The Fulcrum Focus

You may know that Fulcrum is the only field inspection platform that automatically delivers location information with every inspection, every data point, every task, and every issue. But how does Fulcrum’s geolocation capability play out over different titles and job functions? We’ve explored just that in our new infographic, Location Intelligence for Smarter Field Inspections. […]

While at Fulcrum we often talk about inspections, what about the clients who use software not strictly for inspections, but for collecting data in the field? In the next few weeks we’ll be sharing some examples of clients whose use case doesn’t fit the mold of field inspections, and how they use Fulcrum to collect […]

It’s the time of year when:  it’s dark when you leave for work. . . and when you get out of work your Halloween pumpkins are rotting memories that no one is willing to touch long enough to throw out, and holiday music is a non-stop fixture whenever you venture out of the house In […]

When the leading provider of mobile inspection services for utilities makes the switch from the incumbent – its proprietary, in-house software for pole assessments and field inspections – to an outside vendor, it’s a big deal. Osmose Utilities Services Company has done just that, swapping out its homegrown mobile pole inspections and evaluations application to […]

Environmental, health, and safety inspections (EHS) are one of the most effective measures to identify, prevent, and remediate threats to employee and public safety, quality work, and overall business operations. Potentially dangerous conditions, if undetected, can lead to workplace or public injury, illness, or fatality, but also extend beyond the worker to include property damage, […]

Great news! Fulcrum has entered a definitive Commercial Provider agreement with Esri™ to build on the Esri technology stack. What does that mean? Let’s break it down. Fulcrum commercial provider agreement with Esri You already know that Fulcrum is the leading solution for field inspections and data collection, particularly when location capabilities are critical. And […]

With unsafe working conditions causing thousands of workers deaths and injuries each year, alongside tens of thousands of safety violations, workplaces are rightfully regulated. For a wide range of industries, safety inspections are the frontline tool that make jobs, workers, and sites safer, as well as prevent OSHA fines, lawsuits, and even corporate criminal prosecutions. […]

Making the switch from pen and paper to utility pole inspection software for data collection and more Have you been contemplating making the switch from pen and paper for your utility pole inspections. . . Or moving from collecting data on optical loss on fiber optic cable using a spreadsheet typed on a laptop on […]

Ubiquitous across industries, a standard operating procedure (SOP) is a series of step-by-step instructions that help workers successfully and efficiently execute routine tasks. While incredibly useful to our everyday work, SOPs also have considerable benefits at a wider, enterprise level. Unfortunately, many companies rely on sluggish analog workflows and word-of-mouth or paper versions of SOPs […]

October 2020 was the turning point in the trick-or-treat journey for young Emily, now 14. “The weather was terrible that day,” she recalls. “I mean, it’s northern Illinois so what do you expect, but really? 34 degrees and sleeting?” The fateful day began with the then-12-year-old Emily, dressed as Harley Quinn, venturing outdoors in for […]

Hi Fulcrum fans! When looking for new ways to improve Fulcrum, we go to the source:  our users. We did our homework, and spent time with you and your field teams to understand how Fulcrum could make your jobs easier, and your teams more productive. As a result of this field research with you, our […]

Regularly scheduled fire safety inspections performed by trained professionals are necessary to save lives, ensuring that safety processes are followed, and fire safety equipment is functional. Inspecting the working order of components like sprinkler systems, smoke alarms, fire doors, and fire alarms, as well as checking for outdated wiring and insulation hazards, plays an essential […]

If you’re a safety manager, it sometimes might feel as though the world is conspiring against you. ‍Now that crushing lockdowns are in the rear view, and supply chain woes are easing up, things can finally go back to normal. But then the experienced workers you counted on retired, or left the industry, or just […]

If it’s got four (or 18) wheels, sooner or later it will give you problems.  From maintenance headaches to inspection snags to outright accidents, a lot can go wrong when you’re dealing with one vehicle, not to mention a fleet of them. A digital field inspection platform can help minimize risk – and address problems […]

It’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s been a long hot summer: at 40.3°C (104.5°F) the UK logged its hottest day ever, a week-long heatwave in Spain and Portugal saw temps of over 114°F and caused the deaths of over 1,000 people, while in China one of a series of heatwaves brought temperatures in […]

Does your company use an open-loop or closed-loop field inspection management program? Not sure? In a nutshell, open-loop inspection management means you’re doing inspections, fixing things you note on the spot, but then that’s it. For closed-loop, you do the inspection, fix anything that might need fixing right away, then the best part: You take […]

By regulating, inspecting, and licensing food providers, local and state health departments ensure the hygiene and safety of the food we eat at all the various points in the supply chain, from distribution centers to grocery stores and restaurants. Whether inspecting establishments, investigating citizen complaints, or enforcing compliance with sanitation standards, environmental health and safety […]

As recently reported in a Wall Street Journal article, the construction industry has struggled with labor shortages for some time. However, with the retirement of many older workers, the reluctance of young people to take construction jobs, and the construction boom just beginning because of the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the construction industry will […]

According to the latest OSHA statistics on workplace safety, the construction industry remains one of the most dangerous occupational sectors, accounting for over 170,000 nonfatal injuries and representing around 25% of all worker fatalities in the US in 2020 — roughly 3 deaths per day, and the third highest fatality rate of any industry. The […]

A new hope The Infrastructure Bill provides states with additional resources to make long overdue infrastructure improvements. Under a program specifically targeting bridges, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) will distribute more than $27.5 billion to states for bridge repairs over the next five years, in addition to a newly-created DoT discretionary bridge program which […]

The day that President Biden arrived in Pittsburgh to give a speech on the Infrastructure Bill – a recently-approved $1 trillion investment in the country’s failing infrastructure – a bridge collapsed just outside the city center. Nobody was killed, but many were injured, and the irony of the timing is striking. Bridge safety is arguably […]

From mussels to birds, hornets to fish, invasive species of every kind are wreaking havoc on the people, property, and other species of the ecosystems into which they migrate. An invasive species is an organism that is not native to a particular area but, upon its introduction, multiplies so rapidly that it negatively affects the […]

After an elevator went into freefall in Atlanta in August 2021, killing one man, it was found that the elevator in question was long overdue for an inspection because, across the state, many had not been inspected in 2020 due to COVID-related delays. Squeezed on two major fronts – a skilled labor shortage of industry-shaking […]

So, we’ve launched Intelligent Team Automation. You might have seen the video, the webinar,  the press release, or our launch blog – or maybe all the above. Today we’re going to do a little more in-depth analysis into one of the core capabilities of Intelligent Team Automation:  unifying inspection teams while optimizing each role. While […]

The 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida resulted in almost a hundred deaths. The causes of the building collapse were many and still openly contested, ranging from structural flaws present when the building was initially erected, work done at an adjacent building weakening the already compromised condo, and corrosion […]

Under the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, construction and engineering companies vying for federal funding will be required to meet a range of oversight and evaluation criteria at the state, local, and federal levels if they want to be considered for work. And one of the more important criteria will likely be the level […]

Doing field inspections is nothing new. Even back in the Stone Age, when Fred Flintstone was done with his workday at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company, Mr. Slate probably came around with a stone tablet and a small dinosaur with a sharp beak to chisel in the results of a field inspection of Fred’s […]

Drinking water comes to you from the 1+ million miles of water pipes that make up America’s water infrastructure system, many of which were put in place in the early-to-mid 1900s. But with a lifespan of 75 to 100 years, this system is starting to show its age. While quality remains relatively high, the American […]

Late in 2021, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) faced a nightmare scenario: a former contract worker was alleged to have falsified as many as 3,000 electric system inspection reports over the last two years. The fake inspection results came to light when a power pole that had been supposedly inspected and found free of rot […]

It’s been a wild ride for the construction industry.  First we have the pluses: a surge in construction spending due to pent up demand post-lockdown, $550 billion in federal funding which will spur large infrastructure projects, and a (temporarily) red-hot housing market leading to new residential housing starts increase of 15.6% in 2021. Then we […]

So, you’ve made the decision to stop using paper forms and modernize your firm’s field safety inspection management processes, and you need to pick out a software platform. But how do you know which one is best for your company’s needs? ‍ **Pro tip: automatically choosing the cheapest option is almost always a mistake.** We’re […]

Construction work is hard. Between long, irregular hours, job insecurity, challenging work environments with extremes in temperature and exposure to the elements, wear and tear on the body, and the threat of injuries, it’s no wonder that construction workers are more at risk of burnout than any other field. Ways to combat burnout As the […]

‍ The Fulcrum field inspection management platform is incredibly versatile, with functionality to power field operations, intelligent decision making, and more, with virtually unlimited business applications. But that very power can sometimes be daunting – where to start? And, once you’ve started, how do you learn how to make the most of the platform? The […]

In its 2021 Global Construction Survey, global auditing firm KPMG reports that nearly 60% of construction and engineering companies interviewed agree that visibility into (and integration of) risks associated with enterprises, portfolios and projects is important for capital project success. Let’s unpack that. Construction is a risky business, with worries including labor, materials, and the […]

So, we’ve discussed the problem of construction rework, and the devastating effect it can have on your deadlines and your profits. We’ve also shared how digital quality inspections can help open lines of communication, empower employees to follow the latest processes for quality assurance, and deliver location-based insights to keep supervisors in the know about […]

Although the use of lead in public water systems was banned in 1986 by the EPA, an estimated 15 to 22 million Americans’ drinking water supply still comes from lead service lines. Now, after 35 years of waffling, grandfathering, and stopgap measures, it looks as though a comprehensive lead pipe replacement initiative is imminent. The […]

OSHA makes your company do safety inspections. So do your insurers, your investors, your unions, your contractors, your state and local agencies. At times it may seem like a line of people is at your front door with pen and clipboard in one hand and a flashlight in the other, looking to nitpick and find […]

Like most governmental agencies, OSHA is not immune to political will, and the numbers of inspectors can vary wildly from administration to administration.  In 1980, for example, there were 3,063 workplaces for each OSHA inspector; in 2020, there were 9,286.  Further demonstrating OSHA’s diminishment: in 2010, there were the same number of OSHA inspectors (1,106) […]

Few words make a construction contractor’s heart sink faster than “rework” – redoing or correcting work that was not done correctly the first time. Construction work is all about margins – margins for time, employees, and profit – and these margins are notoriously thin. When something must be redone, or worse, dismantled and then redone, […]

Physical work can be hard, dirty, and dangerous – and sometimes even deadly. With about 5,000 worker deaths per year, it’s not hard to see why workplaces are so highly regulated, and why safety is such a priority. And the tool that’s at the forefront of keeping workers safe, and companies from running afoul with […]

Having problems finding skilled construction workers? You’re not alone. The labor shortage has hit the construction industry particularly hard: home builder contractors estimate that nearly three-quarters of a million construction workers will be needed each year to keep up with demand and account for attrition, while 92% of commercial construction contractors report moderate to high […]

Project safety and bottom line growth Construction contractors are developing a new way of thinking when it comes to their safety programs. Construction safety inspections and field inspection management are no longer “a necessary evil” but are an integral part of doing good business. They have an effect on the bottom line that extends beyond […]

You can achieve a robust safety program – and the benefits that come with it – by promoting an overall safety-driven culture through your people.  In a biannual survey of contractors, the SmartMarket Report Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2021 from the Dodge Construction Network, in partnership with CPWR and Newmetrix, make this very […]

Santa’s Helper: Mobile Inspection Apps After these insights into Santa’s operations, we were at first horrified, but then compelled to try to help. So, in the spirit of Christmas giving, we are offering this personal, heartfelt appeal to the Jolly Old Elf himself to get back on track:  mobile field inspection apps. We know you […]

The recent release of the widely-read annual Dodge Report on Safety Management in the Construction Industry once again underlines how training is a critical part of safety management, a position supported by findings which show that contractors are committed to offering safety training to their workers.  A more worrying aspect of the report, however, is […]

Part 2 of 3 Sleigh Ride of Peril The danger to Santa and his elves does not end at the workshop door. We also have threats on Christmas Eve, when Santa ventures out to deliver the presents. The hazards Santa and his reindeer encounter at nearly every house include: Up on the rooftop, reindeer falls. […]

Can you get good inspection data from old inspection collection methods? Probably not. The problems with using a paper-based system to collect safety data are many and far-reaching, and companies that rely on paper checklists to demonstrate OSHA compliance risk running into regulatory trouble.  The main problem with paper forms is there’s nothing to stop […]

Regardless of industry, OSHA compliance is an ongoing challenge for any company. While agreeing that regulations are necessary to ensure worker safety, people can still note that complying with them can be an incredible burden as companies’ responsibilities include: Providing the policies and training that comply with OSHA requirements Documenting their safety training and inspection […]

The recent release of the widely-circulated annual SmartMarket Report Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2021 from the Dodge Construction Network, in partnership with CPWR and Newmetrix, re-confirms one of their long-standing findings: contractors consistently report that safety programs have a wide range of positive impacts on their business as a whole.  Reported by 78% […]

Part 1 of 3 Upon discovering that Fulcrum Marketing’s own Nick Brewer was once a resident of the North Pole, I jumped at the chance to take advantage of his contacts to get a feel-good story about Santa the holiday legend and his operations. This is not that story. Talking to Nick, he gave me […]

The labor shortage has put general contractors in a rough spot – not only are they having to settle for workers who are inexperienced, but they also must pay them top dollar. Understanding that experienced workers are both in short supply and incredibly costly, contractors will be forced to make do with novices, temps, and […]