Five reasons why environmental engineers need field inspection management software

As an environmental engineer, you count on field inspections to make sure your teams are safe and that you’re following the moving target of environmental regulations. Picking the right field inspection management software can make the difference between compliance and lots of face time with EPA regulators or OSHA investigators.  Read on to see how the must-haves of environmental engineering are answered by field inspection management software.

1. No connection? No problem. You need reliable data collection and confidence that processes are followed the same way for consistency – even when your teams are out in the middle of nowhere.   A field inspection management platform’s offline collection capability means data can be gathered even when no connection is available, with data stored on the device until connection is regained.  In addition to being able to enter information when offline, field teams can access information they need to do their jobs, such as reference materials to make sure the necessary data is collected, and maps to get them where they need to go. 
2. Be precise with GIS. The saying “location is everything” doesn’t just apply to real estate. Environmental engineering requires exact location information, not only to pinpoint areas inspected (and areas of concern), but also to make sure field teams are inspecting the right thing – and that inspections are being done in the first place.  Field inspection software automatically captures geolocation data, even when there’s no network connectivity, proving work was performed, locations were inspected, and conditions are as noted. 
3. Deliver consistency across all project phases. When you work with different teams, contractors, and hired guns, you can’t always know who’s actually doing inspections or work in the field – yet you’re responsible for making sure that work is performed to the same exacting standards. With field inspection software, your teams have a handheld field bible guiding them with photos, directions, dropdown choices, unskippable fields, and more to make sure that you get the same results no matter who’s doing the work. 
4. Keep your teams safe. Working alone in remote areas, often without a mobile network, in all kinds of weather, and potentially dealing with contaminants, water hazards, heavy machinery, and more – your environmental engineering “away” team can be particularly vulnerable to accidents. The same handheld field bible that makes your inspection processes consistent serves to keep your teams safe, by providing safety protocols, best practices, and SOPs – all available without network connection – to follow along as they do their work.
5. Reduce reliance on paper. As stewards of the environment and advocates for environmental responsibility, it looks pretty bad if your field team rolls up to a site with a clipboard, a pen, and a stack of paper checklists and reference materials. Beyond the optics of it, the pen-and-paper inspection is not sustainable to your workflow, either. Using a digital field inspection platform not only takes significantly less time, but provides an exponentially better product, giving your inspection data the completeness, accuracy, auditability, and functionality that pen-and-paper processes just can’t. 

When looking at the responsibilities of environmental engineers – safeguarding human health and  protecting local and global ecosystems – it might seem like you should be wearing a red cape, shiny tights, and have a big yellow “E” on your chest. Instead of just one area of vulnerability, your kryptonite consists of many, including isolated work sites, constantly changing regulations, variables in field team staffing, and even the weather.

Think of field inspection management software as your utility belt, giving you and your teams the tools needed to perform these everyday miracles – even if no phone booth is handy and your cape is at the cleaners. So, what are you waiting for? The world is counting on you. 

If you’re ready to drive intelligent automation in your field inspection process, you’re ready for Fulcrum. For better, easier, and faster field inspections, sign up for a free trial today.