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The Fulcrum Focus

Stay in the know with thought leadership, product updates, and latest news on field inspection and data collection topics.

Screenshot of Fulcrum digital inspection software in use doing a defensible space inspection
April 24, 2023
3 min read

Property inspection software success stories

We love sharing the innovative ways our clients use Fulcrum to make their field inspection tasks easier, faster, and more comprehensive. Today we focus on clients using Fulcrum to inspect properties, both indoors and outdoors, for their customers and the public. Read on to learn how Fulcrum has transformed the way they do their work!

Choosing compliance graphic representation - EPA audit compliance made easier with field inspection software
April 20, 2023
5 min read

EPA audit compliance made easier with field inspection software

The EPA’s Audit Policy encourages companies to voluntarily admit any environmental violations they may have committed. This policy offers incentives for self-disclosure including up to 100 percent reduction of gravity-based penalties and declining to recommend self-reporting entities for criminal prosecution. It’s a great way for companies to take responsibility for their actions and make things right, and be rewarded for taking the initiative to do so.

Fulcrum app using Esri - Fulcrum maps change today feature image
April 12, 2023
2 min read

Product update: Fulcrum maps change today

Get great results by default with Esri
Great news! Beginning April 12, 2023, Esri’s GIS software becomes the default mapping tool in Fulcrum’s mobile platform.

Graphic of Super Engineers - environmental engineers need field inspection management software
March 22, 2023
3 min read

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.

Worker performing a safety inspection using a tablet - New rules, higher fines - OSHA compliance in 2023
March 22, 2023
4 min read

New rules, higher fines – OSHA compliance in 2023

As companies get fully back to work following several tumultuous years, OSHA is reasserting its presence and re-emphasizing the importance of workplace safety and OSHA compliance. 

Why OSHA inspection software is much bigger than compliance
March 16, 2023
4 min read

Why OSHA inspection software is much bigger than compliance

Safety inspections can sometimes make you feel like outsiders are trying to find fault with your work. OSHA, of course, requires you to conduct safety inspections, but so do insurance providers, investors, unions, contractors, and state and local agencies. 

Man performing an inspection on tablet at a construction site - Optimize your mobile data collection processes
March 9, 2023
5 min read

Optimize your mobile data collection processes

 Mobile  data collection is the most common business activity in the world. You may not recognize the term or even call it something else, but you’ve probably already collected field data at your job today. Whether you’re going through a checklist, taking product inventory, or doing an inspection, you’re collecting information to help you decide if the checklist is complete or not, whether you need to stock up, or if SOPs were followed. 

Man performing a safety inspection using a tablet using health and safety inspection software
March 9, 2023
4 min read

Using health and safety inspection software to keep field teams safe

Health and safety risks are ongoing concerns for any organization with field operations, particularly when teams are isolated from the home office or deployed to unfamiliar environments. When field teams don’t have the right knowledge or tools to identify and mitigate potential hazards, safety risks increase, especially if they are isolated or lack resources in emergencies. 

Checking boxes on a mobile app - mobile apps for data collection
March 9, 2023
5 min read

Best practices for creating mobile apps for data collection

How you design your mobile apps for data collection, incorporating the best data collection software, has far-reaching consequences for not just how data is collected, processed, and analyzed, but also the quality of the data. The following best practices will help you plan and create mobile field data collection apps that will produce the best possible data to answer your most pressing questions.

Men working on pole repairing and moving lines from a cherry picker - utility pole inspections
February 27, 2023
2 min read

Utility pole inspection software success stories

 Utility poles are everywhere, so much a part of the landscape that we don’t even notice them. That is, unless something goes wrong. A power or cable outage due to a defective utility pole is bad, sure. But did you know that about 10% of California’s wildfires are caused by utility pole failures, including Camp Fire, the worst wildfire in California state history? Utility companies face high stakes, necessitating a strict inspection schedule to maintain their utility poles in optimal condition.

Industrial engineer using quality assurance inspection software on a tablet to perform inspection
February 27, 2023
4 min read

How quality assurance inspection software is critical for an effective quality program

Quality assurance inspections keep operations running smoothly but require effective data collection to assess if work is up to standards, identify problem areas to improve, and avoid rework. 

Construction worker performing safety inspection at job site - Save lives (and time and money) with safety management software
January 31, 2023
4 min read

Save lives (and time and money) with safety management software

Delivering projects on time and within budget is no easy feat, requiring laser focus on a wide range of issues, from quality inspections to asset management, process execution to safety measures.

Engineering or technicians or contractor wearing safety uniform, installation solar panel of solar power plant on the roof of the building and check the working system through the application on the tablet - Using data to nurture a culture of quality in the field
January 11, 2023
4 min read

Using data to nurture a culture of quality in the field

Whether critical installations or safety inspections, field teams perform a wide range of essential functions for many companies. By the nature of their work, however, field teams risk being isolated from not just the main office, but from the very processes which produce quality work. When field teams fall behind a quality curve, potential rework and unchecked safety hazards can threaten both bottom-lines and business reputations. And if they’re isolated, field teams may not adopt the culture of quality that safety managers strive so hard to cultivate.

Concrete Masonry Inspection With Tablet Field Data For Government
January 5, 2023
3 min read

Fulcrum for data collection: Part III – government

For the last installment of Fulcrum for Field Data Collection software, we explore the stories of some of our government clients – enjoy!

worker performing a field inspection using a tablet - Best field operations solution feature image
January 3, 2023
3 min read

Use platform features – not product categories – to choose the best field operations solution

So you’re looking to do some field inspections, field ops, field data collection, field audits, field inventories, or collecting any  information in the field, and are sick of walking around with a tattered notebook and an on again-off again working pen. Your team has talked it over, and have decided that digital is the best bet for your field operations solution. But where to start?

Elf on the Shelf watching, judging - Fulcrum elf on the shelf
December 19, 2022
3 min read

How Fulcrum field inspection software helps Elf on the Shelf

Optimizing Santa’s away team: Elf on the Shelf
Most of us have heard of Santa’s omniscience in knowing and grading children’s behavior on a simple pass/fail (bad/good) scale. But in the past few years, there’s been an exciting new development in the whole “Naughty/Nice List” tradition in the form of mass market Elf on the Shelf (shown below being all smug and judgmental). These elves are made to surveil children in the weeks before Christmas, covertly reporting back to Santa what they witness for ease of naughty/nice determination.

Cybersecurity stock image - Better security and lower risk through SCIM
December 8, 2022
< 1 min read

Better security and lower risk through SCIM

Centralized provisioning of Fulcrum now available
Fulcrum continues to pursue platform developments supporting not only our users responsible for field inspections, but also the IT teams responsible for making sure they have the right inspection tools in hand to do their jobs. We’re pleased to announce that we do both with our recent adoption of SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management). This update allows users to provision and deprovision Fulcrum using centralized identity management platforms such as Okta and Azure.

A HALO survey officer using a tablet to collect data about a minefield from farmers in Otdar Meanchey Province, Cambodia - Fulcrum data collection forms for non-profits
December 5, 2022
3 min read

Fulcrum data collection forms: Part II – Non-profits

Welcome to the second of our series of stories around clients using Fulcrum to perform data collection in the field. For Part 2, we have non-profit organizations that use Fulcrum’s data collection forms in the field for charitable pursuits.

Navigational pin on GPS map - Location intelligence for smarter field inspections
December 1, 2022
2 min read

Location intelligence for smarter field inspections

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.

Fulcrum field data collection and process management platform
November 30, 2022
3 min read

Fulcrum for Data Collection: Part I – Companies

While at Fulcrum we often talk about inspections, what about the clients who use software not strictly for inspections, but for collecting field data? 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 richer, more comprehensive data in less time and with fewer resources. For Part 1, we have corporate organizations that use Fulcrum to perform real-time data collection software functions in their important work around the world.

A turkey on fire - Thanksgiving Safety with Fulcrum
November 21, 2022
3 min read

Thanksgiving Safety (or, it’s all fun and games until someone burns the house down)

It’s the time of year when: 

Wooden utility pole - Osmose Utilities Services selects Fulcrum to automate pole assessments
November 16, 2022
2 min read

Osmose Utilities Services selects Fulcrum to automate pole assessments

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 Fulcrum’s SaaS field inspection platform.

Worker using tablet to perform safety check in industrial setting - EHS efficiency via custom digital checklists
November 15, 2022
4 min read

Make your EHS program more productive and efficient with digital field inspections

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.

Screenshot of Fulcrum with Esri - Commercial Provider agreement with Esri
November 14, 2022
2 min read

Fulcrum enters definitive Commercial Provider agreement with Esri

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.

Worker on tablet using field safety management software while standing under unfinished bridge during work on construction site
November 9, 2022
7 min read

Field safety management software is the foundation of an effective safety management program

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.

Electric utility worker performing visual inspection on tower using tablet - data collection software for utility
November 7, 2022
4 min read

Four reasons why “not a good time” is the BEST time to switch to data collection software for utility field operations

Making the switch from pen and paper
Maybe you’ve been contemplating making the switch from pen and paper for your utility pole inspections. Or thought about moving from collecting data on optical loss on fiber optic cable using a spreadsheet typed on a laptop on the hood of your car in the middle of nowhere. However, you don’t get any further because this isn’t the right time to upgrade to data collection software for utility field operations.

Worker using a tablet to perform an inspection on production floor Improve safety, quality, and consistency with digital SOPs feature image
November 7, 2022
5 min read

Improve safety, quality, and consistency with digital SOPs

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, digital SOPs also have considerable benefits at a wider, enterprise level.

Trick-or-treaters on phone apps - Fulcrum for trick-or-treat with maximum sweets feature image
October 28, 2022
5 min read

Fulcrum for trick-or-treat with maximum sweets

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?”

Worker performing inspection on solar panels on a tablet using Fulcrum tools for data collection
October 24, 2022
< 1 min read

Fulcrum’s new, easy-to-use tools gives field inspectors what they need to succeed

Hi Fulcrum fans! When looking for new ways to improve Fulcrum tools, we go to the source:  our users. We did our homework. We spent time with you and your field teams to understand how Fulcrum could make your jobs easier. Our goal was to enhance your teams’ productivity. As a result of this field research with you, our customers, we’re delighted to introduce new features and functionality. These changes make using Fulcrum more intuitive, user-friendly, and powerful than ever.

Digitizing fire inspections clears backlog and save lives
October 13, 2022
4 min read

Digitizing fire inspections clears backlog and save lives

Trained professionals conduct regular fire safety inspections to save lives. They ensure compliance with safety regulations. In addition, they assess the functionality of equipment, including sprinkler systems, smoke alarms, fire doors, and alarms. Inspectors also check for hazards such as outdated wiring and insulation, contributing significantly to building safety and fire prevention.

Worker performing a digital field safety inspection in a manufacturing plant
October 10, 2022
3 min read

How digital field safety inspection software helps you do more with less

If you’re a safety manager, it sometimes might feel as though the world is conspiring against you.

Man performing inspection of a semi tractor using a platform to do field inspections for fleet management
August 31, 2022
3 min read

Benefits of digital field inspections for fleet management

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 for fleet management can help minimize risk – and address problems when they develop.

Construction workers building concrete wall in summer sun - heat safety for construction workers
August 4, 2022
3 min read

Keeping cool when the world is on fire: construction worker heat safety

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 excess of 104°F buckled roads and melted tar roofs. Back in North America, places that were always hot are hotter for longer, while other more temperate locales are regularly seeing record-breaking temps.  Our summer summary? It’s hot, often miserably so, in a lot of the world for months at a time. While many people spend their days in air-conditioned homes and offices, what of those who make their living outdoors?

Female Construction Worker Performing Field Inspection Using Cell Phone
July 22, 2022
2 min read

Closing the loop between field inspection and meaningful action

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.

Two chefs consulting a tablet while performing food inspections in a commercial kitchen
July 7, 2022
4 min read

The danger of food hygiene inspection backlogs – and how a digital field inspection platform can help

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.

Two construction workers consulting a tablet to perform a safety inspection showcasing how safety measures help with construction labor shortages
June 22, 2022
3 min read

Impact of construction labor shortages on safety

As recently reported in a Wall Street Journal article, the construction industry has struggled with labor shortages for some time. The retirement of many older workers is one factor. Young people’s reluctance to enter construction is another. These factors coincide with a construction boom stemming from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, further exacerbating labor shortfalls.

Three construction workers performing safety inspection on site showing how tech leads to safer construction sites
June 14, 2022
4 min read

Self-training and self-inspections lead to safer construction sites

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.

A collapsing bridge showing the necessity of bridge inspections
June 13, 2022
6 min read

Making bridges safer with digital inspections – part 2 of 2

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 will provide an additional $12.5 billion for projects through 2026.

A concreate bridge with serious structural deterioration - Making bridges safer with digital bridge inspection software
June 13, 2022
4 min read

Making bridges safer with digital bridge inspection software – part 1 of 2

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. The need for making bridges safer is arguably the most visible, serious, and long-standing infrastructure issue targeted by the Infrastructure Bill. Even beyond the tragic loss of life or property damage, a bridge disaster has a chilling effect because of their ubiquity of use, where 178 million trips are taken across structurally deficient bridges every day.

A man doing a biological survey in a river using a tablet and measuring device - The role of digital field inspections in controlling invasive species
May 11, 2022
4 min read

The role of digital field inspections in controlling invasive species

From mussels to birds, hornets to fish, invasive species of every kind are wreaking havoc on people, property, and other species in the ecosystems they invade. This growing problem emphasizes the critical importance of controlling invasive species to mitigate their destructive impact.

A man performing an inspection using a tablet showing how digital inspections can help eliminate inspection backlog
May 11, 2022
5 min read

Eliminate inspection backlog with digital checklists

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 inspection backlogs.

Group of people using inspection team automation software
April 19, 2022
2 min read

Using Fulcrum’s Intelligent Team Automation to unify inspection teams

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.

Worker performing inspection of building mechanicals - inspections for condo safety
April 12, 2022
3 min read

Inspections for condo safety

The 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, tragically resulted in nearly a hundred deaths. This disaster raised serious concerns about condo safety.

Worker performing inspection of construction work - How to ensure (and prove) safety and quality under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
April 12, 2022
4 min read

How to ensure (and prove) safety and quality under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act introduces new standards for construction and engineering firms. Companies seeking federal funding must now comply with various oversight and evaluation criteria. These criteria span state, local, and federal levels. Compliance is essential for firms to qualify for infrastructure projects under this act.

Four workers on a construction site consulting a tablet - Intelligent team automation
March 29, 2022
2 min read

Transform your tried-and-true to improved-and-new with Intelligent Team Automation

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 work.

Water pipe with leak gushing water - using inspection tech to uncover water utility leaks
March 13, 2022
4 min read

Using inspection tech to find leaks and inefficiencies in drinking water delivery

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.

Worker performing a field inspection using a tablet - combating inspection fraud
February 22, 2022
3 min read

Trust but verify: combating inspector fraud

In late 2021, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) encountered a severe problem. A former contract worker was accused of falsifying up to 3,000 electric system inspections over two years. The deception was revealed when a power pole, allegedly inspected and declared free of rot, collapsed into a residential backyard. It sent a live electrical wire into a swimming pool, fortunately without causing any injuries.

Worker performing inspection using tablet at construction site - digital field inspection management platform
February 17, 2022
3 min read

High-tech solutions to offset low-tech problems

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. In this dynamic environment, digital field inspection management platforms have become increasingly important.

Man performing safety inspection at industrial plant using a tablet - Buyer’s guide to safety and inspection software
February 10, 2022
2 min read

Buyer’s guide to safety and inspection software

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? ‍

Exhausted construction worker at construction site - combating construction industry burnout
February 7, 2022
2 min read

Combating construction industry burnout

onstruction 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.

A plant manager using a laptop for learning at Fulcrum Academy
February 3, 2022
2 min read

Step up your game with Fulcrum Academy