Mapping on hand held computers was first deployed by the Works Directorate of Noosa Council 12 months ago to manage the location and maintenance of infrastructure assets in the field. This exercise resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in paperwork and a 50 per cent cost saving over the traditional methods.
Routine risk inspections of assets are also now included in Council’s mobile mapping.
Improvements to business processes and significant cost savings has led to an explosion in the use of mobile mapping into areas which originally were not considered, such as noxious weeds mapping, environmental risk assessment and regulated parking.
Council is currently in the process of further expanding this technology to management of graves, bins, dogs, building and plumbing inspections and work orders.
Noosa’s Asset Manager, Chris Campbell, has been largely responsible for the mobile deployment. “Our initial requirement was to have mapping software that was MapInfo based, running on Windows Pocket PC devices and GPS enabled,” he said. “We assessed a number of products and finally choose GBM Mobile software developed by Exa-Min Technologies.
“Our requirements have grown as the software has developed and we have found Exa-Min to be very responsive to our needs. The capability for GBM Mobile to address a Bluetooth printer was developed specifically to meet Noosa’s requirements for its parking inspectors.”
He said the success of the software has been twofold. At the business unit level, managers have been quick to recognise the improvements to business processes and also the cost savings.
“Out in the field the high level of acceptance has come as something of a surprise,” Chris Campbell said. “We were expecting some resistance to the technology but instead field staff are generally embracing it and appreciating the time saving and the reduction in paperwork.”
For further information please visit www.geobasemap.com/products/gbm_mobile.htm
* Copy supplied by Exa-min
