Mobile Apps - Inspector Freedom and Efficiency in the Field

• Industry: Local Government
• Years as a Tyler Client: 2
• Population: 16,413
• Tyler Products Used: Enterprise Permitting & Licensing, Inspection Mobile and Code Enforcement Applications

Key Challenges

• Heavy paper traffic
• Communications with back office
• Efficiency in the field

Benefits

• Real-time project communication between field, back office, and citizens
• Workflow control in office and the field
• Reduced paperwork
• Increased availability of digital documents and resources
• Reduced mileage and calls to office for information

New Perspective on Managing Code Enforcement and Inspections

Marco Island, Florida, is best known for its beaches, water, and panoramic views off the Southern Gulf Coast of Florida. It’s long been a paradise for artists and photographers, but the city is now painting a new picture of how to manage code enforcement and inspections: one of real-time, efficient customer service using Inspections Mobile and Code Enforcement Mobile, iPad applications for Tyler's Enterprise Permitting & Licensing software (powered by EnerGov).

The City of Marco Island took notice when other cities began to find ways to relieve the same challenges they were having with heavy paper traffic, back office communications, and efficiency in the field. Enterprise Permitting & Licensing, a Tyler Technologies solution, acknowledged these issues and offered a vehicle to overcome them. With that came the mobile technology they needed to work in the field in real time and serve their jurisdiction more effectively.

Real-Time Information, Communication, and Workflow Control in the Field

With four building, two fire, and three code enforcement inspectors and more than 100 assorted permits to process per week, it’s always a priority to get inspectors into the field quickly every morning. After retrieving and entering any additional inspection requests and making any necessary changes to their schedule and routes, inspectors hit the road with iPads in hand. And what has made the biggest impact? Real-time results in the field.

“Our inspectors went from not wanting an iPad to loving it,” said Lisa Loewer, Customer Service Supervisor for the City of Marco Island’s Building Services Department.

Now with mobile technology in hand, Marco Island inspectors have the ability to control several workflow functions in the field, including rescheduling, modifying, and reassigning work to other inspectors if their schedule changes. That works both ways, too.

“When an unexpected phone call for an immediate inspection comes in, I can assign it to a specific inspector and it will appear on their iPad in minutes. Our inspectors enjoy the freedom that comes with using their iPad. They’re not tied to driving back to the office 10 times per day, and they don’t have to call the office all of the time for information. We can attach documents at the permit level and they are immediately visible,” said Loewer.

Marco Island has invested heavily in scanning plans and documents to reduce the paper load and help with online document visibility. Inspectors can also access publicly available GIS-based maps of the city and vendors’ web-based material specifications to help them with real-time decision-making at inspection sites.

When Marco Island went live with their technology, a digital version of a paper inspection ticket was already available for use in the field. Inspectors saw an immediate benefit as there was no paper shuffle and they could immediately record their actions in the field as opposed to travelling back to the office and having to remember what processes they performed.

Workflow Efficiency Leads to Added Customer Service

The City of Marco Island serves as a resource for others researching the Enterprise Permitting & Licensing software. While potential customers are curious about workflow efficiencies and the potential ability to downsize once it is implemented, Loewer counters with a different perspective.

“EnerGov is well worth the money and is a powerful and robust software,” she said. “It does what we need it to do, and that helps us do more and provide more service for people.”

A small staff can get big results with the right technology. The City of Marco Island has proven it. Inspectors are now more empowered with workflow control, availability of digital documents and resources, and real-time communication from the field. In turn, they have been rewarded with a decrease in paper flow, increased productivity, and savings in time and travel from the field — all proof they made the right choice in partnership with Tyler Technologies.