Advice On The Use Of Mobile Devices For Inspection

Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) is part of the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) and is a community of over 100 scientists and staff who are based in Edinburgh and work to ensure the quality, safety and security of Scotland's food supply.  SASA's scientific work includes areas such as seed testing, crop certification, disease diagnosis, chemical analysis, surveys and training.  Sopra Group was invited to assess the feasibility of using mobile devices to help SASA improve operational efficiency.

Overview

SASA employs around 100 inspectors who conduct over 33,000 inspections each year.  Inspectors, who travel back and forth between area offices and inspection sites, were using a variety of paper forms to record inspection details.  Data recorded manually on site then had to be later input into multiple systems, which wasted a significant amount of time through duplication of effort.

SASA was keen to investigate the possibility of using a more efficient system for data capture and Sopra Group was invited to assess the viability of seed potato inspectors using mobile devices to record data on site.  The key aim of the project, therefore, was to determine the practicality of a system where the data only had to be recorded once - at source.

Background To Feasibility Study

Sopra Group Business Analysts had previously assisted the Project Board to define new business processes and requirements for its associated IT system to help streamline the process of classifying seed potato crops.  The Board had some concerns about using a new mobile recording device technology alongside a new and unproven business system.  In order to address these concerns, and because of experience with mobile computing devices,  Sopra Group was asked to advise on the feasibility and cost of using portable devices to capture and view data.

SASA needed a mobile, cost-effective and easy-to-use device with simple screens for recording data as many of the inspectors had limited IT experience, and because some inspection details were recorded on site in dark, dusty warehouses as well as in bright sunshine.  The device would also need to be particularly rugged as field inspections often take place in remote locations and in harsh weather conditions.  SASA was also keen to investigate the feasibility of using mapping and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology but as locations identified needed to be extremely accurate they were unsure if the use of GPS would comply with legal requirements.

Feasibility Study

Sopra Group's extensive knowledge of both mobile devices and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for agricultural field inspections enabled the Feasibility Study to be completed in just six weeks.  In conjunction with the stakeholders Sopra Group defined the study's assessment criteria to include the following: data transfer mechanisms; security; resilience of overall architecture; usability; robustness of device; costs; benefits; GIS & GPS capabilities; the ability to hold sketch maps and the efficiency of data capture.

In-depth knowledge of the mobile device marketplace and emerging technologies was absolutely vital for a critical assessment of the most appropriate physical device for mobile seed potato inspections.  The assessment covered: laptops; tablet PCs; Ultra-Mobile PCs; Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs); Digital Pens; Smart phones and Blackberries.

Sopra Group's recommendation was that the use of PDAs was feasible but, because of the nature of the job with its varied working locations and conditions, that wirelessly connected devices might not always be reliable.

For this reason a disconnected model was proposed to mirror the current working practices of the inspectors along with the creation of electronic versions of the existing paperwork to minimise training requirements.  In the disconnected model, XML was the proposed format for data transport to and from the PDA.

Proof Of Concept

The success of the Feasibility Study paved the way for a follow-on Proof of Concept (PoC) in which an actual inspection form was converted for PDA use.  The PoC was developed over a two-month period and was built on the Windows Mobile Platform with data being transferred to and from the SQL Server via a simple in-tray/out-tray model for both 'to-do' and completed inspections.  The PDA would then report back to, and be fed from, the back-office system.

The application was then deployed to end users who found it very practical and easy to use.

Benefits

At minimum cost and risk to SASA the Feasibility Study and Proof of Concept clearly demonstrated that using a PDA to record inspection details would offer significant advantages over continuing to use paper forms:

• The PDA was much easier to use: it contained both pre-populated information from back-end systems and drop drown lists, which also improved accuracy.
• The process of data capture was faster and simpler as the new device included tolerance warnings and auto calculations. 

The studies showed that a mobile solution would have an acceptable lifespan, require only minimal training, and, in conjunction with the improved business processes, would lead to greater accuracy and a faster service delivered to potato growers.