How Spligitty Fiber Optic Revamped their Field Data Collection
Michael Hill, General Manager at Spligitty Fiber Optic Services, was a busy man. On one hand, business was good and he was working on multiple projects at once. On the other hand, all of these projects required specific instructions, information, and field data. All of which needed to be delivered to different people.
“We needed a way to collect project data in the field, in real-time, for distribution to internal and external stakeholders,” he said.
Headquartered in Montana, Spligitty Fiber Optic Services is an experienced fiber optic contractor that provides engineering, construction, splicing, and consulting throughout the United States and beyond.
In search of a way to quickly distribute field data to internal and external stakeholders.
Spligitty is a company that prides itself on providing its employees with a continual influx of current technology. “I thought, ‘there has to be a solution out there that’s easier than a manager piecemealing together a report at the end of each week,’” said Hill.
They tried creating a system internally using their existing database tools, which was not the easiest task. Then, they tried out a few different mobile forms solutions for field data collection. Some met a few of their needs. Others met a few more. But none of the solutions they tried checked all the boxes. Until they found Device Magic.
Working in rural locations meant needing to work without an Internet connection.
Most of Spligitty’s projects are focused on fiber optic splicing in rural areas.
“There were two main challenges we faced,” Hill said. “The need to collect numerous photos per task completed and the need to collect data even though there were no connections to cell or WiFi networks.” Device Magic solved both.
Device Magic gave Hill and his team the ability to create a different form for each project and deliver it directly to their field technicians’ mobile devices.
Each form had pre-determined fields that estimated the amount of time and work each project should take. This not only gives Hill the assurance that his team is doing great work, but gives the customer a more accurate picture of the work done with field data collection being completed in real-time.
“During our extensive research, we found Device Magic to be the only product that offered both embedded photos and offline data collection, in addition to the standard data collection options offered by others.”
Keeping Spligitty at the leading edge of the telecommunications industry.
Hill and his team continue to expand how they use mobile forms for field data collection.
“We’ve built a robust data collection system based on Device Magic and have expanded our use to include timecards, safety updates, vehicle inspection forms, and more.”