Water Board Improves Productivity with Motion F5 Tablet PC

21st December 2009

“The F5 is at least a pound lighter than many of the other semi-ruggedized computers we tested—so we were initially unsure about its durability; but, after using the F5s over time, I don’t think that any other semi-rugged PC could hold up as well in the harsh environments our technicians sometimes encounter.”

Technology Analyst, Market Leading Water Board Company

Industry

Municipal Water Board

Customer Profile

A Market Leading Water Board, serving 1.3M residents, is committed to providing its customers with highquality water and excellent service through responsible and creative stewardship of assets.

Business Situation

The leading Water Board wanted to identify a technology that would help conservation technicians more efficiently measure the success of its programs. They needed a highly portable computing device that could withstand the harsh conditions associated witha mobile workforce that often encountered wet ordusty conditions.

Solution

The Motion F5 stood out with its highly mobile and rugged design, molded handle, light weight and integrated camera.

Benefits and Results

• Increased compliance withwater restrictions

• Decreased travel times and costs

• Improved field productivity

• Improved documentation

In late 2007 a technology analyst forthe said Water Board Organisation was tasked with identifying and developing solutions that would enable it to better educate its customers and more efficiently measure the success of its water conservation programs. In addition to the development of an effective Customer Information System (CIS), the analyst was responsible for selecting the best mobile device for field technicians.

The Motion F5 stood out with its highly mobile design, molded handle, light weight and integrated camera. When compared to other rugged devices, the F5 was lighter in weight while rugged enough to suit the utility’s outdooruse, and its 10 inch screen enabled full PC capabilities whetherin the office orin the field. It easily beat out other devices developed for rugged outdooruse.

Conservation Efforts

The Market Leading Water Board Company is committed to providing its customers with highquality water and excellent service through responsible and creative stewardship of the assets they manage. The organization, its region’s oldest and largest water utility, serves high quality-water and promotes its efficient use to 1.3M people in its area.

In 2003, the Water Board company experienced a significant drought. As a result, it initiated several conservation programs aimed at reducing water waste. While citizens reduced water use during the drought, when the water shortage ended usage patterns began to rise. Realizing that water conservation works best if consistently applied, the Water Board Company created a program to significantly reduce water use on a consistent basis through education and better enforcement of restrictions.

New water use guidelines, impacting both residences and businesses, consisted of a variety of rules that would help conserve water, such as limiting the time of day and numberof days that irrigation can occur. And with more than one million customers, it was important to adopt technology solutions that would help bettermonitor and control water use across its entire service area.

Monitoring Water Conservation Programs

In an effort to help limit water use as it regions population continued to grow, the Water Board initiated several programs that would limit water use. After implementing the programs, the organization wanted the ability to identify which of them were successful. So, a team of water conservation technicians were deployed to monitor and enforce water use guidelines. Teams were instructed to first warn, then site and finally fine violators, and those violators that continued to ignore guidelines ultimately lost access to water.

In late 2007 a technology analyst forthe Water Board was tasked with identifying and developing tracking solutions that would enable it to better educate its customers and more efficiently measure the success of the water conservation programs. In addition to the development of an effective Customer Information System (CIS), the analyst was responsible for selecting the best mobile device forfield technicians.

“We knew we needed a rugged device, and we also knew that our technicians would need full PC functionality in a highly mobile and portable design,” said the analyst. “Ourpaper-based process was inefficient and time consuming, so we did a thorough review to identify the PC that would best meet our needs.”

The Right Mobile Device

Knowing that he was in search of a rugged, fully-functional PC, the analyst brought in several different types of devices. Witha thorough understanding for the highly mobile nature of technician workflows, and knowing the devices would be subjected to wet or dirty conditions, it was important to get a field tool that would enable technicians to access and update files, while also withstanding harsh outdoor elements.

The Motion F5 stood out with its highly mobile design, molded handle, light weight, and integrated camera. When compared to otherrugged devices, the F5 was chosen because it was lighter in weight while rugged enough to suit the utility’s outdoorapplication, and its 10 inch screen enabled full PC capabilities whetherin the office orin the field. Additionally, its highly mobile design easily beat out other devices developed for rugged outdoor use.

“The F5 is at least a pound lighter than many of the other fully ruggedized computers we tested – so we were initially unsure about its durability,” added the analyst. “But, after using the F5s over time, I don’t think that any other rugged PC could hold up as well in the harsh environments our technicians sometimes encounter.”

Now, equipped with the F5s, technicians begin theirworkday with customerfiles fully accessible on the PC. Throughout the day they monitorwater use, and when they identify violators they can electronically document the appropriate information for a citation, and easily incorporate a photo into the record by utilizing the integrated digital camera. When back in the office, they can connect to the F5’s docking station and Bluetooth keyboard for full desktop replacement functionality.

“The fully sealed design of the F5 leaves me confident that devices will stay protected while users are out in the field,” said the analyst. “We’re confident that we’ve supplied our technicians with the tools they need to more efficiently do their jobs, with a device that is sure to withstand the conditions of their work environment.”

“We’re confident that we’ve supplied our technicians with the tools they need to more efficiently do their jobs.”

Motion Computing F5 Semi-Rugged Tablet PC is now available from Box Technologies, to find out more please visit www.boxtechnologies.com or call a member of our dedicated sale team on 01844 264000