Inspectors and auditors have a difficult task. Not only are they often tasked to visit remote locations, the equipment they need to inspect can be quite complex. When tasked with an inspection it is critical that it gets done right. Failure to take care in this area could lead to financial penalties with the business. Perhaps even more worrying, faulty inspections could have health and safety implications.
At a basic level inspectors need to have good communication skills and should be detail oriented. Inspectors also need to demonstrate integrity and they should have an understanding of the appropriate laws and regulations. Finally it is important for an inspector to have a basic level of technical acumen and skill.
Now, not everyone is cut out to be an expert inspector. It requires care and diligence and an attention to detail. Fortunately, tools exist to make the job easier and more efficient, such as inspection software which digitized the inspection process. Here are some of the ways inspection management software can help your inspection process and streamline operations.
1. Manage Inspection Request
Inspection software offers a mobile solution. This helps ensure that inspectors are not tied to paper and pencil. By having a tablet or smartphone with all of the inspection details easily to hand, schedules are easier to organize and manage. Perhaps more importantly, the solution allows management to modify templates on the fly letting expert inspection managers guide inspectors in the field.
2. Improved Safety Conditions
Businesses need to ensure that their staff are in a safe working environment. Inspection management software can help ensure that this is the case in several different ways.
Firstly through the use of regular scheduled audits and inspections, management software helps track and plan inspections. Part of these scheduled inspections should include the resolution of corrective items found in earlier inspections. By taking care of safety concerns highlighted in earlier inspections, the company is ensuring that staff wellbeing is addressed.
Data analysis and trending can help identify specific items that might initially not seem critical but could be a health and safety risk if left untreated. This is often something that might not be immediately evident or even obvious.
3. Informed Data-Driven Decisions
Inspection Software makes the decision making process significantly easier. Not only is it easy to see what needs to be inspected based on historical records and schedules, any discrepancies are highlighted. By focusing inspection efforts on these discrepancies, the maintenance process is streamlined.
Inspection Software makes things easier for management also as it allows management to have real time access to the inspection data. This is significantly easier than older inspection methods. Not only did inspectors need to submit their results manually. These records had to be input into a central database, after which the data could finally be analyzed and decisions made.
Each of these steps had the potential to introduce incorrect information into the decision making process. Fortunately inspection software offers real time data entry where the information from the field gets synchronized in real time.
4. Avoid Equipment Downtime
If inspections are done regularly and well, they are extremely useful in identifying areas of interest. In addition to the actual cost of replacement equipment, additional labor costs are accrued by businesses that have staff left idle.
By inspecting equipment regularly, it is possible to extend the life of the item considerably. Often small, simple problems, left untreated can become quite critical over time. These problems might be initially inexpensive to treat. If the problem does not get addressed in a timely manner though, it could be quite expensive.
5. Ensure Compliance & Regulations
Compliance and regulations are key in many industries. These rules are set out by government bodies either in a local jurisdiction or a larger body. It is critical that businesses follow the rules set out as a failure to comply with them could lead to stiff penalties for businesses.
Regulations are in place for a variety of different reasons ranging from environmental to health and safety. Inspection software can be integrated with all of the applicable regulations ensuring that inspectors have all of the information at their fingers.
6. Schedule Planned Maintenance
Quality inspections are critical to almost every industry. Ensuring that equipment works to standard is essential and a key part of the process is having a defined inspection schedule. Inspections can be arranged around a regular cadence. Daily inspections for example could evaluate basic operations. Weekly or monthly schedules could require equipment teardown so that additional elements can be verified.
Conclusion
Expert inspectors need to be detail oriented and non judgemental when inspecting equipment. They need to know what they are looking at so should have a reasonable level of technical knowledge. In addition it is critical that they know and understand all relevant codes and guidelines to ensure that all equipment is in regulation and compliance.
Field Eagle can assist in all of these areas and can help ensure that inspections are conducted quickly, correctly and to budget.
