform the necessary inspection.
Capturing photos and videos easily
Field inspectors and auditors often deal with complex equipment/parts at site locations. Capturing information through photos and videos while inspecting in the field minimizes data loss and provides detailing that a traditional paper-based system cannot match.
Speech to text capability
Built-in dictation technology that converts spoken words to digital text can be extremely beneficial for the field personnel during the inspection.
Conclusion
Hence, in a nutshell, a disruptive mobile field inspection platform that has the capability to deliver all-in-one, simplified, real-time digital field experience can prove to be a gamechanger for field operations. A unique solution like this can reshape field inspection processes by transforming the capturing, visualization and communication of inspection data to enable business continuity anywhere, anytime.