Case Studies
Lichfield City Council is responsible for maintaining around 65 acres of public open space, including many footpaths, play areas and bus shelters in the City. It’s the job of the Open Spaces Team to regularly inspect these areas to ensure they stay well-maintained, and log any issues or maintenance required. Until recently, written notes were made during inspections, and the paper information safely filed way -but the team realised there was an opportunity to make the process more efficient by utilising technology to collect, organise and store the information in a more robust and structured manner.
The Challenge
Although keen to update and improve the system, the Open Spaces team didn’t have the time or technical expertise in-house to move the project from a paper-based solution to an online system, so liaised with Maximity for IT help.
Develop a bespoke app Input data and photographs in real time Ensure on-going visits were diarised when required Instantly access important data from any location
The Solution
Maximity’s team suggested creating a solution using Office365’s PowerApps, and developed a bespoke app to help the team collect information and keep up-to-date records of visits and findings, that could also act as a reminder of when inspections were due.
The new Open Spaces app enables the team to log the findings from each visit on an iPad whilst they’re out on-site. It provides dedicated data capture areas that need to be completed to ensure data is collected in a systematic manner, as well as an additional notes section to log or check any areas of potential concern.
Not only does the app save the team having to write-up and re-input data when they get back to the office, it makes the information instantly visible to the rest of the team, as the Office365 software uploads the data into the central system at the council in real-time, as soon as it’s typed in.
The mobile technology also means photographs taken on the visit can be uploaded into the app, providing photographic evidence of the current state of each area at the time of inspection.
It also helps the team manage their diaries in terms of scheduling inspections. The app has been programmed with information about how often each venue needs to be visited, so provides a log of when visits are due, whether that’s quarterly, monthly or more frequently. Different venues need inspecting at different times and frequencies, depending on the level of footfall and potential risk. And if the risk at a venue increases, so does the frequency of visits.
Once an inspection is completed, the app automatically calculates the next visit date and logs it in the system to be flagged nearer the time. The app can re-calculate visit dates if necessary, for example if an area has an unexpected problem and needs an inspection more frequently.
The new Open Spaces app enables the team to log the findings from each visit on an iPad whilst they’re out on-site. It provides dedicated data capture areas that need to be completed to ensure data is collected in a systematic manner, as well as an additional notes section to log or check any areas of potential concern.
Not only does the app save the team having to write-up and re-input data when they get back to the office, it makes the information instantly visible to the rest of the team, as the Office365 software uploads the data into the central system at the council in real-time, as soon as it’s typed in.
The mobile technology also means photographs taken on the visit can be uploaded into the app, providing photographic evidence of the current state of each area at the time of inspection.
It also helps the team manage their diaries in terms of scheduling inspections. The app has been programmed with information about how often each venue needs to be visited, so provides a log of when visits are due, whether that’s quarterly, monthly or more frequently. Different venues need inspecting at different times and frequencies, depending on the level of footfall and potential risk. And if the risk at a venue increases, so does the frequency of visits.
Once an inspection is completed, the app automatically calculates the next visit date and logs it in the system to be flagged nearer the time. The app can re-calculate visit dates if necessary, for example if an area has an unexpected problem and needs an inspection more frequently.
Business Benefits
Nick, Open Spaces Officer at Lichfield City Council is delighted with the new system, and says: “Originally I was going to try to create a simple spreadsheet solution but I’m glad I didn’t. It would have taken me ages to build something fairly basic, whereas the team at Maximity has the skills to be able to create a solution above and beyond what we expected, and within a very short timeframe. This new system is more efficient, flexible and searchable and easy to use both in the office and out on-site.
“The app gives us the robust information we need by ensuring all fields are filled in every time. Although this may involve more time to input the detail in the initial stages i.e. the first time a site is visited using the new app when all new information needs to be entered, it will make visits more efficient in the future when reports just need to be updated because the base information is already in place. It also means that, should a report be called upon as evidence following an incident, the council has instant access to a detailed record of the state of the area at the last inspection, complete with photographs. The bonus of the system is the discipline it provides, acting as a secure reminder of everything that needs to be checked, and providing dates that the next inspections are needed.”
Tracy Pound, MD of Maximity says: “There’s so much opportunity and capability within the Office365 system that most businesses aren’t aware of yet. PowerApps can build quite complicated and in-depth processes, that can sit above different data points like SharePoint and Excel to give a nicely presented, easy-to-use front-end to provide custom solutions to organisations. It enables us to quickly create apps for clients that can make a real difference to their day-to-day tasks. We’ve really enjoyed working with Nick and his team.”
Nick concludes: “Maximity provided us with a bespoke solution quickly and professionally. They’ve given us the flexible, easy-to-use yet thorough solution we asked for, and we are delighted with the results. They are a friendly team who have been a pleasure to work with, and have helped us learn and make best use of the new software. And if we have any queries, Maximity can just log-in to the app to help us via Office365 Teams software, so we get instant help!”
“The app gives us the robust information we need by ensuring all fields are filled in every time. Although this may involve more time to input the detail in the initial stages i.e. the first time a site is visited using the new app when all new information needs to be entered, it will make visits more efficient in the future when reports just need to be updated because the base information is already in place. It also means that, should a report be called upon as evidence following an incident, the council has instant access to a detailed record of the state of the area at the last inspection, complete with photographs. The bonus of the system is the discipline it provides, acting as a secure reminder of everything that needs to be checked, and providing dates that the next inspections are needed.”
Tracy Pound, MD of Maximity says: “There’s so much opportunity and capability within the Office365 system that most businesses aren’t aware of yet. PowerApps can build quite complicated and in-depth processes, that can sit above different data points like SharePoint and Excel to give a nicely presented, easy-to-use front-end to provide custom solutions to organisations. It enables us to quickly create apps for clients that can make a real difference to their day-to-day tasks. We’ve really enjoyed working with Nick and his team.”
Nick concludes: “Maximity provided us with a bespoke solution quickly and professionally. They’ve given us the flexible, easy-to-use yet thorough solution we asked for, and we are delighted with the results. They are a friendly team who have been a pleasure to work with, and have helped us learn and make best use of the new software. And if we have any queries, Maximity can just log-in to the app to help us via Office365 Teams software, so we get instant help!”
