Unirope
Unirope introduces paperless inspections with Windows Mobile® solution from N4 Systems
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Company Overview
Since 1956, Unirope Ltd. has specialized in supplying high performance rigging systems to construction, automotive and steel industry customers across North America. With more than 60 employees in offices located in Mississauga, Ontario, Montreal and Edmonton, the company is committed to ensuring the quality and safety of its products by providing testing and repair services to more than 1,500 customers across Canada.
Business Challenge
As part of its suite of services, Unirope provides customers with onsite inspection of rigging products in order to help them comply with safety standards outlined by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Inspection records are then archived for seven years and must be available to Unirope customers upon request by government inspection agencies.
Inspectors generally conduct an average of 15 to 20 inspections per day, each taking approximately five to 10 minutes to complete. A typical inspection involves examining equipment onsite for wear and recording findings on a variety of paper forms. At the end of the day, the data from the paper forms was manually inputted into Excel®-based spreadsheets at Unirope’s head office – a process that took an additional 30 to 60 minutes daily for inspectors to complete. After completing this process, data was e-mailed to the sales department where it was printed and manually converted into paper invoices or order forms, if replacement parts were deemed necessary during the process.
“Our environment was very paper-intensive. Documents were constantly being filed and faxed and our inspection technicians carried manuals and binders to keep track of their inspection forms,” says Cory Eskra, inspections manager, Unirope Ltd. “The process we had in place for recording and inputting inspection data was time consuming and redundant, as the same information needed to be inputted up to three separate times.”
Unirope wanted a solution that would allow its inspection process to become completely paperless and, at the same time, streamline its data input process and workflow.
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Solution
Unirope was introduced to Microsoft® registered partner N4 Systems in 2005. Originally the two parties met to discuss installing RFID technology to help Unirope track its inventory. But after assessing the situation and gaining an understanding of what Unirope wanted to accomplish, N4 Systems proposed a more comprehensive, customized solution based on its Windows Mobile®-enabled Field ID platform.
Field ID allows Unirope inspectors to access digital versions of their inspection forms via Windows Mobile-based handheld devices. The solution consists of three components:
| • | RFID tracking tags for easy equipment identification |
| • | A Web-based component used to access and store completed inspection forms |
| • | Windows Mobile-based handheld devices used to perform inspections, input data and transmit completed forms to the online Field ID database |
N4 Systems provided Unirope with tailored digital forms to meet the government inspection requirements of its customers. In addition, N4 Systems hosts the database and manages the servers supporting the Windows Mobile-based devices in the field. This means companies using Field ID don’t have to invest in additional infrastructure upgrades or worry about installing and supporting additional servers. N4 Systems configures the Windows Mobile-based devices and ships them directly to customers, making them ready for use out of the box.
“We developed Field ID using Visual Studio 2005, .NET Compact Framework and SQL Mobile Development,” says Shaun Ricci, CTO, N4 Systems. “We initially considered using Java to develop the solution but found that the environment was much too complicated. Upon review, we were able to determine that the Windows Mobile development environment was well supported and had a strong presence in the rugged device space.”
In September 2007 N4 Systems completed the Field ID installation and deployed Windows Mobile 6.0–powered handheld devices from Psion Teklogix across Unirope’s offices. The actual setup of the system took less than one day and Unirope inspectors were completely comfortable with the familiar Windows®-based environment on their handhelds in a matter of days.
The result is a paperless inspection process where inspectors simply complete forms by tapping ‘Yes/No’ options on the touchscreens of their mobile devices and then upload the forms directly to the Field ID online database for processing.
Business Benefits
Since deploying Field ID Unirope has achieved its original goal of eliminating paper-based inspections and is experiencing a number of added benefits.
Efficient onsite inspections
The introduction of Windows Mobile-based handhelds into Unirope’s inspection process has greatly improved onsite efficiency. Because the devices house all the necessary inspection forms electronically, paper-based forms have been completely eliminated, as have the binders and manuals Unirope inspectors needed to carry.
In addition, the built-in RFID scanners allow inspectors to simply scan a code on the equipment, which automatically identifies and brings up the corresponding forms for inspection. This is a significant improvement over the old process where inspectors needed to sift through their files to find the appropriate forms.
“The speed at which we are able to complete each inspection has greatly improved, freeing up time for other tasks,” says Eskra. “The process is faster and more accurate.”
Streamlined data flow
Field ID has also helped Unirope improve its data flow. Completed inspection forms are ported directly into the Field ID online database eliminating the need to manually input information into Unirope’s old Excel-based system. Now data is inputted once into the Windows Mobile-based devices, and the redundancies associated with having to re-input the same data into different systems has been eliminated.
Unirope has also experienced significant improvements in the way inspectors and sales personnel are able to access the data.
“Sometimes accessing data on our old system was difficult. We had to manually browse reports from previous years or search through Excel files to find a record. Now I go online, type in a serial number and all of the information I need is at my fingertips,” says Eskra.
Set and forget synchronization
The way in which Unirope inspectors enter information has been completely revamped. For example, the need to manually enter data into Excel sheets is gone. Completed inspection forms are automatically sent to the Field ID online database once a connection is determined by taking advantage of the “connection aware” capabilities of Field ID. Windows Mobile-based devices can connect to the Internet in a variety of ways including Wi-Fi, cellular Internet or through a data plan offered by a major cellular provider.
“We can input information whether we are online or offline. The form templates are stored on the devices and are automatically synchronized with the Field ID online database whenever an Internet connection is available,” says Ricci. “It allows us to choose the appropriate connection method depending on where we’re located.”
Improved Customer Service
The Field ID solution also gives Unirope’s customers direct access to their inspection reports. Previously customers needed to call in and request that paper copies be faxed to them. This was a lengthy process that could take anywhere from one to seven days depending on the request. Now customers have on-demand access to any of their inspection reports via N4 Systems’ Web interface and can print whatever they need when they need it.
In addition, the process needed to make the records available to customers has been drastically reduced. Previously, inspection records would be available to customers an average of three weeks after the inspection was completed. This was largely due to the time needed to input information into the database by hand. Records are now available within 24 hours of a completed inspection.
“Our customers really appreciate the instant access they have to their records,” says Eskra. “This is a big benefit to them as they often need to meet last-minute government inspection deadlines. Our new system ensures that they have an accurate and more detailed inspection record on demand.”
“When I look back on our old system, I can’t believe we ever went through such a complex process to manage inspections,” says Eskra. “Our new Windows Mobile-based Field ID solution is a lifesaver and we couldn’t imagine doing our job without it.”
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile brings the power of the Windows® operating system to mobile devices, helping businesses and their mobile employees stay connected while on the go. Windows Mobile runs mobile versions of Microsoft programs, including Microsoft Office Outlook® Mobile, Internet Explorer® Mobile, Pocket MSN®, Windows Media® Player Mobile, and Microsoft Office Word Mobile, PowerPoint® Mobile, and Excel® Mobile. With Windows Mobile, information workers get powerful software combined with the familiarity of Windows. Combined with available service plans and connectivity options, Windows Mobile–based devices, available from 42 device makers and 68 mobile operators in 48 countries, can be used to make calls, send e-mail and instant messages, surf the Web, and access critical business information even when users are away from the office.
More information about Windows Mobile can be found at: www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile
For More Information
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com
For more information about N4 Systems products and services, call 1.800.99.N4SYS (64797) or visit the Web site at:www.n4systems.com
For more information about Unirope Ltd. products and services, call (905) 624-5131 or visit the Web site at:www.unirope.com
