Read Fulcrum blog posts for field operations teams, covering mobile data collection, inspections, and daily workflows across all industries.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?”
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.
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.
The Problem
Field-based teams face many challenges operating in the diverse range of international environments in which MSI works. For instance, remote regions often lack mobile networks, or lack of infrastructure might make it impossible to find critical locations. When teams arrive, surveys need to be conducted in multiple local languages. Teams may face challenges with local authorities who might be suspicious of activities. Finally, frequently changing inspection criteria and client information requests require field teams to rapidly pivot and shift priorities.
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.
Drive superior safety and quality outcomes by closing the loop from field inspections to issue resolution to insights to action
Your field teams already collect data when they’re doing inspections. Why not use that same data to give managers operational insights?
Exploring the U.S. bridge safety crisis, inspection backlogs making it worse, and how digital inspections can help.
You can get there from here: Fulcrum delivers on-site visibility, anywhere in the world
Sure, digital field inspections keep your operations running smoothly, but that’s just the beginning of their utility.
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.
We’ll discuss how to break down your existing safety processes into distinct steps that can be digitized, enriched, and automated at scale.
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.
You’ve got to keep track of your people, your equipment, and their statuses. The question is, how?
Learn how implementing a digital field inspection management platform can help to prevent field worker inspection fraud.
By using consistent digital inspection processes, we can make our data more available for modern analysis.
This research report is jam-packed with data that will help you understand inspection-related challenges across multiple industries.
Your field teams are your eyes and ears on the ground. Their success–and yours–depends on effective field inspection programs for utilities.
Your on-site inspection teams are your eyes and ears on the ground. Their success–and yours–depends on effective field inspection programs.
Learn how to make field inspections a team sport with Fulcrum’s intelligent team automation.
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.
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.
A field inspection management platform can help them improve the productivity, agility, and auditability of inspection programs.
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 abatement initiative is imminent. The recently announced Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan seeks to finally replace lead pipes throughout the country by utilizing funds from the bipartisan infrastructure package as well as the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
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 levels of difficulty finding skilled workers.
How can you arm a rookie (novices, temps, and seasonal employees) with the experience of a 20-year veteran?
Learn about new data-driven tools that are available to effectively and efficiently improve vegetation management.
Location-enabled mobile data collection has helped Wonderful Orchards grow nutritious foods safely and efficiently.
The timely and hazardous nature of utility fieldwork demands consistent workflows that promote security and rigor. Look no further than tower inspections, where standardized SOPs ensure that different field teams carry out their tasks in the same way each time to get the job done effectively, efficiently, and safely.
Learn how utility companies can optimize their vegetation management program to help prevent blackouts and wildfires.
Like smart grids delivering data for ops and analytics, field teams can deliver a rich information flow while performing routine field work.
Learn how Fulcrum helps field teams with mobile apps
Managing multiple field service projects can place unique demands on GIS experts. Learn about repeatability best practices.
Advice on choosing a software solution that helps you improve quality, efficiency, and safety across your project sites.
Spreadsheets excel in tasks like accounting and data analysis, offering versatility and ease of use in organizing and processing information. However, when it comes to collecting field data, particularly for integration with GIS platforms, their limitations become apparent. Fieldwork demands real-time data collection, often in diverse environments with varying connectivity and conditions. Spreadsheets lack the necessary functionalities for efficiently capturing and managing this data on the go. Furthermore, the manual input required for spreadsheet-based data entry increases the risk of errors, compromising data reliability.
esThe work your field technicians do at the front lines is core to your organization, and leveraging the information they collect in the process can help your company make better decisions at every level. That makes your field teams the perfect catalyst to drive your utility’s digital transformation.
Download this free vehicle maintenance log to track fleet service history to avoid vehicle downtime.
Use this form to outline all the work agreed to be performed as part of a contract or subcontract for a construction or engineering project.
“Pretty much anyone can create an app that can be launched and used right away.”
Recent snowstorms managed to cripple the second largest state in the continental United States. Overnight, millions were left without essential services due to aging infrastructure and unprepared electrical grid’s vulnerability to severe storms. Unfortunately, with extreme weather conditions becoming increasingly common around the world, being proactive about how to respond to such disasters in the future could save time, money, resources, and most importantly, lives.
