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Five reasons why environmental engineers need field inspection management software

By Linda Schwefel
March 22, 2023

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.

Enhancing environmental engineering

No connection? No problem.

Reliable data collection and consistent process adherence are crucial, especially when your teams operate in remote areas. The offline collection capability of a field inspection management platform ensures data gathering continues uninterrupted, even without a network connection. The platform stores data on the device until it can reconnect. Moreover, field teams can enter information and access essential job resources like reference materials and maps offline, ensuring they collect the necessary data and reach their destinations efficiently.

Be precise with GIS.

The saying “location is everything” doesn’t just apply to real estate. Environmental engineering needs exact location data for inspections and team accountability. It ensures the right areas are inspected, and work is done as required. Field inspection software automatically captures geolocation data, even without network connectivity, providing proof of work, location inspections, and conditions noted.

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.

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.

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 saves time and enhances data quality. It ensures completeness, accuracy, auditability, and functionality compared to pen-and-paper methods.

Graphic of Super Engineers - environmental engineers need field inspection management software

Super environmental engineers to the rescue

When looking at the responsibilities of environmental engineers, 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.

Field inspection management software acts as a utility belt. It provides tools for daily heroics, 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.