The Challenge
The council manually processed building consent and approvals for more than 3000 inspections annually, which compromised timeliness and data quality. It needed a new inspection and booking solution, as well as a mobile field capture application, to increase efficiency, transparency and flexibility.
The Solution
Datacom had already proved its promise to Marlborough District Council in 2013 when it implemented the Sphere platform for online services, including LIM and employment applications. This new Software as a Service (SaaS) platform can deliver smart forms to mobile devices and would enable inspectors to work offline and synchronise data to automate back-office tasks.
With 3G coverage, inspectors can now instantly update records and property owners and builders have immediate access to inspection details via the council’s website. Administrators can assign jobs by seeing availability and routes on the same screen via Google Maps. Email and SMS inspection reminders have become invaluable to customers.
The project was implemented in parallel with a similar rollout for Palmerston North City Council. The collaborative engagement between both councils to share processes has ensured consistent outcomes.
“We were impressed with Datacom’s project and development team throughout. The way they worked in partnership towards the end goal was particularly impressive.”
Stacey Young – CIO, Marlborough District Council