Microsoft Technology Center Displays Capturx

We’re honored to have Capturx Solutions on display at the Chicago Microsoft Technology Center.

As long term Microsoft Partner and Gold Independent Software Vendor (ISV), Adapx has been integrating into such marquee solutions as…

• Microsoft SharePoint Server - learn more here.
• Microsoft Office Excel - learn more here.
• Microsoft Office OneNote - learn more here.

You can experience how the Capturx forms solutions work with Microsoft Surface Pro Tablets at the Chicago MTC.  View the 1-min video demo.

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“So what does the ROI look like?”

We get this question a lot! While every team and process is different – all Capturx customers come to us with the same challenge of getting instant access to paper-based data from the field.

In our increasingly connected and just-in time world, a key challenge is getting data off paper in a timely way so the information can be quickly integrated into corporate systems and workflows. Completed forms are usually driven, shipped or scanned and emailed back to the main office where they wait for manual data entry. Other processes and decisions also wait. Of course, the more manual the process, the higher the risk that documents get misplaced. This can lead to delayed decisions, unnecessary rework, and a variety of other risks.

Capturx Software instantly automates paperwork with tablets, handhelds, and digital pens. Our customers pick which form they want automated and the device their team will use, and Capturx integrates the field data into their back-end systems and workflows without complex software or data re-entry.

As a result a range of enterprises and agencies are speeding workflows and reducing risk with Capturx – here’s a few ROI examples:

• Tetra Tech sped up risk assessment after Joplin Tornado by 87%+ – learn more.
• Innovator Industrial service firm gets paid 70% faster – learn more.
• US Courts decreased case processing time by 300 hrs per week – learn more.
• Under Pressure Canada reduced billing cycle by 50% – learn more.
• Corpus Christi TX Street Services increased productivity by 20% – learn more.
• Samueli Institute cut health research data processing by 40% – learn more.
• NASA LaRC GIS, estimates 80% error & 33% survey cost reduction– learn more.

With all our customers, there is a strong focus on improving operational visibility so that issues can be identified and addressed before they become service, safety, or compliance concerns. See how Capturx helps in this 1-min video:

If you’d like to learn more please reach out to [email protected] or call 877-232-7903.

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How to Define and Implement a Form Lifecycle

Thanks for checking-in! This week's post was contributed by Sabra from Adapx Product Management, please read on to discover more about "Form Lifecycles."

Following up on the Data Collection Is More Than Filling Out Forms topic, it’s time to talk about how to define and implement a form lifecycle.

Each of your business forms has a lifecycle, even if you haven’t had a chance to think about it. A form is printed, filled out, copied through data entry, reviewed, approved, and digitally archived or filed as paper. That’s the form’s life – from beginning to end. Seems pretty simple until you delve deeper. To find business value opportunities – to improve efficiencies and protect against data loss – you need to first define each form’s lifecycle.

- What are the stages?
- What roles participate in each stage?
- Which roles can be done by anyone? Which are only assigned to a secure group?
- Who should be added to each secure group?

Once you define your form’s lifecycle, you end-up with a picture like the one to the right. You’ll quickly spot where there are bottlenecks, needs for work queues, and risks for data loss. And most importantly, you’ll uncover the workarounds and sideline processes that create extra effort for your team and keep data out of your main line of business applications.

By applying a structured approach to form lifecycles, you can focus on building efficiency, speed, and data security into business processes from the beginning.

For example, here is a form lifecycle configured for use with a timesheet and Capturx Forms Service/Capturx for SharePoint. This timesheet has a form lifecycle that includes defined roles, stages, and transitions between the stages. If the Approver, Bob, finds an error, he can reject the timesheet and it will automatically be assigned back to Sue who originally submitted it for approval. In real time, Sue will get a notification and can correct her timesheet and submit it again to Bob. No need for phone tag or a long email thread between Bob and Sue. And once Bob approves Sue’s timesheet, an automated step occurs which exports the timesheet data into the accounting system so that clients are quickly invoiced for the time that Sue worked onsite.

Eliminating inefficiencies, gaps, and workarounds from your form’s lifecycle will result in your teams and business applications getting quicker access to accurate data that they need for invoicing, inspection trend reports, payroll, and other business-critical activities.

To learn more about form lifecycles and how they can help your organization, add a comment or contact your Adapx Solution Engineer at [email protected]

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You're Invited - Oil & Gas Exec Roundtable

Next week, on Wednesday, September 25th you’re invited to an exclusive Oil & Gas Exec Luncheon with Houston leaders like Mike Harris of Anadarko Petroleum.

Share and benefit from an intimate roundtable discussion regarding best practices for mobile technology and asset data capture and management.
Local Houston representatives will highlight current technology plans, priorities, and challenges via panel discussion. Attendees will be able to:
    • Hear directly from technology leaders and share their own experiences
    • Learn about the latest national trends for data management
    • Network with fellow industry leaders in the region

Limited seating is available – No-Fee Registration Today
Location: Hotel Granduca, Galleria Neighborhood, Houston Texas
Date: Wed, September 25th Time: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM CT

For more information about the event please email or call 206-428-0781

We hope you can join us and look forward to hearing from you!

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Design a Data Architecture to Ease Future Operations

Last week we discussed Trend 2, Preparing for the Cloud, and that while the Cloud is changing many data-sharing and IT-related processes and systems, most pipeline planning and ROW teams are yet to feel the impact.
This week we’re walking through the 3rd and Final Trend – Design a Data Architecture to Ease Future Operations. Using the Cloud or any other system, teams should create a ROW data architecture that reflects an understanding of how documents will be used throughout a pipeline’s lifetime. And the very best time to think about how operational teams will later use ROW data is at the point of the initial ROW data collection.

A large part of the ROW data management process, of course, is centered on identifying and securing rights of way during the initial pipeline construction phase. As a result, many organizations focus their handling of survey, easement, and contract documents in a one-off project-management-like manner.

At a macro-level, teams identify routes and work through all of the documentation to secure the rights of way. At a micro-level, securing each individual ROW is also a project, often with stacks of documents accumulating in traveling packs to include surveys, ownership documents, offers, and contracts. In both cases, there’s often a “line-them-up-and-knock-them-down” project management approach which is important to keeping projects on track.

A challenge that many operational teams encounter after commissioning, however, is poorly organized ROW data that can be difficult to access and manage during later operations. Changes in rights of ways happen during construction, as routes are modified, and after construction, as ownership of land changes hands. ROW data is used to track owners, ownership changes, payments, and other material events. Teams also use ROW data as part of normal operations outside of payments, for example, in communicating with land owners around routine pipeline maintenance, vegetation abatement and management, and incident response. Well-organized data is critical to facilitate inspection documentation and the ability, for example, to quickly respond to inquiries from regulators and land owners, and to document compliance.

The best time to think about how operational teams will later use ROW data is at the point of the initial ROW data collection. Teams should create a ROW data architecture that reflects an understanding of how documents will be used throughout a pipeline’s lifetime. The right data taxonomy should be created and document tagging implemented to reflect payments, ownership changes, incidents, and compliance requirements. Teams should consider the following:

• How should survey data be tracked and associated projects, owners, GIS data, and payment records?
• As owners change is it easy to update and track records?
• As changes arise during construction and rights of way adjusted, how are engineering documents updated and tracked? How are land surveys updated and tracked?
• Do the CAD, GIS, and survey records stored by the organization actually reflect the ROW and pipeline as-it-was built?
• Will future maintenance teams, regulators, or new owners be surprised when they arrive later?

Thinking about these issues early provides downstream operational teams with the chance to receive a logical, structured, and accessible set of ROW documents, instead of a disorganized collection of scanned files turned over to them after commissioning.

Final Thoughts on the series:
Many pipeline planning teams have already encountered some of these ROW data management trends, others will encounter these trends as they upgrade existing systems, work on new projects with partners that manage ROW data differently, or gradually as more devices begin appearing in the field.

Either way, it's important for teams to understand these trends and to begin thinking about how Changes in Devices, the Cloud, and the use of ROW data can create opportunities to streamline and improve operations rather than disrupt them.

I hope that you’ve found this series useful. While every ROW planning team and workflow is different, these best practices and considerations will help you find the right solution for you and your team. This series was based on an eBook, download it for free here: The Top 3 Pipeline Right-of-Way Data Management Trends eBook

Please also reach out if you have any comments, questions, or would like to get some feedback on your data management processes and workflows. Adapx has a team of workflow specialists that are all about finding the right fit. We’ve fielded thousands of deployment questions and requests, some are perfect fits for the digital pen and tablet workflows that we support, others we have directed toward different vendor solutions based on their workflow needs. Email [email protected] or visit www.adapx.com

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Preparing for the Cloud

Last week we discussed Trend 1, Automating ROW Data Capture in the Field, and that when evaluating potential devices it’s important to look at the environment in which the device will be used and the amount of training you are prepared to provide your team.

This week we’re walking through Trend 2 – Preparing for the Cloud. While the Cloud is changing many data-sharing and IT-related processes and systems, most pipeline planning and ROW teams are yet to feel the impact.

While many pipeline planning teams standardize around a few GIS and CAD systems, they tend to use a diverse set of project management and turnover systems– ranging from large software apps like Primavera,TiLos, Microsoft Project to a range of home-grown systems.

Reducing IT costs and improving collaboration have been key factors driving cloud adoption in general. A key reason that many pipeline systems are late to the cloud is the fact that they’ve been heavily customized and hardcoded over the years.

A more likely entry point for the Cloud into the pipeline world is through document management systems, such as Documentum. Document management systems are connected to many pipeline planning and ROW systems storing a range of files including survey documents, CAD drawing iterations, contracts, or easement-related documents.

They are a natural initial candidate for moving to the Cloud because of the large amounts of files, the need for offsite backup, and infrequent access to many of these files. Doncument management vendors see the same future and have created compelling Cloud services to meet these needs. The other driver of the Cloud in the pipeline world is apt to be around easing partner collaboration. In pipeline construction trailers, for example, individuals from contractors, owners, and future operators sit beside each other looking at the same field data. They end up duplicating the data entry, processing, and tracking in their own corporate systems, which are accessible only on separate, corporate network silos and VPNs.

Apart from the inefficiencies of using separate systems, relying on different tracking systems creates different views of project status, which can lead to mistakes and incorrect assumptions.

Many engineering projects have moved to the Cloud because of its inherent ability to provide a common view and tracking tool for separate teams. Different teams can access data on a common network with access controlled by various data-permission levels. In addition to getting a common view and only having data entered once, teams can also get data into their own internal systems through web services or a range of other data interchange methods.

As planning and ROW teams think about the Cloud, they need to understand why they might move to the Cloud and the workflows for which it makes sense.

If document management seems like a good fit, what are the risks and opportunities? Will existing systems break? Will it create new opportunities for Operations to access and work with data?

If moving to the Cloud, then it also might be time to evaluate your workflows and consider new vendors if…

• You need a new way to manage legal records, royalty payments, etc.
• The existing internal project software simply can’t support tablets.
• Your existing system simply cannot be run in the Cloud.

Using the Cloud or any other system, teams should create a ROW data architecture that reflects an understanding of how documents will be used throughout a pipeline’s lifetime. And the very best time to think about how operational teams will later use ROW data is at the point of the initial ROW data collection. Check in next week to read about the 3nd and final trend: Designing a Data Architecture to Ease Future Operations.

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Automating ROW Data Capture in the Field

Last week, in the first post of this series, we discussed how new data management trends are poised to shake up pipeline planning and ROW data management. Big IT trends like tablets and the Cloud are creeping into the pipeline and ROW worlds – creating both new challenges and opportunities for teams managing and gathering ROW data.

This week we’re walking through the 1st trend – Automating ROW Data Capture in the Field. Pipeline planning and ROW teams have long used handhelds devices for GPS, survey, and taking pictures in the field. Now, more and more tablets are showing up at work sites. Tablets have the potential to transform many parts of the ROW data collection process.

With tablets, teams can automate much of the structured data collection that has been captured using paper forms as part of survey, route planning, and project tracking. Some tablets can support GPS and photographs, automatically integrating GPS data and imagery into forms to speed up and simplify ROW record keeping. Since tablets can also capture signatures, they can also be used to automate other paper-form based ROW processes that require approvals.

Of course, teams in the field have a lot of experience in harsh and variable environments, which can be a challenge to using tablets. These include limitations in battery, visibility in sunlight or rain, weight, durability, or the keyhole view that makes it difficult to get the broader perspective of maps or CAD prints. In these cases, many ROW teams are automating data capture using digital pens that instantly digitize data written on paper forms, maps, and CAD prints. Digital pen based solutions can also be used with landowners and multi-part paper forms, for example, when physical pieces of signed paper need to be left with different stakeholders.

Whether it’s a tablet or a digital pen, the key benefits of automating ROW field data capture are the same: faster data processing, reducing the risk of missing data, and eliminating the need for scanning or transcription.

As teams look to these new mobile devices, they need to keep some important considerations in mind to ensure successful deployments. ROW field teams are frequently out of the range of networks, for example, so teams need to ensure that their tablet-based solutions, can be used while devices are online or offline. Since developing custom tablet apps for offline use can be expensive (especially if forms or processes change frequently), teams should look for solutions that can be set up and managed using familiar tools, such as Office. Some mobile form solutions can also be used online or offline in a tablet browser, without having to build a new app.

Teams considering digital pens should look for solutions that also have tablet options, which enable different field team members to select the tool that best fits their workflow. Since paper is often the most convenient way to review and markup maps and CAD drawings, make sure that the digital pen solution can support instantly digitizing markups on GIS maps and prints from CAD systems.

Even when teams are conducting visual surveys to verify routes using GPS devices, they often still markup notes and discrepancies using paper maps. Digital pens can instantly record and send the handwritten map markups back to the GIS system to streamline reporting. This also helps reduce the risk of missing paperwork and the need for expensive flyovers to be repeated.

The same general process can also be used to track changes to pipeline routes and ROWs as they are adjusted to accommodate unexpected obstructions. Markups can be made directly on paper surveys or engineering drawings to document as-built changes and enable faster updating of the original CAD drawings.

When automating a data collection process, deciding how to share and archive the data is just as important as choosing the right collection device. Next week we will discuss the benefits of leveraging a cloud-based server for increased organizational communication and reliability. Check in next week to read about the 2nd trend: Preparing for the Cloud

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Top 3 Pipeline ROW Data Management Trends Series

Planning, securing, and managing right-of-way (ROW) data for pipeline construction generates large amounts of paperwork and data management needs. The paperwork ranges from managing high-level pipeline routing and land surveys to engineering design iterations and a myriad of documents around land ownership, easements, and leases. The initial ROW planning starts generating the paperwork, which only increases as construction begins and changes need to be documented and managed.

To manage all this data, pipeline planning teams rely on a number of pipeline project and data management systems that have evolved over the years including GIS systems, CAD applications, and a variety of off-the-shelf and homegrown project management, turnover, and document management systems. While the systems have evolved, many basic processes such as capturing data on paper and then scanning or data entry into home-grown systems haven’t changed very much in recent years.

Some 2013 data management trends, however, are poised to shake up pipeline planning and ROW data management in upcoming years. Big IT trends like tablets and the Cloud are creeping into the pipeline and ROW worlds – creating both new challenges and opportunities for teams managing and gathering ROW data.

This is also coming at a time when pipeline project teams include more and more contractors and the pipeline industry, itself, faces increased regulatory scrutiny.

Thanks for joining us for this 4 week series, next week we will kick off the 1st trend of Automating Data Capture in the Field. There are a number of devices to consider when setting out to automate data capture and sharing – when evaluating potential devices it’s important to look at the environment in which the device will be used and the amount of training you are prepared to provide your team. Tune in next week to learn more!

• Capturx
• data management
• device choices
• pipeline
• right-of-way
• trends

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24/7 Capturx Support for Customers

Here at Adapx we take care of our customers!
Adapx helps a range of businesses and agencies streamline data capture, collaboration and operations with Capturx software for digital pens, speech, and sketch.  Since our beginnings as a natural user interface technology supplier to the Department of Defense, Adapx has developed a full line of Capturx products to streamline data capture into Microsoft Office, SharePoint Server, ArcGIS, PDF, and a range of back-end systems.

The unique and patented Capturx experience speeds data capture without requiring expensive equipment, training, IT involvement, or changes to existing standard operating procedures.  Customers get the ease and simplicity of capturing data on paper or through speech and sketch with all the benefits of immediate access to structured digital data in native applications.

We want our customers to feel fully enabled to accomplish their task - that's why Capturx Product Support is available to help with issues and questions 24/7!  Anytime email [email protected] or fill out this form and we'll reach out with a solution.

In addition to our qualified 24/7 support team we have created support materials for all types of learners, check out our:

• Product Support section
• Video Tutorials page
• Knowledge Base articles and FAQs
• Live Training sessions OR an Introductory Webinar

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Digital Pens for Heavy Equipment Maintenance

This week we’re exploring another customer's day-to-day operations with Capturx.

Steelmakers rely on coal from Teck, North America’s largest producer of steelmaking coal and Canada’s largest diversified mining company, to keep steel production running smoothly. To keep that steady supply of coal rolling, Teck operates mines, equipment, and maintenance operations around the clock. Foremen and Maintenance Engineers work in 12-hour shifts managing teams of heavy-machinery mechanics to identify, resolve, and prevent equipment issues that can lead to downtime, production shortfalls, and lost profit.

To keep the dayshift and nightshift teams in sync on equipment and potential issues, foremen extensively document every issue, part ordered, and maintenance step required or taken. Capturing and managing the large amounts of data takes time, and when managers went to automate the process, they selected Capturx forms software for digital pens.

Let’s dive into the results they are seeing with Capturx:

Real-time visibility to equipment status
Now by simply docking the pen, the equipment data is instantly available in a comprehensive approach that enables both the foremen and engineering team to get the data they need, fast. Engineers can start data analysis right away – quickly pinpointing inefficiencies and finding solutions without pouring hours into compiling the data first.

Foremen spend more time on shop floor instead of doing paperwork
By freeing-up the foremen from administrative work, they can spend more time on the shop floor, overseeing projects, managing priorities, and trou­bleshooting. Foremen now have the equivalent of one additional day each week to devote to keeping productivity at a steady and uninterrupted pace.

Foremen aren’t distracted by complex tools
Teck was able to get time- and labor-saving benefits using pen and paper without disrupting the shop floor workflow or creating new distractions. The digital pen was received well and fully operational in a short amount of time. It required virtually no training, and it is durable, easy to carry, and well-suited for mobile and rugged environments.

“Now our maintenance team, with minimal time and effort can pinpoint the answer to our most important question – ‘Are there any inefficiencies creating production or downtime risks?’” said Trevor Vienneau, Mainte­nance Engineer, Teck Coal. “With access to up-to-date data, our engineers don’t need to plan and invest their daily hours in manually compiling data before analysis happens.”

For more information, please check out the case study here.

• digital pens
• heavy equipment maintenance
• operational visibility
• operations
• Teck

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