Inspection Apps for Field Data Collection and Reporting

A great example of this is the way in which energy company PG&E is using an inspection app to replace old error-prone paper processes. The app has been so successful that InformationWeek awarded it an IT Excellence Award at Interop IT. According to an InformationWeek article, PG&E’s Mobile Asset Inspection app is saving the utility time and money, reducing errors, improving data quality, and leading the way to the company’s digital transformation.

PG&E needs to inspect 2.5 million poles every 20 years, as required by federal law. The company tracks each pole’s status in SAP, so it knows when to inspect every pole.

In the past, inspectors drove to an office to get paper maps that showed which poles they needed to inspect each day. That was extremely ineffective, because, in the words of the article, “the next day, the inspector might be assigned to a pole that was as little as 50 feet away from a pole he inspected the previous day.”

In addition, they filled out forms about the poles’ status and their inspections of them on paper, which then had to be input into PG&E’s system.

All that has changed with PG&E’s Mobile Asset Inspection app, which is connected to SAP, a graphical information system (GIS), and Documentum enterprise applications.

Now, inspectors no longer drive to the office to get paper maps and forms. Instead, the information is sent directly to the inspection app on their iPad Pros. Google Maps shows the best routes to the poles, and daily inspections are grouped more efficiently. Inspectors fill out electronic forms, which flow directly into SAP, reducing errors, improving data quality, and saving time and money. This is exactly the kind of ERP execution data integrity that protects ERP ROI — clean, validated data captured at the point of work, rather than transcribed from paper days later.

Beyond improving efficiency, the app provides data that PG&E’s advanced analytics team uses to predict which poles are likely to fail soon. They then replace those poles before they fail.

Using Mobile Devices for Field Inspections

Tying inspection and punch list apps to intelligent systems like these is the wave of the future, according to Jason Wong, a research director at Gartner. He told Computerworld, “Field service and sales continue to see a majority of the investment [for mobile apps] as well because of new capabilities that are still emerging — things like augmented reality, integrating list sensors and IoT, using voice and voice control. That’s all new stuff that needs to be incorporated into apps.”

Real-Time Data Collection and Information Sharing

A great example of mobile inspection apps exists in lean manufacturing. 5S audits involve inspecting workplaces for organization and safety. When these once-paper forms become 5S Audit apps that are used daily, more detailed information -- including photos and time/date stamps -- can be collected quickly and easily and shared around the organization. The result is continuous improvement and higher levels of productivity, safety, and reduced waste.

In fact, manufacturing companies are using quality management software to digitize quality assurance and quality control inspections.

Inspection Apps For Business Leaders

Whether you’re on a factory floor or a residential job site, Alpha Software Custom Business Solutions scales to your specific compliance needs. We collaborate with your team to understand your systems of record and daily processes, then build unique solutions -- often ready to test in as little as 48 hours -- that match how your employees conduct solutions. We serve:

• Manufacturing: Automate QC Checks, Equipment Calibration and Non-Conformance Reporting (NCR)

• Construction & Home Inspection: Take high-res images, markup plans, and generate fast PDF reports for clients.

• Field Services (HVAC/Electrical): View service history and checklists offline in basements or remote sites.

• Government & Education: Manage facilities audits and safety inspections securely across huge campuses.

Free Inspection App Software for Developers

Alpha TransForm is a no-code app builder that lets anyone build an inspection app or digitize a paper form. The software offers unmatched speed, power, and flexibility in the mobile forms and no-code space.

The software produces apps that can leverage the popular features of smartphones, from mapping to audio and image capture. In addition, the software offers: 

•  pre-built app templates you can customize

• powerful analytics engine with dashboards you can customize

• built-in offline operation, including the ability to access documents, videos, and drawings when there is no signal

• a programming language for adding advanced capabilities and full customization

• a bi-directional API to tightly integrate the apps with existing systems, databases and workflows

• scale-able, secure and reliable cloud deployment.

Inspection App Templates

To help you get started, Alpha TransForm a free inspection app, a sample app that can be customized and used by field workers in virtually any industry. 

In addition, Alpha Software has built the Punch List App --a property inspection app -- an inspection template optimized for mobile phones, which most construction workers already carry in their pocket every day. There's also a Home Inspection App for building inspectors and home inspectors. The company also offers a safety app called the Toolbox Talk App to help construction foreman encourage safety anywhere at any time. The Company also has free sample apps for OSHA safety inspections, inventory, work orders and more.